Good morning lovely you!
It is a glorious morning here in Massachusetts with dappled sunlight, sweet birdsong, steaming tea and purring kitty. And so, I am ready to talk about something I get asked often. And that is, what type of meditation do I recommend for people who are trying to heal from disease.
I will give you the same answer that I have given every person who has ever asked me this question: There is no one right way to meditate. Meditation is an incredibly powerful tool to connect your mind and body. But it is also a very personal journey, and so I can’t tell you that one practice is right and others are wrong.
What I can do is share some of the forms of meditation I have practiced over the years to give you an idea of how you can begin your own practice. But first, if you are new to the concept of meditation and how it can help your body heal, let’s talk a little about the mind/body connection.
The Miracle of Self-Healing
Do you believe that meditation can heal cancer?
Our bodies are wondrous machines that have been designed to keep us healthy. Without us even having to think about it, our bodies kill germs, fight infections, fix damaged DNA, eliminate toxins and yes, even cancel out cancer cells. This is how we were designed, to BE WELL.
So why is it that some of us seem to override this natural defense mechanism against disease and become very ill?
I spoke in an earlier blog post about our body’s two natural states: “Fight or Flight” and “rest and digest.” Our bodies, it turns out, can only heal when we are in the “rest and digest” mode. But too many of us live in an almost constant state of “fight or flight” mode because of chronic stress in our life. It’s enough that many of us deal with financial hardships and toxic relationships, then we are told we have a disease and that’s even MORE stress that we have to cope with.
How on Earth can we get ourselves into the much-needed “rest and digest” mode with all of this stress so that we can begin to truly heal?
Meditation Can Heal Cancer:
At this point in time, hundreds of scientific studieshave proven that meditation is incredibly effective at quieting down and deactivating the stressed parts of our brain to allow our bodies to begin the self-healing process.
Meditation also helps us become more connected to ourselves, so we have awareness of what is going on in our body, heart, mind and spirit. This connection is necessary to live the healthiest and happiest life that we possibly can.
Now that you understand how meditation can help you begin to help your body naturally heal itself, let’s look at some forms of meditation to help you get started on your journey.
5 Types of Meditation to Get You Started
To remind you, none of these is better or worse than the others. Think of meditation like a place of worship: A synagogue is no better than a mosque, which is no better than a church or a small shed on someone’s property. Where you choose to worship a higher power is up to you.
By the same token, how you choose to meditate and put yourself into a relaxed state where you become connected to your higher self isn’t important. What’s important is that you practice meditation to become connected.
Here are some forms of meditation you may want to experiment with to see what feels best:
Transcendental Meditation (TM)
When people speak of meditation, many are referring to TM, which is part of Hindu tradition. TM usually uses a personal mantra to help you quiet the chatter in the brain so you can reach a state of enlightenment. If you want to try TM, I recommend you find a guided CD or video, or take part in a local TM workshop in your area.
Heart Rhythm Meditation (HRM)
HRM concentrates primarily on the heart and emphasizes breath work. With HRM you may also focus on the idea that you are a part of all things and all things are a part of you. People who practice HRM have reported they are able to handle stress better and feel physically calmer.
Guided Visualization
I am a big fan of visualization exercises. This form of meditation is inspired from the words of Buddha, “The mind is everything. What you think you become.” This form of meditation is a little different because you generally have one goal. For me, it was to visualize myself well. I used to visualize that the white blood cells in my body were white knights on horses galloping around my bloodstream killing off cancer. And I’m here today to share that with you.
I’m not the only one who has used visualization to heal from something major. After being paralyzed in a biking accident, author and noted speaker Joe Dispenza visualized himself well. Doctors told him he’d never walk again without surgery, but he said no to the risky surgery, visualized himself walking and he is fully recovered today.
Qi Gong
Qi Gong is one of the oldest forms of meditation that comes to us from ancient Chinese medicine. Using focused breathing with slow, purposeful movements, the practitioner circulates healing energy around the body. This can be a very powerful technique, but new practitioners should seek help from a local master or online course.
Mindfulness
This is a favorite practice of meditation that comes from the Buddhist tradition. The Buddhist term sati translates to ‘mindfulness’ and breathes life into the practice. To practice one acknowledges reality by letting any thoughts come into mind, but does not judge the thoughts, instead, lets them leave as quickly as they arrived.
You should sit quietly with back straight and eyes closed and focus on your breathing. When a thought comes in, become aware of it but let it go, returning your attention to your breath. Research has found that a regimen of mindfulness can reduce anxiety, depression, and perceived distress visit this page Washtingtonian.com for furthermore information.
It’s important that you try different techniques to see which one works for you. Like any form of exercise, you need to find something you enjoy so you’ll actually do it on a daily basis.
Meditation is one of the key ways I healed from cancer 30 years ago. I DEEPLY encourage you to try. Don’t worry if you find it hard in the beginning. EVERYONE DOES. It is called practice because that’s what you do with meditation, practice every day.
Sending you light, love and a peaceful meditative journey…
Prue