How To Feel Like A Meditation Master in 20 Minutes

I'm still a beginner at meditation, and it takes me quite a while just to calm down. And like many beginning (and even experienced) meditators, my racing thoughts are never too far from the surface. But when I was checking out new trends at a Spa Magazine show, I was impressed by a treatment called "Satori Space", which is going to be offered at the North Beach Plantation Resort and Spa when it opens next year in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

You put on a set of headphones and lay back in a white chair and place your feet on a footstool. You don't hear music -- it's more like sounds of the sea and the pure tones of crystal bowls. At the same time your body is literally "vibrating with sound" because the chair and stool are transmitting sound in varying intensities.

These shows can be very intense and for me, overstimulating. So I was amazed how quickly I relaxed. I could hear all the buzz going on outside the booth, which was just closed with a piece of fabric. But it didn't distract me or disturb my peace -- just like experienced meditators can go through adversity without losing their sense of deep well-being and happiness.

Rod Slane, who created it, says that's because the sound and vibration creates a synchronization effect between the left and right hemispheres of your brain. It is called "whole brain functioning" and it occurs naturally during the meditative state. It is associated with feelings of overall physical and mental wellness.

When I left the Satori Space, I was much calmer and more "grounded" despite all the stimulation around me. "So this is what the meditation masters feel like!" I thought. The Spa at North Beach Plantation is going to offer it as a 25 and 50-minute treatment.

You can also buy a unit to use at home called the WAV, for $200. It's about the size of an i-pod, and contains six hours of specially-compressed vibrational programs, including ones called, relax, meditate, and sleep. I want to get my hands on this one!