Meditation
We use guided meditation as a means of engaging both the left and right side of the brain simultaneously. The left brain is verbal and tends to process information in an analytical and sequential way, looking for the details and then putting them together. The right brain is visual and processes information in an intuitive and simultaneous way, looking first at the whole picture and then the details.
Guided meditation is used to activate the left and right brain at the same. The language we use; our words, activates and keeps occupied the left side of the brain. The language that is used in guided meditation and is often visual in nature. This activates the right hemisphere allowing our active imagination to be awoken and the spiritual work to begin.
Most traditional meditation techniques require you to take command of your own awareness by concentrating your attention on a single point of focus. This point of focus might be your breathing, it might be a physical action, or more commonly, it may be on a mantra – a sound, word or phrase that you repeat to yourself mentally.
While these powerful meditation techniques are wonderful for achieving inner stillness and for enhancing your ability to concentrate, some people find them difficult to master.
One of the main reasons why guided meditations are such a popular alternative to traditional meditation techniques is because they require no previous training or effort to enjoy. Even if you are someone who finds it extremely difficult to let go of thoughts, even if you are highly stressed or overloaded with mental activity, you will quickly achieve inner stillness and peace of mind when you listen to a guided meditation.
Because this type of meditation is so easy, it is very useful for people who are new to meditation. However, guided meditations can also be of great benefit to people who are very experienced at meditation. Experienced meditators will still use guided meditations in order to experience a deeper or more vivid meditation, to delve deeper into their mind than they are normally able, or to target a specific aspect of personal development that they wish to address.
Guided meditation also differs from traditional meditation in the way that it uses music and nature sounds to enhance your meditation experience.
Additional Resources
Check out our free library of guided meditations to help get you started!