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Guided Meditation
God is always
communicating with us
Our only job
is to listen... |
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Martin Luther, the great Protestant reformer, once claimed that if he had seventeen hours of work to do, and only eight hours in which to do it, that he could do his work more efficiently if he meditated for seven of those hours. Luther knew the value received from spending time in meditation with God. He awoke with vibrant energy and clear direction.
Meditation provides both mental clarity and the "invocation" of Spiritual Enlightenment. As you meditate, and shut down the busyness of your thoughts, you literally rest in the silence and wait upon God. It is in those moments of silent expectancy that God's "still, small voice" can best be heard. When you recognize God, active within your consciousness, you are able to understand and accept -- at a whole new level -- that you are always, intimately connected to all of the Power in the Universe. Meditation is the act of "plugging in" to all of the Power you can ever want or need.
| Begin by preparing your body and your space for meditation |
To prepare yourself for meditation, we suggest that you make the conscious decision to willingly invest the time needed to ready your body, your mind and your environment for the experience. Stretch your arms and legs for a few minutes so that they feel limber and loose. Choose comfortable, loose fitting clothing. Prepare a cool drink to keep beside you, make a trip to the bathroom, select a comfortable chair to sit in. (You may lay down to meditate, but if you are new to meditation, it best to start in a sitting position. It is tempting, until you learn how to meditate, to fall asleep as your mind becomes quiet. That is somewhat less likely to happen if you are in a sitting position.)
Soften the lights, turn off the telephones, put a note on the door of your house or your room, asking not to be disturbed.
| There are no rules about the best way to reach the silence |
Some people prefer to meditate in complete silence. Others prefer a musical background, or the sounds of chimes or flutes or running water to ease them into their silent space. Guided meditation tapes and CD's are also popular and are especially helpful for beginners. (You may order UnityNow's 2CD Guided meditation series - on line - by clicking here. )
If you choose to use music, we suggest that you select a musical CD that is designed for meditation so that it doesn't contain any recognizable tune that might distract you. You may also want to light some candles to create a mood - or you may enjoy watching the flame of a single candle as you begin to quite your mind.
| Starting slowly is the best way to prepare yourself for a wonderful, life-long experience |
The most comfortable amount of time to spend in mediation for most people is fifteen to twenty minutes. At first, so that you have no fear around releasing control of your conscious thought, you may want to set a timer for ten or fifteen minutes. If fifteen minutes doesn't feel long enough, you can always reset it for a longer time and continue your mediation, or decide to return to meditation at a later time that day.
Until Meditation becomes part of your daily routine, it is wise to consciously commit to a time for meditation every day. It doesn't have to be at the same time of day, but your dedicated meditation time is a gift you give to yourself and the world. It will dramatically improve your quality of life and eventually, you won't think of letting a day pass by without it.
When you have fully prepared your body and your space, set your intention to experience a gentle, quiet time in communion with God. If you are seeking specific answers, also set your intention to receive the Divine Guidance that you are seeking.
Then begin your meditation by relaxing the muscles of your body and let your thoughts begin to slow, gently releasing each new thought as it vies for your attention. It helps, in the beginning, to take some deep healing breaths, right from your diaphragm. Inhale, absorbing the peace of the moment, the wonder of the NOW. Exhale, releasing your old, pent up energy. Inhale deeply, finding the Presence of God in your breath. Exhale, releasing your thoughts at the same time you release your breath. At first, a stream of thoughts will probably run across your mind. Accept them and then release them. Don't resist your thoughts, simply observe them and let them to on their way.
If something is on your mind, tell it to God gently now - like a feather on the breeze. Then close your eyes and listen. If your body itches and twitches for a while, invite it to relax. Reassure all of the cells of your body. Tell them that all is well and that together, you are embarking on a pleasant, peaceful new experience.
The following is a Guided Meditation. We suggest that you use it for practice, until you become accustomed to trusting yourself and God in the Silence. Read it all the way through once. Then use the opening paragraphs to help you quiet your mind and begin your journey. Or - record it and listen to the words, spoken in your own voice. Guided Meditation is simply a tool - one of many - that will help you go to wonderful places and and enjoy amazing experiences, Meditation will truly smooth the path to your Spiritual Awakening.
Starting Now....
We invite you now,to take three deep, healing breaths. Breathe in – all the way from your diaphragm, allowing your stomach to extend as you breathe, just like you did when you were a baby. Sit in an upright position as your breathe so that you can expel all of the stale air, trapped in the small spaces at the edges of your lungs. Feel God’s energy entering your body as you inhale. As you exhale, sigh out the old air and with it all of your old hurts, doubts and fears.
We’re going to repeat this exercise three more times now – Breathe in deeply and feel the freshness of God energy entering your body. Now exhale, sighing away any unwanted thing in your body or your mind. Breathe in deeply, feel the fresh energy of God in you. Now exhale, sighing away what is no longer needed in your consciousness. And one more time – Breathe in deeply, this time holding your lungs full of the precious air and energy for a few seconds, then releasing it with a deep and final sigh. Say goodbye to the last vestige of negativity, now leaving your body and your mind.
You are refreshed, you are relaxed, you are at peace – and from your peaceful place we now invite you gently close your eyes and in your imagination, step into a beautiful garden. This is the garden you would design if you were a landscape architect. The colors of the flowers are your favorite colors. The delicate petals and leaves of each flower are the ones you like best. The scents are your favorite scents. There are gentle, meandering paths to follow in your garden and a beautiful fountain, surrounded by flowers and comfortable looking benches.
Everywhere your eye falls, what you see delights your heart and your soul. The sounds of the birds in the trees are music to your ears. For a few seconds, you simply stand and savor this beautiful, enriching, exciting place. Now, you notice a little flutter of energy at the center of the garden – nothing you can recognize yet, just a positive energy that draws you toward it. You walk toward it and sit down on a lovely marble bench. Soon this wonderful energy lites on the bench beside you. You are very comfortable with this energy. You’ve known it since before you were born. It is the energy of your Soul and it has a message for you.
Your soul is reminding you to be grateful and especially to be grateful to your body temple, the vehicle that supports you here on earth. You know why you are receiving this message – and you agree that it is time for you to specifically express the love and gratitude that you feel for your body. You have not always been kind to your body. You’ve over worked it, you’ve criticized it and you’ve admired other bodies more that yours. But at your Soul level, you understand the real value of the body you have been given and now you also feel a deep abiding desire to tell your body how much you love and appreciate it.
Here in this lovely garden, content and at peace, is the perfect place to do that. Your soul suggests that you begin to speak to your body now....
As you feel the bench beneath you holding your full body weight, you relax and focus your full attention on your head. What a marvelous thing your head is – Within it are the components that allow you to see, hear, taste and smell. Your head offers so many functions that make your life experience so rich, so beautiful, and so possible. Your brain allows you to think, to choose, to remember, to understand, to feel and to live; your eyes are your windows to planet earth and every living thing on it, your nose is the reason you can smell the sweet aroma of this garden, your ears allow you to hear the birds singing in the trees, your mouth, accepts and incorporates the food and water that sustain your body. You say, "Thank You God, for my head and every blessing it provides for me, even those that I don’t fully understand. Thank You God for my precious head....."
Now allow your grateful thoughts to move gently around your whole body, giving thanks for each of its parts, its functions and its multiple gifts .
Take as much part as you need for this part of your journey. Appreciate all of the parts of your body in sequence. Give thanks for all that each part provides for you.
When you have finished thanking your body, let your individual thoughts subside. Sit comfortably now in the silence, steeped in the feelings of appreciation for your body temple and the Divine Energy that makes it all work so well with very little conscious participation on your part .....
Appreciate In the Silence....... In the Silence.....
Your Soul will alert you when it is time to begin the process of gently returning to the amazing time called NOW.
As you begin to waken, you become acutely aware again of all of the beauty around you in your own Secret Garden and of the life force flowing within your body. You are grateful, from the deepest part of you, for the privilege of being human. You turn inward to meet your Soul energy and give thanks to it, to that Spiritual Connection within you that is intimately connected to God.
You feel your Soul loving you. You experience God loving you, and you are at peace.
Slowly you stand up from your bench and walk out of your beautiful garden, knowing that you can return here any time.
And now you conclude your time of meditation as you began it - by taking deep healing breaths, filling your body temple with life and vitality, steeped in gratefulness for the body that gives you form on this plane of existence. God is with you here and all is well. Thank You God, Amen
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Guided Meditation CD's
UnityNow also offers a wonderful 2CD set of Guided Meditations, which includes a 20 minute induction to meditation for those who have difficulty quieting their mind. Four different guided meditations, similar to the one above - two spoken in a male voice and two in a female voice -are included in this beautiful CD set. One CD is backed with music for those who find music helps them move into the silence; the other is not. To purchase your Meditation 2CD set on Line, click here.
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