Mind Over Matter: How to Use Meditation to Combat Stress ~ By Denis Faye Like many a poor sap trying to make the most of this hectic world, my mind tends to churn like a washing machine filled with ferrets. Even in the most tranquil of moments, dozens of thoughts scrape and bite to get to the top of my consciousness—and most of the time, its the big ugly ones that win the race. Rodents and household appliances aside, you may know this phenomenon simply as stress. You have a million things to do and a billion things to worry about. We all do. Its the curse of the modern age. Unfortunately, most of us look to pursuits to take the edge off; they may seem to help, but actually compound the problem. Theres nothing wrong with the occasional cocktail, or a little mindless television from time to time, but activities like this dont solve anything. They just cover up your issues and make your thought process all the more unruly. If youre looking for a serious solution, meditation is a far more effective way to cut through the cerebral clutter—and unlike a booze bender or a reality TV marathon, it only takes 5 to 10 minutes a day The Benefits of Meditation: People tend to associate meditation with Eastern religions like Buddhism and Hinduism, but Judeo-Christian fans may be surprised to learn that there are references to meditation in the Old Testament. And, in Islam, meditation is an important part of Sufism. Although there are certainly connections to religion, meditation, in the modern sense, can be completely secular. No blue deities, no transcending this earthly form, no incense (unless you dig that, then its, like, totally cool)—just an opportunity to organize your thoughts and take back your brain from the laundry list of external forces pulling you in a million directions. The science on the benefits of meditation is super strong, especially when it comes to stress reduction. Research appearing in the Journal of Biomedical Research shows that meditation does this by increasing parasympathetic activity. Your nervous system is divided into two parts—sympathetic and parasympathetic. The sympathetic nervous system controls your fight or flight reactions. Its the predominant nervous system when youre under the gun. The parasympathetic nervous system controls your rest and digest functions. In other words, when things are mellow, the parasympathetic takes charge—and meditation makes that happen more often.1 But thats just part of the story. A consistent meditation practice has been scientifically linked to improved cardiovascular health, focus, and information processing.2 In fact, if you pick a malady at random, odds are that theres a reasonably credible study showing that meditation either improves symptoms or acts as an effective way to manage symptoms. Theres really no reason not to do it. How to Meditate: Many people mistakenly think the goal of all meditation is to turn off your brain. This is one technique (sort of), but in truth the definition of meditation shifts depending on whom you ask. In some circles, its a matter of reading a philosophical/religious text and contemplating the key passages (suggestions: the Bible, the Tao Te Ching, or Winnie the Pooh). Tony Horton often refers to yoga as moving meditation. When Im cycling alone, I often focus so intently on my breathing and the cadence of my peddling that it becomes a form of meditation. Some people consider sitting on a favorite park bench and breathing deeply for five minutes to be meditative. However you do it, the key to any good meditation practice is to quiet the noise in your brain—not drown it out or dope it up, but actively calm it down. All those options aside, if youre looking for something more specific, there are a few meditation techniques that have been shown to be especially effective. First, its important to find a quiet place with minimal distractions. Here in Los Angeles, lots of people prefer the beach. Frankly, I find the waves, the birds, and the beauty of it all just too distracting. My favorite place to meditate is the middle of my living room, at about 6 AM before my daughter and my dog wake up demanding waffles and kibble (in that order). Next, sit comfortably, but up straight. You want to be comfy because, once you master it, youll be there for a while. You want to be upright for a couple reasons. Many experts claim its necessary because a straight spine allows energy to flow better. Personally, I think sitting up straight is a good way to avoid accidentally falling asleep. If you have back issues, do what you need to do. I elevate my rump by sitting cross-legged on a yoga bolster. I also support my spine by sitting with my back against a wall. Finally, start with five minutes a day and increase gradually as it becomes easier. Odds are, your thoughts are going to be all over the map the first few times you do it. Thats cool. Even if your practice felt like a complete mess, it benefited you given it took you one step closer to learning how to calm your brain. Youll get there. Just try again tomorrow. From here, there are a number of practices to experiment with. You might want to try a variation of Transcendental Meditation (TM), developed by Maharashi Mahesh Yogi, who you might remember as that yogi guy who hung out with the Beatles. In this practice, you pick a mantra to focus on—a word that has meaning to you and feels right, such as love or heal or beer. (It could happen.) Armed with your mantra, sit quietly and repeat it silently to yourself. When your mind wanders—which it will—simply steer it back to your mantra. Another technique is mindfulness meditation. Like the TM variation above, start with a focal point—typically your breath. Thatll hold your attention for a little while, but soon thoughts or sensations will try to take over. Dont try steering away from these things. Instead, accept them without judgment and let them pass by, like waves on a beach or clouds in the sky. If it helps, you can also assign tags to help you observe thoughts passively. For example, lets say youre in the middle of meditating and suddenly you remember how one of your coworkers stole your lunch out of the fridge yesterday. Instead of following that path and letting your anger consume you, assign it a tag that describes how you feel, like anger. Now, just repeat anger in your head, distancing yourself from both the thought and the emotion. It should soon pass. Ive found this technique to be an incredibly powerful tool for managing my emotions. It can also be used for pain management, by isolating and passively accepting pain instead of letting it consume you—which can be a massive benefit when Shaun Ts got your legs searing in the middle of an INSANITY® workout. If youre looking for a more in-depth look into mindfulness meditation, I strongly recommend Meditation for Beginners by Jack Kornfield. The modern world is a stressful place. Sometimes, theres nothing you can do about the barrage of stressors that make up daily life. You can, however, change how you—and your body—react to them, so take a deep breath and take back your life.
Posted on: Fri, 15 Nov 2013 12:41:49 +0000
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