The health benefits of meditation are well documented: it can significantly reduce stress, improve focus, increase emotional stability and help you to develop control over your thoughts. It has been reported that a variety of meditation techniques may reduce symptoms of anxiety.
Meditation Australia, the nation’s peak association for supporting meditation education and leadership, defines three categories of meditation teaching: personal development - which can enhance self-awareness, clarity of thought, emotional balance, performance, interpersonal abilities and general wellbeing; therapeutic - aimed at treating illness, managing symptoms and supporting wellbeing; and spiritual - which involves the development of spiritual/religious insights and capacities.
Here is a recent video where our meditation teachers and Australian Centre of Meditation and Mindfulness (ACMM) coaches explore the concept of Relaxation in the context of wellness.
Although many people may try to master the practice on their own, learning to meditate productively and purposefully requires a qualified meditation teacher. The beauty of this therapy is that it can be provided online, and SoulAdvisor has a number of Australian meditation practitioners offering an online meditation experience.
Lauren Howe is an experienced women’s meditation teacher and a teacher trainer based on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Although Lauren is well versed in meditation, and has practiced it for more than a decade, she regularly seeks out group online meditation sessions for herself as part of maintaining the discipline of her own practice.
“An online meditation session enables me to meditate from the comfort of my own home and create my own sacred space, which helps make my own practice better,” Lauren explained.
“I find the effectiveness of an online group session exactly the same as if I was meditating with a group in person - the energy and presence of the people in the ‘room’ is the same.”
Lauren attends regular group sessions online and says it creates intentional relaxation time in her busy schedule.
“More importantly, it releases stress, gives me more clarity and insight around what is happening within me which then impacts the choices I make in my life. I feel more reliant on my inner sense of knowing after meditating.”
In a recent online community meditation session held by the Australian Centre for Meditation and Mindfulness, led by meditation teacher Lisa Forde, Lauren had the opportunity to share her learnings with others in the group afterwards.
Lisa said the online sessions enabled connection for a wide variety of people that may not otherwise be possible.
“We have people attending our sessions from all over Australia and internationally. The online space opens the world to our door. I love the idea of a global community meditating together. Believe it or not, the connection through group meditation is just as powerful online as in person,” she said.
Meditation has allowed Lisa to experience herself as a wiser and more expanded person by removing herself from the limitations of her current thinking, enabled new solutions and helped to relieve stress.
“Taking time for yourself is the greatest gift you can give yourself on a daily basis. Meditation can become a fundamental practice that brings health, wellbeing and support to you for the rest of your life, like a trusted friend,” she explained.
Lauren advises beginners to try some different kinds of meditation to identify what suits them best, and to create a realistic meditation routine.
Popular kinds of meditation are guided visualisation; mantra meditation; mindfulness meditation; movement-based meditation; relaxation meditation and Transcendental Meditation®.
If you’d like to try meditation with a SoulAdvisor qualified practitioner, you’ll find a diverse choice of online meditation teachers on our platform.
References
Meditation up 2,900% globally during pandemic | Global Wellness Institute
Meditative Therapies for Reducing Anxiety | Wiley Online Library
Australian Centre for Meditation and Mindfulness
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