Meditation and Stress Reduction
Act as if the fate of the world depends on your every move, but laugh at yourself for thinking so. ~Buddhist saying
Meditation is an activity that calms the mind and keeps it focused on the present. In the meditative state, the mind is not cluttered with thoughts or memories of the past, nor is it concerned with future events. When thoughts keep us distracted we can practice watching and observing the mind in the same way one would gaze at the sky and watch a cloud drift along on it's path. Meditation seems to overwhelm many, but the truth is we meditate often throughout our day and we are unaware of this state or natural practice. When I'm having a busy day and think that I cannot possible fit in one more activity, I just sit. One can sit for five minutes and have a meditative experience that can be restorative.
Meditation produces a deep state of relaxation and a tranquil mind. It can give you a sense of calm, peace and emotional stability. And these effects don't end when your meditation session ends. Meditation can have lasting effects on your emotional and physical well-being. Rigorous scientific research can measure the effects of meditation on a range of health variables and are currently being evaluated in such ground-breaking initiatives as a year long experiment combining Eastern and Western healing methods at Beth Israel Medical Center.
Body scanning is a useful practice for bringing deep awareness to the many processes of the mind and body. Allowing the mind to focus awareness and just notice parts of the body can be deeply relaxing. Mental Imagery, used in guided meditations, is a method of visualizing your ideal state or a relaxing scene to relax your body, reduce stress and improve your health. Imagery is a therapeutic technique that uses your imagination and the power of thought to bring a state of relaxation to your body. Your thoughts are an inner communication system that relates to the body the type of state you would prefer.
By reducing stress and fatigue, meditation enables us to connect with our higher self where energy, creativity and inner awareness are our natural state of being. The purpose of meditation is to enrich all aspects of life-body, mind, and spirit.
Mindfulness Stress Reduction
Developed more than two decades ago at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., mindfulness training helps a person live in the present moment to handle more easily the ups and downs of life. By intentionally bringing a non-judgmental awareness to breathing, body sensations, thoughts and feelings - including fears, anger, frustrations, desires, and self-doubts - a person is better equipped to deal with the challenges of life. This very special kind of attentiveness enables one to acquire new insights about life situations and, in turn, to develop ways to respond rather than react to the conditions in life. People simply observe what arises in the body and mind, perceiving each experience as an event in their own field of awareness. This fuller, moment to moment, non-judgmental awareness known as Mindfulness frees a person to make clearer and more attuned decisions. Most people report an increased ability to relax, greater energy and enthusiasm for life, brightened self-confidence and an increased ability to cope more effectively with both short and long term stressful situations.