• When you are being hypnotized or are in a trance, you are in an unconscious state of mind.

• Meditation is the practice of heightened inner consciousness, not unconsciousness.

• While there are many forms of hypnosis for specific outcomes, this is different from guided meditation.

• In guided meditation, you are in complete control of your mind, which leads to greater awareness of your thoughts, emotions and the choices you have at any given moment.

• Listening to guided meditations and following the instructions, you develop the ability to have more control of your thoughts and reactions when you are faced with obstacles or stressful situations in your life.

Best,

Scott Whitlock

Are you in touch with your inner self, the real YOU?

Are you free from the conflicts that can keep you from being your best self?

If you feel there could be a better alignment between your current state of being and your full potential, meditation could be the answer your looking for.

Today’s world is a stressful place, there’s just no getting around it.

Is the “noise” level in your life higher now than it ever has been? Are the phone calls, emails, text messages and instant messages skyrocketing in your daily life?

Sometimes it’s hard to see, but these “conveniences” of modern life can have a big effect on the amount of stress you experience, each and every day.

I’m sure you’re familure with some of the research showing how much this stress weakens your immune system and worse, how likely it is to put you at a greater risk for disease.

For example, weight gain due to the stress hormone cortisol has received a lot of attention lately and this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the effects stress can have on your health.

ADHD, anxiety, high blood pressure, HEART FAILURE, insomnia, obesity, stroke, depression and cardiovascular disease are just some of the many dangers that a stressed out life can carry with it.

I have one word for you as a cure to stress as well as the most rewarding life practice that you could possibly adopt for living a life that you would design for yourself.

Its: MEDITATION

Meditation of course has been here for centuries and in more modern times has been scientifically proven to guide people into better lives.

I’m talking about improving every aspect of well being from living more healthily to becoming more financially independent. There is literally nothing that can’t be improved with the proper meditation for your specific focus.

Research shows that a daily practice of meditation can reduce stress. It can stop fearful and negative thoughts and has been shown to help people deal with the ups and downs of life.

Unlike the pills that claim results of reducing stress, meditation has no side effects and adds so much more to your life. Meditation is completely healthful and can be done from the comfort of your easy chair.

Experts agree that beginning meditation can be frustrating because of the inevitable and numerous thoughts that continually pop up in your mind. They also agree that guided meditation is absolutely the best way to begin this life enhancing practice.

The results that you can expect, are that instead of wondering if you’re doing it right, or could be doing it better, you simply listen to recorded guided meditations from experts and let the meditation work for you, rather than you working at the meditation.

You will benefit immediately from the expert’s years of practice, study and experience with guided meditation.

On top of that, you can find guided meditation programs that are designed to achieve specific results. Now you can meditate with a purpose and know that you’re not wasting any valuable time.

At this point in the beginning, it’s important that you decide which meditation is best for you. It really comes down to what you are looking for in a meditation program.

You could learn to practice the traditional discipline by studying and engaging in the mental exercises, or would you rather sit back and listen to a recording of meditation that brings you instant, deep comforting and enlightening meditation?

Both are very rewarding experiences however, today most people opt for the guided meditation to reduce the learning curve and to direct their meditation time towards resolving their specific needs at the time.

So, these are some of the questions you should ask yourself before purchasing a meditation program. If you want to start right now, take a look at my post “How To Meditate”

I sincerely hope that this short note has inspired you to seriously consider giving meditation a try. If so, please be patient with yourself at first, it will take a couple of sessions to get used to it and shortly thereafter you will be hooked after noticing the obvious improvements in your daily life.

All of the very best,

Scott Whitlock

Relaxation can take many forms and may be quite enjoyable.

However, the benefits you get from a practice of meditation are supported by scientific studies and have no comparison to these other activities.

These benefits occur when you get in touch with your true essence.

When you nap or watch TV, you enter into a state that is semiconscious. This is very different from the alignment that occurs within you during meditation.

While reading a book is a great practice and can be beneficial in many ways, it cannot take the place of entering to the attentive calm of meditation.

See our blog post “What Happens When You Meditate” to learn more.

Best,

Scott Whitlock

It’s normal to be distracted by any number of noises and thoughts that enter your mind when you meditate.

In fact, this is what meditating is all about: you notice the distracting thoughts or noises and you intentionally bring your awareness back to the focus of your meditation.

Here are some points to keep in mind when you find that you are distracted during meditation.

• It’s natural for thoughts to enter into your mind and distraction to arise when meditating.

• If you’re distracted, simply and gently guide your mind back to your meditation. Don’t worry about the distraction. This is the practice of meditation.

• If you are distracted a hundred times, bring your focus back to your meditation a hundred times.

• Guided meditation is extremely helpful with these issues because an expert who has had many years of practice is able to talk you through these moments of distraction.

Best,

Scott Whitlock

By gently training the mind and body to align, you begin to become more focused and able concentrate when you want or need to.

Guided meditations are designed to coach you through every step of the process, making your transition into meditation effortless and pleasant.

Meditation settles the mind into rest and relaxation.

Best,

Scott Whitlock

Here’s a quick overview of the religious affiliation of our blog and it’s sponsors:

• There are references to meditation in almost all of the religions of the world but meditation in and of itself is not a religion nor does it require faith or any religious belief in order to practice it.

• Meditation is a simple practice of aligning your body with your conscious and subconscious mind in order to gain a balanced and well-lived life. While this may be a spiritual experience, it has no implicit religious affiliation as we teach it.

Best,

Scott Whitlock

• When you meditate you go to a place deep within, your inner self.

• It is in this place that you connect with your true essence, the real “you.”

• There are many scientific studies that show what is happening in your brain when you meditate.

• Your brain produces different waves depending on what mental state of consciousness you are in. Most people experience three states in a 24-hour cycle: Awake, asleep and deep sleep or REM sleep.

• When you meditate, you enter a different state of attentive calm that is evident by the production of different brain waves.

• In this attentive calm state you are able to align your conscious and subconscious mind with your body.

• It’s truly the most rapid way to create a better life and there is nothing easier or more rewarding than to give yourself the time and attention that you need and deserve.

Best,

Scott Whitlock

• Guided meditation is a practice of following along as an expert talks you through a meditation.

• Guided meditation can be practiced in groups, one on one, or by listening to an audio recording.

• You can choose a guided meditation that is designed to help you achieve a specific outcome.

• There are guided meditations designed for practically anything that you want to improve in your life, from weight-loss and sleep, to peak performance and better relationships.

• More and more people are practicing guided meditation today because of the simplicity, ease and pleasant outcomes they get from using it.

• Guided meditations have a dual purpose: You are able to work toward an outcome that you desire while gaining all the benefits that meditation has to offer.

Best,

Scott Whitlock

• Dictionary.com defines the word “meditate” as: to engage in thought or contemplation; reflect.

• Meditation is a simple practice of shifting your focus and training your mind.

• Traditionally, meditation has been used to achieve inner peace and a sense of well-being.

• There are many different techniques for meditation but most require you to sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes and bring your attention to something specific.

Best,

Scott Whitlock

Taking the time to meditate seems counterproductive doesn’t it?

After all, you’re taking time out of your busy day to just sit there.

Perhaps it’s even a little bit selfish, taking that time just for yourself when others depend on you…

At first glance, and perhaps even for the first few times a person tries to meditate, results are generally questionable.

In my beginning days of meditation I truly thought that I’d be better off just getting up and making things happen, taking care of a seemingly endless

list of responsibilities.

Two things forced me to be more open minded and actually try meditation.

1: the seemingly constant press coverage of the benefits of meditation for both mental and physical health. And 2, the respect I have for several successful

personal friends who practice meditation.

Studies show that to create a habit, most skills must be repetitively practiced for 21 days. I knew I could do anything for 21 days and committed to learn it.

Well, two weeks is all that it took, and over the years I’ve learned that my meditation time is too important to skip. I also learned a powerful

technique for a brief night time meditation that literally programs me for success the following day.  The difference in productivity and balance is

dramatic!  It really needs to be experienced to be fully appreciated, but until then, if you’re skeptical, there are hundreds if not thousands of

studies you can find that confirm the benefits.

In a nut shell, here’s what Meditation does for me: it helps me deal with stress and obstacles during everyday life, more confidently, elegantly and

purposefully.  I also have an overall sense of balance and well-being,  My foundation is much more stable and things that used to bother me are now

taken in stride.

I find more opportunities than obstacles and I’m much more grateful for all situations with the end result being a much more happy and purposeful self.

That’s just during the day, at the end of the day, I’m able to fall asleep more quickly and experience a deeper, more restful sleep every night. That

hasn’t always been the case and has made a nice difference.

If this sounds too good to be true, it’s not. Again, don’t take my word for it, the benefits are actually more numerous than what I have sited here

which are attested by seemingly countless formal studies.

Once you understand the benefits of meditating, it’s hard to justify not taking time for yourself to relax and calm your mind, reducing the stress and tension in your life.  It’s amazing how much better our minds support us when we give them the attention they need.

So where do you start?

To begin seeing the benefits of meditation, here are some basics steps you can do anytime: This will probably seem difficult at first but give it a try.

First, set aside a time everyday that’s dedicated for quieting your mind, morning is typically a great time and then briefly at night.

- Find a quiet place that’s relatively free from distractions.

- Sit in a way that is comfortable to you.

- Relax.

- Bring attention to your breath.  Feel and hear the air flowing in and out of your nostrils.

- Begin to relax your body with each exhale from head to toe.

- Realize that thoughts will come and go, and that’s okay, completely natural and expected.

- Bring your attention back to your breath and relaxed body.

- When you feel it’s time to resume your day, remain seated and slowly regain an energetic posture. Smile upon yourself, knowing that this little gift of time will re-energize you and put you in a position to give the gift of a better, more fulfilled and on purpose YOU to others you meet during the day.

Whenever you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, you can take a five-minute break from your day and practice this simple meditation.  You will literally feel the stress melt away and the rest of your day will become more enjoyable and productive. Not only will you feel the benefits of this simple meditation, but those around you will also notice a pleasant difference.

We all know the saying: “Practice makes perfect”, the truth is, “Perfect Practice” makes perfect, however, practicing meditation is a little bit different than most skills because the goal is simply to let your mind recreate the harmony between the conscious, subconscious and body.

By giving yourself allotted times of peace you can accomplish great things so don’t worry about meditating perfectly, there really is no such thing, however, there are some tricks that will greatly help both beginning and experienced practitioners.

Meditation can be difficult at first and many people give up or never even try simply because of the initial discipline of learning a new talent.

This is where I was before discovering guided meditation.  I wasn’t sure if I was doing it right or if I had really gained anything from my time spent meditating until I had practiced for a couple of weeks. One day I noticed that I was tight on time and had to skip my regular morning meditation. It was then that I realized a feeling of disappointment and felt somewhat less complete and purposeful than usual. That was the moment that it all clicked for me! Since then, I always make meditation a part of my day, even if I have to skip it in the morning, for whatever reason, I always catch up during the day.

To jump start a meditation practice, many people begin with a guided meditation CD or MP3, this guides you through a simple meditation allowing you to quickly receive the benefits that come from years of experience at the touch of a button.

Instead of spending hours practicing and wondering if you are doing it right, consider some help from a guided meditation.  Just sit back and listen as the professionals bring meditation to you.

All the Best,

Scott Whitlock

http://balancedlifemeditation.com