Relaxation Magic - Hypnosis, Meditation, Visualization by Maryann Laraia

A basic routine is deciding to relax and meditate every day at the same time and in the same setting. Meditating in the same place when starting is also helpful to develop habit and focus.

The optimum setting is one that is comfortable and quiet with minimum distractions obviously away from telephones, TV, adults or children interrupting. Some meditators have to compromise on comfort to gain quiet. I know people who meditate in their bathroom or garage to access quiet time. You might want to try several locations before settling on your favorite. If you are interrupted, just acknowledge what is happening and return to your practice when possible. Eventually you will be able to be in a light meditative state anywhere, even with your eyes open.

Ritual can be as simple as just knowing it is the time that you decided to meditate and going to your meditation place. Or, you can elaborate and use candles, incense, crystals and other background objects that aid your sensation of peace or power. I do not recommend using music during meditation as your mind will listen to the music instead of focusing. Keeping brief notes or a journal on your daily sessions is also recommended.

It is best to wear non-restrictive clothing with as much natural fiber as possible. Loosen belts, ties and if possible remove shoes and socks for some styles.

Sit however is comfortable for you. If you enjoy sitting with a pillow on the floor, go for it. It is also perfectly acceptable to sit with a straight back in a chair and let the chair support your back. (I sit in a chair with my back supported and my legs crossed under me.) Your legs do not need to be crossed and the feet can rest on the floor. Observe the position of your shoulders, neck and head. Relax your shoulders down and lengthen them straight out. Relax your neck muscles. Feel that your head is balanced and centered on your neck. Image that your head is a fish bowl and if it is tipped forward or back, you will spill water and fish out! Check if your jaw is relaxed by allowing the lower jaw to drop slightly.

Breathe through your nose. Begin each lesson observing a few breathes expanding the abdomen on the inhale and contracting the abdomen on the exhale. More detailed breathing instructions are given in the Zen lesson.

How long to meditate? A ten to fifteen minute meditation session will give you results. If you choose to meditate longer, it is because you enjoy the activity (or should I say non-activity). Greater results are not necessarily achieved by time spent in practice as much as your consistency and concentration during practice. Decide how long your meditation will be. Choose whatever works best for you to time the session. Set a timer to ring when your session ends or tell your mind to alert you when the set time has passed. Eventually your mind will know precisely when your set time is up. Do not use this method until you have perfected it if you are on a tight schedule.

During meditation and visualization you will be aware of any outer physical situation that requires your immediate attention.

Meditation is a state of heightened awareness not of unconsciousness.

Passive Visualization / Meditation

Part One

Focus your attention on a natural inanimate object that is very familiar to you. Such as a piece of fruit, a flower, a stone or crystal. Chose a natural object. It has an energy that can be sensed that is stronger than man made objects. Select only one object to focus on as opposed to say an arrangement of flowers. I do not recommend a candle for this exercise because the flame has movement and it is man made. Stay with the same object everyday for the remainder of Lesson One to build focus, concentration and consistency. You may wish to visually observe your chosen object for several minutes before beginning your set meditation time. Notice your object’s shape, variance in the color, it’s weight, texture, if it has a scent.

Sit in a comfortable position and allow your eyes to close. Picture your object wherever feels best for you. This might be in the area of your closed eyes, or image it further back more in the center of your head, or projected straight out into the space in front of your closed eyes. Some people access information visually and have more visual sensations than people who access through sound or kinesthetically. Everyone can easily recall an object that they are familiar with. Ease of visual abilities will strengthen with practice. People who process kinesthetically might also be aware of the physical sensations of their object.

For ten or fifteen minutes keep your thoughts wrapped on your object. Sense its shape, weight, density, color, patterns, texture, and scent.

If during your meditation session you notice you’re thinking thoughts other than of your object, just return to your object. Comparing the mind to a dog that likes to stray, bringing the mind gently back to focus you will teach it to stay!

Continue with this lesson for seven days.

This practice carries into your life the ability to observe what you are thinking about during your day. When working are you focused on your task or daydreaming, when you are with your family are you focused on them or still thinking abut work? Becoming aware of our thoughts helps catch negative thoughts when they start and you can change or eliminate them before they become a pattern.

“Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.” Pablo Picasso

Passive Meditation / Visualization

Part Two

Review Details – Time, Setting, Clothing & Posture from Lesson One

Focus review – If during your meditation session you notice you’re thinking thoughts other than of your object, just return to your object. Stay calm about these mental wanderings. Don’t yell at yourself.

Sit in a comfortable position. Allow your eyes to close. Picture and imagine the natural inanimate object that you worked with in Lesson One.

After a few minutes when you have a clear image or feeling of your object’s size, shape, weight, density, color, patterns, texture, scent expand the object so your image is pictured and sensed in your mind and also through your whole body.

Your object maintains it’s natural proportions but is enlarged. The way objects on a movie screen look normal to us but are actually greatly magnified.

Stay with the image and feeling of your object being as large as your body for a few minutes until you have that sense. When you have the sense of your object being as large as your body (it’s OK if it takes several of your 15 minute sessions to achieve this) enlarge your image again to be as large as your house, then your town, the earth, the universe.

Start this lesson with your object its normal size and end your session with it as large as you can image or sense it.

Continue this lesson for seven days.

The object of this practice is to view or think from different perspective.

“We cannot solve the problems we have created with the same thinking that created them.” Albert Einstein

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Information on modern techniques which enhances hypnosis, meditation and visualization please go to http://www.hypnosisimprovelife.com

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BIO:

Hypnotherapy Certification 1989
Related Education
Chapel of Awareness Encinitas CA 1996 – 1998
Meditation classes with the focus on healing
Cabrillo College, Aptos, CA 1982
Study of what happens physically in the body during altered states
Builders of the Adytum LA, CA 1975 – 1980
Lessons on Meditation, Kabala

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