Practice: Learning a Tool of Meditation to Bring Relief in the Here and Now
Last week I broke down that mindfulness is the basic human ability to become fully aware to the present moment, non-judgmentally; and that it has formal and informal practices. The informal practice of Mindfulness is seeking mindfulness in every day life, as you live it. It can be as simple as a shift in your attention to the present moment while driving, brushing one’s teeth, or listening to a friend, without thinking about what you’re going to say next or whether you agree with them fully.
Today, we’re talking about Formal Mindfulness practices, which are not necessarily “different” but rather Mindfulness done with a more clear intention and time. There are many different types of Formal Mindfulness practices. For a list, feel free to click here: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/your_mindfulness_practice_can_be_formal_or_informal. The Formal practice I’m focusing on today is “Meditation”.
But first I want to dispel a couple myths:
Meditation is not just for hippies or religious people: For many, the image that comes to mind is probably someone in some kind of serious sitting posture. The first time I heard of meditation, I thought of eastern religions where people chant “Ohm” and also of Rafiki from Lion King (where he’s seated cross-legged with his arms out to the side, middle finger and thumb touching) haha.
You don’t have to be be Rafiki, religious, a hippie, or crunchy to practice Meditation, because meditation is a skill not a belief system. Meditation is a tool that we can draw on when life gets tough --that way we can manage stress and respond in ways that are lined up with our deepest values and wisdom. Historically, there have been a lot of assumptions about meditation, but over the last 5-10 years, mindfulness-based therapy has become not only more popular, but has substantial research proving it’s effectiveness for mental health. In fact, one scientific study carried out by Oxford University and using 238 employees from Googld and Roche found that 8 weeks of using the Headspace app for 10-20 minutes resulted in a 31% decrease in symptoms of anxiety and 46% in depression symptoms.
Which brings me to the second myth I want to address is that “Meditation is only for people with a lot of free time”. Studies show that even a few minutes of quieting the mind and body on a regular basis can produce substantial benefits—less depression, less anxiety, lower blood pressure—and improvements in memory and attention. Meditation can be as simple as setting aside one minute. The practice is not a “one and done solution” to mental health issues, however. The consistent practice of Mindfulness is training your brain to default to a more relaxed state. If you have ever learned a new skill - running for a 5K or learning to knit or play an instrument, it takes time for the body to learn a “new normal”. So it is with meditation. Start small and build your skill of Mindfulness.
Before I give some guides of Meditation, here are some
Key principles for Meditation:
Set aside time: whether it is 30 seconds or 20 minutes, set aside time in your day to draw away to a quiet space, without distractions.
Observe the moment as it is: The aim of mindfulness is not achieve a state of calm (although many times, it is a beautiful byproduct); instead the goal is to pay attention to the present moment, without judgement.
Let your judgements roll down the river. One way you can do this is: When you notice a judgement arise (ie. “Why do I keep getting distracted?”) or even a thought (ie. “what am i going to make for dinner?” or even ruminating over a memory), imagine taking that thought or judgement and placing it in a metaphorical river beside you. Symbolically, watch it roll down the river for a moment, and bring your attention back to the present moment.
Kindly observe the present moment as it is. It is ok that your mind wanders- that’s part of being human and why the practice of mindfulness is not achieving something, but rather is returning again and again to the present moment. Be kind to your wandering mind and gently return to the present.
Now that you have those principles, I invite you to try a Meditation. Below is a short Body Scan Guide that can take as few as 20 seconds. If you’ve never tried a Meditation before, it’s a great space to start. If you’re more familiar with Meditation or up for something more, click here to be guided through a 10 minute Audio Body Scan: https://www.headspace.com/meditation/meditation-for-beginners)
“A good introduction to meditation for beginners is the “body scan” technique, which is actually a great way to cultivate the gentle curiosity we need to bring to a meditation. What’s a body scan? Imagine a photocopier-style scanner slowly moving over you, detecting any physical sensations within the body, without analysis and without trying to change what you feel.
With your eyes closed and starting at the top of the head, mentally scan down your body, from head to toe. As you scan, notice which parts feel relaxed or tense, comfortable or uncomfortable, light or heavy, and so on and so forth. You are simply building a picture of how the body feels right now, in the moment. Each scan should take about 20 seconds. Thoughts may well arise and distract you. If so, simply return to the area of the body where you last left off. In making the body scan a part of your meditation, you are familiarizing yourself with bringing awareness to your thoughts and feelings, in connection with your body”.
-Headspace
I HIGHLY recommend downloading the Calm or Headspace App. You get a few options for free, and even more if you subscribe monthly or yearly. Find a 3-5 minute Body Scan to start getting comfortable with Meditation. Once you're comfortable increase your time or variety of Meditation.
I’ll re-iterate meditation is not a quick-fix strategy; it does take a long-term approach. If you have severe anxiety, always speak to a health care profession to talk through options and figure out how to make meditation part of your healing journey.
If you’ve done the 20 second or 10 minute Body Scan today, great job for trying something new and diving into the present moment. Keep breathing and choosing the present moment.
Resources:
Calm App
Headspace App
https://www.mindful.org/how-to-practice-mindfulness/
https://www.headspace.com/meditation/meditation-for-beginners)
