| Meditation is healthy, safe and affordable. | | | | syndrome. Following meditation, mental and |
| In fact it's free. The only expense you'll | | | | physical refreshment result - and benefits |
| have is a meditation mat, which isn't | | | | are cumulative with regular practice." |
| especially necessary-at least from my | | | | |
| experience. Meditation has been around for | | | | How to Meditate |
| 5,000 years, and was originally a spiritual | | | | |
| component of yoga. Through the years | | | | Meditation is both simple and complex. It's |
| non-yogis adopted it, intuitively sensing and | | | | like defining the color orange: When you see |
| connecting the practice with greater peace of | | | | it you know it. Similarly, the experience of |
| mind. Personally, I can't say enough good | | | | meditation is best, well...experienced. In an |
| things about meditation. Its use has rewarded | | | | article in New View magazine, Shippensburg |
| me with less worry and much more energy. But | | | | University's Dr. C. George Boeree describes |
| I've never been one for anecdotal evidence. | | | | the basics of Buddhist meditation. In |
| Let's get to the science... | | | | summary, the beginner's technique is as |
| | | | follows: |
| Transcendental Meditation | | | | |
| | | | 1. Sit or kneel comfortably. |
| Recently, there's an incredible amount of | | | | |
| science tied into the benefits of meditation. | | | | 2. The hands are loose and open with the |
| The studies are endless and cover a variety | | | | palms up, one atop the other and thumbs |
| of meditative practices. On Transcendental | | | | lightly touching. |
| Meditation alone (mantra repetition) there | | | | |
| are over 500 studies. Some are more | | | | 3. Head is upright. Eyes may be closed or |
| noteworthy that others. A study in the | | | | open. If open they should focus on your hands |
| Japanese Journal of Public Health found that | | | | or a spot nearby. |
| through Transcendental Meditation, industrial | | | | |
| workers sleep improved and their smoking | | | | 4. Beginning meditators should count upwards |
| decreased. Another study conducted at MERU | | | | to ten on each exhale. Breathe in a relaxed |
| Research Institute, in Buckinghamshire, | | | | and natural way. Then begin again at one and |
| England found that the length of time | | | | repeat. Continue to breathe naturally. |
| practicing the Transcendental Meditation and | | | | |
| TM-Sidhi program correlated with younger | | | | 5. Continue for 15 minutes. |
| biological age and younger functional age. | | | | |
| | | | In my personal experience, I don't find that |
| Mindfulness Meditation | | | | the specific length of time is as important |
| | | | as repetition and persistence. To paraphrase, |
| Mindfulness meditation, which asks us to | | | | 10 minutes daily beats 15 minutes once a |
| focus on our breath to facilitate awareness | | | | week. This brings me to another point: We all |
| of the present moment, is another widely | | | | have different personalities and as such, |
| studied meditation technique. After studying | | | | different meditation approaches suit some |
| the effects of 8-weeks of mindfulness | | | | more than others. Thankfully there are many |
| meditation on participants, a 2003 report in | | | | varieties of meditation. Some varieties have |
| the Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine | | | | sub-varieties. |
| concluded: "A short program in mindfulness | | | | |
| meditation produces demonstrable effects on | | | | Mindfulness meditation is one of these |
| brain and immune function." Impressive, but | | | | versatile practices. Perhaps it's because its |
| fairly vague. To get a more committed | | | | essence-awareness of the present moment-is so |
| response to the benefits of meditation we | | | | versatile. Mindfulness in our daily life can |
| have to turn to Taiwan. In 2002 their journal | | | | be practiced by slowing down and attending to |
| Chang Gung Medicine reported that "training | | | | our surroundings. What are our 5 senses |
| in MM may be a medically superior and | | | | telling us? We can use mindfulness in the |
| cost-effective alternative to pain medication | | | | middle of a hectic day, such as paying |
| for the control of headaches with no | | | | attention to our breathing when stopped at a |
| underlying organic causes in highly motivated | | | | traffic light. We can also use other everyday |
| patients." | | | | events as triggers for mindfulness. Buckling |
| | | | your seatbelt? Make this a reminder to return |
| Stress Reduction and Meditation | | | | to the present. Really think about what |
| | | | you're doing and the details of the |
| What causes these positive physical changes? | | | | experience. |
| To answer this, other research has looked at | | | | |
| the specifics of what happens in the body | | | | The more traditional may benefit from a more |
| during meditation. . Researchers at the | | | | formal mindfulness practice. You may sit in |
| Maharishi School of Management in Fairfield, | | | | the identical form as in traditional Buddhist |
| Iowa, found that meditation has an enormous | | | | meditation- on a chair or kneeling. However, |
| impact on stress reduction. When they | | | | you may also sit with your legs crossed. Your |
| examined a group who had meditated for four | | | | eyes are closed and your posture is both |
| months they saw that they produced less of | | | | straight and relaxed while your head remains |
| the stress hormone cortisol. They were | | | | upright. Focus on your breath and allow |
| therefore better able to adapt to stress in | | | | mental chatter to float by without regard. |
| their lives, no matter what their | | | | Thoughts, emotions and sensations will come, |
| circumstances were. | | | | but don't be influenced by them. Keep focused |
| | | | on your breath. If you are getting involved |
| Having balanced cortisol levels is essential | | | | with your thoughts don't worry-your efforts |
| to mental and emotional health. Notice I say | | | | aren't destroyed. The key thing is to bring |
| balanced rather than none. We don't want to | | | | your attention back to breathing and |
| completely eliminate cortisol. If we did we'd | | | | continue. This can go on for 5 minutes to 5 |
| be dead. Even low cortisol levels can be | | | | hours. It's up to you. |
| dangerous. Not enough cortisol is the | | | | |
| identifying trait of Addison's disease. John | | | | Transcendental Meditation is another popular |
| F. Kennedy had this condition, which he | | | | form of meditation. Generally, this type is |
| denied passionately during his presidency. | | | | practiced twice daily for a period of 15-20 |
| Yet during his term he regulated his levels | | | | minutes. Again, this technique involves |
| through hydrocortisone (synthetic cortisol). | | | | sitting comfortably. Yet in contrast to basic |
| The reverse of JFK's condition is called | | | | Buddhist the eyes stay closed. Each student |
| Cushings Syndrome. The five most common and | | | | is given a mantra and is instructed to induce |
| noticeable changes of this condition include; | | | | relaxation through use of this mantra. Since |
| red face and puffy cheeks; excess fat | | | | many of either can't or won't go to a formal |
| surrounding the collar bones, muscle | | | | TM class, a no-fail mantra I recommend is the |
| weakness, and hypertension. But we don't have | | | | classic OM. In The Heart of Yoga, T.K.V |
| to have Cushing's Syndrome to be damaged by | | | | Desikachar writes that repetition of "OM" |
| extra cortisol. The changes we experience may | | | | enables us to maintain mental and emotional |
| be subtle variations of these. Plus, the | | | | calmness, overcome obstacles and enable |
| changes caused by excess cortisol are age | | | | understanding. It is the shortest of the |
| dependent. Young people may stop growing and | | | | mantras, and is said to be suggestive of God. |
| teenagers can develop acne. The mature among | | | | If you're uncomfortable with the religious |
| us aren't safe either. Since excess cortisol | | | | aspects of OM I suggest a word that has |
| damages bone-tissue those over age 60 may | | | | positive meaning for you, such as love, calm |
| develop fractures related to osteoporosis. So | | | | or peace. Calm is an ideal substitute, since |
| it's evident that if we can regulate | | | | vocally it resembles OM. |
| cortisol, especially through a natural | | | | |
| process, we owe it to ourselves to try. | | | | Final Word |
| | | | |
| Other Benefits of Meditation | | | | You may never, ever choose to meditate. Yet |
| | | | if this is your choice it may be valuable to |
| Regina Drueding, MD, is a meditation | | | | question why. For a long time I was reluctant |
| instructor at Life Circles in Utah, USA. She | | | | because of images of the dropout hippie 60's. |
| quotes the benefits of meditation as follows: | | | | Yet when I tried it the experience overcame |
| "more energy, improved quality of sleep, | | | | my reservations. If you try it the same may |
| decreased anxiety, lessened chronological | | | | happen to you. If it doesn't you haven't lost |
| aging, improved concentration, improved | | | | any money, and you've gained a new |
| visual acuity, increased alertness and | | | | experience. |
| heightened immunity." She writes: "Besides | | | | |
| the benefits mentioned earlier, meditation | | | | Resources: |
| results in improvement of hypertension, sleep | | | | |
| disorders, headaches, heartrhythm | | | | Getting in the Gap: Making Conscious Contact |
| disturbances, chronic pain - pain due to | | | | with God Through Meditation (Hay House Inc. |
| cancer, infertility and irritable bowel | | | | |