Meditation is the simple, yet complicated, act of sitting in stillness and silence for a dedicated period of time each day. As your mind is cleared of thoughts, you are connecting to the pure potential of your life and recalibrating your mind, body, and spirit. It can be used to calm the mind or as the first step to plant the seed of an intention of a specific purpose or idea. Meditating can help you de-stress, get through difficult times, or be a vehicle to manifesting, while at the same time producing many other healthy benefits. It is important to remember that any amount of time spent in stillness and silence each day will positively impact the quality of your life and relationships and provide you with a more reflective and less reactive stance in life.

I began my meditation journey 15 years ago and have had a dedicated practice for the past 5 years. At first it was hard: there were noises, interruptions, and endless thoughts. I thought I must be doing it wrong. Don’t let the distractions deter you, everything doesn’t have to be “perfect” for you to experience the benefits. You just have to do it and let everything that shows up become part of your meditation. Now I meditate for an hour every day, and my life has been transformed from this practice.

Listen to Terri’s story about how she hopped on the meditation wagon.

Tips for setting the meditation mood:

1. Pick a regular time you can commit to every day.  Make a re-occurring “me-time” appointment on your calendar.
2. Set the timer on your phone so you will not look at the clock. Start with 5 minutes and build up to 20 from there.
3. Find a quiet place and get comfortable, or, as I like to say, “Just Get Your Butt on the Pillow”.
4. Turn the lights down and light a candle.
5. Take a whiff of lavender or your favorite scent.
6. Spend the first few minutes asking yourself: “Who am I?”, “What do I really want?”, and “What is my Dharma: How can I help; how can I heal; how can I serve myself and others with my unique and special gifts and talents?”
7. Choose a mantra and repeat. In Sanskrit, the word “mantra” means “Mind Vehicle”. A mantra is just a short phrase that has no distinct meaning to help keep your mind free of thoughts. A popular universal mantra is SO HUM. On the inhalation say the word “SO” silently to yourself, and on the exhalation say the word “HUM”.
8. Pop in a guided meditation if that suits you better. Some people find it easier when they first start meditating to use the guided meditations.

So many people have been asking me over the years to create guided meditations, that I finally produced my own CD - Meditation Transformation. Click on the title or CD image to learn more or to purchase a copy for yourself or as a gift.