Meditation and Personal Growth
In this post, you will learn about various forms of meditation, including secular, spiritual, and religious. I offer six simple steps to help you meditate, with the option of including three additional prayer steps. While meditation is often seen as a spiritual practice, you do not have to be religious to meditate. Its various forms increase stress resilience and benefit your overall health and well-being. Since we all have deeply personal perspectives on spirituality, please know that I will honor your particular growth path, even if it is unspecified.
According to reputable scientific research, meditation, prayer, and dreamwork benefit the body, mind, and soul. Spiritual meditation involves entering the inner silence and listening to guidance from Spirit or your higher self. Prayer involves communicating with Spirit, also called God, the Divine, the Creative Force, Higher Power, and many others. With time and dedicated attention, dreamwork also increases spiritual awareness.
These practices also help you discover your life purpose and offer guidance on any life issue. They promote self-awareness, improve relationships, and promote inner peace. If you have not tried these powerful tools yet, I encourage you to begin where you are and see where it leads!
What are the Various Types of Meditation?
Several forms of meditation are available. This link offers an overview of most of the different meditation approaches.
These include transcendental meditation, mindfulness or focused meditation, visualization or guided imagery, walking meditation, progressive relaxation, or loving-kindness meditation. If you are Christian, you may choose the practice of contemplation or centering prayer. Pema Chodron, a Buddhist monk, says the goal of meditation is an open heart-mind.
I am experienced in various forms of meditation. If you want to learn a simple meditation, I can guide you with a simple abdominal breathing meditation. If you have a diaphragmatic block due to past traumas, I can also help you release this to achieve proper belly breathing. This step is necessary for overcoming chronic anxiety or traumatic stress, and being able to meditate properly.
Please contact me below to book a session for guidance and support.
What are the Benefits of Spiritual Practices?
“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.”
Teilhard de Chardin
Interfaith spiritual paths teach various ways to meditate and pray; all are valued and accepted.
Meditation has numerous physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits. It reduces stress and anxiety, increases attention span and memory and sleep, reduces blood pressure, and supports a positive attitude and mood. It also promotes a kind and loving attutude toward others.
Prayer is another deeply personal practice and a way to communicate directly with Spirit. It benefits both the person praying and those receiving prayer. Please see this link to explain how prayer benefits your health and well-being.
Additionally, when you work with your dreams, you can receive direct guidance from your soul and spirit. Please see the links at the bottom of this page for comprehensive information on the benefits of dreamwork. My pages and posts provide steps to improve dream recall as well as how to work with your remembered dreams.
These spiritual practices can also lead to a profound sense of wellness. Spiritual growth occurs when you apply the guidance you receive.
When practiced before prayer, meditation elevates your vibration and brings you to a centered state, making prayer more effective. Additionally, meditation, prayer, or journaling before sleep will positively influence the quality of your dreams. This pre-sleep preparation also increases the likelihood of receiving clear and helpful guidance, especially when you set an intention or ask a question before sleep.
For personalized support and guidance, please get in touch with me below. Thanks.
Here are 6 Easy Steps to Meditate
1. Meditation and prayer are spiritual practices that can be done anywhere. To prepare, you may prefer to set up a regular time and sacred space in the home, light candles, play music, or read inspirational literature.
2. Sit upright and do some head and neck exercises. For example, sit erect and bend your head forward, back, to the right, and left three times each. A yoga practice that precedes meditation is ideal for releasing tension and preparing to connect with your soul and spirit.
3. Do alternate nostril breathing. For additional information on ultradian rhythms, see HERE.
4. Focus on a spiritual ideal, sacred text, or affirmation. Visualize being Divinely protected or in a bubble of light, whichever you prefer.
5. Focus your inner vision between the eyebrows. Do not cross your physical eyes.
6. When distracted by random thoughts, quiet your mind by focusing on your spiritual ideal, mantra, text, or affirmation. You may also prefer to concentrate on your abdominal breathing by touching your belly and noticing its gentle rise and fall. This is an easy way to learn meditation. Enjoy the serenity.
3 Additional Steps: Add Prayer to Benefit Yourself and Others
1. After being in this quiet, receptive inner space, begin praying. You may do this by affirming or visualizing something positive for yourself, others, or the world or asking the Divine for what you need. Additionally, combining prayer with your breath relaxes your nervous system, increases oxygenation, and enhances serenity. For example, you may combine your own words or sacred texts with your breath, i.e., inhale divine love and strength and exhale fear and worry.
2. Sometimes, you may wish to send positive thoughts to someone who has not asked for prayer or may be in a negative state, such as during an active addiction. The best approach in these circumstances is to surround that person with love and light. This will be beneficial when the person is open to receiving blessings.
3. Practice gratitude for the healing energy received and for anything you are grateful for. This step is important to include in any spiritual practice.
Meditation and Personal Growth Summary
“Thy prayers ascend to the throne of God, and the angel of each entity stands before the throne to make intercession.”– Edgar Cayce
This post focuses on three spiritual practices: meditation, prayer, and dream work, and the profoundly personal nature of spiritual paths. Because we have free will, we can choose whether or not to honor any defined spiritual path and practice meditation for its numerous health benefits.
Additionally, if you do not know where to begin after reading about the various forms of meditation, sit quietly as you listen to your heart and inner voice. This will naturally lead you to the next step on your journey.
If you need more information or support, please get in touch with me below. I look forward to hearing from you!
For more information, see Services, Dream Exploration,
Resources, Yoga and Healing, Dreams and Intuition.
Blogs, Soul Care, and Dream Therapy.