Meditation Center

Meditation Guides & Tools

There are many ways to help control stress in your daily life.

Diet and exercise are important and another practice that’s growing in popularity is meditation. 

It can be quite challenging when you have a lot of things on your plate, but it’s important to find time for yourself, relax, and just breathe.

Meditation has been shown as a natural way to help reduce blood pressure, anxiety, depression, insomnia, PTSD, and chronic pain.

The practice of meditation dates back thousands of years and was used in many cultures for health, self-discovery, and to reach spiritual enlightenment.

Meditation was first introduced to the west by Hindu guru Paramahansa Yogananda in the early 1900s.

Meditation is the practice of bringing one’s attention to a single focus to temporarily suspend emotions and thoughts.

You silence the mind and focus on a singular happening – usually on your own breathing or silently repeating a mantra.

Stay focused on being present, thoughts will arise and just recognize them without judgment or grasping onto them, then bring your attention back to your breath or mantra.

Meditation can help you achieve a state of deep relaxation as it lowers blood pressure and slows breathing.

Whether it be for self-discovery or to relieve the stress, daily meditation practice can be an effective way to relax and gain control over emotions.

Learning to meditate is an investment in yourself and improving your life.

Here are some meditation techniques you could try practicing yourself at home or even at work!

To start meditation, it’s important that you’ve got a nice quiet space to sit comfortably.

You should also make sure that you’re wearing comfortable clothing.

Once you’re ready, start by focusing on your breathing.

Thoughts will arise and take you off on a path, once you recognize you’re thinking, just let the thought go without judgement or getting caught up in that story, and bring your attention back to your breath.

Alternatives:

Add Aromatherapy

Stimulating the powerful sense of smell during meditation enriches the practice.  Monks have been using incense during meditation for thousands of years.

Essential oils and candles can also be used.

Meditating just on the aromatic is another focus you can use.

See below for our favorite aromatics to use for meditation.

Focus on a mantra

Focus on a phrase or sound that you would repeat to yourself quietly in your mind, over and over and focus on each word.

Focus on a visualization

Imagine yourself in a beautiful location that makes you feel relaxed; this could be anything from the beach to your backyard.

Stay focused on it, and dismiss all thoughts that arise and bring your attention back to this visualization.

Oftentimes people in western cultures are uncomfortable at first when they try meditation.

These cultures are all about being busy and consuming entertainment, so sitting quietly can sometimes be uncomfortable at first. Give it a chance, recognize the source of that discomfort, and then focus on your meditation.

In a short time, meditation will become easier and more comfortable and you’ll be wondering why you hadn’t started years ago.

Once meditation becomes easy for you, consider joining a meditation group in person if there is one in your area.

Meditating in groups is another wonderful experience altogether. Zen centers usually welcome the public on certain days for a small contribution.

Below, we present some of our favorite meditation aids that may help and enrich your  practice and journey.