One of the best ways to relax, release stress and anxiety is guided meditation.Guided meditation is a process by which one or more participants meditate in response to the guidance provided by a trained practitioner or teacher, either in person or via a written text, sound recording or video or even an audiovisual media comprising of music, verbal instruction, or a combination of both.
If you are an experienced practitioner of guided meditation or have attended several sessions that you have familiarized it to the point that you are able to execute the different therapeutic methods then you can start your own guided meditation session with your friends, co-workers, or even with your family.
Guided meditation has many uses. It can promote relaxation that contributes to lower blood pressure and reduces other problems related to stress and anxiety. It can also help to reduce weight and quitting smoke and even manage pain and promote healing.
The person who leads guided meditation usually encourages participants to document their experiences, most commonly in the form of a self-reflective journal or diary. In addition to recording their experience of a guided meditation session, individuals can also document the occurrence of involuntary unwanted or intrusive negative imagery over time, which is a common occurrence among those with who suffers depression, post-traumatic disorder (PSTD), and social anxiety.
In order for you to lead guided meditations, here are some simple and effective steps to follow:
- Hold a meeting- Inform those you want to take part of the guided meditation by setting a schedule and a venue.
- Find a suitable place- Once you have members for your guided meditation, you have to choose a suitable venue free of noise and other distraction. The ideal place for guided meditation is a venue that is near to nature or you can do it at your own home, or even a church, a spiritual bookstore and other locations that are deemed appropriate.
- Schedule the meditation- Decide when to meet. Keep in mind that you’ll never find a time that’s convenient for everyone. Many groups meet on a weekday in the early evening starting somewhere between 6 and 8 pm, for up to 90 minutes.
- Lead your meditation-There are three important elements of an effective mindfulness meditation session: relaxation meditation, concentration meditation, and mindfulness meditation.
- Keep your focus on the meditation- As the leader of the meditation session, the effectiveness of the meditation lies in your focus. The more focused you are, the more focused your members are as well. Being focus of the meditation increases the effectiveness of its therapeutic results to both mind and body.
- Concentrate in one form of meditation- At least, in the beginning, stay with one form of meditation to learn and transmit the practice of meditation. The main thing to keep in mind is that you want to both teach and practice mindfulness meditation, so always include some form of instruction along with at least 30 minutes of meditation.
Practice weekly or more often. Nothing says that you have to meet only once a week. In fact, the more often you meet, the better. There are good things you can learn in how to lead a guided meditation. You just need to make sure that you’re doing it right!
