Amanda Da Silva’s Meditation Guide: Powerful Best Practices for Total Alignment of Your Mind, Body, and Soul
The non-verbal aspect of our lives matters more than you think. You are much more than your body. When the spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical levels of your existence are in alignment, you feel more balanced and you perform better in your life. Meditation and mindfulness are a big part of the mind-body-spirit connection. They have the ability to rewire the brain circuits that promote optimal mind and body health in addition to increasing neuroplasticity in eight different areas.
Studies [1][2] describe that meditation practitioners showed increased thickness in some regions of the prefrontal cortex associated with memory, the ability to learn and process information, decision-making, focus, and even body awareness. Practicing meditation and mindfulness can help you be more conscious of the stressors in your life and the effect they have on your emotional as well as physical well-being.
When you shift your focus from the past and tune in to the present moment, you are also able to connect with yourself and understand the hidden layers beneath all the stress, fear, and anxiety. You are also able to recognize your strengths, identify your needs, and determine the steps you need to take to empower yourself.
Making meditation part of your daily routine can have a positive effect on many aspects of your life.
In this meditation guide, we delve into three beginner-friendly meditation exercises you can try to bring more balance into your everyday routine. We will also examine how you can incorporate more mindfulness and introspection into your day for total alignment of your mind, body, and soul.
Exercise No 1: Simple Seated Meditation
This meditation exercise does not require any special equipment and you can do it anywhere -on a chair, in bed, on the floor, or even in your office at work.
Choose a quiet space with minimal distractions where you can sit still for five or ten minutes. If you’re worried about keeping track of time, you can set a timer to eliminate that anxiety.
Sit with your back straight in a comfortable position. If you’re on the floor, try sitting on a blanket or flat pillow to slightly elevate your hips.
Align your back, neck, and head, then release any tension in your jaw or shoulders. Rest your hands in whatever way seems most natural and comfortable to you.
Close your eyes and focus on your breath. Bring awareness to each inhalation and exhalation.
Thoughts, feelings, and sensations are bound to emerge, so don’t try to suppress them. Simply make note of the observation - it might help to categorize these as “thought” or “emotion” and think that to yourself without any judgment. Then bring your attention back to your breath. The goal of this exercise is not to empty your mind completely, but rather to become more comfortable with the internal and non-verbal aspects of your existence.
When your timer goes off, gently bring your awareness back to your surroundings. Start by taking notice of sounds and smells before you open your eyes.
Body Scan Meditation
Body Scanning is an amazing meditation technique that allows you to connect with your feelings and sensations at any given moment. Holding tension in your muscles over an extended period of time can lead to headaches, cramping, and fatigue. Body scan meditation can help you release that tension and prevent its negative effects.
Sit or lie down in a comfortable position.
Close your eyes and focus on the sensations in your body.
Pay attention to the sensations you feel -tingling, discomfort, aching, etc. Start with your toes and feet then work your way up.
For each body part holding tension, take a deep breath in through your nose, and exhale through your mouth as you release the pressure. Allow that area to loosen up and return to its relaxed state.
As you work your way up, notice how you feel as your focus moves from your legs to your hips, stomach, chest, back, arms and hands, neck and shoulders, and finally your face.
Focus on releasing the pressure from one muscle group at a time until your entire body is relaxed.
Visualization
Visualization is a powerful tool for relaxation. It allows you to tap into your imagination and creativity to generate a mental space where you feel calm, comfortable, and relaxed. Visualization soothes your mind and body by clearing out all the clutter of everyday life. This practice is a wonderful mental vacation you can go on where you get to fully immerse all your senses in the guided imagery you produced.
Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a peaceful and relaxing setting -this could be anywhere you feel most serene.
Allow your imagination to roam free and use all of your senses to feel, see, smell, hear, and touch everything.
Feel the cool breeze, the warm sun, hear the crashing waves of the ocean, smell the colorful bouquets of flowers, or watch the butterflies. If intrusive thoughts emerge and try to take your focus away, acknowledge them and redirect your attention to the place you visualized.
Evening Mindfulness Routine
When you think about how productive your day was, it often comes with a lot of judgment. Because of this negative judgment, you tend to immediately focus on your mistakes and shortcomings. This mindfulness exercise will help you take an objective stance to review your day.
Make a list of what you did throughout your day without making any comparisons or negative judgments.
For example
With Judgment: I only exercised for 20 minutes instead of 40
Without Judgment: I exercised for 20 minutes
With Judgment: I didn’t make any valuable contributions in today’s meeting
Without Judgment: I presented an idea and I answered four questions
With Judgment: I wasted my Sunday on meaningless activities
Without Judgment: I slept in, cooked, and watched a new movie
How does this exercise influence your attitude towards your day?
Reflect on your list, what are your thoughts, emotions, and feelings upon reading your list?
Introspection
Introspection is an integral part of meditation and mindfulness. Through the practice of introspection, you can get to know who you are on a much deeper level. Understanding the patterns that connect your thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations allows you to make positive changes and boost your well-being.
Taking note of your insights as you try the meditation exercises in this guide can be incredibly helpful. When you’re in a meditative state, self-awareness can bring many ideas to the surface, especially those that have been obscured by your fast-paced daily routine. This is a moment to connect with yourself and reflect inward. So ask yourself:
How am I right now?
What needs do I have to fulfill at this moment?
What are the obstacles and challenges that are preventing me from fulfilling those needs?
Use the table below to record your reflections on the meditation practices you try to determine which ones serve you the most.
| Date/Time | |
|---|---|
| Length | |
| Type of Exercise | |
| Thoughts | |
| Feelings | |
| Sensations | |
| Images/Memories | |
| What was enjoyable | |
| What was difficult |
To conclude this guide
You’re not just your body or your mind. Who you are and what makes you the unique individual that you are is far more complex and powerful than you think. Meditation and mindfulness help you realize the scope of this power and the multi-layered nature of this truth. Bringing your mind, body, and soul into alignment will open up a world of exciting possibilities, one of joy, love, and wonder. All you have to do is build awareness of your thoughts, feelings, and emotions and how these shape your reality. Deep down, you already know whether they are helping or hindering your growth and development. You just have to open up and try the powerful practices in this guide to eliminate fear and embrace abundance.