Meditation – Be Quiet and Listen

Many things have been said regarding the mind, body and how the two are connected when it comes to disease or healing. It is said that stress is a major contributor to disease; so it makes complete sense that more people are searching for ways of relieving stress and staying healthy.

What does stress do to the body? The stress response is a series of changes that will occur when the body is threatened in some manner. It doesn’t matter if this threat is real or just an imagined one, the mind doesn’t know the difference so the effects on the body are the same. It the threat is quite serious; the body will react in tune. During the threat, the body’s blood pressure can go up, heart and respiratory rates are increased and perspiring can occur. Again, real or imagined, it does not matter, the body will react. If the threat remains for a length of time, the body is under great stress and can react poorly. A lowered immune system can lead to illness, disease, depression and more. If this sounds like a lifestyle you are leading; it might be time for some stress relief.

There are many methods of accomplishing stress relief. One way could be fun; such as sitting in a hot tub and letting the bubbles carry your mind away to a Hawaiian island. Another way might be sitting in a sauna or steam bath for a few minutes and letting the stress melt away with perspiration. Someone may choose to sit down and read a novel or look at magazines about golfing, or a favorite hobby. One method of stress relief that I have found quite beneficial is transcendental meditation. I have done transcendental meditation or TM for many years; and one of the best parts about meditating is sitting for about 20 minutes in calm and quiet. It is a pleasure to just get away from it all and still the mind; yet be restfully alert. We don’t listen as much as we should during the course of the day. Most of us are too busy talking; so listening is quite refreshing. When meditating; the body will respond just as it does during the stress response. I can feel my heart slow down and my breathing becomes quite slow and methodic. I am not hooked up to a blood pressure monitor; but I have no doubt that my blood pressure goes down when I meditate. My muscles are less tight and I feel very open to the world. Relaxation is quite an antidote. If we are relaxed; we are open to the possibilities. We feel good and think we can accomplish anything. If we are relaxed; we don’t feel like we have to fight to stay alive so we can be open to the things that are waiting for us. This is great for the emotions and the mental part of stress relief too. We feel more equipped to handle what life will throw at us if we are relaxed. The fear is gone.

TM is a specific learned technique; but you can meditate without learning the precise method of transcendental meditation. According to the dictionary; meditation means to relax, calm, reflect on or contemplate; to empty the mind by focusing on a single object achieving an altered state. You’ve seen the comics sit with legs crossed in the lotus position saying “OM”, and expecting the meaning of life to appear. It sounds easy doesn’t it? Actually, it can be difficult in the beginning to meditate. If you have never actually tried to sit for 20 minutes and keep the mind focused on “nothing” you can see just how tough it can be. Herbert Benson used a two step process of sitting in a quiet space and focusing on a prayer, sound, phrase, or whatever seemed right. Keep the mind focused on that one thing when it starts to wander. Mindfulness is a process of keeping the mind focused on a certain idea or task such as bird watching, staring at the ocean, walking, or whatever. Have you ever found your mind going somewhere else when driving the car? This is a form of meditation. Meditation can also be guided imagery. A second person can walk through a meditation with the person; suggesting to the mind where to go such as the top of a mountain or to that Hawaiian island. This method is often used during medical procedures such as chemotherapy. The person receiving the chemo can sit and imagine the body is being healed because the medicine is destroying the cancer cells one by one. There are hundreds of kinds of meditation; but most of them have the same goal, the technique may be just a little different on how to get there.

No matter what method of meditation you choose; your body and mind will be better and stronger by sitting, breathing, and taking a quiet moment for yourself. Your health is worth the time to find the technique that is right for you. If you don’t like it, there’s still the hot tub.