This cord-cutting meditation will give you more freedom.  Emotional, mental, and energetic freedom.

Freedom is complicated during parenthood.  It’s the constant tension between doing exactly what you want versus what you have to do, so much more so than when you were on your own.  This is especially true for moms.

If you read my last post on cord-cutting, you know how this energetic process can help you free yourself from the negative attachments that drain your energy.  This Pranic Cord-Cutting Meditation for Moms gives you the how-to on doing just that in a focused and relaxed process. 

Find out what you will get from this guided cord-cutting meditation and how it can help you feel better. 

Pranic Cord-Cutting Meditation for Moms

In this 13-minute guided meditation, you let go of all negative attachments to people, things, situations, and memories that drain your energy.  

Who This Meditation Is For

This meditation may be especially helpful if you:

• Feel overwhelmed by the responsibilities of motherhood
• Have been ruminating about something and unable to let go
• Want to create more space for peace and relief
• Constantly feel tired from your daily life
• Generally feel heavy and have lots of mental chatter or fog

What You’ll Experience in This Meditation

This guided cord-cutting meditation follows a Pranic Healing technique that helps you fully let go of energetic attachments from most of your major chakras. 

We start with the Crown Chakra and work our way down to your Root Chakra.  I guide you step-by-step on a visualization process, allowing you to breathe in Divine white light and use it to blow away the negative cords from each of your chakras. 

In the background, this meditation is programmed with a Pranic Healing session. 

I start by cleaning your aura with electric violet light.  Electric violet light is a powerful and self-aware frequency that cleanses, disintegrates, and heals.  With general cleansing, I wash away the negative emotions, thoughts, and energies from your aura using this light.

Then, I use the electric violet light to cut away the negative cords from each of your chakras.  I safely discharge the cut cords and “seal” your chakras with golden light.

In the end, I fill your aura with golden, Divine energy to help charge your energy field. 

Here is the broad structure of the meditation:

0:00 – Introduction & The Power of Cord-Cutting for Moms
1:15 – Setting Your Intention & Invocation
2:40 – Breathing & Connecting with Divine Light
4:10 – Clearing the Head Chakras (Crown, Forehead, Ajna)
6:30 – Clearing the Throat & Heart Chakras
7:50 – Clearing the Lower Chakras (Solar Plexus, Navel, Sex, Root)
10:20 – Electric Violet Light Cleansing & Aura Protection
12:30 – Closing Gratitude Invocation

How Do You Feel?

You may not feel anything different during and right after the meditation.  Some, more energetically sensitive people or those with more practice, may feel super relaxed and lighter right away.

But energy work ALWAYS requires a lag time.  Meaning, everything happens at the energetic level first, and then the physical effects follow.  It will be faster if you truly believe in the process or at least are willing to believe. 

Always pay attention to how you feel in the hours and days AFTER doing the meditation.  You might feel subtle changes and increased ease for “no reason” at all. 

Do the meditation as often as you feel called to.  With some subjects, it just requires more effort to fully let go. 

And consciously choose to let go even if the subject recurs in your experience.   You can’t just do the meditation without also trying to let go during normal hours.  That would be like pushing and pulling at the same time, with obvious results. 

What Are Energetic Cords?

Energetic cords are links between you and everything else that are formed through interaction.  It turns out that, when you experience something, it kind of always remains with you. (That’s science!)

The bigger the emotional charge, the bigger the cords.

So, the energetic cords between you and your parents and you and your kids are probably some of the biggest.  If you had an ex-partner who made you suffer, the cord there is probably enormous. 

We also have energetic cords with the person who sat next to you on the train, or the barista who makes your latte every time you go. 

Cord-Cutting Meditation Benefits

Not all energetic cords are negative.  Like any human experience, there’s usually good and bad energy making up your attachment to something else. 

The negative cords, they stayed attached to you and continue to suck energy from you. 

Let’s say that you had a high-school nemesis.  It’s an old story, and if you think about it now, it’s all so silly logically.  BUT whenever you do think about that person, you have a negative reaction. 

Like, you feel like you’re right back in your high school body, feeling insecure and confused.  You feel irritable for the rest of the day.  You have a giant negative cord still attached to that person and/or experience.  It’s draining energy from you even when you’re not thinking about it.   

And that’s just one example.  Consider that there are energetic cords of all degrees from your daily interactions with the world. 

If you’re not good about energy hygiene and move through life without ever cleaning them up—as I once was—can you imagine the total drain? 

No wonder so many of us are so tired all the time.  No wonder inner tranquility is so difficult to come by. 

According to Reiki and Pranic Healing, these negative cords can be severed, pulled out, and let go through focused intention and/or technique. 

Positive energetic cords, or the cords of love, can never be severed. 

But the negative ones, there are many, many ways in which you can choose to let go.

The result is a subtle but increasing sense of freedom from something that may have weighed you down before.  That annoying neighbor doesn’t annoy you so much anymore, and then eventually just doesn’t come into your awareness much.  (This actually happened to me!)

This means more energy for you to heal, create, and grow.   More health, more joy, and more of the good life.

Cord-Cutting Benefits For Moms

Cord-cutting is an amazing tool for everyone.  But for moms, it’s an especially helpful tool for unloading some of the energetic load we carry for our families.   

I don’t know about you, but there are a gazillion things—small and big—that require my attention on any given day.  The field trip forms, the playdates, doctor’s appointments, pick-up and drop-off, homework, and dinner! 

So many “little” interactions with people.  Then maybe you run into that unfriendly mom at school who makes you feel nervous to be around. 

Then maybe you have to join a conference call with an annoying boss who never seems to hear you. 

I mean, the opportunities for negative cords are just countless. 

But most of us don’t even know that these experiences can create energetic cords that can drain our energy and make us feel more irritable or tired. 

I have to admit, I was SUPER skeptical when I first learned about cords and cord-cutting.  But I tried it, and when it worked and continued to work, I couldn’t deny its efficacy.

Now it’s my second nature to cut cords.  I do it all the time.  I also do it as a part of an energy healing session for clients, and it makes a big difference.  

[For more on spiritual self-care for moms, see 16 Proven Spiritual Self-Care Practices to Nurture Your Soul.]

Final Thoughts

This cord-cutting meditation is not the only way to let go.  You can simply do the technique described in my last post, What is Cord-Cutting? Energetic Cord-Cutting for Beginners. 

But some days, you may want to focus more intention on letting go and clearing your field of the negative cords and energy.  This Pranic Cord-Cutting Meditation for Moms was created for those days when you need a little more oomph.    

I hope from the bottom of my heart that you enjoy it, and that it removes all negative attachments that stand in your way of more energy, joy, and ease.

Thank you for spending these moments with me. 

As a mom, you have many, many cords.  I bet you can think of some that you’d like to let go of, right now.  The ones that don’t make you feel good or drain you.  The good news is that there is a tool for that.  And that is cord-cutting. 

It’s simple, it’s quick, and it’s effective.  Discover what cord-cutting is and how you can use it to protect yourself and your family from energy leaks. 

What is Cord-Cutting?

Cord-cutting is the act of breaking the energetic bonds between you and another person, place, time, or event in your life.  

Who- and whatever we come across in life, what you see, what you hear, and what you experience: a link is created in your energy field.  Your parents, your kids, your partner.  Your childhood home.  Your first job.  Your trauma.  

I first learned about the concept of cord during my Reiki mastership training at the Muktinath Holistic Center.  At first, it sounded too woo-woo to me.  I also felt pretty silly doing the hand motions of the technique into thin air (more on this below).   

But the more I did it, the more I saw its benefit.  I found out that Pranic Healing, another energy healing modality, also emphasizes cord-cutting for optimal energy hygiene.  [Also see What Is Pranic Healing? Benefits and How it Compares to Reiki.]

It’s been the simplest and most effective spiritual practice to let go of unhealthy attachments.

Later on, I was able to understand it better when I saw the connection between cord-cutting and my readings in quantum physics.  I’ll explain.

Quantum Entanglement in Your Life

According to NASA, “Quantum is the study of atoms and subatomic particles, and how they interact with each other. It examines the very stuff we, and everything around us, are made of.”  

Put it another way, quantum physics is the study of the tiniest units of our experience.  It is still an evolving and expanding field of science. But quantum mechanics is at play in every moment of our lives, just like gravity is. 

A cornerstone of this new science is the idea of quantum entanglement, which Einstein described as “spooky action at a distance.”  It turns out that when two particles that were once connected become separated, they always stay connected.  

“Even if they separate and move far apart in time and space, they continue to share something beyond a mere bond,” according to NASA.  “This means if something happens to one particle, it affects all the others with which it’s entangled,” it says.

To me, this sounds pretty close to energetic cords.  

Think about your cords to your parents and siblings.  They are some of the biggest cords we carry.  I always find that there’s more to cut with mine.  

More on Energetic Cord Cutting

These strings of energetic connection are formed from each of our chakras to those of another person’s, according to my teacher.  

[Related Post: Chakra Healing for Beginners: A Simple Guide to Understanding and Balancing Your Chakras.]

A constant energetic connection exists through these cords, whether you are aware consciously aware of it or not.  There can be positive cords of love as well as negative cords with the same person. 

Think about your children.  As a mom, you will probably ALWAYS have cords of love with them, no matter how far apart you are.  But there might also be negative cords that drain your energy, including conflicts, expectations, and so on.

As I have learned, the cords of love can never be severed.  Only the energetic attachment of lower vibrations can be cut.

This release serves both parties.  As such, there are no side effects of cord-cutting. 

For places, things, and experiences, we create a negative energy cord when we hold on to unresolved emotional issues.  Such bonds remain within our energy fields and follow the laws of attraction.  As in, the strongest emotions manifest more situations that create similar emotions.

Cords can be different sizes or intensities.  Your cord to an abusive parent, for example, will be much heavier than that to the barista at your favorite coffee shop.  The bigger cords need more cutting, possibly requiring multiple stages of separation.  

Sounds amazing, right?  

What is Cord-Cutting in Reiki?

Three situations call for cord-cutting in Reiki.  

The first two are as a practitioner serving a client.  As a healer, you can cut the negative cords of attachment for a client during a Reiki healing session.  Then, you cut the cord between you and your client at the end, so that your energy exchange does not continue beyond the session.

The third situation is as a Reiki master giving attunements to students.  Reiki attunements are downloads of specific frequencies, in the form of Reiki symbols, from a teacher to a student.      

The Reiki symbol “Raku”—one that looks like the shape of a lightning bolt—is taught at the master level.  It is the symbol that a Reiki master would use to separate their energy from that of the student after an attunement.  

Raku is also used to cleanse the auric field of yourself and your clients.  When used consistently, it will help in removing addictions.    

But you don’t have to be a Reiki master to cut cords.  Cord-cutting is a simple, energetic tool with amazing results that I tell everyone about.   

[Related Post: What Is Reiki and How Does It Work? A Guide for Curious Moms.]

A Cord-Cutting Technique for Everyone

There are many ways to complete a cord-cutting ritual.  You can do it through visualization, meditation, and elaborate processes.  

My favorite cord-cutting process is the one that my Reiki teacher, the fabulous Ms. Sierra North, taught me.  

Cord-Cutting Steps

First, think of the person’s name, the place, or the subject that you want to cut from.  Then follow the steps below.   

1. Imagine that there is a stream of white light just above your head. This light is brilliantly white, with speckles of violet. This is electric violet white light, or EV, which is a powerful frequency that comes from your soul. This light has a consciousness of its own and knows what to do.

2. Once you can see this light in your mind’s eye, breathe it in through the top of your head (your Crown Chakra). Visualize this light going all the way down through your body, covering all of your energy centers, body parts, and cells. Release it down into the ground as you breathe out, the light exiting out through your Base Chakra or tail bone.

3. Take another breath in with the EV coming down through your Crown, this time saturating your chest area or your Heart Center. Breathe out and visualize the light now flowing down through your arms and into your hands. Imagine that your hands are wearing gloves of EV.

4. Breathe in the EV one more time, with the stream of light going down through your body’s center.

5. Place a flat hand (wearing the EV light glove) behind your neck, and in a smooth motion, bring your hand over the top of your head and down the front of your body, covering all energy centers. Intend that your hand “chops” all negative cords from your energy centers. Make the movement swift and forceful, so it really feels like you’re cutting these cords away.

6. Switch hands and repeat. Do this chop at least three times and as much as needed.

​It can feel like a lot of steps in the beginning.  But I promise you that muscle memory takes over with practice, and cord-cutting will become your second nature faster than you think.  

It’s a good idea to find a quiet space to do this when you’re getting used to it. Now, I do it everywhere, at any time.  

As with anything, your intention plays the biggest part.  Decide with full force that you will disentangle from whatever you want to let go.   Then repeat the steps described above.   

For bigger cords of entanglement, such as with a family member or ex-partner, you will have to cut cords multiple times. If it’s with a situation or a person that you see regularly, you may develop new cords that you’d have to cut.

Of course, there are many other forms of cord-cutting.  Another technique from Pranic Healing is explained in the video below.

Cord-Cutting Healing Benefits

By releasing negative emotional ties, you’ll feel lighter and more peaceful.  Those incessant thoughts about someone or something may gradually cease and not bother you as much as they used to.  

In short, cord-cutting helps you let go of unwanted people, situations, and emotions more easily and quickly.  

With the big entanglements, you may find that you can forgive more easily and move on.  Cherish the love and not the blame.  

As you can see, cord-cutting is a powerful way to free up your energy.  The extra energy can then be redirected to healing and personal growth.   

How Does Cord-Cutting Affect the Other Person?

Energy work is subtle, so even if you slash down at a cord with someone fifty times today, they probably won’t feel anything concrete.  

But the cord-cutting works on both sides, so the other person may feel a certain distance from you, even if they cannot put their finger on it.  If they suddenly contact you after cord-cutting, take that as a sign that the process is working and cut those cords again.

For most general relationships, you will most likely fade away from their awareness gradually after cord-cutting, as they will from yours.  

For bigger relationships, it may be a gradual process of separation in stages.  

Suggestions

I usually cut cords immediately when something comes into my awareness.  

You may also find it helpful to cut cords at the end of the day from everything that happened.  This will help you get into a cleaner state, energetically, to rest peacefully.  

Some relationships will benefit from regular cord-cutting, such as with your partner, children, and others whom you see frequently. 

Cut cords after disagreements, or if you find yourself having strong expectations from anyone or anything.  Cut cords after coming home from a crowded place or a meeting with many people.  Cut cords whenever you feel it can help you!     

Final Thoughts

I cut cords ALL the time.  

I cut from my family of origin whenever I feel like they are draining my time, resources, and emotional energy.  Those are ongoing practices.  

I also cut from past relationships, awkward social situations, and memories of regrets (so many!).  

Cutting cords helps me conserve energy and generally live a lighter, more peaceful life.  

This post was all about the question, What is Cord-Cutting?   Try it for yourself and prepare to be surprised!

In this beginner’s guide, you’ll learn what chakras are, how they work, and simple ways to start balancing them in your everyday life. Whether you’re completely new to energy healing or just beginning to explore your spiritual side, this guide will help you build a strong, grounded foundation.

Chakra Healing for Beginners

What are chakras?

These days, the term chakra is thrown around a lot in wellness circles.  It can sound like a cliché.  

It conjures certain mysticism and other-worldliness. Or certain pre-conceived notions that may or may not be true.  Because of this, some teachers prefer the term “energy centers.” 

Either way, the chakras are there, right alongside our bodies.  Understanding what they are is foundational to understanding our health, life, and energy healing.

Chakra Definition and Distinction

Chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning “wheel” or “circle.”  They refer to whirling energy centers in and around the body.  Most mainstream discussions of chakras in the West include seven major chakras inside the human body.  But different traditions acknowledge and work with many more. 

The teacher Sadhguru, for example, notes a total of 114 chakras.  Others say that there are 22 chakras, with more than a dozen of them extending outside of our bodies and into other dimensions. 

Numerous indigenous traditions also acknowledge certain “vibratory centers” along the body, including the Pueblo Indians of the Southwest United States. 

A note of caution: each tradition works with the energy centers a little differently.  Therefore, just because you understand the seven major chakras, it does not mean that these ideas translate exactly into other traditions. 

This post covers nine of the 11 major chakras as outlined in Pranic Healing principles.  This framework is close to the mainstream understanding of the 7-chakra model, plus a little more detail.    

[For more information on Pranic Healing, see What Is Pranic Healing? Benefits and How it Compares to Reiki.]

Energy Bodies and Chakras

Each of us is more than just our bodies.  In addition to our physical bodies, we have an unseen body that exists as a separate layer.  

This is a topic that can get pretty wonky and complicated.  Even certain scientists have acknowledged the quantum field of consciousness that is even more real and lasting than our physical bodies. 

According to Pranic Healing,* one’s energy fields include an inner aura, which overlaps our physical bodies and extends out by about four to five inches.   We also have an outer aura that overlaps the physical body and the inner aura and extends out by about two to three feet in length. 

There are more layers to the human aura, or the energy field. While that is beyond the scope of this post, you can see the general idea in the picture below.

All living beings need energy—chi, ki, or prana—to survive.  We get this energy through food, air, water, and the sun.  Such energy travels through certain pathways, called meridians, to reach different parts of the physical body. 

Chakras are centers of energy where these meridians meet.  You can think of meridians as railways and chakras as train stations. 

Depending on the chakra, they can draw in and release energy, distribute it to necessary organs, and store information or memory. 

But when something happens to either the meridian or the chakra, energy can be congested or depleted.  If left unchecked for a prolonged period, such energetic imbalances can manifest as physical, emotional, or mental illness or disease.    

Nine Major Chakras of the Body

While Pranic Healing principles outline 11 major chakras of the body (and more, in reality), this guide covers nine.**  For most people who are just curious about chakras, this understanding will be sufficient to understand the chakras’ major functions and relevance. 

Root (Basic) Chakra

This energy center is located at the base of the spine, at the tip of the tailbone.  It is associated with the color red, and the element of earth. 

When the root chakra is balanced, one feels stable and “rooted,” financially secure and physically strong.  This center energizes the whole physical body, including bones, muscles, and internal organs.  It is the center for survival, prosperity, grounding, and stability.

Sex Chakra 

The sex chakra is located near the pubic area of the body.  Some have pointed to the perineum—the skin between the anus and genitals—as its location. 

The sex chakra is responsible for the sex organs, bladder and the urethra, and the functioning of the legs.  It is the center for physical creation, such as in reproduction, and is linked to the throat chakra, which is the center for creative expression. 

Navel Chakra

The Navel Chakra is located at the navel.  It is associated with the color orange and the element water. 

The navel chakra is responsible for digestion, or the generation of energy from food.  This center works with the small and large intestines and the appendix.   

Solar Plexus Chakra

The solar plexus is located slightly below your sternum, in the middle of your upper stomach.  It is associated with the color yellow and the element of fire. 

The solar plexus is the center of personal power, confidence, and ambition, the seat of the ego and the will.  While lower emotions such as judgment, blame, and anger are rooted in the solar plexus, positive emotions such as courage, self-respect, and persistence are also rooted here. 

Physically, the solar plexus influences the diaphragm, stomach, pancreas, and liver.  Because of its location and influence on so many organs, the solar plexus is one of the most important chakras in the system.   

Heart Chakra

The Heart Chakra is located in the center of the chest, right between the breasts.  It is associated with the color green and the element of air. 

The Heart Chakra is the center of love, compassion, and empathy.  This center works with the heart, lungs, thymus gland and the circulatory system.  The heart is the bridge between lower and upper energy centers. 

Throat Chakra

The throat is located toward the top of the throat.  It is associated with the color blue and the element of space. 

The Throat Chakra has implications for self-expression, communication, truth, and expressed creativity.  Physically, this center works with the throat, thyroid glands, and the lymphatic system. 

Imbalance of the Throat Chakra manifests as difficulty speaking up and the ability to be one’s authentic self. 

The Ajna Chakra

Also called the master chakra, the ajna is located between the eyebrows.  It controls the pituitary glands and the entire body, instructing all other chakras.   

The ajna is associated with the color indigo and the element of pure light. 

It is considered the center of the higher mind or the center of higher will. 

Forehead Chakra

The Forehead Chakra is located in the middle of the forehead.  It controls the pineal gland and the nervous system, and is considered the center of the lower cosmic consciousness. 

The forehead chakra is the center for intuition and wisdom, and is paired with the crown chakra.

Crown Chakra

The crown chakra is located at the top of the head.  It is associated with the color violet or white.  The Crown is the entry point of divine energy, and the center for spirituality, enlightenment, and higher consciousness.  It works with the brain and the pineal gland. 

Chakras as Conscious Beings

Dr. Joe Dispenza says that each of our energy centers is an independent being with its own consciousness.  Just like our cells are a part of us but have their own memory, consciousness, and volition.  Pranic Healing agrees with this perspective.    

This means that you can talk to them, nurture them, and even thank them for being a part of us.  And just consciously engaging with your chakras has tremendous implications for their—and your—well-being.    

Can You Feel Your Chakras?

Yes!  I started feeling my chakras many years ago, through my meditation and energy healing journeys. 

I don’t feel all of them actively, all the time.  But if I quiet my mind and place my attention inside my body, I can feel the hum of my chakras at different locations. During a deep meditation or an energy healing session, I know my chakras are at work because I can feel them stronger.

It’s usually my heart center that is active.  I can feel the turning of the wheel because there is a definite direction, and it is definitely circular.  Maybe about five inches in diameter, often turning to my right.

I also feel little wheels turning on my palms when I’m sending energy.  During healings, energy goes in and out right through them.  It feels like subtle movements or static electricity on my palms. 

I’ve also felt the wheel turning in my throat chakra.  My first time was a big win for me, because I’d been struggling with my self-expression for many years.  I’m still working on it, to tell you the truth.  When I could feel my throat chakra so active and happy, though, I knew that I’d broken through something. 

What is Chakra Healing?

Just like our physical bodies, our energy bodies experience imbalances resulting from our physical, mental, and emotional experiences. 

Trauma, for example, can be stored in our energy bodies as well as cellular memory.  It can continue to wreak havoc on our well-being until it is finally released.   

Chakra healing is a technique in which any energetic congestion, blockages, or depletion is addressed through cleansing of the energy center.  It is then restored with pure, healthy energy to help balance the proper functioning of the chakra. 

When all of our chakras are well-balanced and functioning at their best, we can enjoy good physical, emotional, and spiritual health.  This is when we live in harmony with our spirit, community, and the world, living our lives at full potential.

How to Unblock and Activate Chakras

These are just a few ways that you can help your chakras.

• Energy Hygiene: Energy hygiene refers to practices that help cleanse, move, and protect your energy from internal and external influences. You might have heard of cleaning the energy of homes and other spaces by burning sage. But there’s much more to energy hygiene. Choosing healthy and kind thoughts over negative ones is one form of internal energy hygiene. Finishing your shower with a salt scrub to wash away dirty energies is another. Good energy hygiene keeps your energy field and the chakras clean and better functioning.

• Movement: In general, movement also helps shake up your chakras, release any dirty and congested energy, and replenish them with clean ones.  Just one more reason to go outside and move!  [also see Energetic Benefits of Being Outside: Restore Your Wholeness.]

• Sound: As much as we are all energetic beings, we are all susceptible to sound and frequencies.  There are sound frequencies that benefit each of the chakras, including solfeggio frequencies, singing bowls, and even mantras.  Just think that you can help heal and balance your chakra by repeating a single-syllable word over and over.  Or play with your singing bowls, and heal yourself!    

• Meditation: We can work on our chakras through meditation.  But there are many meditations out there through which you can brighten up each of your beautiful energy centers.  As I already mentioned in my previous post, Dr. Joe Dispenza has an amazing series of Blessing of the Energy Centers Meditation, the first of which is available on YouTube. 

• Yoga: Because you really cannot separate the physical and the energetic, physical movements through yoga also heal chakras.  Certain poses benefit certain chakras specifically, such as the tree pose for strengthening your Root Chakra. 

• Energy Healing: Various energy healing modalities, including Reiki and Pranic Healing, work to heal chakras.  As mentioned earlier, energy healing practitioners can clean out, replenish, and balance chakras.  Such intervention can sometimes serve a crucial role in helping you heal, especially where Western medicine cannot. 

Is it Dangerous to Work with Chakras?

Mostly no, although there can be some side effects of working with energy.

After a big change in your energy system, you may feel anxious or emotional for no particular reason. You may feel uncontrollable vibrations through your body that surprise you. It’s all energy moving, and it will subside as you take the time to take gentle care of yourself and let it do its thing.

If you ever feel off after working with your chakras or energy, the first thing you can do is to ground yourself.

This means take your shoes and socks off and go stand directly on the earth. Mother Earth is conductive and always here to help balance you. Or move your body, like running or dancing. Moving your body redistributes concentrated energy and releases any that you do not need.

If you do nothing to release these side effects of chakra healing, it will still balance itself out in time in most cases.

At the level of trying a guided chakra meditation at home, there is little to no chance that you will be negatively affected. You may feel your energy centers quickly if you’re a naturally sensitive person.

But again, the chance of something really going wrong from a chakra healing session is extremely small.   

Final Thoughts

I recently heard someone say that it’s only natural to have doubts about energy medicine, even for energy healing practitioners.  “But don’t let that stop you from trying,” she also said.  And I completely agree. 

There are so many things that exist in the world that we cannot see. 

Think of electricity.  Think about how your smartphone downloads a ton of information through the ether.  If you’re reading this post, then you’re being pulled to it.  The energy is calling you. 

Go and try, and see for yourself! 

This post was all about chakra healing for beginners.  I hope you found this information helpful! 

*Miracles Through Pranic Healing, Master Choa Kok Sui, pages 12-13. 

**Pranic Healing principles also include the spleen chakra and Meng Mein chakras among the major chakras of the body.

YouTube offers countless meditations created by just as many people. But it’s hard to tell the good ones from the duds.

The best guided meditation for you may depend on the day. In this post, I share five amazing options that are now free on YouTube.  I personally come back to these meditations over and over. 

These are powerful meditations that have the potential to transform your life. I hope you take the time to try to get their full benefit. This post is all about the 5 best meditations on YouTube for healing and spiritual growth.  

5 Best Meditations on YouTube

I’ve tried hundreds of guided meditations over the years. These are my favorite ones for spiritual growth and healing, and I’ll tell you why.

I collect meditations like some people collect nice shoes or jewelry. For me, I know it’s a powerful meditation if the experience takes me to “the deep zone” or if I can feel energy moving through my body. 

The Rights Teachers

Some meditations have made a transformative difference in my healing journey.  They seem to show up at the right time to help soothe my mind and redirect my energy. 

Dr. Wayne Dyer’s Getting in the Gap meditation helped me find the void.  Dr. Joe Dispenza’s meditations move energy through my body for direct experience. 

These meditations are guided by those whom I consider to be my spiritual teachers.  They are each between 10 and 40 minutes in length.  Shorter meditations definitely have their place. 

But I find that it takes a little while for me to calm my mind and body down.  Depending on the day, an hour is not enough for my mind-chatter to take a back seat. 

Similarly, it all depends on where you are on your journey and your current goals, as to which one may become your favorite.  Or maybe you’ll love all of them, just as I do.        

Your experience of these meditations may be different from mine.  But I know from experience that they really help you access that meditative state. 

All of the following meditations will bring you deep relaxation and inner peace. They will help move your energy and heal from the inside out.

You can listen to any of them in bed before falling asleep.  While meditations are most beneficial when you are relaxed but awake, they also have their place as a relaxation tool before sleep. 

Getting in the Gap by Dr. Wayne Dyer

I was introduced to the Getting in the Gap meditation in my mid-twenties. Back then, I was depressed and reading as many self-help books as I could find.  It took TREMENDOUS effort to settle my body so I could sit still for any length of time. 

My mind was an endless loop of catastrophizing and scheming. I constantly needed to figure it all out to control the outside world so I could feel safe inside. Except that I never felt safe.

Dr. Dyer’s books spoke to me gently about the power of my thoughts and intentions. His guided meditations gave me a model of how I could tame my inner world.

The Getting in the Gap meditation is by far my favorite.  It uses words from the Lord’s Prayer and guides you to gently focus your mind on the words and then on the space in between.     

That space becomes the void. The nothing, and everything, of pure potential. 

Dr. Dyer calls it “making conscious contact with God.”  I agree.  

It’s almost like trickery, how well my mind can find the gap, following this meditation.  I even came to love the Lord’s Prayer after this practice. 

If you have trouble finding the void, like I constantly still do, this meditation will show you the way.  It definitely gets easier with practice.  For me, this meditation was a major first step. 

Blessing of the Energy Centers by Dr. Joe Dispenza

Dr. Joe Dispenza is a rock star of guided meditations in my book.  An energy maestro.  A guru.  A teacher, doctor, and researcher.

His Blessing of the Energy Centers meditation guides you to energize and balance the seven energy centers of your body.  While they broadly correlate to the commonly known seven chakras, Dr. Joe’s energy centers are distinct and should be taken as their own. 

This is a great meditation to do on repeat if you are trying to heal your body.  It is also one of the most gentle and user-friendly of Dr. Joe meditations, especially if you are new to his work. 

I’ve been studying and meditating with Dr. Joe for about 11 years at the time of this post.  I first attended his Progressive Retreat in Philadelphia many years ago.  Back then, the retreat hosted maybe a couple of hundred participants.  Today, similar events draw thousands. 

That first retreat is when I first felt my body move, totally involuntarily, from energy.  At a random hotel ballroom in Philadelphia.

During one of the guided meditations, I felt my head tilting backwards slowly but forcefully.  I had to open my eyes and turn to check that there was no one behind me, pulling my hair. 

But nope, no one there.  I closed my eyes and tried to resume the meditation, but the same thing happened again.  

Since that time, I’ve come to feel bigger sensations and movements, all from energy.  They come and go.  The more I study energy, the deeper the experience. 

The Blessing of the Energy Centers meditation helps you energize and balance your major energy centers. When practiced regularly, it can transform your physical, emotional, and energetic healing journey.

If you love a jolt of inspiration and amazing healing stories, check out hundreds of testimonials of Dr. Joe’s work. Some might make you cry.

Heart Brain Coherence Meditation by Dr. Joe Dispenza

Dr. Joe has researched the effects of heart-brain coherence on the human body for years.  It is considered to be a key component of his formula for creating balance, health, and anything you intend to experience in the world.  This meditation helps you achieve this state. 

The idea is that when you put attention on your heart in a relaxed state, you give it energy. 

Our hearts are our creative centers, as it has the power to attract.  When it is energized, the energy automatically moves to the brain, which has the power to broadcast signals. 

The heart-brain coherence generates a dance of energy exchange and alignment between the two centers, which gets our system ready for healing and creation. 

Dr. Joe has a wonderful blog post explaining this concept.  In his words:

The frequency, intensity, and duration of energy in the brain began speeding up into faster and faster gamma brain wave patterns. It’s these elegant, orderly changes in the brain that bring us into greater levels of conscious awareness.

All of this is to say that the more relaxed and in our hearts we are, the more our brain and body open up to energy. The research findings confirmed that there is a zone when our bodies are super relaxed and calm, and our minds are more awake and aware. It’s when we’re not operating in survival: not feeling threatened, in danger, anxious, or worried about the next moment. Instead, we’re just very present — and at the same time, very joyfully conscious. That’s the formula right there. That’s the side effect of heart and brain coherence.

Are you ready to relax and activate your heart?

The Twin Hearts Meditation by Grand Master Choa Kok Sui (feat. Master Stephen Co)

I’ve been studying Pranic Healing for almost two years now, and its effectiveness and expansiveness constantly surprise me. 

Pranic Healing is a dynamic and comprehensive energy healing modality founded by Grand Master Choa Kok Sui.  It takes a significantly different approach to energy healing than Reiki does.  I’m very excited to have it in my toolbelt.

[For more information, see What Is Pranic Healing? Benefits and How it Compares to Reiki.]

The Twin Hearts Meditation is the flagship meditation of Pranic Healing.  

There are many versions of the Twin Hearts meditations.  Each is powerful for different reasons. 

But commonly, the Twin Heart meditation creates heart-brain coherence, cleans and expands your energy field (aura), and elevates your vibration.   

The meditation also creates good karma for you as you send blessings to the Earth and all beings.  This particular meditation also heals our chakras by cleansing and energizing each.    

I have heard of people who have experienced blissful states by doing this meditation every day.  People have also created jobs and physical healings.  I know that it really moves energy because I feel it through my body.

Sacred Lineage Meditation for Moms by Mother Light Sanctuary

Okay, maybe this is a shameless plug, but only halfway.  This is a powerful meditation that will help you connect to the flow of love, wisdom, and power coming down the lineage of all mothers before us.   

My blog post on the meditation, Meditation for Moms: Sacred Lineage Meditation for Strength and Support, covers more fully why this meditation works.  So, I won’t go into too much detail about why it’s good. 

But the Sacred Lineage Meditation for Moms helps you feel supported by something greater than yourself as a mother.  It helps you feel connected to yourself deeply and reminds you of your potential. 

IF you are up for a lighter guided meditation for moms, you can also try Guided Meditation for Mothers for Sleep: Affirmations & Pranic Healing.  This gentle meditation helps you relax and guides you through positive affirmations about motherhood. 

It is also programmed with a full Pranic Healing protocol to help you get the most of what you need. 

Final Thoughts

I really stand by these meditations.  They have made a significant difference in my journey as a woman and a mother.  I hope you try them out, especially since they are free and available on YouTube!

This post was all about 5 best meditations on YouTube. I’d love to know your favorite!

Are you ready for a relaxing chakra meditation for sleep?  This powerful guided meditation is infused with Pranic Healing to cleanse and restore your energy as you listen. It will help you truly let go of the day and recharge through the night. 

In this post, I will explain how a guided meditation can benefit you in that impactful time just before you fall asleep.  It also describes what I’m doing behind the scenes to send you Pranic Healing.  You will also find the script for this meditation below. 

Guided Chakra Meditation for Sleep

Listening to this meditation will help you clean out, strengthen, and balance your seven major chakras.  In addition to the energy healing already programmed, it guides you to connect with and nurture each chakra. 

Who This Meditation is For

We all know the value of a good night’s sleep, especially for a busy mom. This Guided Chakra Meditation for Sleep is great if you want to:

• Benefit from a nighttime routine to help you relax and unwind.

• Fully let go of the day and reset your energy for a deep, restful sleep.

• Receive the protection of your spiritual guides as you rest through the night.

• Participate in self-healing techniques for your energy system.

Benefits of Sleep Meditation

Listening to a guided meditation at the end of the day can transform your sleep routine.  The right meditation can help you fall asleep faster and relax more deeply, allowing you to get more of that much-needed rest and rejuvenation.   

There was a time when I listened to a sleep meditation every night.  Yoga Nidra meditations on the Insight Timer App are still some of my favorites. 

Until I learned self-Reiki and how to relax my mind quickly, guided sleep meditations really helped my mind and body calm down.  Otherwise, I could be lying there for a long time, just thinking and thinking, and my body still tense with stress hormones.  I bet you know what I’m talking about. 

Human brains need to be able to slow down enough in order for sleep to happen. 

People most often experience alpha brainwaves just before they fall asleep.  This is the state when a person is awake but relaxed, with their eyes closed.  Alpha brainwaves are also associated with REM (rapid eye movement) sleep.

[Also see my previous post, How Does Meditation Work? A Simple Guide for Curious Moms, for more information on human brainwaves.]

But these days, so much is happening in the world.  It can sometimes be hard to stop at the end of the day. 

This is when a sleep meditation can help you.  It will gently guide your brain to slow down and get ready for sleep. 

Sleep meditations really helped me many years ago.  I sometimes still do them if I ever want that extra support.  I am so happy that I am now able to guide others to do the same. 

[Also see Guided Meditation for Mothers for Sleep: Affirmations & Pranic Healing if you’d like a sleep meditation with powerful affirmations about motherhood.]

The Seven Chakras

In this meditation, I guide you through the seven major chakras—or energy centers—of your energy body. Root Chakra, Sacral Chakra, Solar Plexus, Heart Chakra, Throat Chakra, Ajna Chakra, and the Crown Chakra. 

With each chakra, I gently guide you through its functions and give you time to connect with it.  If you are awake, use this time to send your chakra energy with your loving attention. 

Each chakra is its own being.  It has its own consciousness and volition.  Spending time with each chakra automatically gives it energy.  It fills them up.  Where your attention goes, your energy goes. 

Pranic Healing for the Seven Major Chakras

Even though you will not hear it, this meditation contains a complete Pranic Healing session. 

I have recorded into this file a full session, in which I do a general cleansing of your energy body.  Then I go through each of your seven chakras and locally cleanse and energize it. 

This energy healing helps you remove energetic imbalances, congestion, or depletion. 

Imagine that you had a stressful day at work, your kid was sick, or something else happened.  That stress can linger as you go to bed and remain stuck in your, let’s say, solar plexus.  The energy healing here will help sweep that away. 

It then fills you up with clean life force energy, or prana. You can use that energy to heal and expand. 

This meditation and energy healing are also supported by my spiritual guides, teachers, and angels of unconditional love.  I invoke for their guidance and protection before the recording starts.  At the end of it, though, you will hear me ask them to please protect and heal you through the night and help you enjoy a satisfying sleep. 

In case you want to glance over the meditation before you try, here is the script for this meditation.    

Chakra Meditation for Sleep Script

Welcome to this powerful chakra healing meditation. 
This meditation will cleanse and strengthen your energy body so you can heal and refresh while you sleep.  Listen to it as you lie down to bed.  As you follow my voice, I will be using Pranic Healing techniques to cleanse each of your chakra and charge them up with gentle white light.  Healthy and balanced chakras will help your physical, emotional and mental well-being. 

Gently fall asleep at any point during this meditation.  At the end, I will ask my spiritual guides to watch over you through the night.  It is my intention that you enjoy deep, satisfying sleep and wake up completely refreshed in the morning. 

Let’s get started. 

Get comfortable in your bed and close your eyes.  Place your hands at your sides and relax your whole body.  Think of an intention you want to set for this meditation.  Maybe you want to let go of the day and welcome a good night’s sleep.  Maybe you want to support a specific healing.  Set your intention now, and let it go.   

Do a scan from the top of your head, down to your toes, to see if there’s any lingering tension.  Breathe into that area and let go.  Breathe, slowly and fully, and let go.
Each chakra is alive and conscious, and is intimately connected to the rest of your physical and energetic bodies.  The more you give your chakras positive attention, the happier they will be. 

We start with the Root Chakra, at the base of your spine.  Place your attention there, gently, and give it a smile.  This is the center that energizes your whole body, and supports your bones and blood.   It influences your survival, stability and grounding.  Like the root of the tree, the root chakra anchors your being. 

As I cleanse and energize your root chakra, you can send it love and gratitude for all it does.  Give your Root Chakra a gentle smile.  Feel it strong and solid and connected deeply with Mother Earth. 

Now we move on to the Sacral, the second energy center just below your navel.  Place your awareness there, and embrace it in love.  The Sacral is the center for creativity, sensuality and relationships.  It supports your reproductive organs, intestines and digestion.  As I work on this center, continue to send it love, appreciation and blessings.  You can also talk to it like a friend. 

Place your attention in the center of your torso, just below your sternum.  See if you can sense your Solar Plexus, the seat of your will.  The Solar Plexus is the center of our personal power and confidence.  It is the energy clearing house for your body, supporting your liver and stomach.  Send your Solar Plexus thoughts of encouragement and appreciation, and see if it responds. 

Now we come to the fourth energy center, the Heart Chakra.  Place your attention right in the center of your chest, and smile.  The Heart Chakra connects your lower energy centers with higher ones.  It is the center of love, compassion and emotional healing.  The Heart Center supports your circulatory system, lungs and the heart. 

Give your heart center lots of love.  It is always there for you, no matter what.  It also knows things that the brain doesn’t.  Listen for any messages as you embrace your heart. 

Gently place your awareness at the center of your throat.  This is the Throat Chakra, the center for communication, self-expression and authenticity.  It supports your throat, thyroid and lymphatic system.  Feel your Throat Chakra open up.  Open it up a little more.  Keep your attention there and send it waves and waves of appreciation.  It’s okay to be you.  Completely you. 

Right between your eyebrows is the Ajna Chakra, the master for all other major chakras.  It is associated with intuition, spiritual awareness and imagination.  It supports the pituitary and endocrine glands.  Keep your attention on the Ajna and see it light up for you.  Send it love and gratitude. 

Your seventh energy center is located at the top of your head.  The Crown Chakra is the center for spiritual connection, the doorway between you and the heavens.  The Crown supports your brain and the pineal gland.  See if you can sense your Crown Chakra. 

Imagine that this center is brightly lit up with golden, white light.  Send it happy smiles and gratitude. 

Sense your entire body and the seven chakras, from Root to the Crown.  See the center of your body brightly lit up with colors of the rainbow.   Starting from the root, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and white.  You are a luminous, light being. 

Now send some of this amazing light outward from your body in all directions.  See your light reaching all those people, creatures and the Mother Earth and bringing them love, hope and joy.  Smile with gratitude that your light makes the world a little brighter. 

I have cleansed and energized each of your seven major chakras.  I hope this meditation brings you a restful night’s sleep, healing and a profound sense of well-being. 

As I close, I ask that all my guides, teachers and angels of unconditional love to please protect and heal you as you sleep, so you can wake up completely refreshed and ready to welcome the day. 

Namaste. 

This post introduced my Chakra Meditation for Sleep with Pranic Energy Healing.  I hope you enjoyed it!

This post is all about how these simple approaches to mindfulness can help you get a taste of meditation’s benefits.   

Five Easy Ways to Meditate

My Meditation Beginning

When I first started to meditate, it was out of desperation. 

I was in my mid-twenties and DEE-pressed.  Back then, my mind was always just constantly going and going.  Always judging, trying to “figure it out,” analyze, and scheme. 

Because if I didn’t, I didn’t feel safe.  I catastrophized in my head until I felt physically sick. 

Thankfully, I eventually started talk therapy.  I also tried to find some stillness through sitting quietly in meditation. 

Of course, I didn’t know how to meditate or where to begin. But I had a friend who also wanted to try, and we’d put on some yoga music and just sit together for a song.  In a very hodge-podge way, my meditation practice started to take shape.

I still remember what I’d told my therapist then: “I feel the sense of ‘I am’ when I meditate.” 

These were the first steps in my long healing journey, which continues today.  To connect with my true self, the one that’s connected to the Universe, needs nothing and knows everything. 

As for how meditation has benefited my life, I’d need to write another post to do justice.  But in short, it has been the biggest tool that has helped improve my happiness, relationships (marriage!), and parenting (patience!). 

[See How Does Meditation Work? A Simple Guide for Curious Moms for more information on how meditation can support your mental, emotional, and physical health.]

I managed to start a legitimate meditation practice during one of the most turbulent times of my life.   And I believe that you can, too. 

Make it Your Own with These Tips

Meditation doesn’t have to be long or completely still.  But it does require taking a specific approach to your being and awareness.

Try these simple ways to meditate at home to jumpstart your practice.  You can make it your own, however you’d like!

1. Take Time to Breathe

Closing your eyes and focusing on your senses, such as breath, is a classic technique to calm your mind and nerves. 

Close your eyes and situate yourself where you can take at least a few moments to be still.  Then, place your attention at the tip of your nose or on your nostrils. 

Slowly start inhaling through your nose with a count of four, hold for a moment or two, then exhale through your nose slowly with a count of four.  Hold for a moment or two, and inhale to repeat. 

Do this at least four times, or as long as it feels good to you.  And there, you spent a little bit of time in meditation! 

This technique is so easy to do and so effective.  Did you know that even Navy Seals use similar breathing techniques to relieve stress and regain focus (presumably in ultra-stressful situations)?   

The breath is integral to our overall health and has surprising impacts on our cognitive functions.  This is the point of this amazing book, Breath: The New Science of Lost Art, which presents a fascinating study of something that we do every second of the day and take completely for granted. 

There are numerous breath techniques to help you relieve stress, improve health/performance, and grow spiritually.  Some of these can get pretty rigorous. 

But the technique outlined above is so accessible in its simplicity. 

You can do it while standing in a line, or after you’ve just parked your car, or even do it out loud with your kids.  I sometimes do, while we’re in the drop-off line at school in the morning.  When they’re in the mood to do it, it leaves all of us refreshed and relaxed before we start our days.  

2. Connect with Nature

Being outside in nature has many overlapping benefits with meditation. 

When you’re hiking, for example, you’re focused on the walk and the path you’re on.  Maybe you’re enjoying the beautiful blue color of the sky, or noticing a hawk sitting majestically on top of the tree. 

Your focus is naturally expanded.  This is similar to what happens in meditation, when you’re constantly surrendering your thoughts to loosen that mental focus, which goes hand in hand with our modern lives. 

There are many ways to take advantage of the healing power of nature. 

Take a moment to sit outside. 

It could be just on your front stoop, if you live in a city, at a nearby park, or in the mountains.  Close your eyes and breathe slowly while focusing your attention on the sounds you hear. 

I often sit in front of my home, which is next to a large protected meadow and surrounded by tall trees.  I hear many bird songs, the leaves bustling in the wind, and tree trunks squeaking against one another. 

Stay focused on these sounds, and you may be surprised how much is really going on out there if you pay attention.  Again, you’ve expanded your focus.

Go for a walk.  

You don’t have to cover a long distance.  Pick a spot outside and stand still.  Get really present with your body, like how your legs and arms feel, and relax. 

You can gaze down at the ground about three to four feet in front of you and slowly start walking, paying attention to how your movement feels in your body.  Try to place all of your attention on your body and its movements. 

You can also stop to get really present with the squirrel in the tree, or even the bark on the tree trunk.  Do this as long as it feels good to you, and feel your nervous system soften.    

3. Use Music or Guided Meditation

These days, there are so many resources with which you can start meditating, including on this blog. 

It is so easy to play a relaxing tune or sound while sitting quietly somewhere.  There is beautiful classical or spiritual music, and even music with frequencies that are meant to help with specific conditions. 

Music

Music and/or sound gives you something to focus on outside the chatter of your mind, and it gives you a clear starting point and an end point. 

Certain music can also help elevate your mood, your energy, and your state of being.  Music by Mei-Lan, who is an intuitive singer, always helps me connect to the frequencies of love, beauty, and wholeness.  If you could sit 10 minutes quietly—or, folding the laundry, even—just listening to Mei-Lan, I’d say that’s a win.

No matter how busy your mind was during the sit, you know you’ve accomplished something when the music ends. 

And yes!  Just sitting through the intended time is definitely a win.  My teacher, Dr. Joe Dispenza always says, “There are no such thing as a bad meditation.” 

Guided Meditations

A guided meditation is different in that you’d have to mentally follow the blueprint laid out by the host of the meditation. 

I personally love guided meditations, especially those from Dr. Joe, mentioned above, or my Reiki teacher at the Muktinath Holistic Center.  With such powerful teachers, you can open yourself up to connect to some powerful energies, provided that you are ready for and aligned to it.

You can find guided meditations with a variety of intentions, including on healing, abundance, love, and peace.  They vary in length, too, from just a few minutes to hours.

If you’d like to try a quick morning meditation to start your day, see my 5-Minute Morning Meditation for Positive Energy (For Moms) above. 

Meditation in bed?  

Music and guided meditations are really useful if you want to try meditating in bed.  Now, it is generally best to at least sit up to meditate if you don’t want to fall asleep. 

But if you do need help falling asleep, it is a great tool to help you relax and unwind from the day.  All you need are some comfy headphones and your phone (or a sound player).  

If you’re curious about a relaxing meditation that will help you fall asleep in bed, try my Guided Meditation for Mothers for Sleep: Affirmations & Pranic Healing. 

I also recommend Yoga Nidra, a powerful type of meditation designed for sleep, if you’d like to explore.  And this brings us to my next pointer, the meditation app.

4. Use a Meditation App

Using a meditation app is perhaps the most useful and effective way to start your practice. 

I’ve been using the Insight Timer app on my phone for years, from when it was in its Beta form and offered just a timer and a handful of dharma talks. 

Meditation apps like Insight Timer offer a wealth of resources, including classes on spiritual topics, a timer for your silent meditation practice, healing music, and even a virtual community of like-minded people.  

Much of this content is offered for free, too, which makes it a no-brainer if you’re interested in mindfulness. 

5. Join a Class

My final recommendation for easy ways to meditate is to attend a class. 

Yoga studios or holistic health centers often offer a weekly meditation gathering.  This is a great addition to your meditation repertoire. 

Some people, more than others, might find it difficult to generate the motivation to actually meditate alone.  By attending a meditation class, you make it as simple as getting yourself there. 

In addition, something very special happens when you join others in meditation.  Especially if the others are more experienced than you are.  Meditating as a group, your energies can synchronize and amplify, making the experience more powerful. 

Lastly, in a meditation class, there is usually an informal discussion period at the end, during which time the teacher can answer any questions you may have. 

You can also hear others’ experiences or share yours, which can provide useful insights or add a different perspective to your experience. 

I LOVE joining others in meditation.  I frequently attend classes and try to make it to retreats, as well, for this very reason.  I promise that you might be pleasantly surprised! 

Final Thoughts

Meditation is like brushing teeth, and you really have to do it regularly to get the most out of it. 

I hope this information helps you and that you try them out!  If you do, please comment below and tell me how it went! 

These were five easy ways to meditate to help you start your practice. 

This 5 minute morning meditation for positive energy was created for busy moms like you.  One of the biggest challenges of motherhood is time.  We seem to have so little to ourselves.

That makes a regular meditation practice especially difficult for moms, even though it is a time when it can benefit us the most. 

Enter this short morning meditation for positive energy. It is just about 5 minutes, and you can even do it while lying in your bed.  If you’ve always wanted to try meditation or a positive morning routine to start your day, this meditation is for you. 

Who This Meditation Is For

This meditation may be especially helpful if you:

• Want to supercharge your morning with high vibrations
• Could use more self-care in your morning routine
• Want to bless your day with positive energy
• Want to get grounded and centered before you start your day
• Have always wanted to try meditation, but found it challenging
• Are curious about energy work and try a gentle self-practice

Watch the 5 Minute Morning Meditation for Positive Energy (For Moms)

Take a comfortable seat or lie down, press play below, and allow yourself to be supported. 

What You’ll Experience in This Meditation

This morning meditation for positive energy accomplishes a LOT for a quickie. 

As you start this practice, you’ll be guided to relax your body, focus on your breath, and let go of other thoughts. 

The breath you’ll be doing, a slow inhale into your stomach followed by a pause, is actually an energizing one.  It is a modified Pranic breathing that allows you to draw in more energy to your body.

Once you have settled your body and mind, you are guided to connect to your heart. 

Your energy goes where your attention goes.  Just by placing your awareness on your heart, you help activate this sacred center of power and wisdom. 

Next, you recall a positive memory that makes you feel super happy, and lean into the experience using your senses.  This creates heart coherence, a state of balance and rejuvenation for your physical and energetic bodies. 

You then send this amazing energy from your heart to your crown, making the field of coherence even bigger.  Then, you’re guided to form this powerful energy into a ball of light in front of you. 

Once you see this ball of light, you send it to your future self.  This positive energy will support you throughout your day, as you visualize ease and grace in your future.    

You finish this meditation with gratitude.  And share this positive energy with your loved ones and the rest of your life.  A delicious ending, if you ask me. 

Benefits of This Meditation

This 5-Minute Morning Meditation for Positive Energy (for Moms) will help you feel grounded, centered, and more supported as you start your day. 

Generating heart and brain coherence brings balance and energetic expansion to your body. 

In addition, the ball of positive energy and love that you send to your future self?  This is energy work. 

Everything comes down to your intention, and this is exactly like what Reiki masters do to move energy. 

The more you do it and trust in its potential, the stronger your ability to accomplish what you intend.     

Don’t you just love the idea of being able to support yourself, with your own love and power?

I know I do, and that’s why I meditate and study energy work.   

More practically, this is a great, short guided meditation to try if you’re a beginner.  It will still take intention and real commitment to make it a repeated practice. 

But if you’re a busy and/or overwhelmed mom, know that every little thing you can do to support yourself can really go a long way.  This is so easy to forget, in the middle of the to-do lists and all the little things that require your attention.    

If you’d like to know more about how a regular meditation practice can help you, see my previous article, How Does Meditation Work? A Simple Guide for Curious Moms.  The combined physical, emotional, mental, and energetic benefits of meditation will change your life.

Or if you’d like to try a relaxing meditation that can help you fall asleep at night, try my Guided Meditation for Mothers for Sleep.  This longer meditation helps you relax deeply through a body scan and gently guides you to sleep with positive affirmations about mom life. 

Final Thoughts

Motherhood has many challenges and lots of surprises.  It is a sacred journey for strong hearts, and I believe that it can teach us new ways to nurture ourselves. 

Caring for ourselves allows us to better care for others.  It makes the journey easier and richer. 

Meditation can be a powerful ally on your motherhood journey, helping you get closer to yourself and your spirit.  I hope you try this 5 minute morning meditation for positive energy and see the difference it can make for you. 

It’s now been 6 years since we had to go gluten-free and dairy-free, due to my son’s food allergies.  It was devastating at the time, and it took us a long time to comfortably settle into a new way of cooking and eating.  Talk about a learning curve, right?  

But I am thrilled to say that I don’t miss much about the old way these days. It’s especially helpful that there seems to be a new gluten-free and dairy-free product on the market every time I go to the grocery store.

In this post, you will get a list of all my family’s favorite gluten-free, dairy-free products.  These are my top choices after having tried most of their competition.  You know they’re good when my gluten-loving daughter loves them, too! 

Our Favorite Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Products

A few words on sourcing before we dive in.  Most of these items are available at major supermarkets these days.  They may not all be available at one store, but if you’re willing to make a couple of stops, you’ll be able to find them near you.

Whole Foods is always a good retailer for gluten-free, dairy-free products.  If you have a health foods store in your neighborhood, they may carry these products, too.

Otherwise, I buy many of these items through Vitacost (they often have 20% sales that you can totally take advantage of).  Amazon is always an option if you can’t find something anywhere else.      

Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Dried Pasta

Jovial Whole Grain Brown Rice Pasta

Spaghetti, elbows, mafalda, and lasagna!  They are all so good and the closest to regular pasta that I’ve found. 

With dried gluten-free pasta, you have to watch closely how long you cook the noodles.  A minute too long, and it just all becomes mush.  Jovial has been the most consistent among the brands that I’ve tried. 

It also helps that it’s made only with organic brown rice flour and water.  Its packaging is recyclable and compostable (the clear film is compostable). 

I try other brands once in a while if a store is out of stock of Jovial noodles.  But I always come back because it’s simple and delicious! 

Le Veneziane Gluten-Free Pasta

While Jovial is our favorite dried pasta brand for sure, when it comes to capellini, or angel hair pasta, we really love Le Veneziane. 

This pasta is not made with organic ingredients and has corn as the main ingredient.  But for a very thin noodle like angel hair, this brand really retains the chewiness and firm texture that closely resembles regular pasta. 

Again, make sure not to overcook it. 

Our favorite way to eat it: save some of that starchy water on the side.  Drain when al dente, toss with vegan butter/olive oil, generously salt, and enjoy.  Add some of that starchy water back if the noodles stick together.  Yum!

Le Veneziane is unavailable at major U.S. supermarkets, but you can find it on Vitacost and Amazon.

Gluten-Free Flours and Baking

Bob’s Redmill 1-to-1 Baking Flour

This is my favorite day-to-day gluten-free flour.  I use it to make fluffy pancakes, crispy waffles, moist dinner rolls, and tasty pizza crusts.  It just works.

I’ve tried so many other brands over the years.  You follow gluten-free recipes online, and everyone seems to have a different favorite that they recommend.  Some recommend that you make your own blend (don’t have the time), and others sell their own (mail-order only!). 

Bob’s Redmill 1-to-1 Baking Flour is available at most grocery stores.  It is also the most versatile, allowing you to stick with this one bag for most of your gluten-free baking needs.  I like simple, don’t you?

Pamela’s Products Gluten-Free Bread Mix

I started making our sandwich bread at home towards the end of the Covid-19 supply chain chaos. 

Gluten-free bread that you find in your grocery store’s frozen isles are good enough.  But with supply chain issues, I had no idea which brands the store would have in stock.  Quality and price of the breads, however, varied widely.

So I started experimenting with baking the bread at home.  Several recipes and many, many trials later, I settled on Pamela’s bread mix.  It’s a pre-mix blend that is incredibly forgiving for the bread maker and the oven. 

The recipe calls for the bread mix, neutral oil, active yeast, water, and eggs.  We have replaced the water with organic whole milk, both for my son’s milk ladder (an allergy desensitization process) and a slightly firmer structure. 

The bread is so much superior to its store-bought counterparts, and super consistent.  It takes little time to put together, although you do have to let it rise and bake. 

I have not LOOKED at store-bought sandwich bread since we found Pamela’s.  You’re welcome.         

Bob’s Redmill Arrowroot Powder and Tapioca Flour

In gluten-free baking, arrowroot powder and tapioca flour often appear in recipes as a corn starch alternative. 

Corn can be a tricky subject.  Even though the Environmental Working Group (EWG)’s latest “clean 15” includes sweet corn as one of the cleanest produce, it is also a commodity crop that has been associated with genetically modified engineering and heavy pesticide use. 

For my son, urine testing over the past couple of years has shown high levels of glyphosate and other pesticides associated with corn.  The levels in my son’s body have come down significantly since we started monitoring and detoxing.  But I generally stay away from consuming conventional corn and related products. (We still enjoy Le Veneziane capellini, which is made with conventional corn in Italy.)

And this is where arrowroot powder and tapioca flour step in.  Each can be used exactly the same as corn starch.  I have never found a discernible difference, whether it’s for making roux or adding a quarter cup to a baking recipe. 

They’re also not that much more expensive than corn starch, conventional or organic. 

Rumford Baking Powder

I’d imagine that most baking powders currently available on the market are naturally gluten-free.  BUT, if you are like me and want extra assurance that it is, then Rumford baking powders are a great option.

Rumford baking powders are gluten-free and Non-GMO Project verified.  Although the manufacturer’s webpage does not indicate whether it is aluminum-free, plenty of retailer websites for the product say that it is. 

This product is available at most supermarkets and bulk food stores, including BJ’s. 

King Arthur Gluten-Free Pancake Mix

When we first started gluten-free cooking, King Arthur Gluten-Free Pancake Mix was a godsend.  It made gluten-free pancakes easy-breezy and incredibly tasty for the kiddos. 

These days, I make our pancakes with Bob’s Redmill 1-to-1 mentioned above with this recipe.  But if you want a pre-made mix that will deliver consistent results every time, this pancake mix will do just that.

A note on dairy-free milk for gluten-free baking: not all vegan milks are created equal.  Soy, coconut, cashew, and almond: they all stick to the flours differently and alter the final product. 

Stick with unsweetened almond milk when working with gluten-free flours (see below for recommendation).  Otherwise, your fluffy and crispy pancake may not be fluffy or crispy, no matter what mix or recipe you use.    

King Arthur Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake Mix

Sometimes, I make cake from scratch.  Most of the time, I use the King Arthur Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake Mix. 

Its winning points are that it is super easy to mix before you put the batter into the oven.  (Trust me.  The vanilla cake mix from King Arthur is WAY more complicated and not as light or moist.) 

It really is very hard to fail with this mix!

Welcome to the simple, gluten-free lifestyle.  Eat more chocolate cake. 

Enjoy Life Dairy-Free Chocolate Chips

Yummy…  Maybe I shouldn’t even include this in this list because there is really no alternative currently on the market.  But if you’re really just starting out and don’t know what’s out there, this will be helpful.

Enjoy Life chocolate chips are the only dairy-free baking chocolate chips you will find in your major supermarket.  They are made with rice milk and are delicious in every recipe. 

We always have some in our pantry for our pancakes and banana breads.  Their prices do fluctuate a lot, so stock up when you see a sale.

Hershey’s Cocoa, 100% Natural Unsweetened

With cocoa as its only ingredient, Hershey’s Cocoa 100% Natural Unsweetened is an affordable baking cocoa that will meet most of your chocolate baking needs. 

Let’s face it, the organic and fair-trade cocoa products are amazing.  But they are pretty pricey and usually unavailable at most grocery stores.  I once purchased Hershey’s 100% cocoa on a whim for a recipe and have been happy with it. 

Plus, it is super affordable at the time of this writing, and a container will last you a long time, depending on how frequently you bake.

Dairy-Free Butter and Cheese

Violife Plant Butter

Every vegan butter is a little bit different.  Each is best for a different purpose, in my opinion.

Full disclosure, our favorite spreading vegan butter is Myoko’s Creamery Oat Milk butter.  But that’s been unavailable for some time now, after a corporate drama.   

My favorite vegan butter for making grilled cheese and frosting is Violife Plant Butter.  It is available at most grocery stores, and its fats mimic those of butter closely. 

Earth Balance would be my fourth favorite, after another Myoko’s plant butter.  Earth Balance contains palm oil as an ingredient, and palm oil is not a sustainable ingredient at this time.  Earth Balance is also a little bit watery if you try to do anything other than spread it over your bread.  It makes good frosting, though.  

For many reasons, if you had to go with one plant butter, I’d stick with Violife. 

Violife Just Like American Cheese Slices

This is my son’s favorite cheese for his snack box, grilled cheese, and hamburger buns.  It tastes remarkably like the real thing and is delicious. 

It takes a minute for it to melt if you’re looking for a melty cheese. If you want to make sure it will melt, then read on.

Daiya Dairy Free Shreds

Cheddar, mozzarella, and Mexican blend.  Daiya shreds are our favorite dairy-free cheese when it comes to melted cheese.  On pizza?  Only the Daiya mozzarella!

I will say that I do not notice much difference in their tastes (mozzarella vs cheddar, for example).  So if you have one kind, you probably have them all. 

But the Daiya shreds melt beautifully on your pizza and grilled cheese. 

As with anything, check ingredients carefully when buying dairy-free cheese.  I’ve found wheat among the list of some other plant cheese ingredients, and that is no bueno in our book.      

Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Cookies

Kinnikinnick Gluten-Free Vanilla Wafers

The product is pretty self-explanatory.  These vanilla wafers are seamless substitutes for the real thing.  I put them in their snack boxes, and we love making banana pudding with these. 

Goodie Girl Mint Cookies

The Goodie Girl brand has a number of gluten-free dairy-free cookies currently available on the market.  The mint cookies are our favorite. 

The cookies are not overly sweet, light, crispy, and chocolaty with a hint of mint.  It just doesn’t get old.

Annie’s Gluten-Free Bunny Grahams

I only discovered these a couple of months ago and appreciate them. 

The bunny grahams are fun for my kids’ snack boxes.  My kids enjoy the little bunny shapes and choosing between vanilla and chocolate. 

With gluten-free dairy-free products, I sometimes feel like the fun is a little lost.  

It’s just a marketing gimmick, you might say, and you’d be right.  But sometimes, I appreciate that my kid can experience something closer to what other kids have.  So now I have these in my pantry regularly. 

Once Again Cinnamon Graham Crackers

For the longest time, we could not find good graham crackers to make s’mores with.  The ones on the market were either too thick and hard or not dairy-free. 

When I first tasted the Once Again Graham Crackers, I squealed with joy.  They are the perfect texture and flavor for a graham cracker and enjoyable with or without chocolate and marshmallow. 

I like to have them with chai tea when the weather gets cold.  Yummm… 

Other Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Pantry Items

Almond Breeze Unsweetened Original Almond Milk

As mentioned earlier, some plant milks do better than others when it comes to gluten-free baking. I’ve tried most other plant milks–coconut, cashew, soy, and oat–and find that almond milk performs the best with gluten-free flours.

It’s something about the degree to which the milk makes the flour wet. Different plant milks enable different levels of wetness for the gluten-free batter. Some make them too wet, some too dry.

Almond milk allows the best and most consistent outcome for recipes involving gluten-free flour, I’ve found. Pancakes, waffles, and dinner rolls. We always have these almond milks in the pantry just for this purpose.

Udi’s Gluten-Free Hamburger Buns

So we’d been buying Udi’s Gluten-Free Hamburger buns for a few years.  They were okay, and there weren’t many alternatives if you didn’t want to bake your own.

Then, some months ago, they changed their recipe.  For the better.  They are now soft and crispy when toasted, and perfect for a home-made burger. 

I scoop out some of the bread from the inside for my kids and myself.  Otherwise, the buns are a little thick.  But they taste great in the final burger.  Hamburger nights are one of my kids’ favorites!   

San-J Organic Tamari, 25% Less Sodium

As you can already tell, I come from a South Korean heritage.  I grew up on Korean food and, while I love all kinds of cuisines these days, still prefer Asian flavors to this day. 

Most soy sauces contain wheat in their ingredients.  Tamari is soy sauce made without wheat, and we love the organic and less-sodium version from San-J.  Clean and light, and simple. 

If you are allergic to soy or avoiding soy for various reasons, try San-J’s No-Soy Tamari. 

We tried going soy-free for a few months when we were working with a naturopath for my son.  I was disheartened, to say the least. The coconut aminos, popular among health circles as a soy sauce alternative, tastes nothing like the real thing.

I persevered. I researched. I found the pea tamari on Amazon. This was it! The San-J No-Soy Tamari tastes just like soy sauce but is made with peas. Thank you, San-J, for your innovative business.

Manishewitz Gluten-Free Matzo Meal

My son simply loves matzo ball soup.  He once told me that, if I made him lots and lots of matzo balls for his soup, he’d marry me. 

Now, we’ll see what he’ll say when he’s past 12 years of age, but I am not lying when I say he loves his matzo ball soup.

A good matzo ball soup replaces the traditional chicken noodle soup in our house.  This is because, as mentioned earlier, gluten-free noodles just don’t do well soaked in liquid for long. 

But a matzo ball is perfect in a rich broth of chicken and vegetables.  It’s high in protein because it’s basically a potato-egg dumpling; it has a perfectly pillowy texture that my kids love. 

I follow this recipe for the soup.  It’s what we eat when someone has a cold or is otherwise under the weather.  You won’t be disappointed. 

Aleia’s Gluten-Free Panko Breadcrumbs

Sometimes, I make fresh breadcrumbs from all the bread ends that I save in the freezer.  But if I am making a fried chicken or pork cutlet, Asian style, Aleia’s Gluten-Free Panko Breadcrumbs are my go-to. 

They are always fresh, light, and crispy when fried, just like regular panko.  

Eden Foods Canned Beans

Okay.  So maybe these are a no-brainer for being generally gluten- and dairy-free.  But, as we have learned, the Eden Foods canned beans are one of the few brands that pre-soak the beans before cooking.

Soaking beans prior to cooking makes them more digestible for your stomach.  If you have food sensitivities and are watching what you eat, these are the way to go for your next canned beans recipe. 

Final Thoughts

I probably have more, but will stop here. But these really are a few of my favorite things, gluten-free and dairy-free products version.

Changing the way you eat and what you eat can be tough. But rest assured that, in time, you will love the new foods and not miss much about wheat and dairy. And you are not alone, because more and more people are consciously choosing their foods, health conditions or not.

I hope you like the products I’ve listed here. I am grateful that they exist. There are way more gluten-free dairy-free products today than there were when I first started. Please let me know if you have a favorite product that is not listed here and want to share, as I am always looking for more options. 🙂

The purpose of this post is not to scare you.  At the end of the day, there is only so much you can do as a human being and a mother living at this time.  The point, however, is to do what we can to protect ourselves and our loved ones from preventable harm.

In this post, you’ll learn how to properly clean produce to remove bacteria and pesticides from your fruits and vegetables.  It takes just a little more time and effort, and you’ll feel much better knowing that your food is as clean as it can be. 

[If you want to read more about my family’s journey, read my bio or 9 Practical Environmental Self Care Ideas for Mama Bears.]

How to Clean Produce

Let’s get right to it and start with the techniques. The following methods for properly cleaning produce come from two sources: the Environmental Working Group (EWG) guidelines and my son’s naturopathic doctor’s guidance. 

They are similar and both use vinegar and baking soda for the ultimate clean. But my naturopath’s methods call for longer soaking times than the EWG’s. 

The EWG explains that it all depends on the availability of your time and ability, on which method you choose.  But if you have conventional produce and a few extra minutes, the vinegar or baking soda methods are definitely the way to go.

The EWG Methods for Washing Produce

• Rinse the item under running water for at least 20 seconds; or

• Soak the item in a large bowl of clean water for 10 to 15 minutes for dirt and debris to settle at the bottom.  Rinse again under running water before consumption; or

• In a bowl or tub of water, mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda per cup of water or 1 cup of food-grade vinegar with three cups of water.  Soak your produce for 5 to 10 minutes and rinse thoroughly under clean water before consumption.

The EWG also advises removing excess moisture after washing, such as with a clean kitchen towel, salad spinner, or paper towels.

The Naturopath’s Methods for Washing Produce

• For thinner-skinned fruits and vegetables (leafy greens, softer/smaller berries, peaches/nectarines): Combine 4 parts cold water to 1 part white vinegar.  Soak produce in the prepared solution for 20 minutes, then rinse thoroughly under clean running water.  Produce should be odor-free after rinsing. 

• For thicker-skinned fruits and vegetables (apples, pears, tomatoes, onions, eggplant): Combine 1 teaspoon of baking soda for every two cups of clean water.  Soak produce in the prepared baking soda solution for 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly under clean water. 

The vinegar is excellent for removing harmful bacteria, according to my doc, while the baking soda is great for removing pesticide residues. 

A word of caution: for delicate produce such as berries, make sure you get the vinegar-to-water ratio properly and only soak for up to 20 minutes.  Depending on how ripe your produce is, the acid can actually destroy the food. 

Helpful Notes

I want to cover a few points before we get to the actual how-tos.  These are my lessons from having been on this journey a little while, which I hope you’ll find useful.

Buy Organic If You Can

As you might already know, certain fruits and vegetables are known to be “dirtier” than others. 

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) publishes a list of the most pesticide-prone items every year.  For 2026, at the top of its list are spinach, kale, collards, mustard greens, strawberries, grapes, nectarines, apples, pears, and blueberries.

Do you see any of your favorites there?  I know I do.  Strawberries are my daughter’s favorite fruit, and she’d eat them with every meal if she could. 

So, buying organically grown produce removes much of the pesticide burden from the get-go.  This makes your job much easier.  And these days, the price difference between organic and conventional produce can be small, depending on the product.  It’s a price I am willing to pay.

If you are concerned about plastics in your food, you can always choose the farmers market over the grocery store.  Make sure to ask if the farmer uses organic growing methods, however, since not all vendors are organic. 

Wash Well When Choosing Conventional

But, if you go to the grocery store and find the price difference to be unaffordable or the quality of the organic product much less, then choose the conventional and wash the heck out of it using the following methods. 

This is what I do, and I am okay with it.  Strawberries and blueberries are prime examples.

Do I know that it removes 100% of the pesticide burden?  No, but this is the best I can do at this time, and that’s what I can do. 

If I’m really worried about a certain item, then I just choose an alternative.  I might skip conventional strawberries for organic blueberries, for example. 

Or, you can select an item from EWG’s “Clean 15,” which likely will contain the least pesticides. They include pineapples, avocados, papayas, sweet corn, cauliflower, watermelon, and mangoes!

Eat Fresh Fruits and Vegetables to Help Your Body detox

Toxins usually enter our bodies through ingestion, inhalation, and skin absorption.  If we are healthy and have minimal exposure, then our vital organs, including the liver and kidneys, process these intruders and eliminate them.

A healthy gut and digestion are crucial to this natural system of ongoing detoxification.  And consumption of certain foods helps your body detox and eliminate better.

These warriors of nature include foods rich in antioxidants and vitamins (berries and greens), as well as fiber (legumes, vegetables, etc.). 

Similarly, certain foods hinder our body’s ability to detox.  Such foods include highly processed foods, sugar, and refined carbohydrates, and thus should be consumed mindfully. 

(We are not completely anti-sugar or anti-processed foods in our home.  We do try to keep them to a minimum, however.)

In summary: eat more fruits and vegetables, eat less sugar and highly processed foods, and drink lots of water!  It helps your body naturally detox. 

Final Thoughts

When I come back from the grocery store, the first thing I do is put away the meats and wash my produce.  I get my vinegar and baking soda out, as well as the kitchen timer. 

It might take a little more time than if I were to just put everything away at once.  But I KNOW that I’ve already cleaned those apples and pears and don’t have to wonder when I want to give them to my kids.

It’s been a bit of a journey with my son’s health, but I’m amazingly grateful that he hasn’t had a major reaction for a while and is now thriving.  We took a lot of steps to get here, and washing our produce properly has been one of the key steps that gives me the peace of mind. 

Again, it’s not ever about perfection.  It’s about what we can and are willing to do, and once you make the switch, it’ll be as easy as brushing your teeth. 

This post was all about how to wash your produce properly for clean living.  Hope it helps!

Meditation is an ancient practice that can bring you mental clarity and calm. When you meditate, you open doors to parts of yourself that already know how to regulate your nervous system.  

While it may sound distant or too challenging for busy moms, you can actually make it into whatever you’d like it to be.  But like anything else, meditation takes action and commitment for you to see what it can really do for you. 

Let’s find out how meditation works and how it can help you. 

What is Meditation?

Definition and History

While there are many definitions of meditation, my favorite comes from the American Psychological Association.  It defines meditation as,

profound and extended contemplation or reflection in order to achieve focused attention or an otherwise altered state of consciousness and to gain insight into oneself and the world. Traditionally associated with spiritual and religious exercises, meditation is now also used to provide relaxation and relief from stress; treat such symptoms as high blood pressure, pain, and insomnia; and promote overall health and well-being. 

Meditation, or the act of contemplative exercise, is as old as human history.  Historians say that humans have engaged in such practices as early as between 200,000 and 150,000 years ago, having contributed to the birth of symbols and language. 

First written records of meditation date back to the Hindu Vedas around 1500 BCE, they note.  As such, meditation has existed in virtually all cultures, the East and the West, throughout history. 

The point is that meditation speaks to the human mind and development at the fundamental level.  It seems inherent in the human programming, such as dreaming and emoting.  See?  Not so scary, right? 

Types of Meditations

These days, there are many types of meditation available at our disposal.  Try searching on the internet or on YouTube, and the options are plenty.  And maybe confusing. 

While this post cannot cover the entire universe of meditations out there, here are the major types that may be worth reviewing. 

Broadly, meditation can be practiced either in complete silence or following instructions from another. 

Silent Meditation Techniques

In silent meditations, a person focuses attention on their breath or something else, like sounds in the environment or a mantra. 

As they notice their thoughts wander, they let them go without judgment and bring their attention back to that something.  The focus is on the present moment. 

Under this category, Zen meditationand Vipassana meditationcome from Buddhist traditions and are usually practiced sitting down.  Zen has its roots in East Asia (Japan, Korea and China), while Vipassana’s origins go back to India. 

Similar to this style is Mindfulness meditation.  It covers a broader category and not linked to a religious tradition.  One can practice mindfulness, or the act of constantly bringing your attention back to the present moment without judgment, with their eyes open during everyday life. 

Transcendental Meditation’s technique focuses on the silent repetition of a mantra or a sound, for 20 minutes at twice a day.  Transcendental meditation came from a yogi named Maharishi Mahesh, who spread this method in the United States in the 1950s. 

One can also practice silent meditation during a walk or movement.  During such practice, which preferably takes place in nature, one moves very slowly with their focus on the movement and the sensations it brings.  

Guided Meditations

There are many, many types of guided meditations.  Here are some examples:

• Body scan meditation
• Chakra meditation
• Loving kindness meditation
• Yoga Nidra meditation
• Visualization meditation

During guided meditations, someone guides you through a practice of contemplation, breath work, mantra, visualization, and so on.  People who find silent meditations challenging find this style helpful, as it gives the busy mind something to do. 

For guided meditations, one can find a teacher or style they like and go deeper into the practice.  I am a huge fan of Dr. Joe Dispenza and his powerful meditations.  And I have many available for you on YouTube that are made just for moms!

Also check out my post, 5 Best Meditations on YouTube for Healing & Spiritual Growth, for more recommendations. 

Mantra Meditations

Mantra Meditations help quiet the mind by guiding it to focus on the sounds of a mantra—a word or a sound repeated to help concentration—or chanting.  

A popular sound for this practice includes “Om.”  Om, or “A-U-M,” is considered to be the original sound of creation and sacred in many traditions, including Hinduism and Buddhism.

To practice mantra meditation, select a word, phrase, or sound to focus on.  It can be as traditional as “om” or similar Sanskrit mantras; it can also be as simple as “peace,” “loving kindness,” or “nothing.”

Get yourself into a comfortable position to be still for some time.  Relax into your body, close your eyes, and repeat the sound as long as you’d like.  You can say it out loud or say it silently inside your mind, or even a combination of both. 

Mantra meditations have been very popular among people who find it extra difficult to quiet their minds in silence, but want the freedom to practice on their own. 

Meditation Changes Physiology

Engaging in a meditative practice allows your brain to loosen its focus away from where it wants you to go.  Maybe it’s the constant list of to-dos as a mom.  Maybe a troublesome relationship or constant self-criticism.  More often than not, the brain just wants to go where it has been trained to go, based on past experiences and your habitual way of being (programming).     

Our mind is always trying to figure it out, analyze, fight, or flee.  After all, it’s a matter of survival for the ego that only wants to keep you safe. 

During meditation, you notice these thoughts and emotions and gently let them go.  You place your attention on something as natural as your breath, in the present moment.

Your neurons, which are communicator cells in the brain and used to firing in certain ways, suddenly have to find a different route.  A detour. 

Your brain lights up differently.  It starts to slow down.  YOU start to slow down.  Your nervous systems find their balance.  YOU find balance. 

Scientists are increasingly measuring how meditation affects us physically. 

They find that meditation changes the brain’s electrical activities to reduce stress and anxiety.  They also find that meditation changes blood chemistry to improve our immune responses and modulate biological processes.  Such benefits last even after meditation ends. 

The more you meditate, the more you train your brain and body to a more balanced state of being. 

Meditation Changes Brainwaves

In addition to mental, emotional, and physical balance, meditation helps us access different states of brainwave frequencies. 

Beta frequencies, associated with stress and problem-solving, are where we spend most of our day as adults.  Babies, on the other hand, remain largely in the delta brainwave states as they go back and forth between sleep and awake states. 

As you can see from the graphic below, brainwave frequencies are associated with different states of consciousness. 

According to the Silva Method, for example, alpha brainwave states allow you to program your mind to learn anything you want, not feel pain, and achieve success. 

Shamanic journeying takes place in theta brainwave states.  The drum or the rattle literally sets the beat and entrains your consciousness. 

Many believe that the slower your brainwave gets, the closer you get to Source.  Where we all come from before birth and where we go when we pass.  The quantum field from which we connect to everything and create from nothing.     

Meditation is an Active Practice

I often recommend meditation to people struggling with a challenge.  Sometimes, the response I get is that they basically don’t have the luxury of sitting around doing nothing. 

It’s then obvious to me that they have no idea what meditation is. 

Meditation is one of the most active things you can do with your mind.  It requires constant presence and vigilant observation.

Meditation can be a fierce battle against yourself.  To stand tall against the constant waves of your habitual thoughts and emotions requires strength. 

The challenge begins the moment you decide to meditate.  Will you actually make time to do it?  Will you actually sit down and constantly settle your body and mind?  Are you willing to let everything—the blame, the analysis, the planning, the reasoning, whatever that your mind comes up with—go, so you, the observer, can finally be free? 

Meditation Brings You Joy

Hours of meditation can feel like a few moments, because you are doing SO MUCH!  You’re identifying the programming that’s been running your life and making the choice to release it. 

It does get easier the more you do it.  It becomes like brushing your teeth.  You notice the difference when you neglect or forget to do it.  You are naturally inclined to make it into a routine. 

Also importantly, there will be moments of amazing connection, peace, and joy that only comes when you truly let go.  Meditation is your door to this state.  Once you realize that this state is possible, you’ll want to get there more and more.

Meditation Releases Old Energy

Dr. Joe Dispenza has said that, every time you release an old thought or programming during meditation, stuck energy is released from the body. 

The more you release, the more energy you have to use for healing and creating. 

When I heard this for the first time, it was a lightbulb in my head.  You see, I’d always wondered why I felt so tired at the end of the day at silent meditation retreats.  I’d only sit still most of the day, walk very slowly in nature covering very short distances, and not even make eye contact with anyone.  But I’d feel exhausted and ready for bed by sundown.  Sleep like a rock until morning. 

But the next morning would feel simply exquisite.  All my senses are clear and amplified.  My mind is naturally quiet.  A stream of quiet joy pulses through my body.

You do not have to go to silent retreats to see this for yourself.  Start somewhere, in small doses.  Right where you are.  That’s how my practice started almost two decades ago. 

No Bad Meditations!

“There is no such thing as a bad meditation” is a Dr. Joe quote, and I agree. 

There will be days when you get up from a meditation in frustration.  Your mind was SO busy the entire time.  You felt nothing extraordinary, and not even peaceful.  You feel disappointed in yourself and are filled with doubts about the process.  

But trust that it did SOMETHING. 

Even if your mind did not quiet for even a moment. 

I know this because I often feel energy moving/releasing during meditations, even as I’m painfully aware of my busy, distracted mind.   

Do I know exactly what’s happening?  No. 

But I know that we are all multi-dimensional beings.  Even if my physical self can’t see it, something is happening through those other layers of being. 

So, don’t be discouraged if, sometimes, you feel like you failed at this.  Because there is no such thing as a bad meditation. 

You are giving yourself a gift EVERY TIME you do it.  Whether you can see it now or not.  You will see the fruits of your labor, sooner or later. 

Meditation Helps You Grow

Over time, if you keep a regular meditation practice, you will notice that your life changes.  Because YOU will change. 

If you showed up to the world in a more relaxed and easy-going state, how would your life change?  Would you have more compassion for others?  Will life’s challenges seem a little more digestible? 

For me, I KNOW that I stress less and less about everything that happens.  My relationships have improved tremendously, especially with those closest to me.  I feel that I am now living a life that most closely matches who I am, inside.  

And I am finding that there is ALWAYS more to let go, more to love to embody. 

Do Moms Have Time to Meditate?

I’m not gonna lie that it’s always easy to make the time.  It has DEFINITELY been more challenging to meditate after having kids. 

It also depends on where you are in your motherhood journey.  Maybe your kids are a little bit older, and you might have 20 minutes to yourself in the evenings.  Maybe your kids sleep in in the mornings, and you can squeeze in 5 minutes to focus on your breath and clear some space in your mind.

At the end of the day, your meditation practice will be whatever you make it to be.  But if and when you constantly make the effort to connect to it and find the space, that’s when it’ll become tangible and alive for you. 

And on some days, if you don’t get to it at all, that’s okay too!  Just come back to it when you can.  Make sure to count the small wins—if you were to make just three minutes, that’s three whole minutes of connection for you! 

Final Thoughts

If you’re interested in learning more about the mind and how to let go, I highly recommend that you check out The Michael Singer Podcast.  Singer is the author of The Untethered Soul and The Surrender Experiment.  They provide amazing insights into the workings of the human mind and the Universe, as well as how life can flow if we truly let go. 

Mamas!  I hope this post gives you a better understanding of how meditation works and how it can benefit you.  But reading is one thing.  You will never really know until you TRY. 

So, go TRY a quiet moment of meditation and see for yourself.  And please tell me how it went for you.  

This post answered the question, “How does meditation work?”  I hope you enjoyed it!