Spiritual Cleanse. Benefits. The Health Coach Group Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved

Transcription

1 Spiritual Cleanse 16 Benefits 195

2 Task Look over your goals, check in with the progress you have been making. What has been working well for you? Where are you still finding your groove? 196

3 Benefits Meditation provides benefits in all areas of our well-being. Spiritually: Deepens connection with higher power Increases positive emotions Increases compassion Inspires kindness, helpfulness, and resilience Enhances intuition Increases insightfulness Increases joy and fulfillment Strengthens aura / positive energy Aids in manifestation Creates a deeper meaning Increases patience Increases ability to forgive Increases ability to love Allows spiritual calmness Increases positive characteristics and traits 197

4 Benefits Physiologically: Stimulates parasympathetic nervous system Increases grey matter of brain Thickens the prefrontal cortex Enlarges hippocampus Strengthens posterior cingulate cortex Aids in weight loss Reduces blood pressure Boosts immune system Reduces stress Aids in pain reduction Improves ability and quality of sleep Prevents heart disease Promotes physical healing Enhances sexual health Increases life span Increases energy levels Helps with asthma Aids in Irritable Bowel Syndrome Decreases inflammation Aids in relaxation 198

5 Benefits Mentally: Improves ability to regulate emotions Increases ability for introspection Lessens feelings of lonliness Increases emotional intelligence Aids in ability to connect socially Decreases depression Decreases anxiety Decreases stress Increases positivity Aids in ability to concentrate Improves cognitive function Improves memory Enhances problem-solving ability Increased productivity Calms the mind Aids in recovery from addiction Increases insightfulness Increases self-actualization Increases creativity Improves coping skills Increases awareness Prevents mental traps Promotes positive character traits Increases mental clarity 199

6 Benefits With all of the benefits of meditation it is hard to believe that there are people who do not engage in meditation! It is one of the most beneficial things a person can do for themselves, it is free, and it can be performed almost anywhere. As modern technology is progressing, so is the evidence of the benefits of meditation. It has been found that there are not only positive effects on the brain during meditation, but also while not meditating. They have also found that benefits can be found within days of beginning a meditation practice. Psychologists studying the effects of a meditation technique known as mindfulness found that meditation-trained participants showed a significant improvement in their critical cognitive skills (and performed significantly higher in cognitive tests than a control group) after only four days of training for only 20 minutes each day. Anyone who has practiced meditation can attest to the mental and spiritual results they have experienced, but now modern science is beginning to advance enough to show that meditation is have many quantitative benefits and should be an essential part of anyone s daily routine. Nauert, Rick, PhD. "Short-Term Meditation Is Beneficial Psych Central News." Psych Central.com. 200

7 What s In It For Me? How can meditation benefit you? What are five benefits listed that you would like to see in your life?

8 Into The Grey Looking at life as black or white can create feelings of misery, injustice, and victimization. This meditation will allow you to see objectively multiple perspectives, creating less friction and more compassion, compromise, tolerance, and fulfillment. Both black and white are needed to create balance and are part of a greater whole. Set a meditation timer for minutes. Sit in your meditation posture with a straight spine, closing your eyes. Bring your focus to your breathing, slowing and deepening it. Create an anchor in your breathing, allowing it to draw your attention back in if it begins to wander during the meditation. Bring to mind a situation where you have allowed yourself to become miserable because you wanted something different than another person. Allow yourself to experience any feeling or emotions that come. Look at these emotions and determine if fear an underlying cause, if so ask yourself what it is that you are afraid of if you were to not get your way. (Continued) 202

9 Into The Grey Now ask yourself why you are so opposed to the other person s desires. What if both of your needs were to be met? Now imagine you are the other person and determine why they may be so opposed to your desires being met. Visualize yourself and the other person finding a compromise, or a grey area, where both person s needs were met equally. Allow yourself to objectively see that you both are seeking the same goal of happiness, but have different ideas on how to attain it. That in allowing both parties to receive part of what they desire, you both are better off than if receiving none at all. Bring your focus back to your breathing, allowing each breath to fill you with empathy and compassion. When the timer sounds, bring awareness back to your body. Open your eyes when you are ready. 203

10 Reflection How do you find yourself falling into all or nothing thinking? What areas are you strong in being able to compromise? 204

11 Reflection What is the worst thing that could happen if you did not get your way in a situation? What do you fear if you may not get your way? What will this affect in the big picture of life? (Will it matter five years from now?) 205