Meditation Monday-Comparing Guided Meditations Part 2

Today I'll be talking about two meditations that are both free but very different than the meditations from two weeks ago. The first is a meditation that you can download through the Oprah.com Spirit Channel. It's by Kim Eng and is part of the Eckhart Tolle New Earth series. It can be downloaded for free on iTunes. There are many different meditations within this program like Breath Awareness, Object Awareness, Inner Body Meditation, Rising Meditation, etc. I chose the Inner Body Meditation to review today.

1. Relaxed Awareness Meditation: Inner Body Meditation by Kim Eng
Cost: free

There is no interface per se for this meditation because it's part of a podcast series. Kim's voice begins after the prayer bell sounds. There is no other background music. The entire length of the guided meditation is about 7 minutes, but she does instruct you to continue it for 5 or so more minutes longer. Her voice is very even and calming and I like the fact that she begins with awareness on the outer sounds and sensations around you before directing your focus inward. She directs you to move your attention through each part of your body, which is both very calming and also helps you to become more aware of how you are actually feeling. One thing I like in particular is that she says that if you have pain, be it mental or physical, notice the pain but don't associate a certain story with that pain. When you do this, I think the pain lessens and you feel like a burden has been lifted that you don't have to think about anymore. We all have our stories that we carry around about what's happened to us in our past and this helps you release those.


2. Laura Evans Spiritual Medium: Meditation For Your Higher Mind
Cost: free

This is a podcast that I also downloaded for free from iTunes. I had never heard of Laura Evans but I was drawn to all the different podcasts about both hypnosis and meditation. She has MANY to choose from so look her up. Here are just a few of the hypnosis subjects:Become free of worry and anxiety, A.D.D. Better concentration, Drawing love to you/self love hypnosis, Trusting your intuition, Self-esteem for young adults, Authentic power, etc. Laura's voice begins and there is background music but it's very light. She also has a calming voice and I noticed that she will speed up or slow down her cadence depending on the meditation or hypnosis. This meditation is also around 6 minutes long. She says this meditation comes from Sanya Roman, who is another medium, and her two spirit guides. This meditation is a listening one rather than an internally quiet one, where it's more about focusing on those qualities that you want to pull toward you: love, clarity, intent, abundance, serenity, enthusiasm, commitment, peace, creativity, etc. and you repeat them as a mantra. Although it's not at all like Kim Eng's meditation, it's a good meditation to help you start out the day focusing on the positive within you. I could see listening to this meditation when you just need a short break in the day or when things aren't going so well. I really did feel lighter and more positive overall when it was done and I find myself repeating those good thoughts to myself afterwards too.

Doing It Anyway

 Today I didn't feel like running. Most days I win the battle with my Lazy Inner Self, the one who wants to just lounge awhile and start the day slowly. Most days this summer, even with all the humid heat here in Kansas, I can motivate enough after one cup of coffee to "just do it". And today it's actually a bit cooler than it has been so I really have no excuse, plus there's someone in the room with big brown eyes cautiously watching my every move, hoping that I'll get my running shoes on and take the leash off the doorknob to take him out for a spin.

In the end, I did actually go out for my run--but not before indulging my LIS a bit first....or maybe I shouldn't call it lazy at all, because I meditated. I meditated on the way I was feeling without trying to change it. It helped that I was listening to a guided meditation by Kim Eng, who works in conjunction with Eckhart Tolle. Though it only lasted 15 minutes, I felt worlds different when I finished. I decided I'd go out for a mile walk with Lucky, just to get him out of the house. When I got outside though, the morning was beautiful and we actually have some clouds over the sun today (which I'm celebrating as we've had our fair share of hot, sunny days). I started out walking but then tried to pay attention to how I was feeling in the moment, rather than how I felt when I left the house. I felt like running, so I picked up my pace and ended up running/walking  for 2 miles, much more than I thought I could've done just an hour before. Also, to alleviate boredom from running the same routes, we reversed our 2 mile route which made it seem somewhat newer and fresher. That also helps with calorie burning, by the way, as our muscles get used to the same routes and same exercises (aka muscle memory) and whether you feel it or not, you'll burn fewer calories and expend a bit less energy. So while I have often wished that I came up with the Nike slogan above, I think the one that works for me is "Do It Anyway". I am going to try to apply it to some of the other things in life I may not always want to do, but know deep down that I will feel better after I do. What words or things motivate you?