About six years ago I was introduced to the benefits of meditation by a book called Undoing Perpetual Stress by Richard O’Connor Ph.D. In the book he outlines all of the physiological things that happen to your body when you’re under continual stress, the psychological habits and/or issues that contribute to the stress response and a number of different ways to combat stress or lessen it on regular basis. Having had some experience with meditation during yoga classes, I decided to test out different types of meditation and see what I could incorporate into my daily life.
The numbers of physiological and psychological benefits of meditation are astounding. Physiologically, the most important of which include those that directly contribute to the reduction of stress: decreases in muscle tension, reductions in anxiety and blood pressure as well as an increase in blood flow (more oxygen!). There is also some evidence that meditation can help with PMS and with healing after injuries and operations. The research currently being done on the impact to disease processes and weight loss are also very compelling. On the psychological side meditation research has focused on the level of way in which it makes you feel better: resolving your phobias and fears, increased relaxation and better focus in your daily activities. Some people even use meditation to assist them with quitting smoking and other addiction issues.
So what is meditation? The definition is pretty simple – short regular periods spent in deep thought, prayer or calming the mind. I like this short video by Eckhart Tolle describing the meaning of meditation as just being in the present moment – experiencing the now with all of your senses. There are as many different ways to meditate as there are different types of meditation practices out there; transcendental, chanting, mantras, sitting, walking, mindfulness and my favorite – yoga nidra.
I myself practice a number of different types depending on my mood and/or the benefit that I’m seeking. My favorite meditation practice is yoga nidra, or yogic sleep, it is a process where through creative visualization you relax your body while your mind remains alert. This one practice can take me in 20 minutes from being a nervous wreck to being calm, alert and re energized. I use yoga nidra to combat sleeplessness, periods of high anxiety and migraines.
Last year, after a couple of years of working on a consistent practice, I decided to try Headspace as a refresher on the basics and to help work my way up to longer mediation times. I’m very happy with the content and the ease of using the application, and while I’m not quite there yet I do enjoy the structure having the guidance provides me. There are loads of apps, sites, books, audio, podcasts to help you get started, the trick is really just to try a few and settle on what you like best.
Vibrant Thing 