This is the slide show for Lesson 1 of Introduction to Meditation, an online course from Rocks n Rituals.

1. Lesson 1

2.  What do you think of when you hear the
word “meditation”?
 Is it a serene monk sitting in
full lotus position for hours
on end?
 Maybe you think it’s too
hard or that you aren’t
able to do it?
 Is it scary because
you have to be quiet and look within?

3.  Quite simply meditation works!
 Research shows meditation helps lower stress
and blood pressure.
 In addition meditation can: -
 improve your health
 unlock your creativity
 slow down the ageing process.
 It gives you room to simply “be” – you are a
Human Being not a Human Doing!

4.  The Stress Response – when you are stressed
your body goes into Fight or Flight mode –
adrenalin and cortisol hormones fly round
your body, raising your blood pressure and
blood is diverted from your brain to your
muscles making you less able to think clearly
 The Trouble with Stress – long-lasting stress
will lead to health issues such as stroke,
heart disease, IBS, insomnia, anxiety & much
more. You need to learn to RELAX!

5.  Meditation encourages relaxation.
 It turns off the stress response and promotes
healing as the relaxation response is invoked
in the body.
 Blood is diverted to the cortex allowing clear
thinking and promoting creativity.
 Research has shown that the with regular
practice meditation can re-wire the brain
and therefore make you a calmer and less
stressed person in day to day life.

6.  In order to concentrate, it is necessary to focus on
only one object at a time (e.g. on your breath or a
candle flame).
 As soon as one’s thoughts begin to wander, then they
must be slowly brought back to the object of one’s
focus (no judgement, just notice and re-focus).
 During the act of meditation it is essential to try to
ignore all sorts of distractions, such as the intrusion
of irrelevant thoughts, and the sudden awareness of
the sensations that the body feels.
These three points are true no matter
which system of meditation is used.

7.  1. Breath watching
 2. Empty mind
 3. Walking
 4. Mindfulness
 5. Simple mantra
 6. Concept

8.  Let’s take a moment to practice by focusing on
the breath – sit comfortably and simply notice
what it feels like to breathe in and out for 60
seconds (use a clock to monitor the time).
 Note your results and
progress in your
meditation journal – did
you find it easy or hard
to stay focused?
 Practice, practice and
more practice!

9. Thank you for completing Lesson 1.
Debi Barr is a Reiki Master Teacher who
specialises in stress management and life
coaching. Alongside her passion for
meditation and Reiki she is also an artist,
a mother and a Reflexologist.
Visit www.rocksnrituals.co.uk for more
information about Debi and the services
she provides.