Part 3 of a 4-part ‘Guide to Meditation’

Your Life Is Your Meditation (II): Examples of GUIDED Meditations

My personal review of “External Meditation” practices that are part of the 9 basic types of meditation.

This Article is the 3rd in my series on Meditation. The initial introductory article was Meditation Explainer: the What, Why & How of Meditating.

In that first article I identified 3 Forms of Meditation:

• [1] Self Meditations — meditating independently of any external influences; covered in the 2nd article in the series
• [2] Guided Meditations — meditating while listening to an external source; covered in this article
• [3] Active Meditations — physically participating in an activity; covered in the next article in this series

Each of these Forms has 3 Types, for a total of 9 Types.

The What, Why & How of Meditating article describes each of the 9 types in a general overview. This article is a personal review of examples of the 3 types of Guided Meditations. I also discuss some ways to combine different types of meditation.

My meditation practices vary, but over the course of a week they will include most of the following. (Note that if I close my eyes, I use the word “meditation”. If my eyes are mostly open, I use the word “practice”.)

[Form 1] SELF Meditation Practices (Internal) —* Previous Article*

TYPE 1.1. No-Meaning Focusing <Example 1> Mantra Meditation TYPE 1.2. Meaning Focusing <Example 2> Chakra Meditation TYPE 1.3. No-Focusing <Example 3> Non-Duality Mindfulness

[Form 2] GUIDED Meditation Practices (External) — *THIS ARTICLE*

Guided Meditation Practices involve some form of external instructions or guidance. This is usually voice instructions, music, or a sound. It might also be something that is read or a visual image that is followed. Plants and chemicals taken for spiritual purposes fall under this form of meditation because they often include special guidance and instructions.

For many years I stayed away from Guided Meditations because I thought they were a “less serious” form of meditation. I still find it hard to listen to many guided meditations. I tend to resist instructions if I do not feel a resonance with the guide/teacher.

But that’s me. I agree with others who suggest that Guided Meditations are the easiest way for new meditators to get started with a practice. They are especially helpful if you have difficulty quieting and focusing your mind with Self Meditation practices (which is a challenge for most people). There are many guided meditation phone apps, for example, with millions of downloads. And there are guided meditations on YouTube, which are discussed more below.

I also discuss how each of these mediations can be brought into our larger life experience. I find that Guided Meditations are not as easy to integrate with our daily life as are Self Meditations. This could be because Guided Meditations are more structured and deliberate, and thus less natural.

TYPE 2.1. Voice-Following — This type of meditation has the meditator following instructions that are spoken by a guide or teacher. The instruction might be to focus on a part of one’s body or an idea, such as “oneness”. Some examples include yoga nidra, most guided meditations & activations, “loving-kindness” meditation when voice guided, and guided shamanic rituals. <Example 4> — A Guided, Voice-Following, Channeled Meditation — Guided meditations channeled by Lincoln Gergar

TYPE 2.2. Voice-Listening —In this type of meditation, there is a human voice that is “guiding” the meditation, but the meditator is not following instructions. The meditator might not even be able to understand the words spoken. Examples include light language (a kind of “speaking in tongues”), Vedic chanting and other forms of chanting, and some forms of energy work and activation. <Example 5> — A Guided, Voice-Listening, Activation Meditation — A unique style of guided meditation by Cornelius Christopher

TYPE 2.3. Non-Voice-Listening — This meditation involves listening to something other than a voice. Common ways of doing this include meditation music, binaural beats, sound healing (e.g., gongs and crystal bowls), and staring at a candle. <Example 6> — A Non-Voice-Listening, Water Sound Meditation — Playing sound frequencies with an underwater speaker <Example 7> — A Guided, Non-Voice, Breathwork Meditation — “Continuous breathing” with a “cardiac coherence” phone app; this practice is a mix between the Non-Voice-Listening Meditation type and the Active Physical Participation Meditation type.

[Form 3] ACTIVE Meditation Practices — *Next Article*

TYPE 3.1. Contemplation <Example 8> Learning Practice, and <Example 9> Channeling Practice TYPE 3.2. Physical Participation <Example 10> Yoga Practice, <Example 11> Vocal Healing Meditation, and <Example 12> Sound Healing Practice TYPE 3.3. Lifestyle <Example 13> Vegan & Organic Diet

[2] EXAMPLES of GUIDED Meditation Practices (External)

Here are four distinct examples of Guided Meditation practices.

<Example 4> A Guided, Voice-Following, “Channeled” Meditation [Type 2.1]

— 15 to 30 minutes, Twice daily, morning & afternoon — Guided meditations channeled by Lincoln Gergar

After Doing my TM practice in the morning and afternoon (see the Self Meditation article), I put my headphones on, and I listen to a 15 to 30 minute guided meditation by Lincoln Gergar (Channel for Higher Self).

For 15 months, I was a paid member of Lincoln’s “Inner Circle” group, which he started on Zoom in April 2020. Those weekly 3+ hour sessions included teachings, meditations, and a Q&A. Most of these were done while he was channeling his Higher Self.

While I like my TM Mantra meditation practice a lot (discussed in a previous article), I always felt that the TM teachings were a bit shallow for my interests. I like Lincoln’s Higher Self channeled teachings much more.

I am currently taking a break from the Inner Circle. Instead, I am working through the over 65 Inner Circle meditation recordings that I have. I listen to a different guided meditation every one to two days.

His Guided Meditations supplement my TM practice by taking me into different parts of my psyche. I am impressed by how much they vary in purpose, style, and content. I have learned a lot about meditation through the 65 weeks that I was in his Inner Circle meetings.

YouTube has made Guided Meditations much more accessible than in the past. This is especially true if you can find a teacher whose style of guiding you like. Lincoln’s YouTube channel has thousands of free recordings on YouTube, many of which are guided meditations. And, of course, there are a plethora of other guided meditations on YouTube (some with millions of views) that are also effective for many people.

(Lincoln seems to have been born with a silent mind and a spiritual orientation. Channeling higher consciousness and other psychic skills came natural to him once he moved to Sedona, Arizona, and focused on them after college. No one is perfect and I am less enthused by his non-Higher Self political and pandemic views. People easily divide into different camps on those issues, which itself is a learning opportunity. As I have said elsewhere, I personally feel that those who teach higher dimensional lessons should avoid 3D politics.)

LIFE: One advantage of Voice-Guided Meditations is that they can include teachings or lessons in addition to creating a state of relaxation. Sometimes the teaching gives specific directions on how to bring the meditative state into daily life. But that is rare.

<Example 5> A Guided, Voice-Listening, “Activation” Meditation [Type 2.2]

— 30 to 60 minutes, 2 to 4 times a week in the afternoon — A unique style of guided meditation by Cornelius Christopher

I Do this unique type of meditation in live (Zoom) group sessions with Cornelius Christopher. I pay about US$21/month to access his 30 minute (Healing) and 60 minute (Manifestation) “activation” meditations.

In these meditations, the listener does not need to follow what Cornelius is saying, except for some breathwork at the beginning. Instead, the meditator listens as Cornelius repeats instructions that he receives from the collective consciousness of the group (about 60 to 90 people currently). He is speaking these instructions to the subconscious of each meditator.

Cornelius had a near-suicide experience that resulted in the silencing of his autopilot mind. This allows him to communicate with the higher consciousness or higher self of individuals and groups.

He insists that he, himself, is not doing anything other than listening and repeating what he hears. It is our subconscious that is following his instructions as we heal ourselves.

All I do is sit or lie there and experience a very deep, relaxing, and healing meditation. I often doze in and out of sleep (or trance?) and am not consciously aware of what he is saying — because it does not matter, anyway. I think it is worth the price. Except for having to sign up and show up at the Zoom time, this is about as easy and deep as meditations get.

LIFE: These activation meditations change your physical and subtle bodies. How long that effect will last beyond the meditation will vary. Plus, some may notice this, and others may not. Like other spiritual teachers, Cornelius says that the more regular and longer the meditator sticks with his guided meditations, the greater the physical, mental, and spiritual impact will be.

(Cornelius has a devoted following who benefits a lot from what he does. His one-on-one sessions are booked solid 4 months in advance. And he seems to be always happy and full of energy. As with any teacher, not everyone resonates with his personality (which occasionally reflects his rough, down-to-Earth, English mining town upbringing). I don’t know of anyone else, however, who does what he does. It is worth checking out.

His autobiography, Oneo: Enlightenment of Eternal Life, the Acceptance of I, and One with Yourself is very interesting. The first part is about his traumatic life that resulted in his near suicide. The second part is about his intense kundalini-like awakening and the sudden onset of his healing and psychic abilities. And the last part has teachings and insights channeled to him from his “HS” and others. Those teachings remind me a lot of the Seth material channeled by Jane Roberts, although Cornelius was never exposed to any kind of spirituality prior to his awakening. I have previously written about my experiences with him here and here.)

<Example 6> A Non-Voice-Listening, “Water Sound” Meditation [2.3]

— 40 to 50 minutes, About once every 2 weeks — Playing sound frequencies with an underwater speaker

A Friend introduced me to an affordable underwater speaker (available on eBay.com). I attach the speaker to a small amplifier, which I connect to my phone’s audio jack (Bluetooth also works with the amp).

I put the speaker in my deep bathtub (a hot tub would be better), and I use sound apps on my phone to play meditation music and healing tones. Many of those apps have specific frequencies for different purposes, such as Memory enhancement, Astral travel, Lucid dreaming, Healing, Creativity, and Relaxation.

You can also do Binaural Beats, but that requires two speakers.

There is some controversy in the sound healing world about whether specific frequencies do what the apps claim. After reviewing many studies, sound healing guru, Jonathan Goldman, concluded that any frequency can heal if the listener focuses it on the ailment while listening to the sound. I agree with that.

My favorite app is “Frequency Generator” (on Google Play). I set it to start at a very low frequency of about 100Hz, which is the speaker rating. I then cycle up to 5000Hz and back down again over 10 minutes (the max time allowed per cycle by the app). I will do at least two cycles, which kind of doubles my normal bath time.

I liked this water bath meditation so much when I first started doing it that I told my wife I might never take another shower again! But the extra time it takes and the extra water consumption both tempered that intention.

LIFE: I enjoy the warm water and physical relaxation that the water sounds create. It may be healing something, though I seldom see direct connections. And it might be opening up Chakras and connections to astral realms. But because there are no other teachings, these subtle influences may be more difficult to bring into daily life.

<Example 7> A Guided, Non-Voice-Listening, “Breathwork” Meditation [Type 2.3]

— 5–20 minutes, Once or twice daily — “Continuous breathing” with a “cardiac coherence” phone app

I Started practicing TM (Self Meditation) more regularly about a decade ago when my blood pressure started to get too high. Based on all the meditation I do, you would think that my blood pressure would be back to normal by now, if not low. But that is not the case (TM did not affect it).

To get my blood pressure down without medicine (my goal), I recently tried an expensive breathing gadget called RESPeRATE. It comes with a small device that you can strap to your abdomen or chest to monitor your breathing rate. It then encourages you to breathe slower using a “connected breathing” technique (no stops between breaths). It also helps some people sleep at night.

I tried it, but I did not like the way it worked. I often wanted it to go slower than it wanted to, and the detector on my stomach annoyed me. It only lowered my blood pressure a little (less than 5 points). So I returned it.

But I liked the idea of guided continuous breathing as a type of meditation. I found a phone app (Kardia — Deep Breathing Relaxation, on Google Play) that works like that expensive gadget, but is more flexible and better — for me, at least. (Search for “cardiac coherence” to find other similar phone apps.) This app allows me to adjust the breath intervals at any time and has 13 different sounds to guide my breathing. I can also add intervals to hold my breath between the in- and out-breaths.

Even though it does not affect my blood pressure much, so far at least, I still use the app daily because it is very easy, and I like how it feels. I do it at least once a day, usually in the afternoon, for 15 to 20 minutes.

The meditations are not as deep as most of the other meditations I do, but it seems well suited to certain situations. It is a great quick meditation to do while in a waiting room or passing time on an airplane, for example.

LIFE: For some people, this Non-Voice-Listening breathing practice lowers high blood pressure and helps with sleeplessness. They say it is teaching our body to breathe slower, which gets our heart to relax. While this did not work for me, I still recommend trying this technique.

Creative Combinations

Follow Your Intuition. Allow your meditation practice to be creative. It is important to know that this is “your practice”, even if the instructions originated outside of you. Spiritually speaking, there is no outside of you. Everything you encounter is you.

Non-Voice-Listening Meditations (Examples <6> and <7>) are especially well suited for combining and overlapping with other types of meditations.

My Breathwork meditation already overlaps with the Active Physical Participation Meditation, Type 3.2 (in the next article in this series). That is because you are controlling your breath. So, there is an intentional, but mild, action on the part of the meditator. I can barely notice it when the breath rate becomes very slow, making it feel more like a non-active meditation.

The Breathwork meditation could be more Active and Physical than described above. This would mean paying greater attention to breathing. You can, for example, imagine energy rising up your chakras or spinal cord on the in-breath (from your root chakra to your crown). And then imagine the energy going down your chakras on the out-breath. (See also the Chakra meditation in the previous article.)

Both the Breathwork and Sound meditations can also be modified to overlap with the Meaning Focusing Meditation, Type 1.2 (in the previous article). You can do this by using affirmations while doing them. For example, you could think of the word “Love” on the in-breath, feeling your body fill with the energy of Love. Then think of the word “Peace” on the out-breath as you feel your body relax. Many other affirmations are also possible.

You can combine the Water Sound Meditation with any of the 3 Self Meditations: [Type 1.1] No-Meaning Focusing, [Type 1.2] Meaning Focusing, and [Type 1.3] No-Focusing. You simply close your eyes and do the Self Meditation as the Water Sound plays.

The Breathwork phone app that I use can also be played at the same time with another music or sound app on your phone. I sometimes listen to meditation and yoga music while playing the Kardia app. That overlap embellishes the Non-Voice-Listening category that it is already in.

The Next and final installment in this series of articles on meditation covers Active forms of Meditation. This includes various forms of yoga, diets, learning, and more. These practices are not always considered “meditation” because they appear more outward than inward. But we build on our inward meditation practices (Self and Guided Meditations) to make our Active outward meditations a full reflection of our lives. Our life becomes our meditation.

Other Articles in this Meditation Series Include:

Part 1 of this series is an INTRODUCTION to the What, Why, & How of Meditation

Part 2 of this series is a detailed descriptions of SELF MEDITATION practices

Part 4 of this series is a detailed descriptions of ACTIVE MEDITATION practices

• For more on Meditations & Meditating, see this collection of articles:

• Note that the articles in this collection are behind the Medium paywall. For paywall-free access to my articles, go to www.AlanLew.com, linked below.

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