A Meditation Journey for Beginners

Copyright © 2015 Cheryl Forrest.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

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ISBN: 978-1-5043-4321-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-4322-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-4323-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015916811

Balboa Press rev. date: 11/30/2015

Contents

Welcome to Meditation

Week 1—Making Space for Meditation

Week 2—Breathing Meditations

Week 3—Relaxation Meditations

Week 4—Mantra Meditations

Week 5—Visualization

Week 6—Self-Hypnosis and Affirmations

Week 7—Love

I

dedicate this book to all my students. You are each my greatest mentor and my greatest source of inspiration.

Acknowledgments

Thank you to my husband, who I cannot do anything without. And thank you to my dear friend Midge for your help and insight and great sense of humor. This book would not have come together without you both.

Welcome to Meditation

Some form of meditation has been practiced as a spiritual discipline within all of our religions for thousands of years. Humanity has used numerous techniques over the centuries to heal, communicate with nature, contact the gods, and explore our inner landscapes.

The practice of meditation stayed strong and spread widely through the East. Only recently has the West taken interest in the practice of meditation. The ’60s with their use of drugs opened up an inner world that intrigued, surprised, and frightened us. The ’70s brought about a consciousness revolution. Transcendental meditation (TM) began the process of legitimizing meditation—specifically to reduce stress and stress-related illnesses. Biofeedback and an interest in altered states of consciousness, as well as research into the specialized functions of the brain hemispheres, led us forward and inward.

Today we have a growing body of scientific research showing that simply turning inward helps numerous health issues and even changes brain function. It is now embraced by people all across the globe. Its practice has proved that ten to fifteen minutes of meditation a day can keep us mentally and physically in peak condition. More