The room doesn’t have to be large but it will give you the opportunity to enhance your body and practice the valuable art of deep breathing. The appearance and feeling you create in this room will be felt in your meditation and should stimulate your need for daily meditation.

The look and the feeling that you create will be felt in your meditation as well stimulating your desire to meditate daily.

Other ways to bring about a sense of achievement with such a room is to fill it with a supply of your desired personal possessions.

The following items are ideal for a meditation room:

• Organic, all-natural cleaning products
• Smudge stick
• Decorative pieces
• Candles and incense

Ensure clutter in the room is removed. Your meditation room should just contain items which help you to feel good and balanced.

If the furniture is not appealing to the eye, it can be covered over with more aesthetically pleasing cloth or a blanket.

Always keep a meditation room spotless and remember to include the curtains; the room should be cleaned before and after use. Also, remember to make use of either a smudge stick or a bundle of sage. This method has, in the past, been used by Native American tribes to great effect. By doing this, you are attracting good energies and blessing the space in your room.

Note: It is a great idea to take time out from using your meditation room to visit a qualified spiritualist healer who understands the art of meditation to kick start the process of regaining a healthy, balanced mind and body.

When focused, the mind is a fabulous tool which can bring about positivity into the home and the workplace. Meditation should allow you to feel calm and develop your self-awareness. As a result, your personality will grow and those around you will feel the benefit.

When meditating, it’s just important to remain quiet. It really is that simple. There are meditation classes up and down the country which enable a person to learn how to be still and keep the mind quiet and peaceful.

The human mind is just one part of the mind, body and soul system. When a message is received in the mind, it has been passed from the body via the soul. The mind then has its own job to do; using itself as a filter, it can be clear or cloudy.

The more we fine tune our mind with meditation, the clearer we can become about who we are and what we are aiming for within our life; both presently and in the future. Life is a challenge and something new will always come along to test us but a clear mind can help anyone progress through life’s experiences.

A quiet mind, achieved by meditation, will remove the clutter and allow one to embrace the excellent communication of the mind, body and soul.

The words themselves conjure up the image of sitting in a small room or church in the middle of nowhere and if so, you would switch off the thought process. It’s a good job that process is not what I am referring to.

There is no need to disappear to a remote island or hibernate away from everyday life, a retreat can be found in your home and will bring about a sense of calmness to mind and body.

Let me take you forward with the thought of feeling calm and relaxed, and how you can push away the day’s stress or the problems of others that have been weighing you down.

Why not make time for yourself and enter the world of self-healing with meditation?

My meditation courses held in Cheshire give a person time for themselves; these courses are not aimed at becoming a working medium but to learn how to achieve a balanced mind and body.

When you have made sure everything is in order within the home after work, it is time to make plans to comfort yourself. Remove the batteries from the front door chime and switch off the mobile phone; it is personal time.

Make sure family know you do not want to be disturbed for at least one hour, and if you have young children, look for support from your partner.

Now, run a bath with wonderful warm water to cleanse your body, as this will eliminate tiredness. While in the bath, why not place a selection of candles on and around the room? Your favourite healing crystals will help too. Healing is vital for energy and one or more crystals in the bathroom can work wonders. Next, take the time to feed your body with a light covering of soothing cream.

This is your own spiritual retreat and will enable you to lose the thoughts of the day and help your body enjoy the much-needed healing process.

Meditation can be extremely simple, it can take time for a person to relax their mind without the interference of daily thoughts but you will soon get used to it.

In your bedroom or spare room, choose to sit on a chair with a firm back to it; maybe a stand chair but avoid laying on a bed as you may fall asleep.

When comfortable, close your eyes and start to allow yourself to ‘feel’ your body. Relax the muscles from the soles of your feet, working upwards to the top of your head.

It’s important to remain still. If the daily happenings start to appear in your head, do not worry, just relax, push them away and carry on feeling how extraordinary it is to be still for more than a minute.

When you maintain this routine for at least once a week your time of relaxation can eventually be extended to about 20 minutes. Enjoy.

Meditation can be a lifestyle change that helps a person to relax.

The hardest part of any meditation is to have the frame of mind to find some ‘me time’.

Let your family know that two or three times a week you are having a ‘be kind to me time’ and ask for no disturbance for 20 minutes. Ignore any sabotage attempts until they get the picture.

Turn off your mobile and, if you live alone, stuff the door chime with a hanky or turn the ringer off so you know you are not going to be disturbed.

If you have some favourite music that is calming or relaxing why not listen to it to help with relaxation? The ideal room is your bedroom.

Place a hard-backed chair in the room. If extra comfort is needed, place a cushion on the seat. You need to be sitting so your spine is tucked up to the back of the chair. Do not attempt to meditate sat on a bed – if you do, you will nod off.

When you are comfortable, close your eyes and relax your whole body.

Feel your breathing. By this, I mean breathe in and out until you know you are relaxed.

The ideal style of breathing is to allow your chest and stomach to expand quietly, inhaling and exhaling, all done in a slow and rhythmic manner.

At first you will find your mind will work overtime. Let everyday stuff enter your mind, and then let it go.

Just relax, simply be still. If you do this, you will eventually feel as though you have been daydreaming. On opening your eyes, you may at first wonder if you were asleep. Notably, you will feel relaxed.

Top tip:

Do not rush to stand up. Move slowly, and get yourself a glass of water.

One slight warning – do not eat a large meal before meditating!

Mediums often include a short meditation session when they have time, and each one will have a personal set routine.

When I am teaching meditation either in my home in Cheshire or to staff in a busy office, I say that the main rule is to have you concentrate on one thing – you. Have a warm shower and afterwards sit in a chair that supports your back. Light a candle if you wish.

It can take a little time for you to relax and de-clutter your mind. A quick tip is to gaze at an object that you have placed in front of you, such as a flower, vase or candle and slightly narrow your eyes to bring about a focus. If your gaze falters, relax and start again.

If you cannot settle, visualise your feet and imagine them relaxing. With those thoughts in mind move up to other parts of your body, legs, knees and the base of your back. When you reach the top of your head you should feel relaxed.

Some people will use this method others may visualise the object in front of them, close their eyes and then bring back the vision in their minds eye until they feel more relaxed.

Each meditation may be different at times and some days you may not settle, if this happens to you have a cup of tea and meditate next day. It takes time.

If you are nervous about the rules of mediation, then join a beginner’s course. You can use the time to heal your body, and it can be good for socialising with others, who are probably new too.

If you want to feel in charge of yourself again, then meditation is a starting point.

A medium like myself, offering advice at a private reading about the possibilities that the future holds, is great. However, there has to be in the back of your mind the knowledge that you hold the key as whether you stay positive or slip into the old moods. Meditation is an excellent way to alter your mindset and change your life.

If you wish to book an individual training session, then by all means contact me. It is easier when you are in charge of the type of learning suited to you.

Here is some basic guidance when you begin your tuition in meditation:

• Sit with a straight back

• Do not lie on your bed to meditate

• Do not eat a meal before meditating

• It is not necessary to sit on the floor in a lotus position

• It is fine to sit in a dining room chair if it has a straight back

• If possible, have a shower before you meditate

It can be beneficial for a client or any person who is suffering from stress to learn about silencing the mind and body.

The mind itself is a powerful tool when in good working order. However, sometimes it can cry out for some silence. A mind that is calmed is able to bring about an inner peace which can contribute to the fight against stress and disease.

As a working medium living in Cheshire, I find it helpful to retreat at times for some much needed solitude. I love meeting people, but on occasions after giving private readings, i find that I need to take time off to re charge my batteries, and the most effective way is by meditating.

At times I offer training sessions on meditation. As a medium I find it interesting that some of my clients who profess to be eager to learn and ask if I can find time to teach them, tell me that they don’t have the time to spare for a training course. This rather defeats the object.

Here are some benefits of meditation:

a) You start to feel in charge of your mind and body
b) Sleep patterns improve
c) Concentration improves
d) Pain is easier coped with
e) Stress gives way to clear thinking and self confidence improves

The first important part of knowing about your guides is taking the time to have fifteen minutes of meditation.

A budding medium should always follow a routine. Your guides are there to help but you have a job to do too.

The art of meditation is easier than you think. However, you do need peace and quiet.

Lock yourself away from the rest of the family, turn off your mobile and let everyone know you do not want to be disturbed.

If you have settled in the bedroom, do not sit on the bed at all. Use a standard chair that you can sit on with your back supported.

Next, try to wait for a few minutes while your mind forgets about the washing up or what is happening the next day. If music helps you to relax then choose light music, no heavy metal.

The scene is now set. Start with a small prayer – it could be that you ask for your guide to continue protecting you, as you are now opening up the spiritual side of your mind.

Be comfortable and take a few deep breaths while relaxing all the parts of your body, starting at the feet and moving upwards.

When you become used to doing this part of the meditation, outside sounds will disappear. However, at first this may seem difficult.

Now imagine you are in a cinema and the screen is showing a bright light. It may move towards you, the same as you see when expecting the start of the adverts before a film.

While you are aware of the light surrounding you, imagine or visualise a favourite place. It may be last year’s beach from your holiday or the park nearby.

When sitting down to meditate always choose the same place as it is your special venue for your guide and yourself to meet up. You are the one who has to ask your guide to meet you.

Asking for a meeting is not only being polite but you are in control of the time you have spared for a meeting with your guide.

A professional medium will tell you that there will not be a loud voice booming out to you. It is more likely that you will see space or a colour, or get feeling of warmth in the room.

It takes time to forge a bond with a guide. Write down in a book what you saw, if anything, or the feelings you had while meditating.

Do not rush and don’t be disappointed. Your guides will work quietly to let you know they appreciate the time you take to meditate to bring them closer.

As a medium today who teaches meditation to students young and mature, I say leave the cup of tea at least once a day and meditate.

I have said this numerous times to a person who visits me for a private reading or a session of healing. Usually, he or she automatically says they don’t have enough time in the day.

When I hear the same old reply, my professional Reiki healing or Spiritual healing training comes to the forefront of my mind, followed by the verbal reasoning that a short meditation takes up the same time as boiling a kettle, making a cup of tea and actually drinking it.

A short meditation is like an investment but instead of using money, it is using a small part of the day and investing in helping your body and mind to heal.

The best part is the great feeling of calmness when the mind has cleared away some of the stress and a sense of inner peace brings back a level of energy to tackle inner issues.

Mediums and healers recommend at least trying to meditate once a day or twice a week. Meditation can also bring about awareness of what is required to make lives easier. However, do not decide to meditate just before bedtime as you will fall asleep.

If you ask anyone, they will tell you a clear and focused mind helps to improve conditions at work and in the home, flogging yourself to death, if you pardon the pun, is no use to anyone long term.

When a healing medium like myself teaches the art of mediation to small groups of people, the feedback is they are more focused and they are less stressed by the little things in life that would usually drive them to boiling point.

When you are too busy to recognise that your mind and body is imbalanced, a few sessions of meditation can be the essential tool required to bring forward a sense of calm.

Better health all round is the number one benefit and the results include lower levels of anxiety and an increase of energy to tackle daily life more easily.

The bonus with attending meditation classes with a healing medium is that they will lead you through a short personal meditation that you can then do at home. When meditating once or twice a week most of my students tend to start enjoying the calmness and will take it upon themselves to meditate daily.

The inner self when it feels good will radiate from you. Like the daily news, it travels fast, and others around you will ask how it they are worn out is and you are not.

Meditation is not just about any beliefs of certain religions it is about caring for the human mind and body and keeping it healthy in today’s strenuous lifestyle.