Are You Healing?
Healing doesn't mean the damage never existed. It means the damage no longer controls our lives. Unknown
One of the greatest lessons I have learned with Mind Health and Wellness is that our minds generally seek five things: control, certainty, connectedness, safety, and progress. These are also the underlying causes of stress due to our expectations on our demands. I have found that meditating on these three things can be very healing – compassion, gratitude and forgiveness each has an incredible healing affect.
Meditation is an important aspect that I share with others not just because of the 12 science-based benefits * https://bit.ly/3Sy35pU but because of the healing changes it has brought to my mind, body, and spirit. Practicing the 12 benefits is worth two months of effort (that is the average time neuroscience says it takes to create a habit)?
Meditation is the practice of deeply focusing your mind. It is found 18 times in the Bible. It is how David was able to kill a bear, lion, and Goliath without fear. It can promote relaxation, mindfulness, and a better sense of inner peace. Some quick steps:
Set aside 10 to 15 minutes to practice (first half-hour of the morning).
Choose a quiet area with little to no distractions. (With practice you can do it on walks.)
Sit in a comfortable position. Engage your core, straighten your back, and relax your body, feet on the floor.
Close your eyes and take 3 diaphragmatic breaths, then breathe normally.
Observe your thoughts, feelings, and sensations without reacting or judging.
If you become distracted, simply observe the distraction, write it down, and return to your breath.
Do this for at least 5 to 10 minutes when you first start, work up to 15 minutes or longer.
Three focused Meditations that have had the most effect on me are:
· Compassion - brings us closer to others. It leads to an improved mood, more altruistic behavior, less anger, reduced stress and decreased maladaptive mind wandering, and empathy.
· Gratitude - is strongly and consistently associated with a greater sense of happiness, well-being, increased optimism, relieved depression, improved immune function, and lowers blood pressure.
· Forgiveness - allows us to identify our emotions, take responsibility, repair much of the damage, acknowledge the hurt, create empathy for others, set boundaries and forgive ourselves.
Intentionally apply these focused meditations and see the healing begin. Or contact me for guided meditation.