The Pros and Cons of Guided Meditations
The consensus over the years is that meditation is a great thing. It has served humankind for thousands of years and continues to be a very important resource to those who utilize it in their lives.
What many people don’t realize is that there are several different types of meditation and that each one of them can help you in different ways. Sticking to the type of meditation that works best for you can be important, but ultimately it can also be limiting.
Guided meditation is a great way for anyone who has never meditated before to get the hang of it and learn more about how it works. It can give us something to think about and focus on while we get the hang of meditating. And if we find that we are having a very difficult time in getting out of our negative head space, listening to a guided meditation can be a great distraction.
Guided meditations can also be used to help us focus our minds on important things and specific goals and objectives that are meaningful to us. There are hundreds upon hundreds of guided meditations with specific goals in mind. If, for example, you wanted a meditation session to help you get the most out of your diet or work routine, you could probably search online and immediately find guided meditations that are tailored to that specific goal.
However, there are some negative aspects to becoming dependent on guided meditations. When meditation was first introduced, it was generally considered a way to do important inner work. Something that was best done alone. If you find it impossible to meditate without the help of someone else, then what is the point? You are losing out on important opportunities to look deeply inward and learn how to gain insight into yourself without the help of someone else.
Meditation is generally a personal thing. It is an act most effectively mastered on your own. If you find yourself struggling to clear your mind and find a safe, peaceful place in your head without the help of someone else, you are missing out on one of meditation's greatest benefits. The chance to sit alone in deep, silent reflection and get intimately connected with yourself, good and bad. And learning how to carve out a safe and sacred space where you can begin to feel relaxed and rejuvenated after dealing with a very draining world or situation.
Ultimately, no matter what type of meditation you are most comfortable with, you can find value and introspection in it. Your thoughts and experiences are your own and becoming more self-aware can happen with or without a guided meditation. The best approach is to do what feels best to you, while still working on being able to access a safe and calm state of mind no matter where you’re at or whether or not you have a guided meditation to help you.