Over the years, meditation has been popular in many guises from transcendental meditation, which was the rage in the ‘70’s, to a modern interpretation called “heart rhythm meditation.” Today, I'll be chatting with you about how I use meditation and her sister, mindfulness, in my personal life and professional practice and how you can incorporate them into your life as well.
Mindfulness and meditation can teach us that we are not our problems and pain; we have those problems and pain, and we have a story about them. They can be tools in our toolbox to treat the symptoms of depression, anxiety, addictions, grief, ADD/ADHD, and personality disorders.
Mindfulness is “paying attention to your body in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.” (Jon Kabat-Zinn) The goal is to become aware of how our mind works, to recognize and observe our thoughts and feelings without being overwhelmed by them. The practice of mindfulness allows us to train our brains to be less reactive so we can choose how to respond to challenges.
Integrating mindfulness into your daily life can be as simple as taking a quiet moment while eating to notice the colour, texture, and smell of a bite of food and how the taste and texture changes as you chew and swallow. This kind of practice is about taking the time to tune into your body and feel the satisfaction and enjoyment of eating.
Where mindfulness is coming to a state of awareness, meditation is coming to a place of stillness. There are many ways to meditate; some people like to listen a specific piece of music that they connect to, some people like chanting or repeating a mantra or affirmation, and some like to stare into a flame or use a visualization. Meditation can be done alone or as part of a group.
I use meditation and/or mindfulness at the start of a session to bring the client into the present moment. I ask them, “How would you like to arrive today?” We might close our eyes and focus on breathing slowly and evenly and, when thoughts wander, as they are apt to do, we acknowledge them, and bring our awareness back to the present moment. Another way I might start a session is to do a guided body scan meditation in which we focus on each part of the body, getting curious without judgement, observing any aches or pains or areas of ease, and relaxing the muscles in that body part, if needed.
Perhaps you have an image in your mind that to be successful at meditation you must have a completely empty mind and be in a constant state of Zen - like the cartoon monk on the top of the mountain who meditates for hours at a time. This is not at all true! In fact, it’s not really possible. We all have thoughts that arise during meditation. The key is to be aware of those thoughts and to learn to gently let them go and bring the focus back to stillness and your breath.
Challenging another expectation - you also don't have to have a specifically dedicated area that looks pretty or has the correct smells and lighting and music to be able to meditate. You can meditate for two minutes in your car before you walk into the office or while you’re waiting for your kid to finish soccer practice or while walking and noticing the gorgeous scenery in which we are surrounded.
Meditation can be used in therapy to connect to your inner voice, your inner wisdom, and to regulate the nervous system. A meditation doesn't need to last a long time; even a few minutes can produce positive results. The effects are numerous, including stress and anxiety reduction, better working memory, less rumination or spiraling thoughts, a reduction of emotional reactivity, and better cognitive flexibility which helps us adapt to new situations and switch tasks easier.
If you are interested in learning how to meditate or incorporate mindfulness into your life, I'd love to hear from you. I’d also appreciate hearing any of your tips for keeping a meditation practice. Thanks for chatting with me and I hope you have a truly wonderful end to 2024!
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