I recently became a Certified Meditation Teacher through Lifestyle Meditation of Edmonton, Alberta. It was a wonderfully informative weekend and felt like a vacation for me stepping out of the teacher position and into the student’s seat. I went with the intention to bring my students more of an experience but also by the time I left, felt my life and my family’s life can use the transformative power of stillness.
Meditation can be used alongside yoga or as a stand alone practice. And you don’t have to believe for it to work.
For thousands of years, the practices of meditation have been part of the lives for many, however the philosophy behind it has changed as humanity has evolved. Somewhere around the year of 400 CE Patanjali compiled the Yoga Sutras where he describes meditation as being “the progressive quietening of the mind until it reaches its point in pure stillness”.
The Buddha taught 40 different kinds of meditation but some of the more common include: guided; mindfulness (Vipassana); mantra; visual; moving and; pranayama (breath work). Guided meditation is where an individual is verbally guided into a state of consciousness either by a person’s live voice or by a recording of a voice. Mindfulness refers to a state of being fully present in the present moment, accepting each moment as it arises. Thich Nhat Hanh brought mindfulness to the attention of Westerners. Most mantras are sounds which can be grouped together to create more specific sound resonance or vibration. Tools such as candles and pictures, as well as the nature that surrounds us, can all be useful focal points for visual meditation. Chi Gong, Tai Chi, Yoga, Labyrinth, walking, running, etc can all potentially be used as moving meditation. Several researchers have reported that pranayama techniques are beneficial in treating a range of stress-related disorders.
Stress is a normal response to a perceived threat. It evolved in order to protect us from predators and other dangers. During the flight or fight some of the body’s responses are: increased heart rate, perspiring, neck and shoulder muscles tighten, dry mouth and hyperventilation.
During flight or fight, cortisol is released into the body. Nowadays this is over-activated for many and cortisol levels don’t have much chance to return to normal levels. Effects of excess cortisol to the body include: depression, hypertension, chronic fatigue, sleep deprivation, migraines, acid reflux, hostility, hunger, arthritis and belly fat.
In our modern day world we may no longer be afraid of becoming some animal’s next meal but the stakes may be public speaking for example. The brain doesn’t distinguish between life and death situations and those that just make us uncomfortable (as noted in a Seinfeld episode people are more afraid of public speaking than dying, so they would rather be in the casket than reading the eulogy).
We continue to carry the tension that is created and over time can have life-threatening effects. Stress isn’t good but it’s a sign. What need is being threatened? The five emotional needs of all humans are safety, belonging, love, to be seen and to be heard.
Over time, unrelenting chronic stress can lead to emotional, physical, or sexual dysfunction, increase your chances of getting sick, and may manifest as chronic illness such as irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, lupus, Crohn’s disease, migraine headaches, and even skin disorders like psoriasis.
During meditation, we can experience peace and relaxation as well as decreased heart rate and blood pressure and greater clarity. Humans are having between 50,000 – 80,000 thoughts every day and we are only aware of one per cent of them. But the body responds to 100 per cent of them. All thoughts come through the five senses, judgement is placed on them (either good or bad) and the body responds.
The physical, mental, emotional and spiritual benefits of meditation have been well documented for thousands of years. Modern scientific techniques and instruments, such as MRI and EEG, have been used to see what happens in the body of people when they meditate, and how their bodies and brain change after meditating regularly.
The brain’s circuitry is comprised of living tissue which is reshaped over and over by thoughts, memories, desires and experiences. The mental training and coordination a meditation practice serves can change the inner workings and circuitry of the brain in the area that controls our focus, memory, learning patterns and perception of consciousness. This is known as neuroplasticity.
Meditation can create a greater ability for resiliency. The body spends more time in the parasympathetic system which gives us more patience, greater clarity, creativity, problem solving, and the ability to rebound more quickly after a stressful situation.
Resiliency is described as the ability to recover quickly. Impacts of stress effect the mind and body. A better description of resiliency is the capacity to prepare for, adapt to, and deal with, perceived adversity in a positive way. Billions of dollars are lost every year due to work time lost from stress and almost half of worker turnover was found to be stress related. Top ways to cultivate resiliency include self-care, embracing change, finding a sense of purpose, and developing a strong social network.
When we are practicing meditation we aim to move from the outside world, into ourselves, into our body, finding the breath, a single pointed awareness, undisturbed flow of thought and finally, samadhi or the gap.
If you’re interested in starting a meditation practice or have any questions, please reach out to me I’d be happy to help.