Meditation
The dictionary definition of “meditate” usually includes references to thinking carefully about something, be it a problem or a situation. For this course’s purposes, when we refer to meditation, we’re asking you to focus on, rather than think about, something very simple, be it your breath, a word, a sound, or another sense, with the object of bringing you into the present.
You may have a few questions after reading that. First of all, how does one not think? Isn’t that something we do all the time? Yes, in fact. There’s some controversy about how many thoughts we have per day (1), but most people agree it’s in the thousands. Thinking and other intellectual pursuits are things we do as a species, and we’re pretty proud of it - in fact, the scientific name for human beings, Homo sapiens, literally means “wise man”.
The problem is that most of those thoughts aren’t about the present. Many of our thoughts are about things that have happened in the past or things that are going to happen in the future. Often, even the thoughts that we have about something in the present - “I like the jacket that man is wearing”, “It’s really windy right now”, “That book looks like something I’d like to read” - usually lead to thoughts away from the present - “I wonder if that color would look good on me”, “Is the weather going to change?”, “Have I ever heard of that author?”
Perhaps your next question is “Why is it important to be in the present?” Admittedly, sometimes you do need to think about the past or future, and ask “what if?” questions. However, for most people, the things we experience stress over are things that have happened or that we are worried about happening. In other words, unless you live in a constantly stressful or dangerous environment, being present and focusing on your immediate surroundings is usually linked to stress reduction. An unpleasant conversation with your boss may have already happened, and perhaps you’re worried about going home to a mess your family left, but those things aren’t in your present. Putting stress in the time and place it belongs can lessen your overall levels of distress.
Training yourself to stay in the present or to be mindful can also help lessen your distress even during stressful experiences. If, for example, someone speaks to you inappropriately, your first reaction may be to snap back, and eventually you may end up in a shouting match. With mindfulness, however, you may be able to take down the temperature of the encounter, reply calmly, and defuse a tense situation before it escalates out of your control.
Here’s a concise list of some of the benefits you may receive from a regular meditation practice:
However, these caveats generally apply to advanced practitioners who spend extensive time meditating, using techniques beyond the scope of this course’s exercises. Our exercises will be simple, will not last longer than five minutes, and will be things that almost everyone reports positive or at least neutral reactions to.
For all of the practices below, make sure you're in a seated position you could stay in for the amount of time you'd like to meditate. While some people find Lotus position genuinely comfortable, most others will prefer a cross-legged position on the floor or simply sitting in a chair. No one is going to award points for suffering while you meditate, so please make sure you're comfortable!
Mediation on your Breath
This is similar to the beginning of the exercises in the Breathing section. Simply close your eyes and observe your breath. Don't worry about trying to deepen your breaths or sending your breath to a specific place in your body. While the ability to breathe may be considered something of a miracle and definitely something we should be grateful for, for this exercise put those aside and focus on one of your body's innate time keepers.
Mediation on an Object
Choose an object that's relatively simple, without too much decoration or detail. A lit candle is a famous example, but you could use anything you had available (a book, a scarf, a cup, etc.). Place it directly ahead of you so you can contemplate it without straining your neck. Take in the object as it is before you: note its details (colors, shape, texture, etc.) but without assigning any judgment or value. Practice seeing something simply as it is and not getting carried away with a story line about it. If those thoughts come up, allow them to, but don't follow them.
Meditation on a Sound
Pick a sound or simple song that you find soothing. Some people enjoy the sound of gongs, others like sounds from nature (rain, waterfalls, winds, bird songs, etc.). Many of these are available on Spotify or YouTube if you don't want to purchase a sound file or DVD. (If possible, find a spot in nature where you can hear soothing sounds!) Close your eyes and give up your attention to those sounds. Again, try not to think about the objects or creatures making the sound and listen without judgment.
Meditation on a Mantra
A mantra is a word or phrase used to focus the mind away from distractions. A popular mantra from Kundalini yoga is "Sat Nam", which means "I am truth" or "Truth is my name." The phrase could be in your native language, but should be kept short.
For many people, it's easiest to use these in coordination with the breath. For example, you might think, "I breathe in [happiness/goodness/satisfaction]" on your inhales and "I breathe out [sadness/what doesn't serve me]" on your exhales.
Again, if images or other thoughts arise in conjunction with your mantra, don't stress out, but don't follow them.
Meditation on a Visualization
A visualization is similar to using an object to meditate on, only the object or setting in this case is imagined. Some might enjoy picturing themselves in a quiet setting -- a forest grove, a quiet lake -- and others might prefer to focus on a mental object (for example, a tree or a building). Again, try to keep the setting or object relatively simple, and try not to get too involved in any thoughts that come up.
You may have a few questions after reading that. First of all, how does one not think? Isn’t that something we do all the time? Yes, in fact. There’s some controversy about how many thoughts we have per day (1), but most people agree it’s in the thousands. Thinking and other intellectual pursuits are things we do as a species, and we’re pretty proud of it - in fact, the scientific name for human beings, Homo sapiens, literally means “wise man”.
The problem is that most of those thoughts aren’t about the present. Many of our thoughts are about things that have happened in the past or things that are going to happen in the future. Often, even the thoughts that we have about something in the present - “I like the jacket that man is wearing”, “It’s really windy right now”, “That book looks like something I’d like to read” - usually lead to thoughts away from the present - “I wonder if that color would look good on me”, “Is the weather going to change?”, “Have I ever heard of that author?”
Perhaps your next question is “Why is it important to be in the present?” Admittedly, sometimes you do need to think about the past or future, and ask “what if?” questions. However, for most people, the things we experience stress over are things that have happened or that we are worried about happening. In other words, unless you live in a constantly stressful or dangerous environment, being present and focusing on your immediate surroundings is usually linked to stress reduction. An unpleasant conversation with your boss may have already happened, and perhaps you’re worried about going home to a mess your family left, but those things aren’t in your present. Putting stress in the time and place it belongs can lessen your overall levels of distress.
Training yourself to stay in the present or to be mindful can also help lessen your distress even during stressful experiences. If, for example, someone speaks to you inappropriately, your first reaction may be to snap back, and eventually you may end up in a shouting match. With mindfulness, however, you may be able to take down the temperature of the encounter, reply calmly, and defuse a tense situation before it escalates out of your control.
Here’s a concise list of some of the benefits you may receive from a regular meditation practice:
- Gaining a new perspective on stressful situations
- Building skills to manage your stress
- Increasing self-awareness
- Focusing on the present
- Reducing negative emotions
- Increasing imagination and creativity
- Increasing patience and tolerance (2)
What happens during meditation?
Remember the Fight-Flight-or-Freeze Response? Studies have shown that after an eight week course of mindfulness, the amygdala, the part of the brain associated with those reactions, shrinks. Further, the pre-frontal cortex, the part of our brain associated with concentration and awareness, among other things, becomes thicker. Even better, the amygdala begins to exert less control over the rest of the brain, while the pre-frontal cortex exerts more. Essentially, regular meditation can train your brain to become more thoughtful and less reactive over time. (3)Are there any risks?
Surprisingly, the answer is yes. Though rare, there have been reports of psychological damage from advanced meditation practices, even under the guidance of a well-trained practitioner (4). People have reported being regularly haunted by dark thoughts that came up during meditation. H. David Coulter, author of Anatomy of Hatha Yoga, writes that meditation is like a mirror for your mind, and we may not always like what we see.However, these caveats generally apply to advanced practitioners who spend extensive time meditating, using techniques beyond the scope of this course’s exercises. Our exercises will be simple, will not last longer than five minutes, and will be things that almost everyone reports positive or at least neutral reactions to.
Exercises
There are numerous meditation techniques; choose the one that works best for you on any given day. Below are some of the most accessible for beginners. Try to remain in the practice for two minutes, but if all you can manage is one minute, that's better than nothing! If you're inclined, build up time slowly, adding perhaps one minute every other week.For all of the practices below, make sure you're in a seated position you could stay in for the amount of time you'd like to meditate. While some people find Lotus position genuinely comfortable, most others will prefer a cross-legged position on the floor or simply sitting in a chair. No one is going to award points for suffering while you meditate, so please make sure you're comfortable!
Mediation on your Breath
This is similar to the beginning of the exercises in the Breathing section. Simply close your eyes and observe your breath. Don't worry about trying to deepen your breaths or sending your breath to a specific place in your body. While the ability to breathe may be considered something of a miracle and definitely something we should be grateful for, for this exercise put those aside and focus on one of your body's innate time keepers.
Mediation on an Object
Choose an object that's relatively simple, without too much decoration or detail. A lit candle is a famous example, but you could use anything you had available (a book, a scarf, a cup, etc.). Place it directly ahead of you so you can contemplate it without straining your neck. Take in the object as it is before you: note its details (colors, shape, texture, etc.) but without assigning any judgment or value. Practice seeing something simply as it is and not getting carried away with a story line about it. If those thoughts come up, allow them to, but don't follow them.
Meditation on a Sound
Pick a sound or simple song that you find soothing. Some people enjoy the sound of gongs, others like sounds from nature (rain, waterfalls, winds, bird songs, etc.). Many of these are available on Spotify or YouTube if you don't want to purchase a sound file or DVD. (If possible, find a spot in nature where you can hear soothing sounds!) Close your eyes and give up your attention to those sounds. Again, try not to think about the objects or creatures making the sound and listen without judgment.
Meditation on a Mantra
A mantra is a word or phrase used to focus the mind away from distractions. A popular mantra from Kundalini yoga is "Sat Nam", which means "I am truth" or "Truth is my name." The phrase could be in your native language, but should be kept short.
For many people, it's easiest to use these in coordination with the breath. For example, you might think, "I breathe in [happiness/goodness/satisfaction]" on your inhales and "I breathe out [sadness/what doesn't serve me]" on your exhales.
Again, if images or other thoughts arise in conjunction with your mantra, don't stress out, but don't follow them.
Meditation on a Visualization
A visualization is similar to using an object to meditate on, only the object or setting in this case is imagined. Some might enjoy picturing themselves in a quiet setting -- a forest grove, a quiet lake -- and others might prefer to focus on a mental object (for example, a tree or a building). Again, try to keep the setting or object relatively simple, and try not to get too involved in any thoughts that come up.
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