What image comes to your mind when you think of meditation?
I used to picture monks sitting in a temple with burning incense and "Om's" playing in the background. Not for me.
Or was it a yoga studio full of women in an array of coloured leggings all with their hands together in a prayer pose chanting "Namaste"? Again, definitely not for me.
If you share a similar image and are rolling your eyes in agreement, think again.
Celebrities all over the world are practicing meditations - and I'm not talking about only the very eccentric ones. These include 'A list' Hollywood celebrities, top sports personalities and successful business people like Oprah Winfrey, Hugh Jackman, Madonna, Steve Jobs and Kobe Bryant to name only a few. And recently it was also revealed that Prince Harry also incorporates meditation into his daily routine!
However, I'm going to focus on a very specific meditation technique; one that was developed by Master Choa Kok Sui, the modern founder of Pranic Healing and Arhatic Yoga. I was introduced to the Twin Hearts Meditation when I took my first Pranic Healing seminar. And even as a first-time meditator, it really blew me away.
I did attempt to try meditation in the past, but with no success. How could someone like me empty my mind and not think? I was born to think and analyse. It was what I was good at and I built a career in Finance out of my logical and methodical brain. So every time I closed my eyes, I would think too hard of trying not to think. I would think of my day and what I needed to remember. I would think incessantly with no hope of stilling the mind. And so I gave up.
But something was different about the Twin Hearts Meditation. I followed the soothing voice of Master Choa Kok Sui himself. I imagined my happy events and I even blessed the world. Something was triggering within me and I felt emotional, and to a certain extent, I even had glimpses of stillness. I learned that meditation, in general, could help in many areas of life - and this is scientifically proven. Aside from helping you to relax and quiet your mind, regular practice makes you happier, calmer and more at peace. It also increases focus, memory recall and increases the Gamma Wave activity in your brain - the fastest of the brainwave frequencies and signifies the highest state of focus possible (this is the 'zone' that top sportspeople enter into when they are at their peak performance levels).
Master Choa Kok Sui specifically developed the Twin Hearts Meditation to flush out the negative thoughts and emotions that congest our bodies and mind every day. And for most people in today's hectic society, that's a lot of negativity to work on. In fact, a medical research study concluded that after 1,000 hours of meditation, the group of meditators had significantly more Gamma brain waves than their non-meditating counterparts, as well as a decreased heart and respiratory rate.
Don't just read this and listen to my opinion. Put it to the test as I did. After last Christmas, I decided to put myself on a 30-day meditation challenge and did the Meditation on Twin Hearts daily. After a few days, I actually looked forward to my 20-minute sessions and wondered why I would ever think I didn't have the time. Investing in your 20 minutes allows you to re-focus your mind and I actually could think more clearly and therefore become more efficient in my day-to-day jobs. Many of you can probably relate, but I used to feel like I was running around like a headless chicken, and barely had a chance to take breaths in between. Now I can act 'slower' but get things done 'better' and in less time than I could previously.
What do you have to lose? Or actually, the question should be, what can you actually gain?
You can download the meditation from the iTunes Store, Apple Music or Amazon Music (under Digital Downloads). Just search for Meditation On Twin Hearts for Peace and Illumination by Master Choa Kok Sui.
Watch my video below for my tips on How to Get the Most Out of Your Meditations.