The first thing that comes to mind for most people when they hear the word "meditation" is probably a monk, sitting at the top of the mountain, legs crossed, chanting phrases. This often portrayal in movies has led to misunderstandings of the art of meditation and what it really is. It isn't something that you can learn overnight, or a chant you can do that would make you invincible. Learning to meditate will take time and can be very beneficial for one's mental well-being. It can make you much more productive than you are now.
Meditation and mindfulness have become quite popular in recent years, yet many people can't really define meditation, understand its purpose, or appreciate what meditation is good for. Hopefully we will be able to bridge that gap for you today.
What is Meditation for?
I'm sure we all have a rough idea of what meditation is. Basically sitting around thinking of nothing. But do we know what it is for? Many would think sitting around thinking and doing nothing is unproductive. However, meditation can increase productivity in your daily activities. Let me explain.
Have you ever heard of a hormone called dopamine? Dopamine triggers a bodily reaction that makes you have warm feelings and thoughts when you've had a positive experience. Turns out, the body has a competing chemical called cortisol. It is a chemical in your brain that tends to flow more freely and spurs negative thoughts.
Known as an alarm system, your brain releases chemical cortisol to warn you about an imminent danger. This hormone prompts our brain to think of worst-case scenarios that tend to be negative thoughts. Now, before this turns into a science article, let me bring my point across: 80% of our thoughts per day are negative (according to the National Science Foundation) which has a huge influence on our behavior and actions. This affects our productivity and hinders us from achieving the goals we have.
Meditation may be the solution to anxiety and chronic negative thoughts: two big issues that plague current generations. Meditation helps you to stop resisting so that emotions naturally become less prevalent. The goal is to watch the mind in action, without using force, and ease it into the present moment. If you resist, you will fall into a trap of yet more thinking. You'll end up thinking about not thinking, or why you can't stop thinking, or whether anyone else struggles to stop thinking and so on.
Health Benefits of Meditating
If those reasons weren't enough to get you started on meditating, here are some other benefits you will reap by practicing the art of mindfulness.
Promotes emotional health
Two studies of mindfulness meditation found decreased depression in over 4,600 adults. Inflammatory chemicals called cytokines, which are released in response to stress can affect mood, leading to depression. A review of several studies shows meditation reduces the probability of depression by decreasing inflammatory chemicals.
Those who meditated showed measurable changes in activity in areas related to positive thinking and optimism.
Lengthens attention span
Meditation helps increase the strength and endurance of your attention. Reviews of studies have shown that human resource workers who regularly practiced mindfulness meditation stayed focused on a task for longer. The workers also remembered details of their tasks better than peers who did not meditate.
Even meditating for a short period may benefit you. One study found that four days of practicing meditation may be enough to increase attention span!
How to get started
Step 1:
Find a quiet place. This will enable you to focus exclusively on the task at hand and avoid external stimuli and distractions. Find an important place you will not be interrupted.
Step 2:
Sit comfortably in a chair with your hands resting on your lap or knees. Set a timer to the duration you want your session to last before beginning. Defocus your eyes, gazing softly into the middle distance. Take five audible deep breaths, breathing through your nose and out through your mouth. On the last exhalation, allow your eyes to close.
Step 3:
As you settle in, gently observe your posture and notice the sensations in your body that touch the chair. Feel your feet meet the ground. Acknowledge your senses: notice anything you can smell, hear or taste and sensations fo the heart.
Step 4:
Slowly turn your mind inwards, observing from head to toe the tensions or discomforts in your body. Don't try to change it, just take note of it. Scan again, this time, notice the parts of your body which feel relaxed, now turn your awareness to your thoughts and notice them without attempting to alter them. Note your underlying mode and become aware of what's there without judgment.
Step 5:
Notice your breathing, don't make any effort to change it but observe the rising and falling sensation created in your body. For a few moments just focus on the quality of each breathe. It's completely normal for thoughts to bubble up. You don't need to do anything, just guide your attention back to the breath when you realized your mind has wandered off. Continue until your timer sounds.
Step 6:
As your mind starts to fill with thoughts, enjoy the rare chance to let your mind simply be free.
Become more aware once more of the physical feelings of the chair and your feet against the floor. When you're ready, slowly open your eyes.
Step 7:
Throughout the day, find small moments to remind yourself what it felt like to have clarity and focused attention. Maybe when you first sit down at work, just take a couple of deep breaths and notice how you feel, and observe any areas of tension.
Comments