Music for meditation

INNER ALCHEMY: Guided meditation CDs for the New Millenium, New Mind Records, total running time for each CD approximately 1 hour.

This series of ten CDs, three of which are reviewed here, present a bright range of guided meditations that will help you the listener connect with and use the different parts of your being. The speaker on the journey is Mary Rodwell, R.N., who is an experienced counsellor and hypnotherapist. She is also the Principal of ACERN (Australian Close Encounter Research Network). The background music is composed and performed by David Sandercock, B.Mus. (Hons.). L Mus.

The initial visual presentation of the media package is very colourful and professional with explanations of the content along with a few disclaimers and several well-credited testimonials. These meditations make use of the latest audio technology with subliminal messages, trance-inducing frequencies and binaural beat technology. The audio content is straightforward, with Mary’s very pleasant voice helping to create a deeply relaxed state. The music is superb, never overwhelming, and the purity enhances the relaxed state. As with all such products the experience is enhanced by using headphones or earphones.

Connecting to the Inner Healer – 59 mins.  This meditation will help you contact your inner healer to help the body heal itself. Ms Rodwell uses sound psychological principles in her guidance to aid your visualization. There is no overt reference to any particular spiritual or healing path and what visualizations you produce will be your own. The music on this recording was subtle in its perfection and Mary’s calm, measured voice is gentle and reassuring. At no time does the exquisite music intrude into the commentary. Instead, it takes its place as an elemental aid to the overall experience. I am not a good meditator, being fidgety, but I found myself becoming calm and enjoying the experience. Afterward I felt totally relaxed and, as a thoroughly welcome surprise, some of my more annoying chronic pain felt much better for some time. I would suggest that if used often, this meditation could bring about long-lasting changes.

Connecting to the Wise You – 55 mins.  We all have a wise part of our being, but unfortunately it is sometimes hard to access! This meditation will give you the chance to access that higher self, or the Super–Conscious self. The first track of the CD gives a general introduction to the whole Inner Alchemy set, and the voice is slightly echoing; probably to set the mood for the rest of the session. However, once the meditation gets underway, Ms Rodwell’s reassuring voice guides you to the place in which you can create your own alchemy for the changes you want in your life. I found I could hear the binaural beats in this recording. This was slightly distracting until I consciously blocked it out. Once again the music was delightful. It was a little more intrusive in this recording, but with a crisp sound and luscious composition.

Connecting to your Spirit Guides – 51 mins.  This recording, of the three, is the most concerned with the spiritual realm and how to access helpers in that realm. I was a little apprehensive about this. I should not have been concerned as the meditation followed similar lines to the others. In the deeply relaxed state it is easy to encourage the transformation or alchemy in your own being with help of your gifted helpers and guides. I was so relaxed in my first try that I fell asleep, so I listened again the next day and found it very rewarding and affirming. This is probably the most detailed visualization of these three CDs. The feeling level is high and the listener is taken to a place of utter safety, unconditional love and nurturing. You will be able to access the loving energy of whatever you call your guides. It may be an angel, a guide or your higher self. The music on this recording is particularly beautiful and there are gentle ambient sounds that fit in perfectly.

I found these guided meditation CDs a refreshing change from the usual run of products in this area. Please avoid cheap imitations of these processes that sell on certain auction sites. Inner Alchemy is a professional product that makes correct use of modern audio technology, psychological and counseling principles. In particular, the binaural beat will entrain your brainwave activity to a much higher level of function. I feel sure that listeners will feel alert, with higher energy, but calmer in the mind after listening to any of these three CDs on a regular basis. I will certainly be using them.

Mary Rodwell’s very long career in this and related fields give her strong credentials to present a brilliant product and she doesn’t disappoint. I give this audio presentation very high marks and recommend it to you.

Jennifer Hoskins