“When you have a settled mind through meditation practice, you start to gain valuable insights into these deep, emotional patterns,” said Elizondo. “When we calm ourselves down and sit still, there’s a chance for the unconscious to actually show itself and speak. Mindfulness practices are about developing the capacity to listen more and integrate it into our conscious lives.”
The WHY of Meditation:
At Open Sky (wilderness therapy program) , meditation is taught as a means to assist students in becoming healthier by invoking a sense of calm and reducing stress. Research also shows that meditation is effective at supporting individuals with a variety of mental and physical health issues including anxiety, depression, stress management, drug abuse/addiction, and interpersonal relationship distress. Additionally, several positive physiological effects occur in the body during a meditation session which can reduce stress, and enable individuals to think more clearly and thereby make better choices.
About this series of Guided Meditation:
Listeners will receive practical instruction and techniques for how to practice meditation and learn:
- How to use the senses and posture of the body to come into the present moment
- How to train yourself to mentally label and disrupt repetitive thinking
- How to find calm and focus through purposeful breathing
- How to rewire your brain and nervous system for greater emotional resilience
The series is made up of three episodes from its SKYlights podcast, which includes a 5-minute, 10-minute and 20-minute guided meditation, led by Family Wellness Counselor Norman Elizond
Where did it begin for Norman:
Norman was the very first The series is made up of three episodes from its SKYlights podcast, which includes a 5-minute, 10-minute and 20-minute guided meditation, led by Family Wellness Counselor Norman Elizond guide for Open Sky, receiving his first student in May of 2006. Meditation has always been a cornerstone of Norman’s life and his years of practice deeply influence his ability to work with people in crisis and to train others how to develop their emotional resilience to work with challenging populations. Norman practiced in the Southeast Asian Theravada tradition beginning in 1995 and has been studying and training as a meditation instructor in the Tibetan tradition since 2001. He is a certified meditation teacher with the Dharma Ocean Foundation. As part of his commitment and ongoing training in meditation, Norman spends 4-6 weeks each year at retreats, along with his daily practice.
Listen and start here:
To listen to Norman talk about mediation, mindfulness and how emotional regulation is a superpower that we all have the ability to cultivate, check out episode 2 of SKYlights: Mindfulness, Meditation and Other Superpowers! To listen to the three-part mediation series, click on the episode links, below.
- Episode 3: A 5-Minute Guided Meditation
- Episode 4: A 10-Minute Guided Meditation
- Episode 8: A 20-Minute Guided Meditatio
About Open Sky Wilderness
Nestled in the mountains of southwest Colorado and the Canyonlands of southeast Utah, Open Sky transcends traditional wilderness therapy with an approach that emphasizes treatment for the whole family. When a family partners with Open Sky, they embark on a rewarding adventure of self-discovery and learn a range of strategies that promote lasting success. The Open Sky clinical approach utilizes the latest in evidence-based clinical modalities integrated with innovative, well-researched mindfulness and holistic healing practices. Therapists develop treatment plans, provide individual and group psychotherapy, and update families each week via teleconference. Students participate in daily process groups and a wide range of experiential activities designed to increase awareness and facilitate healing.
