Meditation for Inner Clarity and Numerous Health Benefits
Terry Hodgkinson Sifu started meditating at age 14 as a student of martial arts. While he wasn’t exactly excited about it in the beginning, (kicking and punching were far more interesting at that age) he soon realized the enormous benefits meditation brought to his troubled, teenage life. Living with an abusive alcoholic father, Terry found meditation to be a godsend that aided him in handling those young, stressful years. It wasn’t long after experiencing the remarkable healing and strengthening results that it became, so to speak – a no brainer – and he decided to incorporate meditation into his daily life forever.
Nowadays Terry teaches a variety of meditations learned and practiced over three decades having spent a significant amount of time studying in the Far East. Some of the various exercises Terry teaches his students and offers in seminars include:
Stillness meditations: Samatha (breath awareness), Vipassana (insight), visualization, mindfulness, mantra, Zen style koan, Chakra & BrainTap.
Active meditations: walking, tension/relaxation, Qigong (Chi Kung), Reiki, Taiji (Tai Chi), water cleansing, sēnlínyù 森林浴 (forest bathing), Osho meditations: Kundalini, Dynamic, Nadabrahma, Nataraj, Gourishankar, Whirling & No-Dimensions.
And many more.
“The power of meeting challenges in your life greatly depends on the way you choose to perceive them. This does not mean deluding yourself or ignoring the things that happen in life, for one should not live in illusion. It simply means that your perception can change how you respond to the events that occur.” ~ Terry Hodgkinson
Last Saturday, I spent the morning meditating under Terry Hodgkinson’s guidance. My experience was illuminating. Terry provided an introduction to meditation – he is pure in his word(s) and teaching(s) and this type of teaching can only come from lived experience and wisdom. I will be returning and will learn more. Thanks again Terry.
The Mental Benefits of Meditation Are Only the Beginning
It would be easy to assume that meditation benefits the mind only but take a moment now and consider the fact that your mind and your thoughts are connected to every other aspect of your life.
You are a connected being; your thinking effects your emotions, and your emotions affect your physical body. Your mind, your physical body, your emotions and the spiritual dimension of your life are all intertwined. Let’s look at some benefits meditation has on your whole being.
Psychological Benefits of Meditation
Meditation can assist in many areas that are related to your mindset, such as:
- Improving your memory
- Enhancing your creativity
- Drastically improving your ability to think clearly
- Improved problem solving abilities
- Decreasing & eliminating depression
- Decreasing anxiety
- Helping to resolve addictions
- Reducing irritability and moodiness
- Enjoying a more positive outlook
- Smile more
Physical Benefits of Meditation
One of the major benefits of meditation is that it affects your entire nervous system in a positive way. Many of the physical benefits that result from this include:
- Reduced muscular tension
- Strengthened immune system
- Accelerated ability to recover from strenuous exercise
- Decreased high blood pressure
- Lowered cholesterol levels
- Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease
- Reduced strain related pain, such as headaches
- Ability to sleep more deeply and restfully
- Improved flow of air to the lungs resulting in easier breathing
- Reduction of free radicals – organic molecules responsible for aging, tissue damage and possibly some diseases
- Reduced levels of stress hormones such as cortisol
- Increased feelings of vitality and rejuvenation
Emotional Benefits of Meditation
Often overlooked are the many benefits of meditation that relate to your emotional wellbeing. People who meditate not only experience a reduction in stress, they also report emotional improvements such as:
- Improved sense of positivity
- Increased confidence
- Greater ability to give and receive love
- Elimination of panic attacks
- Greater sense of warmth and openness towards others
Spiritual Benefits of Meditation
Last but certainly not least are the benefits of meditation that relate to spirituality. People that meditate often experience:
- A greater sense of purpose and meaning in their lives
- A feeling of connectedness to others
- An openness to love and to higher guidance
- Improved intuition
- A tendency to “let go” and go with the flow of life
- A way of knowing your True Inner Self
Experienced meditators often describe feeling a blissful wholeness and a deep inner connection to all life. Incredible depths of inner peace – peace that is beyond all understanding and description – lies within us all, and meditation is the key to awakening this unfathomable dimension of freedom.
I want to take a moment to thank Terry Hodgkinson for this. Just having Terry there to help me see things from a different perspective, seeing how a cycle in my OWN life was repeating, like I do for others on a daily basis, was a catalyst of coming out of that perpetuating negativity! Talk about a phoenix rising from the ashes.
“It’s not you start meditation and you become a Buddhist monk. Meditation will help promote attention and metacognition. The benefits are real and beneficial.”
~ Sara Lazar, Harvard neuroscientist
Having been previously diagnosed with both depression and anxiety disorders, summarily prescribed every type of ‘medication’ you can imagine, Terry Hodgkinson encouraging me to discover ‘new’ solutions, based on ancient practices for developing a successful management strategy. I now have internal resources to draw on, and it has made all the difference.
Terry Hodgkinson Talks Meditation on TV
Terry I totally loved your workshop today. You bring an awesome perspective into it with the wisdom that you have gained from your martial arts background and the knowledge that you have acquired from your incredible mystical journeys all over the world. By teaching a variety of different meditations you allow, the body and mind to fully relax. It also appeals to different personality gifts and learning styles.
Follow Along with One of Terry’s Recorded Meditations
Through Sifu Hodgkinson I was able to see the value in mastering something and having faith in myself and in the unknown. Learning to question things that we may or may not understand, and seeing things from other points of view, I learned to trust my senses and intuition.
Schedule a group, personal or online meditation session or book Terry Hodgkinson to teach at your next event.
See what people are saying about Terry’s meditation seminars
To whom it may concern,
I attended Terry Hodgkinson’s Meditation Intensive day just recently and I loved it!
I found it necessary to learn to meditate properly because I have found that in these very stressful and busy times, I needed to attain the proper tools in order to keep my personal and business life balanced.
Mr. Hodgkinson gave the class the basics of what meditation is and how we could incorporate it in our own lives so that we could achieve peace and keep our balance while dealing with the stresses of everyday life. Throughout the day, we were thought many different types of meditation, which was great because I got to choose which one works best for me.
He taught us how to meditate in a very simple way and because of that I came home feeling clear about meditation and excited about having new tools for my life.
I feel that this class would be perfect for everyone, whether you are an employee at a business or if you want to learn it for yourself. I really feel it would be excellent to teach our youth so that when troubled times come their way, they will have healthy life skills to deal with them.
Mr. Hodgkinson, thanks so much for such an informative, fun filled day. I would recommend your “Meditation Intensive Day” to everyone! With Gratitude.
If you were to type in “meditation” on a Google search or YouTube, within 1 hour of research, off the cuff, you will see nothing but valuable information on the benefits of meditation.
More and more doctors are prescribing forms of meditation ranging from stress management to healing skin diseases, such as psoriasis and eczema, with backing data to support the research.
Terry Hodgkinson’s meditation seminars are the ideal starting point for those wishing to take up meditation practice, or for seasoned meditators alike. Terry covers a wide range of meditation techniques from his vast experience and travels. As a seasoned meditator, I highly recommend his seminar. There is always something new to explore, for someone like myself with years of experience on the cushion….it’s the perfect answer to today’s challenges in a modern, informal setting. Don’t miss it!
When I met Terry Hodgkinson in the mid 90’s, I knew there was something special about him. At first I couldn’t put my finger on it. I had met superb martial artists before and encountered dozens of talented therapists, but with Terry there was something more. As we became close business associates and friends, I realized what it was; Terry is authentic. In the world of self-help, there seems to be a new guru or an acclaimed breakthrough every week, but most of these fall short in substance and method. In Terry I found the real deal. He had walked the walk.
Terry Hodgkinson is a very genuine teacher whose compassion shows in his willingness to pass the wisdom and knowledge to those who have been seeking it. In searching for a mentor and teacher to further my practice in mastering my mind, I re-connected with Terry on numerous occasions and eventually I become one of his fortunate students in Martial Arts and Meditation. You can find the wisdom he shares in his book – The Memoirs of a Wandering Ninja, and in his many talks he organizes throughout the year. I always look forward to his lessons and when listening to him when he speaks you know such wisdom stems from the heart. I am grateful to have a great mentor and friend.