Why you should try guided meditations
By Marissa Hoen
No matter who you are- dog, plant, or human- your environment impacts your life. As humans, we have the ability to make decisions about how we interact with our immediate environments (like choosing what we eat, if we exercise, if we drink water) and how we change our environments (getting a new pillow, cleaning your room, moving to a new city).
While changing environments looks different for everyone, altering what we consume is within reach. I’m not just talking about what we eat and drink (though this is very important!), but everything we are exposed to eventually enters the mind or body. I’m talking about what you watch on netflix, the news articles you read, the advertisements that play in the background between songs on youtube- in addition to the thoughts you think and the words that you speak about yourself. All of these ideas and images are recorded somewhere in you, whether it is short or long lived.
There are many factors of our environment that we can’t control- like weather, other people’s behaviors, taxes- so why not change what we can control? Why not change what we choose to consume? Even if it’s only for 5 minutes of the day.
If you have tried meditation before, but have found it too difficult to stick to it because of a very active mind- give guided meditation a try! A guided meditation is simply an audio file or video of someone talking you through a meditation. There might be music, nature sounds, or silence with occasional speaking. The mediations may have specific themes for you to focus on such as gratitude, confidence, and motivation. Others may be more instructional, and teach breathing techniques for stronger respiratory muscles, pain management, or overall relaxation.
5 reasons why you should try guided meditations:
Great for beginners! If you aren’t sure how to go about meditating, find a guide to talk you through it.
Helps to quiet an active mind. Whether you are going through a stressful event, dealing with anxiety, or simply have a little more mental chatter that day, guided meditation can give you something positive to focus your mind on.
Learn new breathing techniques. Some of us spend a fair bit of the day breathing with the upper chest/neck instead of taking a full diaphragm breath, which can lead to pain or discomfort in the neck muscles and potentially headaches. Breathing using the diaphragm can help reduce the work needed by your neck muscles and help you feel more relaxed.
Feel the way you want to feel; think the way you want to think. By choosing a guided meditation focused on gratitude for example, the meditation instructor will speak words that will help you focus on the good in your life. So at least in that moment, you are able to feel and think in a way that supports your wellbeing- cleaning up your internal environment.
They are free! With access to the internet, there is an endless stream of guided meditations ready to go at any time. I’ve linked some of my favorites below.
Not sure where to start? Try these:
1 minute mini-meditation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEqZthCaMpoFor Chronic or Persistent Pain https://www.loveyourbrain.com/meditations-series/cope-with-chronic-and-persistent-pain/meeting-your-body-and-mind-just-as-it-is
Meditation Library from Love Your Brain- an organization helping those with brain injury https://www.loveyourbrain.com/meditation-library
Image from: https://unsplash.com/@marysia8
Caution:
As someone who has listened to countless guided meditations, I can tell you that not all meditation coaches are good! There is some trial and error in finding meditation videos/audio that you will actually enjoy. I’ve spent a good amount of time sitting there and cracking up at the word choice, the voices, or the breathing in these videos- so keep searching and you will find your person!