Me- Meditate?

By: Wendy Lubell

Imagine yourself pleasantly tired from a day of skiing. You are ready to rest. You go to the lodge and gather around the fireplace with friends. Everyone is talking, laughing and relaxing. Without realizing it you your mind wanders away from the conversation and you begin to stare into the flames. You become fully present to the fire. You notice the flames look like they are dancing and that the warmth of the fire feels like a blanket over your body. You only return back to the conversation, when your friend taps you on the shoulder and asks your opinion to a question you never heard. It’s been ten minutes and you do not even realize it.

Without being aware of it, you were practicing meditation. Meditation is the art of letting go and being fully present in your body. Meditation does not have to be practiced sitting in an ashram with a yogi. It can be done anywhere and at anytime and you do not need to be a “new age practitioner” to meditate. In fact, meditation benefits everyone.

What are the benefits of meditation?

Reduces blood pressure
Lowers heart rate
Increases energy
Lessens stress
Improves concentration/awareness

How do I meditate?

The idea behind meditation is to let go of thoughts, worries and stories from the day. You begin by relaxing your body. You can be sitting, standing or even moving but make sure you are comfortable. Your muscles should be loose, your breathing conscious and your mind open. You focus your attention on your breathing and each time a thought enters your mind let it go. Do not get worried if you sit down to meditate and your mind races; simply return to your breath when that happens.

One good beginning technique is from Vipassana Meditation-

Close your eyes and breath slowly.
Focus your attention on the area between your nostrils and your upper lip.
Feel the sensations in that small area while you exhale and inhale.
Every time your mind races; bring your attention back to the area above your lip.
Some observations may include: feeling warm air from your nostrils, tingling above the lip, noticing which nostril the air escapes through, and listening to the sounds of your breath.

Is meditating difficult?

Meditation can seem challenging when we first start. Our minds are filled with so many ideas and assessments. Don’t worry if you start to think about things such as: what you are having for dinner, what chores need to be done around the house, how you can’t relax, or how you should be finishing the report instead of sitting here. When that happens remember to simply go back to the breath. The key is not to judge those thoughts or your progress. There is no correct formula or rating system to determine that you are a “top performer of meditation”.

How long do I meditate?

Each of us has a comfort zone. You many notice that you can stay relatively focused for two minutes and then you get antsy or you may be able to hang in there for twenty minutes. Everyone may be different and every day may be different. I have found that if I push myself beyond my comfort zone it actually gets easier and more beneficial in time. There is no set amount of time for meditating but I would suggest starting with ten minutes per day. That is usually longer than one can remain comfortable and not so long that we get antsy.

Which kind of meditation is best?

There are many ways to meditate. Some examples are: listen to soft music, focus on a mantra (a sentence repeated over and over), feel the sensations in your body, visualize your favorite place or concentrate on a color. There is no “best” way to meditate. Try different methods and see which ones you enjoy most. You can find out about the types by searching the web, going to your local bookstore, signing up for a workshop or asking around.

One of my favorite proverbs says, “If you do external exercises you must do internal exercises”. Meditation helps us calm our mind and body. Set aside time each day to give yourself this gift.