Why Meditate?

I once heard meditation described as…

A BICEPS CURL FOR YOUR BRAIN

It builds the muscle of how to be present, moment to moment. So many of us live in the past or future. What about you? After 50 we begin to wonder about outliving our money and ending up alone. Or, we worry about getting sick and having no one to take care of us.  Allowing the mind to be consumed with what may happen in the future or regrets from the past is detrimental to the physical body. Bombarding the mind with constant what ifs leads the body to be on high alert for danger. Over time the body begins to break down and chronic health issues can ensue.  We need to practice living moment to moment. Meditating, whether guided or in silence, for as little as 15 minutes daily, helps us learn to live in the here and  now. Keeping past and future thoughts at bay nurtures our bodies to stay healthy for many years to come. 

5 REASONS WHY MEDITATION ON A REGULAR BASIS IS BENEFICIAL

  1. Decreases stress levels – During tense times cortisol, a stress hormone, is released which can lead to higher levels of damaging inflammation in the body. Many studies have shown meditation reduces the inflammation response caused by stress. It also improves symptoms of stress-related conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder and fibromyalgia. 
  2. Improves sleep – Studies show that meditation techniques can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Great news since half the population struggles with insomnia at some point.
  3. Lengthens attention span – Meditation can provide improved focus and accuracy while completing a task. It may even reverse patterns in the brain that add to mind-wandering and worrying.
  4. Helps control pain – In studies, meditators have shown a greater ability to cope with pain. Some people even experienced a reduced sensation of pain.
  5. May reduce memory-related issues of the brain – There’s preliminary evidence that multiple meditation styles can increase memory and mental quickness in older adults.

Please try the following Streams of Light guided meditation from the Wise Goddesses on-demand library. We offer meditations, yoga, barre & Pilates classes, nutrition and self-care tips for women over 50 with our monthly membership. We hope you join us soon.

STREAMS OF LIGHT MEDITATION

Find a quiet space and place your body in a comfortable pose that suits you well. Place your hands on your belly. I’m hoping you feel an expansion and contraction as you inhale and exhale. The points of your body in contact with your mat or floor space are beginning to relax, grow heavier. You are letting what’s already happened to you today drift further and further away. You are focusing more and more of your attention to your breath…that steady, comforting rhythm that is unique to you. Release the hands from your belly and place them where they are comfortable.

You are breathing in and out through your nose, letting go of any need to control the breath. It’s your unique rhythm, it knows what it’s doing so just let go. Witness the breath moving in and out. As we inhale and exhale let’s create a mantra, a simple phrase to silently repeat to yourself. On the inhale say the word “so”, on exhale the word “hum”. Draw out the word “so” on inhale and “hum” on exhale. It’s a simple mantra attached to the breath, keeping you in the moment, the here and the now. This simple mantra has a simple meaning. “So” means I am, “hum” means that which is. I am that which is…So, Hum.

Let go of that mantra and turn your attention to the length of your spine. Feeling rooted into the earth, reaching for the sky. It’s like a beautiful strand of pearls, each pearl representing a vertebrae. These pearls are glowing with lovely white light. As we visualize this strand of pearls and the light within, it originates at the base of the spine and it is that white or golden stream of light. It begins at the base and travels up the spine, like a helix. The light spirals all the way up to the top of the spine at the base of the head. 

Now, imagine this golden or white stream of light is now moving back down the spine in another helix, another spiral. It comes all the way back to the base of the spine. We have this lovely intertwined golden stream of light – heading up the spine to the base of the head and back down to the base of the spine.

Now, let’s bring these golden streams and our mantra together. Imagine again the golden light at the base of the spine and as it spirals upward you say the word “so” as you inhale. As you exhale, imagine a silvery white light coming back down as you exhale and say the word “hum”. In your mind’s eye, the golden light spirals upward as you say “so” on inhale. Exhale and say the word “hum” as the silvery white light spirals down to the base of the spine. Keep imagining this golden light spiraling up and the silvery white light back down. 

Imagine the golden light representing our yang energy, our more active energy and the silvery white light is our yin or cooling, grounding energy. Notice they are intertwining, both energies, the yin and the yang. Both of these energies are bringing an awareness to the spine and reaching out to all the other parts of the body. The golden yang and the silvery yin lights, intertwining as we say ‘so” on inhale and “hum” on exhale. Continue…

Let the mantra go. Breathe easy in, easy out. Feel the yin and yang energies inside you. They are joining forces inside you, allowing you to feel revitalized and refreshed while also calm and at peace. As you feel the breath coming and going, begin small movements in the fingers, toes and head. Gently bring yourself back. When you are ready, open your eyes. Continue with calm, easy breaths. Make your way from the pose you were in to the here and now of the room. Return to a seated pose if you were not already there. That concludes the meditation.

May you be resting in the peace of yoga.

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