I often have students come to me, who have relied and limited their meditation experience to recorded GUIDED meditations, yet find little or no long-term satisfaction with the results, especially when they hear about the many benefits of meditation that are touted in all the published research and studies.
As an experienced meditator and mindfulness teacher, (and how I specifically teach Mindfulness Meditation at the Meditation Tree) I reply in the following manner:
Guided meditations can serve us well inasmuch as they provide a temporary escape (and a focus away) from some kinds of emotional turmoil in their lives. And, as a result, they may experience some degree of relaxation and calmness and find some new healthy perspectives to reflect upon. However, in many cases, these benefits are short lived. As soon as they return to their daily routine and are required to manage their constant daily challenges, they are apt to fall back into the emotional thoughts and feelings (stress, anxiety, self-doubt, etc.) that can easily lead them astray and be detrimental to their well-being. Guided meditations often “miss the mark” when it comes to learning how to change our negative habits of the mind for the long term.
Many find guided meditations easy because they may be short, easy to understand and are readily available via the internet and apps. However, after listening to the same topic or voice, over and over again, listeners may tend to become less attentive. They also may become more focused on the music and less focused on the words causing their minds to start wandering more frequently or, perhaps, they may even tend to fall asleep. Some may even struggle to adjust the natural rhythm of their own breath to the person guiding you.
Again, this not to say that there is little benefit to the many guided meditations accessible to us but we may find them to be far more helpful AFTER we have achieved a more formal self-practice.
Learning how to meditate on your own along with the help of a teacher who can guide or instruct you on a more personal level from week to week will help you reap the benefits that will deepen your own meditation practice. You will learn to remain relaxed, calm and more at ease with the ups and downs of life on a daily basis.
You will also learn how take control of how you react to your thoughts, or the thoughts of others. And especially, here at the Meditation tree, you will learn how to tap into the many researched benefits and positive effects meditation has on the human brain and on your own behavioral patterns. With your own practice you will also develop more awareness, the ability to improve your focus and concentration skills. (plus more)
“To meditate means to go home to yourself. Then you know to take care of the things that are happening inside you, (stress, anxiety, depression, anger, low self-esteem) and you know how to take care (learn to be less reactive) of the things that happen around you. “ Thich Nhat Hanh
For information on our ONLINE classes (emanating from Los Angeles) or to register for group or private classes, visit www.themeditationtree.com . Next series of 6 weekly 90 minute classes begins Sat. Sept 23, 2023 10:30 AM