I’m one of those people who just can’t stop. I always have to be doing something to stay active, or just to be occupied. So on the hour-long drive South of to the Borders I have plenty of time to convince myself that Jane Hill’s guided meditations will be interesting from the point of view of
seeing how she works, but ultimately her techniques won’t be particularly effective on somebody like me. As I arrive at Jane’s, having switched radio station innumerable times to avoid idle chit-chat, I’m unsure what to expect, having only experienced meditation as part of a Yoga class. A two-hour session with Jane involves talking over your concerns or issues before being lead on a guided
meditation, so that you may receive healing and a greater awareness of your blessings. I thought that it would be difficult to discuss my concerns with a complete stranger, but almost instantly I felt at ease with Jane and her calming surroundings.
At the start of the meditation, I found it difficult to visualise the images being described, but as the minutes passed, and I became more
relaxed and more at home in the surroundings and slowly started to see the scenes of light that Jane was describing.
I think it’s a common misconception that you have to empty your mind in order to meditate. For me, guided meditation with a calming
scene was much easier than starting with a blank mind. Moreover, I found it helpful to start with a focus already in mind, whether that
focus is a colour, an idea or a question...
During the meditation I started to lose sensation in my body as I became more focused on the guidance Jane offered. At the end of the session I felt extremely relaxed and calm, but was convinced that only 10 or 15 mins had passed. Only after a quick glance at my watch did I realise that I had
been on a guided meditation for the best part of an hour. In fact, I was amazed not only with the amount that I had achieved during this first session, but also that Jane had actually managed to get me to take an extended period of time out. Testament indeed to Jane’s skills as a practitioner.
You can choose to work with Jane on one-off sessions, at intervals to suit, or try the series of seven “rainbow sessions” where each session looks at a particular aspect of the divine, its associated colours and meditation.
I was pleasantly surprised by Jane and her guided meditations, and at a very basic level I intend to try some of the techniques I discovered at home when I’m feeling stressed, or need to focus on a given task. Now, if only I could convince my cats that guided meditations would work for them
“You’re seeing a fish....not just one fish, but a shoal of fish swimming in tropical water...”