In it’s essence, meditation is a discipline of the mind. Where your thoughts take you beyond the daily toil to a place of peace and relaxation.

Because meditation consists of focusing ones thoughts on a particular thought or object, and because our frantic lives filled with worries and cares make it hard to slow down and do that, you may like to try guided meditation, meditation with a partner.

Methods of guided meditations are diverse. Guidance can come in the form of a quiet tale or descriptive phrases telling of a place of peaceful relaxation or in the form of instruction telling how the mind and body can become relaxed.

It’s important to choose a time when your surroundings are quiet and peaceful. Most opt for early morning or late evening as the environment then is relatively quiet.

Meditating twice a day will also help you get into practice and therefore, make the process easier, more natural.

A couple things really help to set the mood for your meditation time and that is music and incense.

As you choose your partner, you might look at someone not of your sex. They should have a voice that sooths you and that you find enjoyable to listen to as you will be doing that a lot.

Before starting, you and your partner should sit in upright positions facing each other and concentrate on the breathing, since this forms an integral part of all meditation processes.

The main idea is to direct your partner into focusing on a specific object, feature or, natural element. This might be facilitated by imagining a glowing ball of light (this symbolizes healing), this is shedding its light on your partner like a warm glowing sun.

As a partner it is crucial that you are able to help your partner feel the element. You need to ’see’ this go into their body and with this comes a warm and healthful feeling. As the meditator you should feel and see with your minds eye those images, then you may add other visual dimensions.

The length of each session depends on the compatibility of the partners and how well they relate to each other. If the guide feels that the other person has already achieved a higher state of relaxation, he/she can slowly bring him back to his present surroundings.

With guided meditation you can achieve a greater state of relaxation, even beyond that of sleep. With this method, you are awake; your level of awareness lets you remove yourself from the physical realm.

An alternate method would be the use of pre-recorded cds with guided meditations recorded on them. When you play it, go to your sanctuary, get rid of distractions such as telephones, and begin your meditations. It is important for you to be sure and choose loose comfortable clothing and meditation at a time that people won’t interrupt you.

Beginners’ meditation requires very little investment: listening to the CD for 15-25 minutes and allowing some time for contemplation at the end of each session, to let the relaxed feeling seep through your body. It’s the best way to relieve stress and daily anxiety.