A guided meditation is a technique that involves going on a journey, following a script, or listening to a story that can be read out loud, or heard on CD, MP3, audio file, etc. The purpose of it is to attain a sense of relaxation, inspiration, comfort or direction in your life. Sometimes they last for 3 minutes and at other times for 30 minutes depending on what you want to achieve and are looking for.
The way a guided meditation works is that practioners lay or sits in a relaxed position. As this occurs, a story is told taking you on a conscious journey while also subconsciously imagining the story. When this occurs, the body will relax and the stress will all melt away. The only awareness you have is the words of the story, the tone of voice, background music and any sound affect that accompany the recording or spoken voice. This allows you to go into a deep relaxation. Even if one falls asleep, the subconscious is still active, and thus the benefits and results of this method of meditation will still be achieved.
As you listen, you will be guided to different levels of focus while relaxing your body deeply. When the guided session is finishing, the practioners is brought back to consciousness.
The benefits of this type of meditation are many. Like all meditations they help calm and center the body, assist in healing, and also help the body protect itself from additional stress and tension. In addition, the other benefits include:
- Reduction in heart-rate
- Stable blood pressure
- Improvements in self-confidence and self-esteem
- Clarity of mind
- Improvement in concentration and focus
- Feeling control and at ease
- Happiness and optimism
As far as the type of meditation that one is looking for, it all depends on what it is you’re seeking. If you want to lose weight, there are many books and tapes available related to guided meditations for weight loss. If you want to contact the afterlife seek other higher spiritual guidance, it is possible to find sources for this as well. Just basic self-esteem and self-confidence issues have a place in guided meditation and are a great help when you need some positive affirmations in your life.
Whatever issue you want to deal with or whatever method of guided meditation you choose, always remember that the choices you make are yours and no one else’s.
