Meditation
by Caron Bosler
It’s hard to believe in India, meditation is just as important
as asanas in yoga. Far too many of my friends and I skip meditation
or barely croak out 3 OM’s before running out of the yoga
class and back into the fast lane of life. Most of the time
I think, with the hectic pace of the daily grind, who has time?
And if I do consider trying to meditate, I wonder, if I put
on some music and sit in front of a candle proclaiming all things
right in the world, does that count? But then, after a certain
age, (for me it’s mid-thirties) I have to admit I’m
looking for more serenity and calm in my hectic, over caffeinated
lifestyle.
Before
even thinking of meditating though- Have the benefits been proven?
Yes!
Studies of the brain have proven the positive effects of meditation.
Studies like those by Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD and director of The
Stress Reduction Clinic at The University of Massachusetts Medical
School, have proven that meditation shifts brain activity. The
right frontal cortex is identified as where we tend to hold
stress. The left frontal cortex tends to be calmer. Meditation
shifts brain activity from the right to the left frontal cortex,
thus decreasing the negative effects of stress.
OK,
Aside from brain shifting, why else should I meditate?
Meditation
is a way of checking in with yourself, and how you feel that
day. It is a safe, simple way to balance your physical, mental,
and emotional states. Meditation strengthens the mind and improves
concentration. It leads to a general feeling of well being,
and a deeper level of relaxation. Meditation decreases muscle
tension, headaches, and pms. It enhances energy, strength, self
confidence and serotonin production (a neurotransmitter whose
effects on the brain include mood elevation). Meditation reduces
anxiety attacks and helps normalize blood pressure. It also
makes us more centered, improves health, and helps build better
relationships.
So, assuming
I try it... what do I actually do?
Here is
a simple Breathing Meditation that even the greatest skeptics
will find relaxing:
Chose a
quiet place, where you will not be disturbed. Try to sit with
your legs crossed, and your back straight. You do not have to
sit in lotus pose in yoga, anything comfortable will do. Let
your wrists relax on your knees. Drop your chin slightly and
lengthen out of the back of your neck. Try not to close your
eyes or have them wide open. You want let the eyes gaze softly
in front of you. Breathe naturally. Start to focus your attention
on the rise and fall of your breath. Just think of being a quiet
observer of your breathing. At first, you might find that your
mind is racing in the opposite direction and be busier than
usual. This is normal, and you are just becoming aware of the
fast pace of your mind. Resist the temptation to let your mind
wander and daydream. Draw the mind gently back towards the breath.
Try to stay
in the moment. If you do your meditation in the morning, this
will help you to realize throughout your day when you are not
living in the moment. The more you are aware of where your energy
is, the easier it will be to draw it back into present time.
As you begin to meditate, difficult situations will become easier
to deal with. You will become more naturally open to others,
and relationships will begin to improve.
Throughout January I decided to take just a few minutes in the
morning to quiet the mind and visualize what I wanted to create
that day. I found even this simple ritual helped give me a gentle
reminder of the power of my thoughts throughout the entire day.
And somehow, the flow of fast lane seemed calmer.
Caron Bosler
‘When the sea is rough,
sediment is churned up and the water becomes murky,
but when the wind dies down
the mud gradually settles and the water becomes clear.
In a similar way,
when the otherwise incessant flow of our distracting thoughts
is calmed
through concentrating on the breath,
our mind becomes unusually lucid and clear.’
Geshe Kelsang
Caron
Bosler - http://www.cor-e-nergy.com
