Please make sure you sit in a quite place. Listen preferably with headphones. Do not hear while driving. These 20 minutes will change your world.

Guided meditation is a form of meditation where an individual is verbally guided into a beneficial state of consciousness either by a person’s live voice or by a recording of a voice. This process and practice of meditation requires an individual to follow verbal instructions that teach you how to relax the entire body; clear the mind; concentrate on breathing; and focus one’s awareness and attention.In meditation, one may choose to keep it simple by just sitting quietly every day for five to twenty minutes or one may decide to fully explore the tremendous subtleties and depth for hours on end. What one chooses to explore when meditating all depends on the individual’s intentions, needs, and level of interest and passion.

In the fast-paced 21st century society, individuals’ lives are becoming increasingly busier every day. Whether one’s busy schedule is due to responsibilities for their occupation, education, community, recreational activities, family-life, and/or social-life, the stresses in our daily life can feel suffocating. Evidently, when an individual is so consumed by their daily responsibilities, expectations put on themselves, and obligations needed to be fulfilled for the gain of other’s, one can lose sight of their own personal goals. In order to feel in control of your life and reduce stress, one’s thoughts need to be balanced.Through meditation, one can clear the mind of everyday thoughts and stresses and focus all of their attention on living in the present and simply being, thus creating feelings of tranquility, physical relaxation, and psychological balance.

The first few attempts at meditating by oneself can be frustrating because it is not always an easy task to clear the mind of its daily thoughts and/or to focus all of your awareness on yourself alone. Many individuals decide to use guided meditations, as opposed to traditional meditation, when first learning how to meditate because the latter requires that the individual guide themselves into a focused state of awareness, instead of being guided by someone else.

“No matter what technique you choose, the secret of meditation lies in developing, focusing, and directing your awareness.”
Start by selecting a guided meditation.
Find a quiet place to sit or lie down comfortably, ensuring that your back is straight. Press play on your guided meditation. (Headphones are ideal).
Close your eyes; breathe deeply in and out through your nose; and relax your body. Forget about everything that is on your mind and live in the present.
Pick an object to focus your attention on. (Depending on your preference, you may decide to focus on a word or phrase that has a special meaning to you, a simple geometric object, or your inhale and exhale).
Become more aware of your breathing, feeling and hearing your breath as it goes in and out. In addition to focusing your attention on your chosen object, listen to and follow the instructions verbalized by your guide.
Continue to concentrate on your chosen object and breathing until the guided meditation is finished or until you have had enough.
Once you’ve finished your meditation, open your eyes to reorient yourself and slowly get up and continue with your day.
As long as the above technique (or technique instructed in your chosen guided meditation) is carried out properly, the benefits will be felt instantly.