...when the breath is observed, it is not an act induced in the mind by something other than the mind, but rather it is the very wave of the mind like a tide flowing and ebbing into a bay, into a channel going out from the sea.
- Swami Veda Bharati (Therapy as Transcental Science - India 1998 page 382)
The above excerpt is from a long paragraph about meditation. Do you know about meditation? It has changed my life. Upon entering a twelve step program more than 17 years ago, I didn't know what it meant to sit still (I sometimes still don't!). I thought I was beyond help. I didn't want to hear about religion or let alone GOD. But I listened and then heard about the GOD of my understanding, which for me is Good Orderly Direction. That I could understand.
One of the twelve steps is Step 11 which reads:
Step 11: "Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact G.O.D. as we understood him, praying only for the knowledge of his Will and the power to carry that out." - AA, Big Book
Give meditation a try in whatever form you know how. If you do not know how, seek it out ...
Centuries ago, Siddhartha Gautama, better known as Buddha, saw the light declaring that suffering is subjective and can be reduced through self awareness. This self awareness comes through meditation. Meditation has been researched, studied and now proven to reduce anxiety, reduce fears and aid in healing all diseases. Can you imagine that only 10 minutes of meditation each day can do this? Well it can.
Recent studies have shown that meditation relaxes the smooth muscles, and also has a soothing effect on the brain. Today, hospitals, centers, businesses and even schools around the world use meditation as an effective means of reducing stress. It helps patients, workers, and students with the physical pain and mental strain associated with daily life. Of course this is life on life terms, but why not try something new? I use meditation myself, or I wouldn't be educating you. It reduces the effects of heart disease and even HIV infection.
Robert Thurman, PhD a professor in Tibetan-Buddhist studies defines meditation as, "...the act of dis-identifying from inner thought flow and concentrating on calming and healing." He is so right. There are many kinds of meditation. Seventeen years ago I couldn't identify with listening to a recording to guide me in meditation. Today I can, after the deliberate effort of learning to meditate using my breath. The practices vary from individual to individual, but it does involve sitting comfortably with your eyes closed, spine straight and staying focused on your breath.
I often ask patients to use the idea of Andrew Weil's Spontaneous Breathing of 4-7-8. This is a deep breath IN on a count of four, HOLD the breath for a count of 7, and EXHALE the breath on a count of 8. It may not be easy especially if your mind wanders. I ask the patient to start slow. Start by blocking at least 15 minutes twice a week into your schedule. This is the first step. Then for 3 minutes out of the blocked 15 minutes do the 4-7-8 breathing.
Once you have done this for 3 minutes you should clap and smile. You have successfully meditated for 3 minutes. You have twelve (12) MINUTES FREE--do not do it anymore. The next time you meditate, do 4 minutes out of 15 minutes. This is a slow practice.
The aim is to maintain a detached, calm awareness of your thoughts and sensations. Once you start to meditate you will begin to pay attention to the present. Not the past, nor the future, but the present.
I find this an excellent way to take care of myself.
Let the force be with you...on meditation. Read Eat, Pray Love or watch the movie with Julia Roberts. You will get the idea.
Until tomorrow...
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