CRAFTING A CALMER SELF BLOG

A Meditation on Gratitude

Take a few moments to sit quietly and focus on the following words.  Say them aloud or to yourself one at a time.  After each word, contemplate its meaning and significance in your life. 

Gratitude

Acknowledgement

Appreciate

Grace

Praise

Gratefulness

Honor

Bounty

Tribute

Thanksgiving

Thank you for sharing your practice with me today. 

Tags: gratitude, meditation, thanksgiving

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We all have different strengths and weaknesses which bring us to different places in

interests, attention, understanding and motivation.   For some people with special needs, they can have great challenges with communication, comprehension and focus.  But that does not

mean that they cannot be mindful, meditate or gain benefits from meditation methods.  When exploring meditation with individuals with very involved special needs, focus the goal on establishing a mindful connection between each other.  As a meditation teacher or leader, seek a moment of mindful interaction between teacher and pupil.  By doing this, so much will be learned by both parties.

When working with individual with challenged verbal and attending skills, I only seek to create a moment in which we connect and communicate on a personal level.   For starters, I reduce unnecessary  stimuli, perhaps using a clear table, soft lighting and soft, relaxing instrumental music (if at all). 

Then, I use simple pictures or visual aids to bring about easier interaction and connection.  I may present pictures of people smiling, sitting, or breathing.  The pictures should be easy to understand and effectively convey a mood or emotional state....

Tags: developmental disabilities, meditation, mindfulness, special needs

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Focusing on the chakras (vital energy centers) in the body during meditation is thought to open, clear, align, balance and harmonize these energy centers and bring about healing, wellness and many other health benefits.  Chakra meditation can be performed in different ways but, basically, it a ruminative and self-reflective process, often requiring long and thoughtful observation of the self.   A list of seven main chakras and their focus:

✿ Muladhara Chakra (aka root, base or earth chakra) deals with survival and is blocked by fear

✿✿ Svadhisthana Chakra (aka sacral or water chakra) deals with pleasure and is blocked by guilt

✿✿✿ Manipura Chakra (aka solar plexus or fire chakra) deals with will power and is blocked by shame

✿✿✿✿ Anahata Chakra (aka heart chakra) deals with love and is blocked by grief

✿✿✿✿✿ Vishuddha Chakra (aka throat or sound chakra) deals with truth and is blocked by lies

✿✿✿✿✿✿ Ajna Chakra (aka third eye or light chakra) deals with insight and is blocked by illusion

✿✿✿✿✿✿✿ Sahaswara Chakra (aka crown chakra) deals with pure cosmic energy and is blocked by attachment

The Guided Meditation:

First we will open the...

Tags: chakras, meditation, self-reflection

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