Creative Ways to Transform Challenges:
Meditating

The Medical Benefits of Meditation and a Healing Meditation  David Hiller, M.Ed

Research has shown that some medical conditions were beneficially affected by the relaxation response, also known as meditation. These included hypertension, cardiac arrhythmia, chronic pain, insomnia, side effects of cancer therapy, side effects of AIDS therapy, anxiety, hostility, depression, premenstrual syndrome, and infertility. It also helped people while preparing for surgery and x-ray procedures. 

I’ve been teaching meditation for almost 25 years, and I’m a firm believer in its benefits. Meditation brings you into a peaceful, tranquil state in your heart. It helps you look at life through peaceful eyes, which is very important. It helps to alleviate fear and reduce anxiety. It can also very much help us to gain a higher perspective, a higher understanding of what’s happening in our lives. It helps us shift out of a survival view into a more open and expanded view.  It can help us focus and be clearer in our thinking. This is a rush-rush world. We need to slow down sometimes and take a good look at how we’re doing in our lives.  Meditation also aids the healing process, by helping to slow down the beating of the heart and stabilize the metabolism.

Meditation brings us closer to the divine, to God, to nature, to love, to whatever word works for you. When we feel that closeness during meditation, we move out of feelings of isolation or separation. The closer that we feel to love, to the divine, the more energy flows. The more our energy flows, the healthier we are.

I share the following meditation with you.

(*Note: To experience the full impact of this meditation, you might want to read the following onto a tape and play it back to yourself.)

1. I invite you to sit comfortably and close your eyes.  As you do, bring your awareness to your breath now.  Take note, as you breathe, that this is a holy breath that you’re breathing.  And a holy breathe is very, very different from the breathe of fear.  So take in a deep, deep breathe now, a holy breath.  And really fill your entire being with this energy of love. 

2. As we call forth that divine energy now into our heart of hearts, I call forth the incoming of the divine light of love.  I call forth a perfect circle of light and love to surround us.  I call forth the holy healing breathe of the divine to breathe within us now.  And I call forth the power of the divine spirit to move through us now.  Move gently into our heart of hearts to bathe our hearts in the power of love and to pour forth from our hearts like a river of healing light, touching each and every cell. That sweet, sweet spirit.  Renewing, restoring, and regenerating as it flows though us and around us.  A halo of healing light.

3. Enter now the beautiful sanctuary within your heart. See yourself surrounded by all the beauty of nature—plants and trees and multi-colored flowers.  Everywhere you look are magnificent angels all around you.  They are there to support you on your journey.  Feel that this is a very sacred moment of holiness in your heart.  Take it all in, into your heart, into your cells, feel that holiness running though you.  Go strong in the garden of your heart.  You can smell the freshness of the flowers. It’s a warm sunny day. 

4. As you walk through the garden you notice a beautiful light that is approaching on the path.  As the light comes closer and closer, you realize that this is the light of that holy one, the special one that has come just for you, to be with you today in your heart.  This holy being looks into your eyes, and you feel a warm blessed acceptance of who you are, and this comforts you. The holy one reaches out, holds your hands and touches your heart, igniting your heart, igniting you with the power that love gives the healer.  Feel that sweet, sweet energy moving through every cell in you. 

5. Accept this blessing.  Relax, in the peace of the garden in your heart.  In the garden, the holy being embraces you and holds you dearly, heart to heart. This being tells you that you are precious and loved and that you are supported every step of the way while you’re here on Earth. 

6. The holy one tells you to know that you are never alone and that the holy one walks the path with you always. That comforts you.  The holy one takes your hand and walks the path with you.  You find yourself so peaceful, so relaxed on the journey.  When you sigh, your whole vision of yourself is relaxed, peaceful, steady.  You see yourself walking on the path, in peace in your heart, experiencing perfect love, and divine energy.  It feels good to you. It feels comforting. 

7. As you begin to walk back into this room now, in this holy vision of self and heart, create another vision of what love can work in your life, right here in your healing energy, in your holy vision.  Create a healing vision as you walk hand in hand with the holy one.

8. Give yourself a chance now to hold this thought and know that your visions are very, very powerful. Remind yourself of it every day. Each and every day, remind yourself also that you are not alone.  Now find yourself walking back into this room, breathing your sacred way back, very, very gently, in peace, in the presence of holiness all around you.  There’s balance in your heart.  Walk back into this room now, slowly begin to open your eyes, and as you do, take note of your breath, take note of your thoughts, and take note of how you are feeling right now. 

9. Open your eyes now.  Continue to breathe the sacred breath.  And if you so choose, practice every day, anywhere from five minutes to twenty minutes, moving into your heart, into your sanctuary, and calling forth the energy of love and peace to relax you, to calm you, to guide you on your journey in life.  

David Hiller, M.Ed. is an ordained interfaith minister, author, spiritual counselor and personal empowerment coach and has a Masters degree in counseling. He has traveled extensively in the U.S. conducting healing, meditation and fear release seminars.

For more information about David and Margaret Hiller and how to obtain any of their inspirational cassettes, booklets, or art work visit their Web sit at www.sb.net/miracles or e-mail them at miracles@sb.net.

This was adapted from a talk given by Margaret and David Hiller at Providence Hospital in Medford, Oregon. For the first part of David’s talk, go here

Copyright © 2000-2006 Life Challenges