Ironically, Transcendental Meditation was introduced to America in 1959, the year I was born. When I was a young child, I remember people talking about it, and honestly, it seemed pretty ridiculous to me. I could not see any point in sitting around chanting “om” all day! Back in the 90’s back when John Gray (remember “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus”) was still on our collective radar, I bought one of his books. The book was “How to Get What You Want and Want What you Have” and that was how I had my introduction to meditation. For whatever reason his argument that meditation could bring immediate relief from suffering and increase our connection to our higher power resonated with me.ed

I started immediately and found that this seemed to be true. I assumed that reading his words merely predisposed my thinking, but I didn’t care. There was something miraculously life changing that was happening for me. I was enthusiastic about this meditation practice and tried to enlist my family. Of course, I was met with kind ribbing about my newfound interest in meditation. I went covert! I became a secret meditator! I stopped talking about it with anyone to avoid the ridicule that I felt was sure to follow. I learned that I could quiet my mind and though I couldn’t explain it, I felt emotionally lighter, more loving, and more focused.

The Benefits of Meditation are Backed by Scientific Evidence!

Fortunately, now meditation has become much more mainstream in our Western culture. I welcome the affirmation by the scientific community that meditation has a genuine benefit for our well-being. Meditation has been shown to alter our brain chemistry, generating neural pathways that have shown to make our amygdala smaller. There were variations observed with different forms of meditation; but that’s another story!

How we respond to stressful events impacts our bodies due to the release of cortisol. If our fight or flight response is more appropriate to a situation, we release less cortisol, so we don’t respond with high blood pressure and increased abdominal fat storage.  It was interesting that the Harvard study found that the positive effects of meditation continue when we are not meditating. The results I had experienced were confirmed by science! This nerd girl is always happy when science can back her up! Meditation is a powerful tool for managing stress, finding relaxation and calm, increasing clarity, increasing confidence, lowering blood pressure, and boosting immunity. There are individuals who have found relief from addictions through a meditation practice.

My Own Experiences have Convinced Me

There have been times when I have abandoned meditation, maybe life just got too busy, or I forgot how much better I felt when I practiced consistently. Over the past few years I have resumed a fairly regular meditation practice. I know when I’ve let too many days go by without meditating. I find myself more overreactive, irritable, and have less clarity and focus.

I have taken a passive approach to my expectations about how meditation impacts my daily life. The results surprise me when doing normal everyday things. To clarify, for years I have struggled with significant anxiety when traveling long distances solo. A couple of years ago I was driving and got lost; a situation that would normally put me over the edge. Interestingly I found I was perfectly calm! I just enjoyed taking a new route, and those who know me best would tell you that is not my norm! During that time I was meditating daily and I had no idea the positive impact my meditation practice was having. As I was driving, I began to wonder why I was not freaking out! I have to attribute this experience to my meditation practice.

Many individuals are resistant to the idea of meditation, some have shared with me that they feel awkward, or “silly.” I challenge you to move a step or two out of your comfort zone and give meditation a try. To alleviate the fear of feeling “silly” find a quiet spot, where you can be alone without interruptions. For some it is helpful to find a group where everyone is learning meditation and most likely feels as awkward as you do.

So How Do You Start?

First, be comfortable in the knowledge that though meditation is a spiritual practice, it is not a religious practice. You do not have to sit in the stereotypical “lotus” position to gain the benefits of meditation, nor do you need a Sanskrit mantra. There are many different types of meditation focusing on varying results; so, start out simply and learn as you go. You will find the type of meditation that works best for you.  There is a wonderful book “Just Sit” by Sukey and Elizabeth Novogratz that is perfect for the beginning meditator! This book is full of easy to understand and implement tips for the neophyte meditator. I will warn you the font size is small, but this sweet book is a highly informative, quick, and easy read.

Don’t Try to Hard!

Set a reasonable goal. If  you feel awkward ,just shoot for one minute, and  work your way up to five and eventually 15 or 20 minutes. You may find you really look forward to your meditation time! Many people start with a loving kindness meditation.

To get started find your quiet space, turn off your phone, sit in a comfortable position. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths and focus on your breathing. Then gently bring to mind a time when you felt loved and appreciated. If you can’t recall a time, simply imagine what it would feel like to feel unconditional love. Notice how this feels in your body, your heart, and your mind. Once you have settled into this feeling of loving acceptance, set an intention to direct loving kindness towards yourself, another, or perhaps the world. Gently, in your thoughts repeat the phrases “May I be happy.” “May I be healthy.” “May I be at peace.” Do this for as long as you are comfortable and when finished gently focus on your breathing, wiggle your fingers and toes, and gently open your eyes.

How do you feel? It can be helpful to journal about your meditation experience. The experience will most likely be different each time. Sometimes thoughts will keep popping into your mind, that’s totally okay! Just gently shift back to the phrases if you find your mind has wandered. At times you may feel like you just want these few moments to be over, avoid judging those feelings, just accept them and continue to sit. Do not worry about thoughts that pop up, our minds are never blank, this is a meditation myth. Avoid putting rules and regulations on your meditation practice, just sit! Allow the experience and you will see results.

You may find over the course of days or weeks that you are starting to experience a calmness, a clarity, and a new energy that has not been present for you in the past. Journaling your experience will illuminate for you the little miracles you will experience when you adopt a meditation practice.

Try Meditation for a Week…You Will be Pleasantly Surprised

I challenge you over the course of the week to meditate daily!  If the loving kindness meditation doesn’t seem to speak to you, explore the many meditation apps that are available. If you are drawn to Sanskrit, Chopra Meditation Center app may be for you. Unplug meditation has many different options that appeal to many different tastes. Many of my friends speak highly of the Calm and Ten Percent Happier apps. I am a firm believer in the power of meditation to improve the quality of our lives from our physical and mental health, to our careers, and our relationships. Will you give it a try?

Sources

Bronner, S. (2017). 14 things you should know before you start meditating. Retrieved from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/things-to-know-meditation_n_6709864

Dienstmann, Giovanni (2018.) Practical meditation a simple step-by-step guide.

Gray, John (1990). How to get what you want and want what you have. Harper Collins, New York.

McGreevey, Sue (2017). Meditations positive residual effects. Retrieved from https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2012/11/meditations-positive-residual-effects/

Novogratz, S., Novogratz, E. (2017) Just sit a meditation guidebook for people who know they should but don’t. Retrieved from: https://www.amazon.com/Just-Sit-Meditation-Guidebook-People/dp/006267286X

Take some time for you!