In times of lockdown – and hard lockdown, mental health is most important for those living in lockdown – especially hard lockdown. The Brahma Kumaris commumity of Australia has produced a series of meditations which may be of help in bringing peoples to inner stillness. We take a look at The Sanctuary Experience and how it can help people in lockdown.
The largest survey of Australians’ mental health during the stay-at-home restrictions found many of us felt anxious and depressed.
Meditation can help people manage anxiety and their feelings
Lockdown affects Children
While quarantining adults has generally led to negative psychological effects, including confusion, anger, and post-traumatic distress, children experience distraction at being separated from playmates, friends, their school and their teachers.
Children take quickly to meditation and experience its benefits straight-away.
Lockdown and Older People
The management of lockdown presents a perfect storm for mental distress for older people by enforcing isolation and heightening perceptions of risk of death and illness.
Older people can listen to meditation and meditative music to bring inner stillness.
The Sanctuary Experience
The Sanctuary Experience is a Brahma Kumaris project designed to support an atmosphere of peace and stillness for people affected by natural and man-made emergencies. This atmosphere helps people to centre and ground themselves and return to a state of calm through gentle music, guided meditations and silence.
Following trauma-informed guidelines, we have created a series of guided meditations. These meditations are designed to support people in restoring their sense of balance. This may assist them in moving from a state of emotional stress to a state of relative inner stillness, from where healing can begin.
These meditations provide a space to feel calm, secure and safe. They provide a little time for some self-care, a gentle place of rest and comfort, a healing space.
The guided meditations are voiced by Carmen Warrington, who also created the soothing music. Carmen is well-known around the world for her BK commentaries and also for the ABC series ‘Meditations for Life’, in partnership with master percussionist, David Jones. Carmen supports people to connect with their own inner peaceful sanctuary.
You may listen to these commentaries individually or together. Taken together, they have more power to soothe.
Click the image below to visit The Sanctuary Experience and listen to the meditation music
