By: Dr. Ellisha Wells ~ Staff Contributing Writer
Happy New Year and Happy Spring! What a great blessing to walk into a new year, 365 opportunities to be awesome and extraordinary! As part of the new year, many people want to take better care of their health, and what better time to work on that than now?
One of the services that I provide for my business is music and guided meditation. My passion for guided meditation goes back to when I was an intern at Tampa General Hospital in 2008. As part of the stress management program I was running, I was teaming up with the meditation instructor at the hospital. Lily* (name changed for privacy) was teaching me how she ran the class and got the room ready for the employees who wanted to take the 30-minute class during their lunch hour. I was excited about working with Lily, until the week I was starting meditation class. My internship supervisor told me two days before I was supposed to begin that Lily resigned from the hospital and that I will be teaching the meditation class for the duration of my stress management program. I was terrified. I was going to be teaching the class by myself! My supervisor reassured me that I would be fine, and two days later I went into the room preparing it like Lily showed me and taught the class without nervousness. It felt so natural as if I had done it my entire life.
Since then, I had wanted to incorporate that with my business Fitness Slayers!® by having a weekly meditation with stretching and relaxation class. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I offered a weekly live meditation class to help people with the heightened stress of being away from loved ones and keeping themselves from getting sick. It was very popular with people, and I was encouraged to continue doing so during this time of need, which I did. I enjoy teaching my Soothing Your Spirit meditation class because it allows me to be creative. I am a natural storyteller, so I like telling stories while the music is playing and stretching as I tell each story.
Let’s Get Peaceful as We Relax…
I want you to close your eyes and take a few breaths with me…
Breathe in deeply through your nose. Feel your ribcage expanding. Hold for a few seconds.
Breathe out slowly through your mouth, creating an ‘O’ shape.
Breathe in, hold for a few seconds. Breathe out slowly.
Feel your ribcage expand as you breathe in, and release as you breathe out.
Take a few more breaths with me…
(Do this five times)
You are in the woods on a cool morning. The air is fresh and crisp, and invigorating. You are covered in layered sackcloth to keep warm. You carry a wooden staff when you travel for protection. Your lips are dry and need moisture, and you are parched. The sound of a running brook is in the distance. You follow the sound of the running brook, using your staff to help you walk through a path covered with rocks and sticks. The leaves rustle and crack as you take each step, making a crunching sound. Using your hands to brush away hanging branches as you walk, you finally make it to the running brook. You kneel and cup your hands into the cool stream, bring your hands to your lips. The chilled water cools your lips and moistens your mouth and throat. As the water goes down you feel a coolness in your soul that makes you feel complete. You proceed to cup your hands again in the stream and wash your face, feeling the water rinse away whatever is troubling you. You take this opportunity to take in what is around you.
You take a deep breath in through your nose, raising your arms above your head as you do so. Hold for ten seconds, then exhale through your lips, making an ‘O’ shape. Slowly lower your arms as you exhale.
(Do this five times, each time you do so you feel more and more relaxed.)
It is time to return home. The air is still crisp and invigorating. You take a deep breath, allowing your ribcage to expand to full capacity. You breathe out smoothly and slowly, allowing the air to escape through your lips.
Close your eyes and continue to breathe with me…
Breathe in, hold for a few seconds. Breathe out slowly.
Breathe in…Hold…Breathe out…
(Do this five times)
Open your eyes.
Feeling soothed in your spirit?
Dr. Ellisha Wells: Dr. Ellisha Wells is a health, wellness, and fitness professional who seeks to help women achieve personal health and happiness. She is the Founder and CEO of Fitness Slayers!®, LLC, which provides services focusing on physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional health to women in the Tampa Bay Area. Dr. Wells is also the author of two fitness journals, The Fiercely Fit Woman and Strong Sustenance, where women are encouraged by fitness affirmations and Biblical motivations to keep track of their food and exercise intake. fitnessslayers@gmail.com