The Best Meditation Videos To Beat The Odd Mood
Chris Martin got it right, again ~ there’s trouble in town.
Not referring to the COVID-19, or the political state of the World, or the impossible body standards (none of which seem achievable, by the way), or the manipulating you-tubers lying to us half the time, or even the thundering tsunami of information out there for everything in existence and for everything that’s not.
I’m talking about the impact of the outer world on our inner world. I don’t know how you guys handle it all the time, but occasionally, it puts me in an odd mood. A listlessness grips me as find myself I pacing in my living room.
I sit down, try to nurse myself with a cup of green tea. And what’s always been a relaxing midmorning turns into another pointless exercise of the nihilistic (and quite possibly apocalyptic) patterns of humans today.
Let’s not get into how you arrive at this mood: everyone has their personal demons. Instead, let’s focus on the end result: the odd mood paralyzes you into inaction.
You end up seeking mindless distraction, or you zone out completely. Either way, you get nothing done, and more importantly, you end up feeling unmotivated (read, shitty) about the future .
Meditation, I have found, is the most sustainable method to beat the odd mood, or when the nihilistic demon knocks at your door. There’s just one glitch: it’s hard to do it by yourself.
Guided Meditation is the way to quiet down
When I started mediation (a year ago), I found it surprisingly easy. I’m an over-thinker since childhood, and it should have been excruciating to shift my frame of mind from ‘just think’ to a place where I could ‘just be’. But, it wasn’t. I couldn’t believe how natural it was to be able to just sit down and start concentrating on my breath.
Later, a friend pointed out that it was probably because I’d been doing yoga for years. Not the lifestyle, just the exercise bit. An essential part of yoga is to focus on the breathing pattern as you practice the various aasanas.
Nevertheless, sitting still in a meditative state is much tougher, and I still encounter days when I just can’t bring myself to the couch. The ‘odd-mood’ days are the worst of the lot. My mind constantly wanders into an abyss full of jagged thoughts, topping each other in crappiness.
On those days, I go for Guided Mediations.
Why? Beause on a bad day, you need someone else to tell you good things. It’s difficult to tell yourself good things when you’re battling negative thoughts, or contemplating your existence on Earth. You’re already so worked up that it becomes a chore to say good things right then.
You need to put yourself in a neutral state of mind first. For that, you need an external voice to tell you to calm down, and let go of the negativity. A calming voice, repeating positive messages that urges you to find it in yourself to uplift your spirit.
The problem with guided meditations is that a lot of them tell you the things you know you need to do, but miss out on how to get them done. For instance, I’ve heard a lot of guided meditations say abstract things like ‘don’t judge yourself’, or ‘Just love yourself’.
But that’s the bloody problem ~ we don’t know how to not judge ourselves, or just love ourselves, for that matter. Hell, some days I don’t even know who I really am.
So, I have compiled a list of the 5 best bullshit-free Guided Meditation Videos that help me overcome the odd mood, or whatever demon that gnaws at my innards on specific days.
1. 20 Minute Guided Meditation by The Mindful Movement
What I Love About This Video:
I love Sara Raymond’s voice: its so sedating.
She talks to you a good minute and half before she starts the meditation — ample time to find a comfortable positon.
She address the power of your breath in the most logical way. She does not put any pressure on you to get it right, instead she gives you the most simple simple breathing technique that you can apply while meditating with her.
2. 10 Minute Guided Meditation by Great Meditation
What I Love About This Video:
It’s only 10 minutes. You can do this even on a very busy day, or during a lunch break.
The background sound of the tolling bells is beautiful.
She realises that some of us like meditating while laying down. That’s awesome.
She addresses every part of your body as you go deeper into the meditation. What this does is that it channels your thoughts in the right direction, and you don’t wander off into the abyss again.
3. 17 Minute Guided Meditation by the Honest Guys
What I Love About This Video:
This is an imaginative journey. It starts with you trudging along a dark cave, lugging a heavy sack. So, your mind has no time to wander.
The background score changes as the narrator’s story moves. It takes some insight to do that. There are water sounds, wind gushes, soft piano - almost everything you need.
4. 5 Minute Guided Meditation by Tiffany Cruikshank
Source: www.health.com
What I Love About This Video:
It’s literally 5 minutes: best for days when you just don’t have the time, or even the motivation to meditate.
This video is particularly relevant for those of you who find it scary to meditate alone.
The instructor Tiffany sits in the video and you can watch her as you meditate. (Yes, some people do meditate with their eyes open, and it’s totally fine.)
Guided meditation is as effective as performing silent meditation, atleast for me. If you are beginner at meditating, and possibly a sceptic, give these a go.
