Tag: healing

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What Is Meditation All About Anyway?

Mindfulness and meditation are widely promoted for having healing powers and enhancing overall wellbeing, but how does one ‘empty’ the mind? What is the purpose and the benefits of meditating? And who has time to meditate? These are common questions I answer from curious students feeling overwhelmed about embarking on a meditation practice. With over-stimulated brains and fast-paced lifestyles taking the time and attention to sit and do ‘nothing’ seems like a daunting task. But it doesn’t have to be, read on to learn how.

Why practice meditation?
Meditating trains you to be in control of your inner state. With practice and diligence you can control your heart rate, breathing, thoughts, and energy flow. It’s all about creating more space for your brain to generate new thought forms and new brain waves to circulate. By quieting the monotonous chatter and focusing on your breath you are training the inner self (mind and nervous system) to be still and peaceful.

Meditation is filling the mind with focus and concentration
There is a common misunderstanding that meditation is about ‘emptying’ the mind or doing ‘nothing’ but it’s actually quite the opposite. Meditation is filling the mind with focus and concentration. When the mind is trained to focus and concentrate, the day to day emotional ups and downs are easy to navigate. When unexpected chaos ensues the inner self will be trained and ready to face it without activating the stress response. When we are in a place of calm and peace it is impossible to activate the fight/flight nervous system which is responsible for creating stress, disease, hyper tension, and anxiety. Meditation becomes an empowering and invaluable life tool. We cannot control a lot of things that happen around us, but we can control our inner state and our response to circumstances.

Meditation works by heightening the function of all your systems
Think of practicing meditation as putting your brain and energy system through boot camp. By training your mind to clear out the distractions, quiet the noise, and focus on the task at hand you’ll be activating your rest/digest nervous system (the parasympathetic nervous system) which is responsible for internal autonomic functions. By training your inner self you’ll be able to soar through difficult situations without activating your fight/flight system (sympathetic nervous system) which interferes with digestion, immunity, sleep, and reproduction. Meditation works by heightening the function of all your systems and therefore supporting a healthy whole person. Your brain’s health is similar to the health of all your other organs. When organs are abused with toxins, like processed foods and chemicals, the negative repercussions are disease and hypertension among other side effects. Similarly, when the brain is bogged down with unhealthy thought patterns such as worrying, negative self-talk, and repetitive thought patterns, the result is unnecessary stress, high blood pressure, anxiety, sleeplessness, and fatigue. By being proactive and giving your mind exercise and a break from the noise you can start to create a sanctuary of space and calm.

I don’t have time to meditate
A little goes a long way. You don’t have to sit under a tree in lotus pose for hours waiting for enlightenment in order to reap the benefits of meditation. Start with baby steps and think quality over quantity. Once a day set a timer for 3 minutes, turn off your devices or put them in a closed room, and lay down or sit and focus on your breath. Or try one of the meditations below. If sitting by yourself with no guidance is problematic there are free meditations out there, just search “3 minute meditations”. After a week try for 4 minutes…then 5 minutes, and so on. Eventually you’ll find the right length of time for you to feel refreshed and grounded.

Once the mind is trained it doesn’t take long to get to that calm and grounded place. Eventually you can take a deep breath, remember the feeling, and instil that feeling in your nervous system. When you get to this level it becomes who you are not just something that you do. For instance when you’re stuck in traffic and it’s really irritating, you can choose to sit relaxed and focus on your breathing rather than triggering your fight/flight system with toxic anger and road rage. You can use those everyday moments to teach and train your inner self rather than activating a stress response.

How do I start a meditation practice?
There are many styles of meditation and you have to find what works for you. Remember the key is to fill your mind with focus. Think about how you learn best; are you a visual person? Or are you better at feeling sensations such as the breath? Do you feel more relaxed sitting or laying down? Here are 3 basic meditations to get you started.

Meditation for the Visual Learner
Sit or lay down comfortably and visualize a sequence of colours. I like to use the chakra colours in order – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, white. Or pick a colour scheme that works for you. Cycle through your colour scheme spending a few minutes focusing on the colour and feeling the vibration of that colour in your body. After you’ve cycled through your colours start to notice where your mind is and what you notice in your body. How do you feel? By focusing on the colour at hand you are clearing space in your brain by blocking out everything else that is usually running around in your head. The body and mind become one and eventually with practice the nervous system can drop into this state at your own will whenever you need to feel calm and peace. Here is a guided 12 minute colour meditation on youtube.

Meditation for the Feeling/Sensing Learner
Sit or lay down comfortably and observe your breath and how it is moving in and out.  Start to control the breath slowly and gently by directing the breath into your belly for a minute.  Then direct the breath into your ribcage for a minute, then into your head/brain for a minute.  Now try to breathe into all 3 parts simultaneously for a minute – belly, ribs, head.  Notice where your thoughts are and the stillness and grounding affects of this practice.  Build up to 5 minutes on each area for a 20 minute meditation.
Meditation for the Audible Learner
Sit or lay down comfortably and listen to classical music through headphones.  Tune into every note, every instrument, and every sound.  When the song is finished tune into your body and notice how peaceful and present you can be.  Notice the difference between being in the music and being in the silence.  Explore how relaxed you can become simply by tuning in and bringing all your attention to sound.  Here’s a sample of classical music appropriate for this meditation.
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FAQ’s – What To Expect In Your Session

Who can take private lessons?

Anyone!  Annette has taught all ages from 3 years to 85 years old.  The beauty of a private session is the class is catered to your age, gender, limitations, and goals. It’s a co-creative experience and together we come up with the best treatment plan for you.  Annette works with all levels 1-on-1, with couple’s, and with families.

What are the benefits of a private lesson?

-Working at your own pace makes for an injury-free practice.

-You’ll see results faster by focusing on what you need by creating a goal specific class.

-Convenient scheduling that fits your lifestyle.

-Having the security of a teacher supervising your alignment and technique.

-Respecting your beliefs by omitting any spiritual/religious references and focusing on the mind-body connection.

-The privacy of practicing yoga alone and not having the intimidation of a group mentality.

What is a private yoga lesson like?

The session is all about you.  We start with a debrief outlining our focus for the session.  Based on your needs we’ll begin with guided warm ups, tailored postures, and breathing techniques.  At the end of your session a guided meditation will bring you into a deep healing state (savasana) for 5-10 minutes.

What is an energy healing treatment like?

We initiate your body’s wisdom to heal by answering reflection questions before your session.  When you arrive to the studio we sit down, debrief your answers, and set the focus.  The session continues with a grounding meditation to open the flow of your energy body.  Then you’ll be reclined on a healing table (clothed) for the bio-field work.  In closing your feedback is discussed, homework is assigned, and an affirmation is chosen to take home with you.

You’ll receive an email follow up with a summary of your session and home work reminders.

What do I wear?

Yoga is traditionally done in bare feet, if you prefer to wear your socks that’s no problem.  Take off your jewellery/watch and wear comfortable clothing.  Athletic pants or long shorts and a longer shirt are most comfortable because they don’t ride up your back when moving.

For a healing treatment you can wear whatever you feel comfortable in.

What is the studio etiquette?

Don’t eat before your class, or try to have a light snack well before, and hydrate by having a glass of water a few hours before your session.  Refrain from wearing perfume, cologne, and hand/foot cream as it will interfere with your steadiness on the mat.  Take your shoes off at the door, you can wear socks or barefoot to practice.

How do I book a session?

Annette strives to accommodate your schedule, all bookings are done through email annette@annettebailey.ca

How can I pay?

Cash, check, or email transfer is accepted at the end of your session.  If you are having multiple sessions a month you will receive an invoice at the end of the month.  For session rates email annette@annettebailey.ca

What are Virtual Private Yoga lessons?

Enjoy a private yoga lesson anywhere!  All you need is FaceTime or Zoom, an internet connection, and a laptop, smart phone, or tablet.  The comfort of practicing yoga in your home, with your family and pets, is an amazing experience!

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Pain – Friend or Foe?

We all hate pain, but what if we approached pain differently by considering it as an old and knowledgeable friend?  Your body is your oldest companion, the one that knows you best and has been there through all the good times and the bad times.  If we treat our old pal like a sacred temple that we grow up in, then we would honor the messages it sends us. Pain is the messenger that signifies our nervous system that there is a problem.  These problems are energy disturbances and when we ignore messages our body screams even louder trying to get our attention.

So why do we ignore these signals? It’s natural to avoid something that doesn’t feel good. Naturally we follow the path of least resistance and pain is altogether uncomfortable and exhausting.  It’s just easier to not feel than to feel.  However when we ignore these cues and pain is left unattended to, it turns into chronic pain and chronic pain eventually turns into disease.  Dis-ease can be defined as lack of ease in the body or a disturbance in the energy flow.

In yoga this vital energy flow is called Prana and in Asian traditions it’s called Ch’i or Qi.  This life force is described as a flowing river and when rocks and debris get thrown into our river it gets clogged up. These clogs are referred to as energy blocks and energy depletion.  When our energy is blocked or depleted it cannot flow freely to nourish organs, bones, and tissue.  When our body does not get the oxygen and circulation it needs to maintain homeostasis, pain signals are sent out via the nervous system.

So where did the rocks and debris come from?  Body, mind, and spirit are intertwined and connected energetically and with that every single thing that has ever happened to you, positive or negative, shows up somewhere in your body.  If we ignore emotions and feelings and stuff them down in order not to feel, they inevitably fester into deep energetic wounds.

How do we keep our river free flowing?  For starters we need to listen and become aware of what we are experiencing in our body from moment to moment.  Acknowledging both positive and negative feelings brings awareness to energy disturbances before they become chronic.  By addressing the physical feelings we in turn process the emotions and thoughts that are intertwined within.  With awareness, patience, and loving kindness, we have the ability to clear the rocks and debris to maintain our free flowing river.

The next step is to take action on what you notice.  Ask yourself; am I tensing my body? If the answer is yes, then look at where and why you are tensing.  Is it in response to something you’re looking at?  Something you’re listening to?

Once you notice what you’re noticing you are empowered to break old habits and reverse the negative affects.  Self-care is key in this process; yoga, energy healing, a relaxing bath, walking in nature, are all positive self-care techniques to release and reverse the negative affects of stress and tension.

When you’ve changed the old patterns you can start to be proactive by not allowing them to resurface.  Pain signals become an old friend tapping you on the shoulder to remind you it’s time to pay attention.  Eventually you will notice the signal from your nervous system immediately and take proactive action before the pain arises.  Every case is unique and pain levels are varying, however if pain is approached as a friend that is signaling to you that something needs to be addressed you can lessen your pain and give the intelligence of your body the chance to heal on it’s own.

 

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Reconnect With Your Partner

Overall happiness and wellbeing can be measured at a physical and mental level, but what about at a soul level?  By soul level I am referring to the part of you that does not include physical, sexual, material, or intellectual aspects.  This metaphysical part of your higher self lives in your energetic body.

We exercise the physical body with activity and the mental brain with knowledge, but what about the soul?  Your spiritual self is exercised by connecting to higher states of consciousness and reconnecting to your inner supreme being.  The energetic self can be accessed through a variety of positive ways including; meditation, Yoga, music, deep relaxation, and Integrative Energy Healing.

Connecting with a person and sharing spiritual values in life is a sacred bond. Unfortunately relationships become blocked, depleted, and isolated when the stress of everyday life interferes.  Tolerance for one another may dwindle as your connection on a deeper level is compromised by distractions such as work, social life, and finances. Participating in something positive and healthy as a couple is the foundation to living a relaxed and content life with your partner.

In an Integrative Energy Healing session with your partner you both will experience connecting with one another in a new and positive way.  This connection is divine, mystical, and difficult to describe with the limitations of language.  To understand it you must experience it deeply.  Connection with your partner on a soul level will replenish and feed your relationship the nutrients it needs to continue to grow into the future.

What to expect in your session:

For the Integrative Energy Healing session with your partner we start with a meditation facing each other and seated in chairs.  By clearing and charging your own energy field first you’ll be ready to deeply connect with your partner.  Next you’ll learn how to connect with your partner on an energetic level by practicing giving and receiving energy.  After providing feedback to your partner and debriefing with each other on what you both experienced, you’ll be guided into a deep relaxation (Savasana) reclined on a yoga mat and tucked in together with cozy blankets.  You’ll leave the experience feeling connected and relaxed with tools to continue your soul level connection at home together.

For the Couples Yoga session you’ll practice the postures both on your own and together in a private setting.  Supporting each other in the yoga poses accesses a deeper connection physically, emotionally, and spiritually…and it’s a lot of fun!!

A couples yoga class is a healthy way to spend time together, practice yoga, and be with the one you love.

Beginners welcome!

Inquire about a couple’s session today!

 annette@annettebailey.ca | 778-227-6397 | Vancouver, Canada