[2021-04-25] Mindfulness and meditation
I've managed to meditate three days in a row. That's a record. Heck, two days in a row was a record.
I was inspired, in part, by a comment in response to my post Being. A dear friend told me that, for years, she listened politely and smiled when people talked to her about mindfulness and meditation. It wasn't until three years after retirement, when she realized her nervous system was still in overdrive, that she discovered the power and quiet of living in and appreciating the moment. She confided that devoting just 12 minutes a day to meditation has changed her life and dramatically increased her ability to cope.
My challenge with meditation was less a question of not being convinced of the benefits and more a question of just not remembering to do it from day to day. So in response to my friend, I committed to putting meditation in the MyTherapy app, which is proving to be a great place to record all the health-related things I want to accomplish in a day. Every day at 1:00 p.m., the app reminds me to meditate. Once I've completed the daily practice, I can check it as complete, which appeals to my getting-things-done personality.
In the last two days, I've come across a few infographics on meditation and mindfulness, courtesy of a contact on LinkedIn. The first, by Cherish Healing, presents 5 top Mindfulness habits. The second, from the Garrison Institute, provides Ten Steps to Mindfulness Meditation. I also reviewed my own post on Meditation and voluntary simplicity, based on Jon Kabat-Zinn's book Wherever You Go There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life. And I found another infographic that attracted my interest: The Skeptics Guide to Meditation, developed by Dan Harris, author of 10% Happier, in partnership with Happify. Using these resources, I put together these tips on the why and how of meditation as well as mindfulness.
Why meditate
Meditation is good for your health. In his infographic, Harris expresses that in addition to lowering high blood pressure, lessening chronic pain, reducing anxiety and fighting depression, meditation has been shown to boost focus and decrease cognitive decline. He writes: "In a 2011 study at Harvard, researchers took people who had never meditated before, and had them do short, daily doses of the practice. Then they scanned their brains—and found that the gray matter in the areas associated with wellbeing and compassion literally grew, while areas associated with stress literally shrank." He adds: "People who regularly practice mindfulness meditation are more accepting of their emotions, which in turn, boosts self-control, resilience, and performance."
Meditation is part of mindfulness. Cherish Healing defines mindfulness as the practice of living in the present moment and asserts that: "You can be mindful without meditating, but research shows it's the most effective way to become more mindful." Harris describes mindfulness as "the ability to be aware of your thoughts and emotions, without judging them...to see what's going on in your head without getting carried away by it." This will enable you to learn to respond rather than react to what comes up in your life, he suggests.
How to meditate
Identify a time and place. The Garrison Institute advises: "Choose a regular time each day for mindfulness meditation practice, ideally a quiet place free from distraction."
Set a timer. The Garrison Institute suggests that you start with 5 minutes and work your way up to 15-40 minutes. (Personally, I'd be asleep by 15 minutes.) In contrast, Harris cites a 2011 study of marines, who increased their resistance to stress by meditating for 12.5 minutes per day for 8 weeks. Kabat-Zinn maintains that the length of the meditation is less important than the sincerity of the effort, stating: "It is important to know that meditation has little to do with clock time. Five minutes of formal practice can be as profound or more so than forty-five minutes. The sincerity of your effort matters far more than elapsed time.... So, if you have some motivation to practice even a little, that is what is important." He goes on to say: "If you can only manage five minutes, or even one minute of mindfulness at first, that is truly wonderful. It means you have already remembered the value of stopping, of shifting even momentarily from doing to being."
Find a comfortable sitting position. The Garrison Institute recommends that you sit cross-legged on the floor or grass, or in a chair with your feet flat on the floor. Harris provides even simpler advice: "Sit up straight with eyes closed. (You don't have to sit cross-legged if that's uncomfortable—a chair is fine.)"
Check your posture. The Garrison Institute offers very concrete instructions for how to sit. I'm all for simple directions (just sit and close your eyes), but I found these suggestions extremely helpful: "Sit up straight, hands in a comfortable position. Keep neck long, chin tilted slightly downward, tongue resting on roof of mouth. Relax shoulders. Close eyes or gaze downward 5-10 feet in front of you."
Focus on your breath. Harris says simply: "Focus your full attention on the feeling of your breath coming in and going out." The Garrison Institute again provides more detailed instructions: "Focus on a part of the body where the breath feels prominent: nostrils; back of throat; or diaphragm. Try not to switch focus." But my favourite recommendations for this step are from Kabat-Zinn: "To use your breathing to nurture mindfulness, just tune in to the feeling of it…the feeling of the breath leaving your body. That’s all. Just feeling the breath. Breathing and knowing that you’re breathing. This doesn’t mean deep breathing or forcing your breathing, or trying to feel something special, or wondering whether you’re doing it right. It doesn’t mean thinking about your breathing, either. It’s just a bare bones awareness of the breath moving in and the breath moving out."
If your mind wanders, return your focus to your breath. Harris writes: "Every time your mind wanders (which it will—a million times), just return your attention to the feeling of the breath." While this is what I've tried to do in my meditation sessions, I don't worry if a thought comes into my head (such as an idea for a blog post). I note the thought so that I can come back to it after the session. This is consistent with Kabat-Zinn's approach. For Kabat-Zinn, meditation is clearly seeing what’s happening at this moment in our lives and gaining insights to enable us to face the situation and to learn as much as possible from it before moving on. It is not about shutting things out or turning things off.
Be kind to yourself. The Garrison Institute recommends that you not get upset with yourself if your mind wanders or even if you fall asleep, both of which happen to me. "If very tired, meditate with eyes open and rearrange posture to more erect (but still relaxed) position."
Gently conclude your session. I love the final step in the Garrison Institute's infographic: "When the timer goes off, keep eyes closed until you're ready to open them. Be thankful. Acknowledge your practice with gratitude." Today, I remained seated with my eyes closed for an additional 6 minutes beyond the original 12. I just felt so relaxed (and, truthfully, a little sleepy).
How to be more mindful
Beyond meditation, the Cherish Healing infographic proposes several other areas in which to develop mindfulness habits, all of which I loved.
Consciously decide when not to use technology. This could be while spending time with loved ones.
Turn everyday tasks into opportunities for mindfulness. This could be while drinking tea or brushing your teeth.
Eat mindfully. Avoid distractions while you eat. Instead, pay attention to the flavours and sensations.
Acknowledge feelings. The infographic states: "By accepting and not rejecting 'positive' or 'negative' emotions we can create more ease in our body." It even quotes Jon Kabat-Zinn: "You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf."
I have enjoyed meditating these past few days largely because each session has given me a moment to stop doing and simply be. In time, I hope to realize even more benefits from this practice.
