Welcome! How wonderful that we are here together to meditate while sitting in the comfort of our own home. I am Dr. Ellie Zarrabian, your host and meditation teacher for the next series of vlogs (video logs) on learning how to meditate.

This amazing virtual process allows us to be together as a community, meditate and share questions and comments on the blog page. You are all invited to participate. Remember, if you are new (and old) to meditation, there are no wrong questions. Chances are that if you have a question or are struggling with some aspect of sitting, there are others who share your experience. So feel free to post your questions, comments or concerns and I will be right there with you assisting you along the way.

Before you begin, turn off the music on the website but clicking on the speaker icon located on the bottom right side of the page. Then go to the first vlog to hear the introduction. You just need to view it once. The intro vlog is an introduction of my background and the benefits of meditation. Starting with the second vlog, you will be doing the actual meditation. The meditations are all set for 10 minutes. So honor yourself and take a 10 minute break out of your busy daily schedule and sit with me in silence to replenish your heart and soul.

Feel free to bring along a friend or a partner.

With a heartfelt effort along our journey together,
Ellie Zarrabian, Ph.D.

This first vlog is a little bit on my background, how I got started and the benefits of meditation.

This second vlog is for meditating together. Try both types of sitting and see which is more comfortable for you.

There are many reasons why we don’t meditate. Just like exercise, we have a billion reasons why it’s just not the right time to meditate. Sometimes, the reasons are valid and I say honor that. Other times, it’s just a matter of sitting down and giving your self the permission to take a break. Here are some typical reasons why we don’t meditate with some suggestions on how to overcome resistance.

The “body scan” method is better for people who are very visual. Bur how do you know if you are more visual or auditory? Try this exercise. Close your eyes and think of the number 10. If are able to see the number 10, then you are probably a visual person. If you don’t see the number, then you may be more auditory and would do better with the “counting the breath” method. This is a two part series. Each segment runs for about 10 minutes. Sit back with me and try this one out and let me know which you liked best and why.

I interviewed Cintra Mahado recently on how she began to teach meditation to her 6 year old boy. She talks about the process of teaching him how to meditate and why she wanted to teach him the skill. At six years old, Daniel has a concept of sitting still, breathing and using imagery to guide him to a safe, inner place. An invaluable knowledge and skill that can help him greatly as he grows and navigates his way through life. If you are interested in teaching your child how to meditate, take a look at this video and see if you can apply some of the tools. You can email me directly with questions or comments or post your comments on the blog page.