PCAM TOPIC 6-MEDITATION THERAPHY
Module III: Mind-Body Intervention Meditation
COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE
MEDICINE
TOPIC 6: Meditation Therapy
MEDITATION
HISTORY of Meditation
➢Some of the earliest written records of
meditation comes from Hindu traditions of
Vedantism around 1500BC.
➢Around 6 th to 5 th century BC, other form of
meditation developed in Taoist China and
Buddist India.
➢Their mind set and way of life promote
meditation to achieve peace of mind and
enlightenment.
TYPES of Meditation
Mindfulness Meditation
• Mindfulness meditation is the process of
being fully present with your thoughts. This kind
of meditation trains you to focus on what you
are thinking or feeling at the moment. You can
concentrate on your thoughts, feelings or
sensations.
Loving-Kindness Meditation
• Also called as Metta meditation.
• One of the most prominent meditation styles.
• This type of medication allows you to focus
your energy to feel the warmth of love,
kindness, and other positive feelings.
• Is the practice of directing well wishes toward
others. Those who practice recite specific words
and phrases meant to evoke warm-hearted
feelings.
• This is also commonly found in mindfulness
and vipassana meditation.
Transcendental Meditation
• Transcendental meditation is a simple
technique in which a personally assigned
mantra, such as a word, sound, or small phrase,
is repeated in a specific way.
• This meditation technique promotes a state of
relaxation by helping you avoid distracting
thoughts and feelings.
• The idea is that this technique will allow you
to settle inward to a profound state of
relaxation and rest, with the goal of achieving
inner peace without concentration or effort.
Zen Meditation
• The practice of preparing your body and mind
to be calm in order to open yourself up to
exploring the nature of the being
Kundalini Yoga
• The practice of yoga dates back to ancient
India.
• There are a wide variety of classes and styles
of yoga, but they all involve performing a series
of postures and controlled breathing exercises
meant to promote flexibility and calm the mind.
• The poses require balance and concentration
and practitioners are encouraged to focus less
on distractions and stay more in the moment.
• The goal of Kundalini Yoga is to increase a
person’s vitality and consciousness.
• This practice is a mixture of physical and
spiritual meditation, using a combination of
dynamic movement, breathing focus and
mantra chanting.
Vipassana Meditation (Sayagyi U Ba Khin
Tradition)
• Vipassana meditation is an ancient Indian
form of meditation that means to see things as
they really are.
• It was taught in India more than 2,500 years
ago. The mindfulness meditation movement in
the United States has roots in this tradition.
• The goal of vipassana meditation is self
-transformation through self-observation. This
is accomplished through disciplined attention to
PCAM TOPIC 6-MEDITATION THERAPHY

physical sensations in the body, to establish a
deep connection between the mind and body.
• The continuous interconnectedness results in
a balanced mind full of love and compassion,
teachers of the practice claim.
refinement of energy from the base-level
material, up to the higher vibration spirit level
awareness of being at our crown. These
energetic centers represent our highest level of
integration spilt, prism like, into spectrum color.

Chakra Meditation
• Chakra is an ancient Sanskrit word that
translates to “wheel,” and can be traced back to
India. Chakras refer to the centers of energy
and spiritual power in the body. There are
thought to be seven chakras. Each chakra is
located at a different part of the body and each
has a corresponding color.
• Chakra

meditation is made up of relaxation techniques

focused on bringing balance and well-being to
the chakras. Some of these techniques include
visually picturing each chakra in the body and
its corresponding color. Some people may
choose to light incense or use crystals, color
coded for each chakra to help them concentrate
during the meditation.

There are 7 main chakras and they are located

along the spine extending out the front and

back of the body. Each chakra has a number of
specific qualities that correspond to the
PCAM TOPIC 6-MEDITATION THERAPHY

❑ Leads to a deeper level of physical

relaxation.
❑ Reduce anxiety attacks by lowering the levels
of blood lactate.
❑ Decrease muscle tension.
❑ Helps in chronic diseases like allergies,
arthritis, etc.

Psychological Benefits
❑ Higher level of selfacceptance and insight
about oneself
❑ Reduces Stress
❑ Decreases anxiety
❑ Helps people better relate to one another ❑
Builds self-confidence
❑

Increased emotional stability

❑ Increased creativity
❑ Less aggressiveness
❑ Decrease in potential mental illness
❑ Better, more sociable behaviour

BENEFITS of Meditation Psychological Benefits

Physical Benefits
❑ Helps prevent heart disease
❑ Enhances immune system
❑ Lowers blood pressure
❑ Decreases risk of heart attack and stroke
❑ Helps prevent digestive problems
❑ Improves fertility
Physiological Benefits
❑ It lowers oxygen consumption.
❑ It decreases respiratory rate.
❑ It increases blood flow and slows the heart
rate.
❑ Increases exercise tolerance
Spiritual Benefits
❑ Changes attitude towards life
❑ Creates deeper relationship with your God.
❑ Attain enlightenment
❑ Creates a widening, deepening capacity for
love
PREPARING TO MEDITATE
 Choose a peaceful environment.
Meditation should be practiced somewhere
calming and peaceful. This will enable you to
PCAM TOPIC 6-MEDITATION THERAPHY
focus exclusively on the task at hand and avoid
bombarding your mind with outside stimuli.
 Wear comfortable clothes.
One of the major goals of meditation is to calm
the mind and block out external factors. This
can be difficult if you feel physically
uncomfortable due to tight or restrictive
clothing. Try to wear loose clothing during
meditation practice and make sure to remove
your shoes.
 Decide how long you want to
meditate.
Before you begin, you should decide how long
you are going to meditate. While many
seasoned meditators recommend twenty
minute sessions twice a day, beginners can start
out doing as little as five minutes, once a day.
 Stretch out.
Meditation involves sitting in one spot for a
certain period of time, so it is important to
minimize any tension or tightness before you
begin. Doing a couple of minutes of light
stretching can really help to loosen you up and
prepare both your body and mind for
meditation.
 Sit in a comfortable position.
Traditionally, meditation is practiced by sitting
on a cushion on the ground, in a lotus, or half-
lotus position. Choose a posture that allows you
to be balanced tall and straight.
 Close your eyes.
Meditation can be performed with the eyes
open or closed, however as a beginner it may
be best to first try meditating with your eyes
closed. This will block out any external visual
stimulation and prevent you from becoming
distracted as you focus on calming your mind.
MEDITATION PRACTICES
 Follow your breathing.
The most basic and universal of all meditation
techniques, breathing meditation is a great
place to start your practice. Pick a spot above
your navel and focus on that spot with your
mind. Become aware of the rising and falling of
your abdomen as you breathe in and out. Don't
make a conscious effort to change your
breathing patterns, just breathe normally.
 Clear your mind.
❑To meditate, you must focus on one thing
maximum
❑If you're a beginner, it might help to focus on
one thing, like a mantra or visual object. More
advanced meditators may try to clear their
minds completely.

Repeat a mantra.
Mantra meditation is another common form of
meditation, which involves repeating a mantra
(a sound, word or phrase) over and over, until
you silence the mind and enter a deep
meditative state. The mantra can be anything
you choose, as long as it is easy to remember.
 Concentrate on a simple visual object.
In a similar way to using a mantra, you can use a
simple visual object to fill your mind and allow
you to reach a level of deeper consciousness.
This is a form of open-eye meditation, which
many people find easier when they have
something to focus their gaze on.
 Practice visualization.
Visualization is another popular meditation
technique, which involves creating a peaceful
place in your mind and exploring it, until you
reach a state of complete calm. The place can
be anywhere you like - however, it should not
be entirely real, it should be unique and
personalized for you.
 Do a body scan.
Doing a body scan involves focusing on each
individual body part in turn and consciously
relaxing it. It is a simple meditation technique
which allows you to relax the mind as you relax
the body.
PCAM TOPIC 6-MEDITATION THERAPHY

 Try heart chakra meditation.

The heart chakra is one of seven chakras, or
energy centers, located within the body. The
heart chakra is located in the center of the
chest and is associated with love, compassion,
peace and acceptance. Heart chakra meditation
involves getting in touch with these feelings and
sending them out into the world.

 Try walking meditation.

Walking meditation is alternate form of
meditation which involves observing the
movement of the feet and becoming aware of
your body's connection to the earth. If you plan
on performing long, seated meditation sessions,
it is a good idea to break them up with some
walking meditation.

TERMINOLOGIES
◉Meditation is an experience of relaxing the
body quieting the mind, and awakening the
spirit. This is a mind and body practice that has
a long history of use for increasing calmness and
physical relaxation improving psychological
balance, coping with illness, and enhancing
overall health and wellbeing.

◉ Zen meditation is an ancient Buddhist

tradition that dates back to the Tang Dynasty in
7th century China. The Japanese term “Zen” is a
derivative of the Chinese word Ch’an, itself a
translation of the Indian term dhyana, which
means concentration or meditation.

◉ Chakra meditation is a specialized form of

meditation that targets blocked chakras.

◉ Mantra meditation is the process of quieting

and focusing the mind using a sound, word or
phrase recited either aloud or silently.

◉ Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual

practice that originated in ancient India. It was
derived from the Sanskrit root yuj, meaning “to
yoke,” or “to unite”.