Psychic Future’s reader Tahlia teaches us more about Meditation. As humans in this modern world, we are a mostly projective species, most of the time we are projecting our thoughts, feelings and emotions around us to communicate and express ourselves everyday.  Becoming aware of ourselves can help us to reflect on what we are projecting as well as what we are receiving within ourselves.  Most people have heard of meditation, with many cultures having their own mediation traditions.  This ancient practise promotes stillness of the mind and body, supports well being and is also a great way to work with our inner energies. Physically, meditation helps us to tune into our bodies, and to become more aware of ourselves.  

Meditation exercises which include breathing techniques can help to lower blood pressure, slow racing heartbeats, and ease anxiety.  Many support groups often teach breathing techniques as focusing on breathing helps to clear the mind and stabilise strong emotional states.  Activities such as Yoga, may incorporate meditations with empowering stances or poses which gently stretch and strengthen muscles, improving balance, flexibility and posture. Active meditation, in where we are doing a physical activity, can be a great way to channel mental and emotional energies.  Intense activity such as sport or more gentler activities like gardening can help transform negative mental states into more positive and constructive energies.  Doing practical and simple tasks such as cleaning or sorting, can also help bring our focus back into physical reality if we are feeling trapped or lost in our thoughts.   

Meditation should not be seen as “switching off” from the world, but more like “tuning in”- it encourages us to be fully present in the moment. Meditating opens our awareness and receptivity to our inner selves and external surroundings.  Meditation is not the complete absence of thought- it is the conscious choice to focus on something.  When we meditate we become conscious of our emotions, encouraging us to be self-monitoring of our thoughts and feelings.  In becoming more aware of emotions and reflecting on our feelings, we can transform negative energy into positive energy.  Though observing our thought and emotional patterns, we can understand more about ourselves and discover our true nature.   

Meditation also stimulates healthy mental activity, improving focus, concentration, imagination through contemplation, awareness and visualisation.  Clearing and calming the mind can help us find solutions or insights that we might have otherwise remained unaware of, as thoughts, emotions and internal chatter can cloud our receptivity to new ideas and subconscious thinking.   Making some time to meditate when we feel overwhelmed or anxious can help us regain internal direction, by focusing our attention on ourselves, allowing our mind to think of a topic and then observe the thoughts that gravitate around it as our mind centres itself.   Meditations can be grounding or uplifting, healing or inspiring. With our physical and mental bodies consciously resting, our channel to spiritual energy becomes cleaner, stabilising our vibration and internal frequencies.  Our energy points (chakras) are re-energised and healed with vibrations of pure light.  We are able to interpret and reflect on information given to us beyond our basic sense or active conscious.   

Some people may find meditating more challenging than others, but with patience and and open mind, exploring meditative states becomes easier. With adequate time and comfortable space to simply just be, you are honouring your own need to rest, reconnecting with your centre.  You may wish to explore different methods of meditation to find which techniques suit your personal needs.   It is recommended for those who are new to meditation to begin with small, regular sessions and with practise you will build a natural, consistent routine as you discover what meditative practises best support you.  Even ten minutes spent on consciously focusing to relax our bodies before sleep can be a big benefit for those who have trouble switching off or sleeping at night, and increases awareness of our physical bodies.