People react to situations and enclosure differently. Some go within and reflect; others go out and spend energy, and thus, recharge themselves. Still more get out and walk, and notice their environment mindfully. Those who need contact get onto the electronic devices and get facetime with their cherished. More get out in the garden, the green-fingers! There are those who look to others for help and guidance. Here, we bring you a selected series of meditations for your ease and reduction in anxiety and fear: S/he who manages their mind manages their anxiety and fear – and create a positive environment for self and others. We offer this to you for your exploration, sample, and peace.
Christian Meditation
God is Faithful during Coronavirus Pandemic
We are in strange times with the Coronavirus Pandemic leaving death and mayhem in our world, but we can always be sure that in the midst of this madness God is always in control and he is always faithful in doing what is best in our lives. This meditation will help you feel God’s faithfulness in your life as you meditate within the stillness of your mind and heart.
Mindful: A Meditation Series (Peace During the Pandemic- Coronavirus/ COVID-19 Guided Meditation)
National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD)
In this guided meditation, centered around our current global situation, it is our hope to help you process feelings of powerlessness and show you just how much you can actually do and create in this time.
The Great Bell Chant (for the end of Suffering)
Daily Calm | 10 Minute Mindfulness Meditation | Be Present
A simple meditation to come to a place of calm, from Daily Calm.
The breath is the key to mindfulness. A simple image, a relaxed voice, a calm meditation.
Meditation on Light
“As regards the technique of meditation, different teachers and trainers give different forms of advice. But I shall give you now the most universal and the most effective form. This is the very first step in spiritual discipline.
At first, set a few minutes every day for meditation, and extend the time as you feel the bliss that you get. Let it be in the hours before dawn. This is preferable because the body is refreshed after sleep, and the dealings of daytime will not yet have impinged on you. Have a lamp or a candle before you with an open, steady, and straight flame. Sit in front of the candle in the lotus posture or any other comfortable sitting position.
Look on the flame steadily for some time, and closing your eyes try to feel the flame inside you between your eyebrows. Let it slide down into the lotus of your heart, illuminating the path. When it enters the heart, imagine that the petals of the lotus open out by one, bathing every thought, feeling, and emotion in the light and so removing darkness from them. There is no space for darkness to hide. The light of the flame becomes wider and brighter.
Let it pervade your limbs. Now those limbs can never indulge in dark, suspicious, and wicked activities; they have become instruments of light and love. As the light reaches up to the tongue, falsehood vanishes from it. Let it rise up to the eyes and the ears and destroy all the dark desires that infest them and which lead you to perverse sights and childish conversation. Let your head be surcharged with light and all wicked thoughts will flee therefrom.
Imagine that the light is in you more and more intensely. Let it shine all around you and let it spread from you in ever widening circles, taking in your loved ones, your kith and kin, your friends and companions, your enemies and rivals, strangers, all living beings, the entire world. Since the light illumines all the senses every day so deeply and so systematically, a time will soon come when you can no more relish dark and evil sights, yearn for dark and sinister tales, crave for base, harmful, deadening toxic food and drink, handle dirty demeaning things, approach places of ill-fame and injury, or frame evil designs against anyone at any time.
Stay on in that thrill of witnessing the light everywhere. If you are adoring God in any form now, try to visualize that form in the all-pervasive light. For Light is God; God is Light. Practice this meditation as I have advised regularly every day. At other times repeat the name of God (any Name fragrant with any of His many Majesties), always taking care to be conscious of His might, mercy, and munificence.
Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness aims to reconnect us with ourselves, allowing us to become aware of our emotions, feelings and actions, giving ourselves time and space to do so.
It facilitates a connection with both mind and body, so we can be aware of ourselves alongside what is going on around us. It moves away from the busyness of our minds, and therefore moves away from the stress of it.
How to do it
Mindfulness can be used in everyday life and doesn’t have to take a lot of time or effort. Here are some examples of mindfulness activities you could try.
Breathing: Breathe in and out as you normally would and notice each inhalation and exhalation, notice your lungs expanding and notice when your mind wanders and bring it back to your breath. How was this different to the breathing you do every day?
Body scan: Spend a minute bringing your awareness to your body. Starting with your feet and moving upwards, notice any sensations, how does it feel where you are sitting/standing? Which part of your body was the easiest and most difficult to focus on? Where did your mind go? You can find guided body scans online, like this one:
Mindful walking: Walk slowly, be aware of the sensations on your feet and in the muscles in your legs. Notice what you are thinking, notice where your mind wanders and bring it back to your walking.
Mindful eating: Observe what you are eating and give it your full attention. Notice the textures of the food, smell it, notice the taste and notice the speed at which you chew your food – slow it down!
Mindful listening: Listen to what is around you, be aware of new noises within a minute of mindful listening, or notice if noises change.
Mindful emotions: As you sit, notice your breath. Move your attention to any emotional sensation you may be feeling. Be interested. How does it feel? If it had a shape what shape would it be, is it hot, cold, pleasant or unpleasant. Notice how it changes as you focus your attention on it.
Meditation with Eckhart Tolle
Eckhart Tolle leads a meditation on “The Power of the Present Moment” at Wisdom 2.0.
Wellbeing tips for UN Personnel
A new normal requires new habits and some creative thinking about your psychological well-being. Now that many of us are forced to work remotely full-time, need to take care of young and old family members during working hours, are feeling stuck or isolated, are separated from loved ones, and have reduced options for regular physical exercise and social activities, we must think differently and creatively about ways to keep healthy in mind and body. Here are some tips and resources:
Staying healthy at home
- A guide to preventing and addressing social stigma with COVID-19
- Advice for UN staff for protecting your mental health
- Remote working and supporting staff mental health: Advice for Managers at the United Nations
- Doing What Matters in Times of Stress: An Illustrated Guide from the World Health Organization
- UN System Workplace Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy: Mental Health Matters, A Healthy Workforce for a Better World
Tips if you are feeling anxious
(adapted from apa.org and unicef.org)
- Keep things in perspective.
- Get the facts.
- Communicate with your children.
- Remember basic well-being practices.
- Maintain work/life balance.
- Stay in regular contact with friends/family, and use technology creatively to do this.
- Practice mindfulness.
- Regulate your news media monitoring, especially TV news. Read articles, instead.
- A good antidote to adversity is kindness and compassion.
Guided meditation and yoga
Mindfulness meditation is a great option to incorporate into your regular routine to reduce anxiety and stress, and if you’ve never tried it before, now’s your chance! Find a comfortable yet alert seated position, keep your back straight, and just click play…
Try a 10-minute breath awareness meditation:
Try a 15-minute sitting meditation:
Try a 45-minute awareness meditation:
Try a 45-minute slow standing/sitting yoga:
Try a 45-minute standing yoga:
