Guided Meditation

Wellness for MomsMeditation
Written By Leva App
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As mothers, we live in the fast lane trying to juggle children, relationships, social obligations, finances, and sometimes a busy career.  We often feel like we are running on empty, which produces anxiety and high levels of stress. As a result, we end up living in our heads, rather than in the present moment.  This has the unfortunate effect of increasing rather than relieving the overwhelming feelings we may be experiencing.  So how do we get from the place of heightened stress and anxiety, to connect with the peace that is present within us?  

Meditation of course!

Most of us have heard of meditation and know that it has a positive impact on our lives, but how and why does it work? Read on to find out how this transformative practice can lead to your living a healthy, peaceful, happy, and fulfilling life.  

At a Glance: Life can be overwhelming and stressful, especially when we are projecting stress from the past into the future. Meditation is a powerful practice that can bring you back to the present moment and allow you to objectively view your mental and emotional processes.  This has the effect of creating new neural pathways that increase your empathy, compassion, self-awareness, improve your ability to learn, plan and make clear decisions. Guided meditations are especially useful for beginners, and can help direct you to develop an effective meditation practice.

What is meditation?

Meditation is the practice of exploring the inner workings of our mental and emotional processes.  Most of the time our minds are wandering – we are worrying about what we have or haven’t done, fantasizing, daydreaming, or fretting about the future.  Meditation centers us. It is the habitual process of training your mind to focus and become aware of the thoughts, sensations, and emotions you are experiencing at that moment.  It is important to note that meditation is not about getting rid of your thoughts, but rather paying close attention to them.  The non-judgmental and accepting disposition we assume during meditation creates balance and clarity. Although it is deceptively simple, meditation yields profound results, giving us control of our actions, making us aware of our mental habits, and making more room for kindness and equanimity in our lives.  

Meditation was developed in the East and has been practiced for thousands of years. While it is often exercised in religious contexts, many people have realized its benefits, and it is now widely used as a psychotherapeutic technique.   In fact, research has established the efficacy of meditation for treating anxiety and stress, and for increasing empathy, inner peace, and overall wellbeing.    

Neuroscience has found that the brain changes throughout adulthood and even into old age, forming new neural connections.  This is known as neuroplasticity.  Functional resonance magnetic imaging (fMRI) studies have found that meditation sparks dramatic changes in the structure and function of the brain.  It activates the insula (associated with empathy, compassion, and self-awareness), the putamen (important for learning), and the prefrontal cortex (planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior) within 8 weeks of starting a meditation practice.  Furthermore, your brain does not distinguish between an imagined event and a real one.  If you are continually imagining or thinking about past or future stressful events, your brain will produce the relevant stress chemicals.  Practicing meditation brings about physical and chemical changes in your brain that move you into a peaceful, energized state, improving your stress and overall wellbeing.

What is guided meditation?

Guided meditation is an excellent way to start a meditation practice.  Focusing the mind on the present moment can be difficult in the beginning, but pointing-out instructions are a powerful way to guide your experience.  Because we are such a goal-oriented and rushed society, taking time to be present can feel impossible.  Following the voice and directions of a guided meditation provides focus and distraction from other intruding thoughts.

While not all guided meditations are created equal, there is a common theme present in all sessions or recordings.  Your guide will first help you relax your body and your mind.  You will be directed to focus on your breath and deeply relax any tension in specific muscle groups.  Your attention will be brought to your heartbeat and any other body sensations you may be experiencing.  You will then be guided to non-judgmentally notice the thoughts that enter your mind without being drawn into the thoughts.  This sets the stage to reach your subconscious mind and rewire your brain by forming new neural pathways.  Over time, you will notice that it becomes easier to meditate and that your real-world experiences will start to reflect your new inner state of being, undistorted by the machinations of your mind.
 

Sign up to be a Premium Leva Member. You can access a daily guided meditation that will help you on your meditation journey.

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