Meditation



What is Meditation?


Meditation is the practice of recognizing and disassociating from your active train of thoughts. It’s learning to be fully present with your experience free of judgment or anticipation. This “state” of meditation allows you to feel safe and peaceful and enables you to gain a different, less attached perspective—a perspective where you feel connected with yourself and others.



How are yoga and meditation connected?


The word yoga is often used to refer to the physical practice, otherwise known as asanas, where you lay out your mat and move through poses like Downward Dog. But traditionally, yoga refers to the “Eight Limbs” of yoga, where only one of those limbs is physical. The other limbs consist of Breathwork, self-restraints, personal observances, and meditation. Meditation and its progressing stages make up four of the eight limbs. In fact, the only reason the physical practice is involved is to bring harmony to the body and mind and to help quiet the mind for a more profound meditation practice. 



How does meditation work?


Meditation works by learning to subdue your “Ruminating Mind” so that you can be completely present. The Ruminating Mind is the voice in your head that deduces information that comes your way, plans your next move, and is your thought process anytime you’re not engaged in the present moment. Easing this inner dialogue is quite simple: practice. In meditation, you’ll practice over and over again returning to the present moment, training yourself to master the Ruminuating Mind to find peace and stillness. 



Why is it essential to subdue your Ruminating Mind?


For thousands of years, religions and cultures, specifically in the east, have believed in the power of detaching oneself from their thoughts. But why is that? Well, the Ruminating mind is excellent at gathering information and making conclusions from your experiences. This is generally a good thing as it keeps you safe and alive. But it’s also responsible for worry, fear, ego, and judgment. Features of the mind that can wreak havoc on your mental health, confidence, and relationships. By observing your Ruminating Mind, you learn you are not your thoughts. This understanding allows you to feel more connected with your sense of self, think more clearly, and experience more joy. 

What are the benefits of meditation?

  • Improves sleep 

  • Improves focus and productivity

  • Increases feelings of joy and contentment

  • Increases self-awareness and self-confidence

  • Increases empathy for others

  • Reduces the intensity of negative emotions

  • Reduces negative thought patterns

  • Reduces stress

  • Reduces anxiety

  • Reduces depression

  • Reduces loneliness


 Does science back up meditation?

It wasn’t until very recently that meditation began to be seen as a valid treatment or a way to prevent the ailments listed above. At least not in western culture. Are you familiar with any of these afflictions? Stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, and negative thought patterns. Sadly, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t either currently have or has suffered from these misfortunes. 

Did you know that 76% of middle-aged Americans report moderate to high levels of loneliness and that loneliness is a more significant predictor by nearly two folds of early mortality compared to obesity?

We’ve gotten to a place in Western medicine where prescribing medication is almost always the only solution offered to individuals suffering from pain or a disorder. Sometimes this is absolutely correct. And sometimes, finding the root cause of the problem via talk therapy, physical therapy, or mindfulness is better. 

Thankfully science is catching up with what Eastern countries have known for thousands of years, and the data is incredible. Harvard researchers have run studies with patients to observe brain activity through MRIs (Magnetic resonance imaging) of people who regularly meditate vs. those who don’t. What they’ve found is a significant difference in the activity of the Amygdala. The Amygdala is the part of the brain that helps trigger emotional responses to your environment and plays an essential role in fear and anger. The MRI scans showed that the Amygdala of patients who regularly meditate reacted much less drastically than those of patients who didn’t meditate at all. In conclusion, the tests found that those who frequently meditate, handle stress better. They were less likely to enter their sympathetic nervous system (i.e., “Fight or Flight”), and when they did experience a stress response, they were able to recover quickly. 

Knowing all this, it’s no wonder that people who meditate experience more joy, are less anxious and stressed, and can sleep better. 

 

How do you actually meditate?

There are so many ways to meditate that it may be confusing when you first think about trying it out. Luckily this also means that your chances of finding a meditation style that works for you are pretty good! I’ve compiled a list of 6 ways to approach meditation, so you can get a feel of what you might be interested in. Or, if you're a seasoned practitioner, perhaps this list will spark some curiosity about how you can expand your practice.





What are 6 ways to meditate?


  • Walking or Moving meditation

  • Mantra or Affirmation Meditation

  • Breathing Meditation

  • Yoga Nidra or body scan meditation

  • Mindfulness meditation

  • Concentration Meditation



Walking or Moving Meditation

A walking or moving meditation is a meditation practice just like all the others; only you’re not sitting still. It can be done while walking in the woods or somewhere quiet, or you can engage in activities like yoga, tai chi, or dance. It helps if the movement is repetitive, intuitive, or memorized like a set sequence of yoga postures. For a movement-based meditation, you’ll want to choose an “anchor” for your practice. An anchor is a tool used in meditation that the practitioner can choose to ground their thoughts and stay present. Typically, the anchor is the feeling of the breath, the ground beneath you, or another constant sensation that feels safe. 

Walking or moving meditation is ideal when you’re feeling stuck or stagnant in your body or experiencing an overactive mind. The repetitiveness of putting one foot in front of the other or moving intuitively livens up the body while allowing the mind to find peace.


Tip for this practice: For this type of meditation to work, it's best to avoid music and to find an area with little to no abrupt noises or distractions. For example, walking in the woods, down a quiet street, or in a park is ideal.



Mantra or Affirmation Meditation

Mantra or affirmation meditation is when you choose a phrase, a sound, or a word to repeat to yourself either out loud or silently. This is an incredible style of meditation for those who enjoy individualizing their practices. Say you have a day where you’re feeling particularly insecure; you may choose affirmations like “I am confident” or “I am enough.” You can tailor these meditations to your goals, moods, energy, or anything else you can think up. I find this type of meditation to be powerful and expanding for the mind.





Breathing Meditation

Breathing Meditation is the practice of controlling and focusing solely on your breath. This method is excellent for beginners because it’s simple and has a built-in anchor; the breath. But, don’t mistake simple for easy or unremarkable. Breathing meditation can be exceptionally powerful, and it’s my meditation of choice when I want to confront my feelings and let them move through me. It’s best to practice breathing meditation sitting up with a long spine, creating space for optimal airflow. 

Tip for this practice: Concentrate on your breath in a specific area of your body that feels safe that day. Some days when I’m feeling anxious, I avoid drawing attention to my chest because that’s where I feel my anxiety the most. On other days I love focusing on the breath in my chest. This is normal, so just concentrate on what feels right.





Yoga Nidra

Yoga Nidra is a meditation where the practitioner enters a state of deep relaxation. You’ll start your practice by lying down in a dark or subdued room where you’ll either lead yourself or be led through a body scan, slowly concentrating on different parts of your body. The slow and methodical body scan will guide you to a dream-like state between conscious and unconscious. Here, you’ll be told, or you’ll tell yourself an affirming phrase. Unlike other meditations, Yoga Nidra is about intention setting rather than bringing the mind to stillness and is used to develop memory, increase creativity, and help break free from unwanted habits or negative beliefs. A session is typically an hour long and leaves the practitioner feeling very rested.





Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness meditation is the practice of being in the present moment. Unlike most other meditations, it can be practiced while performing any mundane tasks like washing dishes, brushing your teeth, or if you’d prefer sitting still. Mindfulness meditation is about feeling and observing what’s happening in the present moment. For example, if you choose to wash the dishes for your practice, then mindful meditation can look like feeling the temperature of the water, the texture of the plates, and experiencing your breath. It will help to have an anchor for this practice to bring you back to the present moment when your mind wanders.





Concentration or Silent Meditation

Concentration meditation is most likely the practice you picture when you hear the word meditation, and for a good reason. Concentration is the sixth limb of the “Eight Limbs of Yoga,” It represents the state you must practice before entering meditation. Concentration meditation is practiced sitting with a long spine on a chair or the ground with closed or fixed eyes. The practice of concentration itself is the anchor of your practice, and like other meditations, the goal is for your anchor to be your sole focus. From deep concentration, a practitioner can flow into a state of deep self-awareness called “Dhyana”, the seventh limb. Only then can your mind move into a state of complete awareness and consciousness known as “Samadhi”, the eighth and final limb of yoga. This takes tremendous practice; some may spend a lifetime practicing without reaching this state. 






What obstacles can you expect when beginning meditation?

Distractions and uncomfortable feelings are expected when you begin a meditation practice. Think of your brain like it’s a muscle in your body being trained to perform an unfamiliar activity. If the muscle is introduced to a brand new movement, it will take some time to build strength and stamina. It’s no different when you teach meditation and mindfulness to your mind. Be patient and try not to judge yourself or compare yourself to others. Try not to resist wandering thoughts and instead, simply observe them. When you feel yourself becoming too involved or carried away with your thoughts, gently guide your attention back to your breath, the ground beneath you, or any other sensation that feels safe.





How do I choose what type of meditation to practice?

Start by trying out a few different meditation styles that sound intriguing to you. If you encounter a meditation type that triggers anxious thoughts or makes you dread practicing, don’t practice it. I’ve seen many practitioners stubbornly stick to a more traditional meditation due to ego, only to stir up thoughts of insecurity and self-doubt. Ego has no place in your meditation practice, so try your best to make the process as easy as possible. You may be surprised which types of meditation suit you best. 





How long should you meditate?

Many studies claim that a specific duration of time dedicated to meditation is the most effective. Some mention 13 minutes, others say 20 minutes is best, and some even claim that one full hour of practice is necessary to absorb the benefits of meditation fully. But what I’ve learned from teaching meditation, my own extremely non-linear journey with meditation, and discussing meditation with my peers is that everyone is different. One person may have cognitive limitations that make practicing longer much more complicated and stressful. Dreading your meditation practice isn’t what we want. We don’t need more obstacles. So start with an amount of time that feels right for you. Start small, observe how it feels (preferably without judgment), then reassess when you feel ready. For the average person, around 20 minutes will likely hit the mark. But try to approach meditation the same way you would long-distance running. Your activity level, your build, and pre-existing injuries will help determine how you start and how long you’re able to run. Some of us are endurance junkies and will happily run marathons, and some of us are perfectly healthy and content running or even walking a few kilometers or miles. 





How often should you meditate?

You should practice meditation most days. Studies show that daily meditation trains your brain to identify less frequently with the Ruminating Mind, which reduces anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Even if your practice consists of simply focusing on your breath for 5 minutes in your car before driving home, that will be far superior to skipping it altogether. Ultimately consistency will be the most impactful component of your meditation practice, no matter how little time you may have to spare.