In the workshop I attended last weekend at the Satchitananda Yoga Ashram, Gary Kraftsow presented a program on Yoga for Stress Relief. We discussed many of the symptoms of stress, including the physical as well as the emotional, mental, and behavioral. Since it is impossible to completely rid your life of stress, and also undesirable as stress is a necessary factor in most experiences, what we really need are methods of addressing and coping with ongoing stress that are healthy and positive.
Sure, you can down a bottle of wine every night, or a six-pack of Bud Lite, or a tub of Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey. You can smoke weed or cigarettes. You can take prescription or over-the-counter drugs. You can medicate your stress with legal or illegal substances to get you through the day or night. But there is a better way.
Meditation.
Yup. So simple that it is hard to believe. But meditation is the mental dental floss that works wonders.
This is not news to anyone who has suffered from anxiety. Meditation is commonly prescribed by psychiatrists (along with anxiety medication for immediate relief of acute symptoms) to calm the stress response that can sometimes become overwhelming. And it is free. It demands absolutely no equipment of any kind. There is no downside to meditating. No nasty side effects. And it barely takes more time than flossing your teeth.
Meditation is most effective when practiced daily, just the same as dental floss. The effects will be immediate as well as cumulative. To begin, you should choose a regular time of day when you can spend about 10 minutes in a relatively quiet and private space. You can do this at home, in a neighborhood park, in your office, in the car, in bed, in the bathtub, practically anywhere. You might want to begin your practice in a comfortable seated position, but this is not mandatory. You can meditate standing, walking, or lying down as well. You can set a timer if you have one. Begin with just 8 minutes.
Once you settle into your comfortable position, your only job is to focus on your breath. Close your eyes, if you feel like it. Feel the parts of your body that naturally move with the breath. Notice the rhythm of your breath. If you like, you can begin to count that rhythm of breath. Maybe you are inhaling for 4 counts and exhaling for 4. If you are pausing to retain the in-breath, count your pause. If you are pausing to suspend the breath after the exhale, count that pause as well. And when you feel ready, begin to lengthen your exhale. Start by lengthening by just one count. So inhale for 4 and exhale for 5. When that feels comfortable, inhale 4 and exhale 6. You should never feel any kind of strain or tension while extending the exhale. If you do, simply go back to a rhythm which feels more comfortable. Perhaps you can eventually double your exhale compared to your inhale. But none of this is really necessary. The basics are to get comfortable in a position and focus on the breath (or a candle flame or an image or a sound or a mantra, etc.) while letting go of all other thoughts and distractions.
Although I have known about the MANY benefits of meditation for years (such as stress relief, mental clarity, better sleep, less anxiety, improved focus and concentration, creativity, peace) I have never chosen to meditate on a daily basis. But now I am going to start. I invite you to join me! During this holiday season, I hope to discover a deeper sense of peace, joy, and gratitude through this simple, yet extremely effective practice.
Sure, you can down a bottle of wine every night, or a six-pack of Bud Lite, or a tub of Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey. You can smoke weed or cigarettes. You can take prescription or over-the-counter drugs. You can medicate your stress with legal or illegal substances to get you through the day or night. But there is a better way.
Meditation.
Yup. So simple that it is hard to believe. But meditation is the mental dental floss that works wonders.
This is not news to anyone who has suffered from anxiety. Meditation is commonly prescribed by psychiatrists (along with anxiety medication for immediate relief of acute symptoms) to calm the stress response that can sometimes become overwhelming. And it is free. It demands absolutely no equipment of any kind. There is no downside to meditating. No nasty side effects. And it barely takes more time than flossing your teeth.
Meditation is most effective when practiced daily, just the same as dental floss. The effects will be immediate as well as cumulative. To begin, you should choose a regular time of day when you can spend about 10 minutes in a relatively quiet and private space. You can do this at home, in a neighborhood park, in your office, in the car, in bed, in the bathtub, practically anywhere. You might want to begin your practice in a comfortable seated position, but this is not mandatory. You can meditate standing, walking, or lying down as well. You can set a timer if you have one. Begin with just 8 minutes.
Once you settle into your comfortable position, your only job is to focus on your breath. Close your eyes, if you feel like it. Feel the parts of your body that naturally move with the breath. Notice the rhythm of your breath. If you like, you can begin to count that rhythm of breath. Maybe you are inhaling for 4 counts and exhaling for 4. If you are pausing to retain the in-breath, count your pause. If you are pausing to suspend the breath after the exhale, count that pause as well. And when you feel ready, begin to lengthen your exhale. Start by lengthening by just one count. So inhale for 4 and exhale for 5. When that feels comfortable, inhale 4 and exhale 6. You should never feel any kind of strain or tension while extending the exhale. If you do, simply go back to a rhythm which feels more comfortable. Perhaps you can eventually double your exhale compared to your inhale. But none of this is really necessary. The basics are to get comfortable in a position and focus on the breath (or a candle flame or an image or a sound or a mantra, etc.) while letting go of all other thoughts and distractions.
Although I have known about the MANY benefits of meditation for years (such as stress relief, mental clarity, better sleep, less anxiety, improved focus and concentration, creativity, peace) I have never chosen to meditate on a daily basis. But now I am going to start. I invite you to join me! During this holiday season, I hope to discover a deeper sense of peace, joy, and gratitude through this simple, yet extremely effective practice.
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