Unit 8 Assignment
Alexander Martinez
Purdue Global University
HW499 Bachelor’s Capstone in Health and Wellness
Professor Mark Maule
14 November 2023
Unit 8 Assignment
Course Title: Mastering Meditation for Relaxation
This course will help you discover the art of meditation and unlock its powerful potential
for deep relaxation. Mastering Meditation for Relaxation is designed for experienced or beginner
meditation practitioners and will provide all participants with practical techniques and guidance
to create a sense of tranquility and inner peace. Through a combination of meditation theory,
guided meditations, and practical exercises, participants will learn how to crate a personalized
meditation practice that supports relaxation and stress reduction.
Course Outline
Module 1 (30 minutes): Introduction to Meditation
- Understanding the basics
- Debunking myths and misconceptions
- Benefits of meditation and relaxation
Notes:
- Understanding the basics of meditation is essential to ensure you receive the most benefits
from the practice
- Meditation:
- has been practiced for thousands of years
- is a type of mind-body complimentary medicine
- a tool for relaxation, stress relief, enhance physical, emotional, mental,
spiritual well-being (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2022)
- Common myths:
- Meditation is a religious practice
- Meditation does not have to be a spiritual or religious practice
- Your mind must be clear of all thoughts
- False! Depending on the type of meditation, sometimes it’s good for your
mind to wonder and may provide you with clarity and insight into your thoughts and feelings
- Don’t fight a wondering mind, instead focus on breathing, bodily sensations,
ambient sounds (Volpe, 2023)
- Benefits of meditation and relaxation
- Lower stress levels and ease anxiety
- Release physical tension
- Better sleep
- Provide a sense of calm to support resilience, emotional control (NHS, n.d.)
Module 2 (15 minutes): Preparing for Meditation
- Creating a comfortable environment
- Finding a comfortable sitting or lying position
- Breathing techniques
Notes:
- Creating a comfortable environment
- It is important to find a comfortable environment when meditating
- Can anyone give me examples of a comfortable environment?
- outdoors, in a quiet room, dedicated meditation spot, at home, in quiet office
at work
- Finding a comfortable sitting or lying position
- You want to find a comfortable sitting posture because depending on the length of
meditation, you may be sitting for a while
- Various ways to sit: cross-legged, kneeling, sitting in a chair
- Align your spine, maintain a relaxed yet alert posture
- Lie down with your arms to you side
- Breathing techniques
- Breathing plays a critical role in meditation and relaxation
- helps prevent your mind from wondering
- reducing stress and anxiety, supports relaxation
- align relaxing the body with exhales to fall deeper into rest/relaxation
- diaphragmatic breathing: consciously use your diaphragm to take deep
breaths, strengthens the diaphragm, allows you to use 100% lung capacity (Cleveland Clinic,
n.d.)
Module 3 (30 minutes): Discovering Different Types of Meditation
- Mindfulness
- Guided
- Mantra
- Movement
- Progressive muscle relaxation
- Let’s discover different types of common meditation techniques
- Mindfulness – teaches you to slow down racing thoughts, release negativity, calm
mind, and body by being present and aware of thoughts, feelings, emotions
- Guided – led by an instructor, audio recording, or video. Participants can follow along
with the prompts
- Mantra – repeated word or phrase that has a deeply personal or spiritual meaning to
you
- Progressive muscle relaxation – relaxation technique that helps release body tension
and feel relaxed and calm. Prompts may instruct you to concentrate on specific body parts and
call on you to relax your muscles.
- Many of these techniques can be combined and serve multiple purposes
- There are many other techniques including walking, nature, movement (yoga, Pilates)
Module 4 (15 minutes): Let’s Try It!
- Guided meditation
- Reflection
Notes:
- Now let’s try a 10-minute meditation to give you an idea of how a normal guided meditation
session works
- Guided meditation via YouTube: “Daily Calm – 10-Minute Mindfulness Meditation”
- Link: [Link]
- Welcome back, class!
- Please spend the next few minutes writing down your thoughts. How do you feel after the
meditation (mind, body, emotions)?
Summary & 3-Week Course Conclusion
I want to thank everyone for being a part of this class and being so open to learning about
and experiencing meditation. I challenge you to find time in your days or weeks to take a break
from your lives and meditate.
Additionally, this is the conclusion of the three-week course that covered various health
and wellness topics. In lesson 1 we discussed the topic of nutritional health, specifically about
multivitamin supplements. In lesson 2 we discussed mind-body practices and how these practices
support your overall well-being. Here in lesson 3 we dug deeper into mind-body practices and
learned about meditation. I hope these lessons spark your curiosity into the world of
complimentary and alternative medicine and I encourage you to continue this journey. Good luck
and stay healthy.
Handouts
References
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2022, April 29). A beginner’s guide to
meditation. Mayo Clinic. [Link]
depth/meditation/art-20045858
Volpe, A. (2023, May 28). A guide to meditation for people who think they can’t meditate. Vox.
[Link]
to-meditate
NHS. (n.d.). How to meditate for beginners. NHS choices. [Link]
matters/mental-wellbeing-tips/how-to-meditate-for-beginners/#benefits
Diaphragmatic breathing exercises & benefits. Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.-a).
[Link]
YouTube. (2016). Daily Calm | 10 Minute Mindfulness Meditation | Be Present. YouTube.
Retrieved November 14, 2023, from [Link]
