Meditation

I spent much of my adult life resisting the practice of meditation. Due to some spiritually abusive experiences in my 20s, it didn’t really feel safe, and I was convinced it wasn’t for me… but oh how wrong I was! It has turned out to be a beautifully transformative tool that is helping me to heal, and to practice healthier patterns of self-regulation. The thing that finally convinced me to try meditation was reading a book called The Last Best Cure.

It chronicles a year long experiment in the life of a woman with significant chronic illnesses, as she tests out the role that yoga, meditation, acupuncture, and counseling can play in health and well-being, and the incredible impact that they have on her. I didn’t really know where to begin, so I asked a few friends who I knew already had a meditation practice, and they recommended some apps and books. So I started out by trying apps like Headspace and Insight Timer, and eventually found myself in an MSP funded course called BCALM (I’m so grateful to have a GP who is open to and looks for any and every tool that could help me). It was a very grounded, non-fluffy, spiritually neutral group, which was exactly what I needed at that point. The instructor led us through different types of meditations, taught us how to cultivate mindfulness in the midst of daily living, and shared insights from the ways that meditation has impacted her and the patients she works with (she was a doctor). It was marvelous! And really inspiring to see the impact that cultivating a meditation practice had on all of the group members.

Nowadays, when I try to describe what meditation is, I say it is any physical state that allows your mind to disconnect from your daily problems, stress, pain… just life. No matter if it is mindful meditation, or while moving (think gardening, practicing yoga, coloring books, or walking quietly in the woods), you can meditate in your own way; there is no good or bad way to meditate. You can meditate while cooking, or you can close your eyes, focus on the breath, and intentionally try to disconnect from all that worries you that day. ANYTHING that creates space for the mind and the body to enter its rest and relaxation state, you can call meditating. It also creates space for your heart and brain to reconnect with one another. How is that supposed to help with pain, sleep, or stress? My old “rational self” would be happy, because there is plenty of science behind that.

WHY YOU SHOULD MEDITATE

There is a study that says: “Most of the leading causes of debilitating illness and death are correlated with, if not caused by, stress…research has provided direct links between stress and heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and suicide/self-harm. Further, stress can impact the immune system, leading to vulnerability to infectious and chronic diseases.” Meditation, positive thinking, and disconnecting from negative thoughts creates different reactions in the brain, and as a result helps to resolve inflammation in the body. It reduces the “fight or flight” stress response from our nervous system and increases the “rest, repair, and digest” response. All forms of stress directly affect our health on many levels. Meditation improves cardiovascular, metabolic, and immune health as well as sleep problems, depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and even some autoimmune diseases. Some researchers even say that daily meditation practice leads to an increase in brain gray matter in the frontal cortex, the part of the brain where our memory and executive decision making is located. When our frontal cortex is strong, we are better able to make decisions, and choose how we will respond in stressful situations, rather than allowing impulse reactions to rule our lives.

Unlike sleeping pills, antidepressants, or other prescription drugs, meditation has no negative side effects or downsides. It can be done virtually anywhere, at anytime. There is not just one way to meditate, so if you are a fan of variety in your daily life, there are many options to help keep your wandering mind focused for a moment. To start, just pick one that appeals to you the most, and don’t be afraid to experiment and find what works the best for you. As long as you stay consistent with the practice, it doesn’t matter how many forms you go through to find the right fit.

HOW TO MEDITATE

Everyone can meditate. Even you, who might think you can’t, you don’t know how, or you don’t have time. There is no right or wrong, and there are no rules. You can practice many different ways. Let’s sort them into two basic categories – mindful meditation and active (or moving) meditation.

Mindful meditation (mindfulness) usually requires you to sit still or even lay down in a comfortable place and position, and focus on your breath so your mind doesn’t wander around. If you find yourself thinking about what you are going to cook for dinner or how poorly your boss treated you today at work, your only job is to let these thoughts go (many teachers of meditation refer to “catching thoughts in mid air” or watching the thought train go by instead of getting on board), and return to your breath, letting your mind disconnect. It will surely feel weird at first, and it can be challenging to “think of nothing” for even just a few minutes, but as you practice mindfulness for a couple of weeks or months, this will all become second nature to you. You will learn to calm your thoughts and become aware of your body and mind. You can sit still in silence or you can play some soothing music in the background, or go outside and listen to the sounds of nature while trying to quiet your mind. It can be as simple as pausing to listen to the bird outside your window and letting that be all that is important for that moment.

There are also specific breathing techniques you might want to try, for example equal breathing, diaphragmatic breathing, or nostril breathing. These all require some mental control and by focusing on the breath, your mind will wander less and less with each practice. One great example of mindful practice is Loving-kindness meditation, a method that comes from Buddhist tradition and is all about cultivating love. This method involves adding some positive phrases, visualisations, and intentions into the practice. Many people, especially those who suffer from any type of chronic disease, tend not to love themselves and their bodies. We may even hate our physical bodies for being in pain and we can see them as our enemies. This love and self-love focused practice is very gentle, warm, and helpful for all of those who recognize a need to work on their relationship with themselves. This can also take the form of sending loving thoughts or prayers to someone you care about, or even someone who is challenging in your life.

If you still find it difficult to meditate on your own, try looking into guided meditation. There are plenty of YouTube videos, iTunes podcasts, and even apps for your phone dedicated to guided meditation. These usually contain some relaxing music along with a narration, helping you relax, focus, and breathe. Some of these guided meditation tracks are specifically created to help you fall asleep, so don’t be surprised if that actually happens. I personally love this idea and from time to time I use an Android app called Lightning Bug that allows you to create your own tracks with different sound effects like rain, a waterfall, or birds singing, or even a barking dog or refrigerator noise. This app was especially helpful to me when I moved and my new surroundings had completely different sounds than my previous home. I missed the sound of the river running behind my old house and even the neighbours’ dog barking all night. Also, I had tinnitus back in those days, so meditating in a quiet environment made me focus on that annoying sound in my ear over anything else. People who have to travel and have trouble sleeping outside their usual environment might find this app helpful for both sleeping and meditation. For Apple users, there is an awesome app called Calm, and also Headspace for both Apple and Android users.

Moving meditation includes any form of activity that helps you manage stress by engaging yourself in that activity enough so that your mind is focused just on that one thing you are doing and doesn’t get distracted. Yoga or any other exercise you find relaxing (for some it can be weightlifting too), walking or jogging, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, cooking, gardening, building something, dancing, coloring books, painting, drawing, knitting… you name it. As long as you enjoy what you are doing and you are able to focus on just that, you meditate. If you shift your thoughts and focus towards positive things and feelings, you actually break the cycle of negative emotions and stress.

Yoga is an excellent way to meditate. A gentle, restorative practice helps your body get stronger and healthier; even just five minutes a day can make a huge change. You don’t have to be a super flexible person to be able to practice, all you need is comfortable clothes and some kind of mat, towel, or a pillow (and preferably a surface you won’t slide around on). While there are benefits to participating in a group class and having an instructor there to help you, you don’t really have to take a group class. There are many great online resources you can go through in the comfort of your own home. A few examples of great websites with free yoga classes are: DoYogaWithMe.com, DoYouYoga.com or Yoga With Adriene. Focusing on your breath during the session and learning to be aware of your body gives you both the benefits of movement, and of stress management. If you are looking for more professional yoga coaching but still practice at home, check out Zenward, an online yoga school that includes individual customer support you usually can’t get with other online Yoga programs, a large supportive community, and even 30 day beginner classes for total beginners, so you can ease into yoga at your own pace and gradually get more flexible, strong, and confident with your body movement and breath.

Knitting, drawing, or coloring books are great activities that don’t require much space or huge investments (or a lot of movement if you are dealing with chronic pain or fatigue). A ball of yarn or a piece of paper is all you need. Knitting is a great meditation for many people because (unless you are working on some fancy complicated pattern) it is a simple repetitive motion that might seem to be boring, but is very relaxing actually. If you’ve ever watched little kids coloring in their coloring books or drawing a picture, you can see how focused they are and how hard it is to distract them from that activity, like they forgot all about the world around them. Probably inspired by that, coloring books for adults have recently become very popular, especially among people who suffer from chronic pain and autoimmune issues. Anything that works as a distraction from their symptoms is highly appreciated within our community. I purchased my first adult coloring book and a box of pencil crayons when I was in a chronic stress situation and nothing else seemed to help me. On the first day, I was coloring for four hours straight, without even realizing it. I completely forgot about every issue I had. Simple drawing or painting works similarly. Psychologist agree that this simple, yet relaxing activity is very beneficial and might be the best alternative to meditation; it encourages your creativity and supports a state of calm, relaxation, and peace, enabling you to disconnect from the outer world for a few moments any time you need to. I personally think that even reading can be considered a meditative activity. Getting lost in a fictional story is my favorite way of disconnecting from everyday problems.

Even more active ways to calm your mind include walking, running, or dancing. When I am walking around the city, I prefer having my earphones in with some music I enjoy, but when taking a walk in nature, it is amazing to just be surrounded by the Earth’s soundtrack. I don’t think there is anything more beautiful and relaxing that walking in the woods (preferably barefoot), slowly and quietly, enjoying all the sounds, colors, and smells. We can pause and take joy in spotting a wild animal or seeing a wild flower in bloom. And when I include some barefoot walking, I feel especially connected to all the beauty that surrounds me at that moment. Jogging, running, and dancing, as many joggers and dancers will probably agree on, is even able to get you in some kind of trance-like state, which is awesome for freeing your mind. I love Swing dancing (lindy hop, blues, and west coast to be more specific)! When the music starts to play, my brain focuses all of its attention on that rhythm and the collaborative movement I am creating with my partner. It has the added benefit of feeling connected with your partner (positive, safe touch), socializing without putting too much energy into conversation, a sense of belonging to a community, and just getting lost in the music and the creative flow it brings out in you. It’s also a playful, silly, and even flirtatious dance and I’ve never walked away from an event without smiling and laughing. This mental high can last for a long time even after the activity, so get your dose of meditation, your very own magical stress antidote, any time you can.

HOW TO START MEDITATING

Meditating is actually very simple. It does not require a prescription, any experience, special education, or fancy equipment, you simply choose the method that sounds the most appealing to you and give it a go. There are great sources of information about meditation and mindfulness, so if you would like to read more and educate yourself, feel free to explore any of the resources you can find. Once again, there is no right or wrong in meditation. Just a short practice every day, as little as eight to twelve minutes, makes a huge difference. If you would like to read more, I recommend the book Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn. The Last Best Cure also contains wonderful insights and resources as it follows the author’s journey through a year long experiment to discover the impact meditation, yoga, acupuncture, and counseling would have on her health. If you prefer educating yourself by listening, go ahead and check out this episode of Phoenix Helix podcast about Meditation Healing, where four ladies with different autoimmune conditions share their own experience with all kinds of meditation approaches.

If you like the idea of guided meditation, you might enjoy OmHarmonics, a collection of meditation audios created to guide you into deep meditation, decrease stress and relax your body and mind. There is a free trial that includes a ten day guide, some audio files to download and free 60 minute online training, which is perfect if you are completely new to meditation and mindfulness practice. Creative Visualization is another unique resource for a different meditation approach based on the latest research about mental well-being, that was created to help you overcome challenges, shift into a positive mindset, experience better physical and emotional health, and much more, including cultivating a sense of your own unique purpose in the world.

Managing stress can be a challenge, especially when you are faced by multiple stressors each day. Mindfulness is possibly one of the best ways to help your body with stress relief. If you dig into the research, or read The Last Best Cure, you will soon see that it’s not a theory or a waste of time. It is not a privilege accessible only to a few to have ten minutes every day to just sit and “do nothing,” for most of us, in this crazy busy world, it is a necessity. Allow yourself to tune out every day for just a couple of minutes, even just to pause and take three deep breaths. Small steps can add up to a huge change in your overall well-being. You can do it.

Do you meditate already? How and why did you begin? What is your favorite meditation technique? Which method are you most curious about? Share your story with us in the comments below to inspire others!