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Meditation
Meditation is exercise for the mind. It helps us
become aware of the types of thoughts we replay over and over in our mind and gives us the ability to reduce the this thinking
about the past and future. By doing this, we are able to live more freely in the present moment and free ourselves from suffering
of the mind and the heart.
The present moment is really
the only reality. Thoughts about the past are only what we remember of the past. Thoughts about the future are our fears or
excitement for what may or may not actually happen. Living in the present allows us to enjoy each moment of our lives.
Not
only does meditation allow us to function in the present moment, it has been proven to reduce blood pressure*, heart disease*,
stroke* and pain***. The American Journal
of Hypertension reported that psychological
distress and blood pressure was lowered while coping abilities were increased in students who meditated 20 minutes once or
twice per day for a period of three months. With a regular meditation practice the pre-frontal cortex of the brain, which
usually shrinks with age, retains plasticity which allows for stronger focus, emotional processing and well-being.** (studies
performed at *Medical College of Wisconsin, **Harvard Medical School, **Massachusetts General Hospital, ***University of North
Carolina at Charlotte)
Jacqueline
teaches Meditation on an individual basis so that she can determine the techniques which will work best for calming each client's
mind and nervous system. The session allows for a practice meditation and discussion about how it went and how to work
a daily meditation practice into the the client's specific schedule. Initial meditation consultations are 1-hour in
length and are $90. Click here to request an appointment with Jacqueline.
During three weekly follow-up sessions we check on how the techniques are working and discuss
the client's meditation experience. This coaching enables the client to make progress with meditation and ensures the
practice continues. Follow-up sessions are 1/2-hour in length and are $50. After the initial three weekly follow-up
sessions, 1/2-hour sessions can continue on a monthly basis to ensure continuation with the meditation practice.
Jacqueline has a Meditation CD available for purchase which
leads the listener through two guided meditations and one seated Shamatha practice. Click here for more information or to order.
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Purchase Your 60 Minute Meditation Session |
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Shamatha Meditation Practice (also available
on CD)
Shamatha is one specific meditation
practice. Cyndi Lee, founder of OM Yoga Center, NYC, who taught me this meditation practice, says, "Meditation
helps us put a buffer between stumuli and our reaction." Most people would agree that they could use a buffer!
Shamatha (pronounced sha-ma-ta) is a Tibetan Buddhist meditation
practice. I suggest doing this simple meditation practice for at least 10 minutes first thing in the morning. Here's what
to do:
*Sit in a comfortable position, on a pillow,
with your ribs lifted up and away from your hips. Hands, palms down, resting on your thighs with your elbows next to your
body.
*Gently gaze at the floor, four feet in front
of you. You will blink during meditation as you would if you were having a conversation.
*Notice the breath in your body. When you notice that you are thinking, simply think to yourself
(in a kind tone), "thinking" and come back to noticing your breath.
*That's it! You are successful no matter how many times you said 'thinking' to yourself.
This practice is exercise, for the mind, to practice being awake in every moment. We go back to noticing our breath, when
we find ourselves thinking, because our breath is always in the present moment and it quickly brings our minds back to the
present.
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