Welcome to Learning about Meditation and a Meditation Experience

1. Welcome to Learning about Meditation and a Meditation Experience “Either you control your stress, or stress controls you.” Adapted from: I Never Knew I Had A Choice The Anxiety & Phobia WorkbookThe Meditation Society of American

2. Please read/review the following slide show, clicking on the green embedded audio icon, as available Now, Please Click on the Audio Icon Above

3. Relaxation • A profoundly restful condition • One is physically relaxed • Involves being somewhat detached from immediate environment • Herbert Benson at Harvard initially described “the relaxation response” (The Relaxation Response, 1975/1976/2000)

4. Meditation • The physical act of remaining quiet and focusing on one’s breath, a word, or phrase

5. 2 More on Meditation… 3 4 1 Source: The Meditation Society of American 5

6. An awareness of what is unfolding in the present moment “Where your mind is, is where you are.” Mindfulness

7. Deep Breathing • Diaphragmatic Breathing • Abdominal breathing involving full use of your diaphragm • Simply breathing in slowly and deeply, and breathing out slowly and completely • Often in-breath though your nose and out-breath through your mouth

9. Click here for Relaxation/Meditation Group Websiteand then click on Meditation Tracks on the left banner for Free Downloadable Guided Meditations