During acupuncture sessions, some people relax so deeply that I think of it as a form of meditation.
When we relax deeply, we disengage from the usual mind chatter. When you are not in an acupuncture session, you may want to experience the benefits of meditation on your own.
There are many different types of meditation. Some forms quiet the mind by focusing on a specific thing: for example a sensation in the body, a sound, or a sight. A few of my favorite types are below:
Moving Meditation
You don’t have to sit still to meditate: Tai Chi, Qi Gong or even talking a walk with awareness keeps the mind busy, so repetitive thoughts are circumvented.
Brief Meditation
Meditation in a New York Minute: Super Calm for the Super Busy teaches simple techniques that give profound results in less than a minute. Bentinho Massaro suggest relaxing your mind for even 2–5 seconds throughout the day can shift consciousness.
Simple Meditation
Mind stillness is recommended in many sacred texts.
Be still and know that I am God.Psalm 46
Can you be still till the mud settles. Then the right action arises by itself.Tao Te Ching
Other favorites are:
- Noticing a sunset, a cloud floating by or the way the earth feels under my feet.
- Being present in a conversation.
- Simply breathing and noticing my breath, perhaps even my heartbeat.
- Immersing myself in great music.
- Noticing the energy in a natural place.
- Feeling connected with a tree or a bird or another person.
- Baking cookies, shelling peas.
- Feeling love.
Resources:
- Awakening Spirits by Tom Brown, Jr. describes meditation as “sacred silence”, a term I love.
- Getting in the Vortex by Esther and Jerry Hicks has 4- 15 minute meditations in a CD and book.
- Chopra Center Meditation often has free meditations.
- Meditations for children: Starbright and Earthlight by Maureen Garth