Guided Meditation for Stress

Meditation is a state in which you concentrate all your attention on an item or inward towards yourself. It was traditionally a part of Eastern religions such as Hinduism but more and more, people of all religions are recognising the importance of meditation. Meditation helps you heal your mind by relieving it from stress and worries. It can help you focus on yourself in order to achieve inner peace and relaxation or it can be used to focus on your relationship with God or your supreme being. Either way, after meditation, you will find yourself in a more peaceful, tranquil place.

Guided Meditation CDs

Guided meditation helps you stay focused through the use of music, breathing techniques, and spoken words. There are CDs that are specifically created to help you through guided meditation. They help you keep on track with your meditation and offer peaceful sounds to sooth you during the meditation period.

But a CD is not always necessary for guided meditation. If you listen to a guided meditation CD long enough to remember the wording or general gist of it, you can run those words through your mind, even if you do not have the CD available. You may also find guided meditation scripts online to go by.

Guided meditation CDs vary, but most will give a description of what they should be used for on the back. Some guided meditation CDs focus on journeys to spiritual places within your soul while some may focus on connecting you to your inner wisdom and insight. Some may tell you to concentrate on a certain part of your body, and then feel the stress and worries leaving. For example, it may talk about concentrating on your legs, then feeling the stress from that area of your body traveling downwards, toward your feet until it just flows out of your body through your toes.

How to Prepare

To prepare for guided mediation, you should find a comfortable place. It can be in your house, somewhere outdoors, or you can even meditate in your car. The important thing is that you do this in a quiet location where you feel physically comfortable and in a location where you will not be interrupted.

If you are at home, try to find a room that has a pleasant environment, where you do not feel cramped. It should be quiet so you can hear your guided meditation CD or be able to concentrate on the script in your mind. Some people want to be outdoors where they can hear the sounds of nature. In a wooded area or near an ocean is an excellent location as long as it is somewhat secluded so you do not also have people talking or loud music in the background.

You can choose to sit or lie down – however you feel most comfortable. You can close your eyes or keep them open. Some people who have survived traumatic experiences prefer to keep their eyes open.

How Long to Meditate

How long you should meditate will depend very much on personal preference, or on how long the CD is that you bought. Some people find that as little as 10 minutes can help relieve the stress of the day and help them feel rejuvenated.

The most important thing to do in guided meditation is to remember to remain focused. Our lives are filled with so much stimulus that we often forget how to calm down, relax, and just focus on just one thing. Remember that the guided meditation is for your benefit, to help you relax as well as build your inner peace and help balance your mind and body.