I have practiced meditation on a regular basis for many years. I have tried every form of meditation and encourage people to really seek out and find the right meditation to relax, reduce stress, and enhance their inner connection with God. 

Several years ago, I used meditation in a whole new way and it opened so many doors of healing for me. I wanted to share with you my experience with how meditation became the catalyst for healing from my chronic back pain when all traditional procedures and medications had reached their limits for healing. Most of us know that there is an emotional healing needed when a physical issue persists. I hope this article introduces a new way to use meditation as a way to accelerate healing in your life.     

How I overcame back pain and recovered from surgery

In my early thirties, I experienced lower chronic back pain from a car wreck and was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease. I then compounded the injury with stenosis from yard work causing extreme lower back and sciatica leg pain. As a result, I underwent my first back surgery, and within several months, I was up, walking, and on my way to great health.  

Sometime later, I tripped on a step in my garage while leaving for work, fell down, and re-injured the same area where I had surgery. The pain level from this trauma was more than I could stand, and the pain negatively impacted my daily life. I called my doctor and let him know what happened and we started some medication to reduce the pain. Once again, physical back pain became my unwelcome companion. The pain medication provided some relief but did not resolve the constant nerve pain that went down my leg.

I knew how to “buckle up and get through it” and thought I could handle it on my own. I was able to manage somewhat of a tolerance level to everyday interaction with people and family. After a few weeks, I went back to my doctor and started highly painful diagnostic testing and shots in my back to assist with the pain. Keeping a positive attitude and getting along with others while coping with physical pain were difficult and my life was less than blissful. Things like doing laundry, going to the grocery store, and sitting in a chair were difficult and painful. I opted for another surgery that would remove the damaged disc and give me a new one.

While the actual surgery went well, my recovery did not go as the doctors expected. Days turned into weeks, weeks to months, and I was still dealing with nerve pain and lower back pain. Countless changes to medications and additional diagnostic testing left me feeling like a test in a laboratory.  After six months of pain and no relief, I was left feeling hopeless that I would ever conquer this daily companion.

I again turned to meditation and sought out more spiritual solutions to help me cope with the realities of my life. I was open for anything to assist me in healing and used every alternative type of work. I started with guided meditations using visualizations that focused on the outcomes that I desired – a strong healthy back and living a life pain free without medication.  One of the most powerful meditations I used was “Keys to Higher Awareness” by Wayne Dyer. I practiced consistently for over a month and to my surprise, I was able to move through my days with less pain and less medication.

It has been four years since my last surgery, and I am pain free. I can walk every day, take yoga in moderation, and enjoy my life with a new peace. I now relate to pain both physical and emotional because I have walked through it and am on the other side now. As a result, meditation and teaching people how to meditate has become my passion.

From my own experience, I am convinced that meditation is one of the most powerful tools that we can use to change and heal our lives.  In my work, I see suffering on many levels. I wanted to offer more solutions to people.  I was led to start meditation classes and teach what I have practiced. Seeing others try meditation, grow with their practice, move through pain, and access their own healing power has been a delightful gift for me. It has made me see that we can all access the power within that is divine and move our lives to a place of peace and harmony.  
 
What is meditation and how do I get started? 

As a spiritual practice, meditation is the pathway taken to raise your vibration and create personal time where you can retreat from the stresses of everyday life. With dedication and a time commitment, the positive benefits of meditation will blend into your life, so that you become more relaxed and calmer when you go about your daily activities. 

The practice of meditation is simple and available to everyone. It can begin as a process of merely breathing in and out. Spending time every day connecting to your breath reduces stress, restores emotional balance, provides clarity, and can accelerate healing in your life. Meditation is a valuable way to gain a higher sense of self and can improve your state of awareness.  

Meditation is practiced by people from all walks of life, faiths, religions, and belief systems. There is no need to change your religious beliefs to take up a meditation practice. In fact, it can often lead to a high spiritual awareness. While the motivation behind starting a meditation practice is different to everyone, the benefits for everyone will include: 

• Improving overall health by reducing stress and stress-related ailments

• Increasing happiness that will lead to a calmer, more peaceful demeanor

• Helping deal with grief over losing loved ones

• Strengthening concentration and focusing attention spans for more productive use of time

• Gaining an outer peace to share with families, communities, and neighbors 

Getting started with meditation can be confusing because there is so much information available via the Internet. If you are reading this and have been drawn to look into meditation, this is your validation. Your next step is to get started today!

For the easiest way to get comfortable with your practice, I recommend that you use some kind of guided meditation. Guided meditations take the guesswork out of what to do. They help you learn how turn down the mental mind clutter and help you focus on one thing at a time. In my classes, people express frustration with when they cannot get their minds to settle down. This is normal in the learning process. As with all things in life, the benefits of meditation come with consistent practice.  

When you are ready to give meditation a try, start by spending at least five minutes a day. Start by turning off all distractions, relaxing your body, and focusing on your breath. Do this each day for a week and extend your meditation time when you can. Keep your practice on a regular schedule if possible. It is important to “show up” for meditation practice with an open mind.  This accelerates the effects and experience. 

I have included an easy-to-follow meditation to help you get comfortable and focus on taking the steps to enter into your own meditation.  

Take a nice easy breath in as you read the meditation that follows. Do this a couple of times a day to get the hang of it. 

This is the easiest form of meditation and can done at any time to restore your energy.

This is the practice of BEING instead of DOING.

With practice throughout the day, this will raise your awareness and shift your consciousness.

Always start your meditation with a couple of nice, deep cleansing breaths.

Bring your attention to the present moment.

For the next two to three minutes, focus your awareness on your breathing without changing it.

Now, breathe in a little deeper and exhale naturally.

Draw your awareness inward, finding that nice, quiet place within.

Feel that inner space within you.

Get quiet, listen, and observe where you are at in the present moment.

Relax and take another breath in and let go more tension on the exhale.

Allow yourself to BE where you are at this moment.

Let the calm and peace of the moment embrace you.

Smile and enjoy the energy within you.
 

References

Barnes PM, Bloom B, Nahin R. Complementary and alternative medicine use among adults and children: United States, 2007 (PDF). CDC National Health Statistics Report #12. 2008.

Saint Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj, The Healing Power of Meditation from the Science of Spirituality, 1996.

Bonadonna R. Meditation's impact on chronic illness. Holistic Nursing Practice. 2003;17(6):309–319.

Jennifer Farmer works as a professional intuitive, medium, and spiritual teacher. Her abilities are totally natural, and continue to evolve and strengthen.  She is genuine in her concern for the well-being of all her clients and, with a delicate and sensitive touch, she's able to shift and expand the awareness in her clients.  This shift is not only healing, but also empowering and life changing. Often the net result is that clients walk away with a newfound sense of emotional balance and peace of mind.

Jennifer offers live guided meditations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and will be visiting several cities in the upcoming months. To learn when Jennifer may be in your city, visit her website at www.ButterflySpiritConnections.com. She also offers four professional guided meditation CDs to assist you in your practice. You can listen to samples and order online on her site.