Managing Stress Through Daily Meditation
By Dorothy Sander, for Revive Your Life
Meditation is an amazing stress reliever...
Stress has become epidemic in today’s world. Over the past decade the technological advances taking place all around us have intensified our personal levels of stress to an unhealthy level. The texture of our lives has become noisier and more frenetic and we regularly encounter a steady stream of interruptions leaving us feeling frustrated and anxious. We may not even be aware of or know our bodies are being impacted by stress until we develop a physical ailment.
Stress induced illness, whether mental or physical, has been well documented by the medical community. We have all heard of stress induced heart attacks, ulcers, mental health issues, and irritable bowel syndrome brought on by stress inducing life events - even positive ones. We are all aware of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder experienced by our military personnel after leaving combat, a serious mental health condition brought on by extreme stress.
Meditation and Stress Reduction
Meditation is a well documented, historically-significant stress reliever that when practiced on a daily basis will not only improve your mental and spiritual well being, but your physical well-being as well. In the book Full Catastrophe Living, by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, the author describes his findings, based on ten years of his clinical use of meditation offered to over four thousand people seeking to regain control of their lives and illnesses by participating in his Stress Reduction and Relaxation Program at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. Suffice it to say, daily mediation has exceptional restorative properties for everyone.
The term “meditation” scares many people away who often conjure up the notion of sitting in a lotus position for hours on end - who has the time? But there are many forms of meditation that are quite simple and easy to incorporate in one’s daily life. The most important thing to strive for is a daily routine. Meditation practiced even for five minutes every morning when you first wake up can help set you on the course for a lower level of stress throughout your day.
Developing a Daily Meditation Practice
There are many, many different ways of meditating. Following are a few suggested ways of beginning to develop a daily practice. Once this is in place, you can take further steps to explore other options and find a technique that is just right for you.
- Mindfulness - Mindfulness meditation is a technique Dr. Kabat-Zinn likes to use with his patients. The first step is to take five minutes each day to sit quietly and comfortably and focus all of your attention on your breathing. Just be mindful of your body’s on-going process of taking in air and letting it out. If a thought passes through your mind, acknowledge it, let it go and bring your attention back to your breathing. You will find this daily practice relaxing and restorative and a place to begin your daily meditation practice.
- Walking - Walking, gardening, or any creative activity that takes your mind from its stressful place to a quieter one is a form of meditation. Sarah Ban Breathnach, the author of Simple Abundance states, “I go on walks for a “moving meditation” - fitness of the spirit. I try to quiet the voices in my head, take long strides, and concentrate on the slow, steady rhythm of my breath, comforted by the interior silence.” In addition to meditative value you’ll also be getting your daily exercise!
- Listen to Your Body - Martha Beck, in her book Finding Your Own North Star, suggests that we have become disassociated from our bodies and that learning to listen to them again through relaxation techniques will help us reconnect and improve our well-being. Sit or lie down, close your eyes and take several long, deep breaths focusing on relaxing your muscles each time you exhale. After several minutes, when you’re beginning to feel relaxed, bring your attention to your big toe and describe to yourself, mentally, everything it is currently feeling. Is it hot or cold? Does it itch? Wiggle and move it and ask it if it has anything of interest to share with you. Seriously! Then move on to the next body part and get acquainted with it. You’ll be amazed at the affect this technique can have on you. See what your body can tell you about yourself and your current state of mind. You will arise refreshed, invigorated and more self-aware.
Meditation has been practiced in varying forms for centuries for a reason. Its benefits are huge. Numerous books, CDs, and music CD’s are available to instruct and assist you in developing your meditative technique. Its benefits will far outweigh the time and effort required to develop the habit of mediating daily.
Do you meditate regularly? If so, what meditation technique do you use and what has this done to improve your well-being? Please share your thoughts with the RYL community in the comments section below!
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8 Responses to “Managing Stress Through Daily Meditation”
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Good post. I agree that there’s a misconception about meditating in that in order to do it we need to put aside a hour or two and it’s a big time commitment with little benefit to our health and productivity. I find that the more regularly I meditate, for only about 15 minutes, the clearer my thinking is and the many things on my to-do list are accomplished quicker and more easily.
I agree with Dorothy that the general public characterizes the meditation process as a ritulized time consuming effort. As such many people feel that they don’t want to make it part of their lives. Even though I can’t visualize talking to my big toe, I know that small amounts of quite time, or doing things you really want to do are beneficial. I like to walk, listen to some quiet music, or watch the bird activity in our yard.
@ Laurie - You’re right, regular meditation really helps to clear one’s thinking. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts!
@ Wick - Watching bird activity, or any type of nature for that matter, is a great form of meditation. Thanks for the insight!
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