In today's post, I will explain and hopefully get you interested and excited about guided meditations. This technique is very easy to practice but it has one condition that can possibly make it challenging to perform. The same condition is the reason that so many give up on it after the first try.

There are some who will argue that this technique is not a meditation but a visualization exercise. It can be that too, it all depends on your perseverance and a set intention. If you approach it like a visualization and nothing more, it will be just that but if you approach it with an open mind and a willingness to take you further, it will.

In this technique, you are guided through a meditative experience step-by-step by a live or a recorded voice. It is usually from another person but it can also be your own. All you have to do is get into a comfortable position, sitting or lying down, and put your headphones on. When a meditation starts you will first be guided in relaxing your body and mind. You don't have to do anything, just listen to the words and, in your mind, go where they take you.

Guided meditations always use imagery, they are either describing images that you need to visualize or inviting your own images to appear freely and naturally. At the beginning of each meditation, the voice will use progressive relaxation and instruct you to focus on your body or on your breath. After the relaxation part, you will be taken on a visualization journey that can be anywhere and about anything. Some meditations are about healing and self-improvement, some develop forgiveness, calmness and relaxation and some create prosperity and evoke higher states of consciousness. There are also guided chakra meditations that focus on one or several energy centres in your body and those who are specifically designed to help you fall asleep.

No, no it does not. This is what I mentioned at the beginning when I said that there is one condition that makes it challenging. Not every voice will be good for you, you will even listen to some popular or quality meditations that work for a lot of people and they won't work on you. This is normal and depends solely on your preferences that you are not even aware of. Some people prefer female voices and some male, and it is normal that different people like different vocal intonations and different vocal depths. I know some people who have tried this technique and gave up because the voice was irritating them or was too boring, fast, slow, too high pitched or too monotonous. You need to find what works best for you. This may take some research and exploring but it is beneficial for your success.

I have been meditating for over 15 years and I have tried many different techniques. Even today, guided meditation is something I practise almost daily. I made some guided meditations myself and was a guide for others. Things that I prefer are a male voice, deeper the better, soft nature background to a voice like wind, rain or the sea, and a medium pace and rhythm of words. If I had to suggest to you what to listen first, I would say Michael Sealy or The Honest Guys. Those two are my favourite and you can find their work on youtube and/or buy online.

Here is one of my favourite guided meditations about Clearing Subconscious Negativity. It lasts over an hour and it is an excellent companion for my mid-day naps. This may not work for you and that is fine. Find the voice that does.