Have you always wanted to try meditation but didn’t know where to begin?  Has it been suggested to you to have a meditation practice to reduce stress?  In this class we will learn what actually happens when you meditate and will practice different meditation techniques so that you may feel confident about continuing and building your practice at home

What is meditation–a practice in which an individual uses a technique such as mindfulness or focusing the mind on a particular object of sound, thought or activity to train attention and awareness and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm stable state.  Wikipedia

What is a meditative state- a state of deep relaxation and heightened awareness that can be achieved through practice. It’s about not getting caught up in thoughts than their absence and can lead to a sense of inner calm.  Other experiences that may occur during a meditative state include slowed heart rate, increased focus feelings of interconnection loss of track of time and Joy. It is when the body and mind are in a deep state of relaxation.

Some things we will discuss

-The biology of meditation

-How Meditation affects the CNS and why that is so important

-Brain states

-Benefits of meditation

-Types of meditation practices— sound, mantra, using an object, vipassana (breath), savasana, moving, trance dance, guided, visualization

-Mind Discipline first- separating your thoughts from yourself

-Your observing mind

-Meditation practices

-Why meditation is more important than ever

– Your practice

-Consistency in your practice– forming a practice

-What is Monkey Mind

-Is prayer the same thing

-Mental Physical Emotional Spiritual by products of meditation

-Altered states of consciousness

-Living mindfully

-Deeper states of meditation

Mental clarity demands that you make time for it to manifest. It is suggested a daily practice where you have a space to meditate, pray and allow for insights and knowing to become clear. It helps to have something of beauty around to support inspiration; nature, color, music and anything else you find uplifts your spirits and raises your vibration. It is also important that you get rid of or clean anything that represents old energy. Everything has a vibration and when you are striving to raise the vibration in yourself, your home and other spaces you interact with, it is important to address what may hold old patterns. It may be time to upgrade your surroundings, bring in a new piece of art, and replace things that are worn out or that you just “ended up with” that are not favorites.–Jose Stevens (Shaman)