BASIC MEDITATION

Meditation is sustained mental focus on a thought or sensation. For your meditation to be relaxing, the thought or sensation should be neutral or positive. The relaxation response occurs naturally as your meditation clears your mind of the thoughts and worries that keep you

stressed. Basic meditation is simply a particular way of doing sensory focus: it is usually done by focusing on your breathing while sitting in a quiet place with your eyes closed. Before you begin a meditation session, it may be helpful to do a minute or two of progressive muscle relaxation. This will help you get physically comfortable and break away from your current train of thought. When you are comfortable, begin your meditation by directing your attention to your breathing. Notice each breath as it enters and then leaves your body. Don’t try to control your rate of breathing. It will become slower on its own as you relax.

Whenever your mind wanders, think, “Oh, well,” and return your attention to your breathing.

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Meditation is sustained mental focus on

a thought or sensation.

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You can help yourself maintain focus during basic meditation by silently saying a positive or neutral focus word, such as peace or one, each time you breathe out. A focus word is like a broom that sweeps intruding thoughts from your mind each time you repeat it. Draw the focus word out (“onnnnne”) to match the length of the breath.

 Continue meditating for at least twelve minutes, then remain seated a little longer to enjoy the relaxation before you gradually transition into your next activity. Take a moment now and then throughout the day to direct your attention to your breathing and recall the relaxation you experienced during your meditation session. If you are finding it difficult to focus on your breathing during a meditation session, try focusing on tactile sensations instead. Place a hand on an article of your clothing and slowly move your fingers one at a time in rhythm with your breathing. As you move each finger, notice the texture of the fabric and repeat your focus word.

 When first trying basic meditation, most people experience one of three outcomes: mental relaxation, sleepiness, or anxiety. Mental relaxation is, of course, the desired outcome. Your ability to relax while meditating will improve with practice. If you have trouble staying awake, try meditating at a different time, and certainly not just before bedtime. Sit up and keep your back straight.

 You want a position that is comfortable but not one that signals to your brain that you are preparing for sleep. Be patient. It may take struggling through several meditation sessions to get your brain out of the habit of entering sleep mode whenever you slow down and close your eyes. Anxiety can result from the thoughts that intrude as you try to meditate: thoughts of things you forgot to do, wish you hadn’t done, or are afraid might happen. Every time such thoughts arise, simply return your focus to your breathing or other sensory anchor. Tell yourself that this is your time to relax; the distracting thoughts can wait.

Anxiety may also result from worrying about how well your meditation is going. Don’t worry. Simply sitting down and going through the motions of meditation is beneficial, however frustrating it may be. Every time you practice you’ll get a little better at ignoring the distracting thoughts and staying focused. Meditation-based therapy has been used successfully in the treatment of chronic pain, stress, anxiety, and depression. The effects of meditation on the brain are real and persist beyond the meditation session. In a 2010 study, researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to look at the brains of twenty-six people before and after participation in an eight-week meditation class.

Participants practiced meditation for about twenty minutes a day during the eight-week period. At the end of the class, participants reported that their stress levels had decreased substantially, and MRI images showed actual physical changes in an area of their brains associated with stress and anxiety.

Copyright ©Stan Spencer, PhD –Originally appeared in The Diet Dropout's Guide to Natural Weight Loss by Stan Spencer, PhD