This chair yoga class is great to relax and gently lengthen and stretch your body. We hold the poses longer. A little flow mixed with stretching and poses in so the whole body is rejuvenated by the end of class.
*This class was made possible by Penn South Social Services
The Body Scan Meditation is helpful beginner meditation for relieving stress, increasing awareness, and observing feelings associated with our body and thoughts.
Meditation helps you to control your thoughts and emotions.
Developing mental stillness takes time. Every moment is a fresh start. Being present helps you let go of fear and doubt, allowing you to leap.
Let go of the false potentials of what might have been, what should have been, or what if only I had. Reframe your perspective and see the opportunities in your life today. There is much to be grateful for. All of which support love and living a full life.
Discouraged About Meditation?
You may feel that meditation takes hours, but this is a misconception. Mindful meditation only takes a few minutes to do, and you can do it anywhere and anytime. Simply taking a deep breath or focusing on an object or a part of your body can be considered meditation. Doing a few minutes of meditation can help reduce stress and anxiety, improve focus, increase self-awareness, and even boost mood. People can practice mindful meditation while walking, eating, or even doing household chores. In addition, meditation can help to cultivate an attitude of gratitude and make it easier to stay in the present moment.
Reflect on your experience for a moment.
- What were your preconceived notions about the meditative experience?
- Are you willing to try meditation?
- How do you feel about trying it?
- What parts of mindfulness or meditation are you curious about?
If you are curious and willing to try something new or even restart a meditation program, look below to get started!
Meditation and mindfulness are at the heart of change. Using your breath and body connection to be more present with your inner-self, you will be able to sustain mental focus. Instead of looking outside of yourself for guidance and acceptance, you will look inside.
Below are the eight meditation themes associated with ExhilaFit® Multi-Aspect Mindfulness Meditation M.A.P. course. These meditations are part of a larger course and workshops. You can still benefit from doing these by practicing meditation daily.
8 WEEK MEDITATION CHALLENGE
The most beneficial way to start is at the beginning. Start with the AWARENESS MEDITATION theme for the first week-committing to do meditation at least 4-6 times this week. Then move forward to the next meditation theme in the series. It helps to keep a journal in this time, notating your experience (emotional, mental, and physical) before, during and after meditation.
In eight weeks DM @ExhilaFit about your experience. You can also DM us with any questions you may have along the way. We look forward to hearing from you! Good luck with the challenge.
Awareness
Theme Details
This chapter identifies the importance of awareness, making mindful choices, and dealing with uncertainty.
BODYSCAN DETAILS:
The BodyScan is our first introductory meditation. It is the foundation which most of the Mindful Based Stress Reduction formal and informal meditation and mindful work is based on. This grounding meditation brings attention and awareness of your body. The beginner playlist is the best place to start if you have never practiced meditation before.
RESTING IN AWARENESS DETAILS:
Resting in Awareness meditations are a little more advanced. These meditations help you to connect to the natural flow of your breath, awareness, and support of the ground.
VARIETY BODYSCAN DETAILS:
These meditations incorporate the BodyScan introductory meditation with a number of other styles that are not limited to visualization and breathwork.
Biology
Theme Details
This chapter identifies the biological framework of how our brain functions to learn about how neuroplasticity influences our awareness, habits, and focus
PLAYLIST DETAILS:
Breathwork meditations are another foundation which Mindful Based Stress Reduction formal and informal meditation and mindful work is based on. These meditation helps up to calm down, focus, and recenter on the present by anchoring to the breath.
Reshape Your Thoughts
Theme Details
This chapter takes a more in-depth look at how our thoughts play a powerful role in each of our lives.
PLAYLIST DETAILS:
Reshaping Thoughts meditations are designed to help you manage your thoughts and practice controlling your attention with focus and intention.
PLAYLIST DETAILS:
Gratitude meditations are designed to help you to shift your emotional perspective to one filled with feelings of appreciation and thankfulness. This helps you to fully embrace the world as it is, despite situations or circumstances.
PLAYLIST DETAILS:
Productivity & Focus meditations help to increase focus and productively by allowing time to focus on any dominate feelings, things, or thoughts that distract you the most.
Stress
Theme Details
In this chapter the effects of stress on the mind, body, and emotions were evaluated in relationship to internal and external triggers.
PLAYLIST DETAILS:
Yoga is a great stress reliever. You do not have to be flexible. Over time your practice will evolve. Do Yoga at your own pace, there are plenty of poses and ways to modify those poses.
Inner Focus
Theme Details
We should do our best to view pain as an important red flag indicator that something is wrong. Pain is a natural part of life, learning how to manage it increases our well-being and mental health.
PLAYLIST DETAILS:
Ocean meditation helps you to deal with a specific feeling whether physical or emotional, that are uncomfortable, stressful, or painful. Sometimes ‘just’ sitting with these emotions and sensations will help them to diminish. This meditation also offers various imagery cues to assist with the process of diminishing the strong hold these feelings.
PLAYLIST DETAILS:
Stepping Towards meditations are helpful to face dominating thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations with the understanding ‘these dominant sensations’ are co-exist with the good at the same time.
PLAYLIST DETAILS:
Dealing With Pain meditations helps to soothe, allow, and dissolve dominant experiences. Allowing and accepting the pain to be what it is while meeting each part of your body with intentional love, kindness, light and all the prettiest parts of ones self.
Loving Kindness
Theme Details
Loving Kindness helps us to become more compassionate. It about being kind and loving to the person within as well to others.
PLAYLIST DETAILS:
Loving Kindness and Compassion meditations help you to bring a sense of love, aliveness and belonging into your life. For some, this meditation maybe difficult to do, but it is important to keep in mind, anything that you bring to this practice is enough.
Mindful Communication
Theme Details
Mindful communication combines meditation, self-assessment, education, and practice support habits conducive to healthy communication.
PLAYLIST DETAILS:
These meditations are reflective and use still to take in your relationship with self and others.
PLAYLIST DETAILS:
Lake Meditation helps you to stay grounded in a strong sense of self. We learn to be still as we go below the surface of thoughts and feelings.
PLAYLIST DETAILS:
Mountain Meditation helps you to tap into the inner strength held within despite the opinions and judgments of others, you remain magnificent and unchanged.
PLAYLIST DETAILS:
Nature Meditations use visual imaginary to embrace acceptance, strength, and stillness, all of which can be learned from what nature has to offer.
PLAYLIST DETAILS:
Voice meditation helps restore your self confidence, privately accept feelings without judgment or fear. Use this meditation to forgive yourself for saying things that hurt others, and to overcome suppression from abuse or marginalization.
Mindful Service & Community
Theme Details
Mindful service is about becoming more involved with your community. To be successful in the roles that we may take up along this journey, we want to be mindful about each moment spent in collaboration. All moments provide us with a unique opportunity to be our best selves while doing things that matter to others.
PLAYLIST DETAILS:
Silent Meditation does not provide verbal cues or direction besides the chime of a singing bowl. It is structured to support listening your inner voice. Build self-trust, and ultimate self-awareness
PLAYLIST DETAILS:
Longer Silence Meditation provide verbal cues but with less direction. It is structured to give more time to listen to your inner voice but offer guided support.