Mindfulness & Meditation

What is Mindfulness? 

According to John Kabat-Zinn (here), Professor of Medicine Emeritus and creator of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and founder of the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, "Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally." 

Mindfulness enables you to see things more clearly, free of self-imposed filters and preconceived notions; you see things as they are, rather than as you want them to be. By undoing mental and physical knots and tensions, it increases your sense of being fully present in the moment, giving you greater strength to face different challenges, large and small, in your daily life.

Through the practice of Mindfulness you will learn formal seated meditation, breathing techniques to calm body and mind, a ‘Body Scan’, and even how to eat more mindfully, among a host of other techniques and practices that don’t involve sitting cross-legged on the floor.

Can Anyone Learn How to Practice Mindfulness?
Um ... yes. Mindfulness can be taught to anyone from young children to adults. 

What are the Benefits?
Among other things, you may experience:

• more energy and enthusiasm
• a more relaxed mind
• a greater capacity for physical relaxation
• enhanced self-confidence
• more compassion toward others 
• and an increased ability to handle stressful situations 

Additionally, it has been my personal experience that a regular mindfulness/meditative practice is effective in overcoming stress, worry, addictions and more. It leads to peace of mind, a deeper sense of well-being, greater focus and creativity, and improved relationships. It helps you to: be more emotionally aware; more attentive and fully engaged; put aside preoccupations and wake up to what is happening right now.

Studies at Harvard and other top Universities have shown that as little as 6 - 8 weeks of mindfulness meditation brings a significant increase in grey matter concentration in regions of the brain associated with sustained attention, emotional regulation and perspective.

Mindfulness has also been used to deal with specific issues such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), management of chronic pain, dealing with the effects of cancer, and even the slowing down of the progression of Alzheimer's. 

Mindfulness Meditation is helping our soldiers deal with Post-Traumatic stress Disorder

As a daily regimen of exercise strengthens and tones the physical body, regular meditation is fitness for the mind and spirit. Who among us wouldn’t enjoy more contentment and less stress in life? Meditation provides you with the best conditions for training your mind to be calmer, clearer and kinder to yourself.

Many people believe that to meditate you must sit cross-legged, perfectly still on the floor for long periods of time, chanting mantras, while patchouli incense burns. Although you can do this, there are as many different ways to meditate as there are people. The most important thing is to be comfortable; so it doesn’t really matter whether one is sitting in a chair or on a cushion, standing against a wall, laying down, or supported in other ways.

Meditation has been practiced in various forms all over the world for thousands of years by people from all walks of life. Children from as young as five and adults well into their 90s can all learn and benefit from meditation.

What is the difference between Mindfulness and Regular Old Relaxation? 

A good question! Meditation can be profoundly relaxing and even though they may sometimes feel the same, meditation and general relaxation are actually two different things – but they don’t have to be!

There are many different ways to just relax – taking a nice long walk, sitting and listening to music, a conversation with a friend, playing with your dog in a local park, swimming, watching TV or reading a good novel, or even just chilling out in a comfortable place with nothing to do or nothing in particular upon which to focus your attention for a period of time.

Meditation is a practice where you train your mind to become more aware of the present moment, the here and now.

The cool part is anything, therefore, can be meditation when done mindfully – washing the dishes, taking a shower, gardening, making love, even those activities mentioned above. Whenever the mind is focused on this moment, and distractions are eliminated, that is a form of meditation. Which means that, although we often choose to sit while practicing, in truth one can meditate anywhere ... at any time ... while doing anything. 

Mindfulness: Good for What Ails You
For the longest time in the West, meditation was thought of as being the domain of hippies and the New age movement.

But the theory that meditation can reduce stress, depression and even chronic pain is one that has been gaining in momentum in the medical community in recent years. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) as taught by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) as taught by Mark Williams at the University of Oxford have quickly become the interest and choice for academics in the mental health field, and organizations such as the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) and the National Health Service (NHS) in England.

How do I Know if Mindfulness is for Me?
Are you breathing? Then mindfulness is for you.

Let’s face it, there are very few (none) of us who don’t need a little relief from the stress and pressure of daily life. We are all faced with bills, family obligations, demands at work, school, anxieties in personal relationships, too-little-time, and health issues.

Everyone can benefit from developing a more mindful approach to Life.

In our Saturday meditation sessions we have teachers, parents, office workers, moms, dads, and others.

Meditation ... Not just for hippies anymore!

Meditation is useful for anyone who is ready to look directly into themselves and learn new ways of responding to what life brings. It is entirely secular and suitable for those of any religion or none.

Some people want to learn better how to cope with stress in their work or family life; and some people simply want to learn to appreciate their lives more fully, letting go of preoccupations. Some people come because they want to work with a particular issue: depression or anxiety, or chronic pain, for example.

The principles and practices explored in the Saturday sessions are relevant in each case.

If you would like more information, or to reserve a spot on the mats, please call (570) 332-4377 or email me at barnesmartialarts@yahoo.com. 

Supercharge Your Brain with Meditation

This insightful article from Psychology Today illustrates seven distinct ways that meditation supercharges the human brain.

What are you waiting for? Join on on Saturday, February 6th at 10:30am to supercharge YOUR brain!

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/prime-your-gray-cells/201511/7-ways-meditation-supercharges-your-brain

How to Find Stillness in Meditation ... and in Life

As we prepare to begin weekly meditation sessions at the Studio, I thought it best to examine the reasons and benefits of maintaining a regular meditative practice. 

Many of us struggle to sit still -- not just in meditation, but all of the time; we find it nearly impossible to turn ourselves “off”. Like a live wire humming with electricity we seem to feel we must always be doing something.

Impatience and restlessness consume us. 
Tension throbs in our heads. 
Nervous tics manifest in our gestures. 

Presenting as depression, anxiety and cardiac issues, stress is literally killing us. Even when our bodies stop moving – when we are watching TV, or reading a book, for instance – our minds spend so much time racing from one errant thought to the next that we find it difficult, if not impossible, to focus on the very things we do to relax. 

No matter where we are or what we are doing, we feel embroiled in chaos. 

In the car – we want to get where we are going and get there now; consequently, the cars in front of us are never driving fast enough; there is always some delay – construction detours, extra long red-lights ... it all conspires against us. The resultant emotion can manifest as anything from mild annoyance -- "How dare they inconvenience me!" -- to full-blown road rage.

Waiting in line at the store – of course, the person in front of us not only has two carts full of groceries and, of course, they are paying by check, but wait just a moment while I find my pen, I know it’s in here somewhere. 

At work or in school  – we have a thousand things to do, reports are due, deadlines must be met, there are meetings to attend, work piles up, parent-teacher conferences that cannot be missed, there isn’t enough time in the day, and yet the clock drags. 

At home – we have yard work, laundry, house cleaning, meals to be prepared, school lunches to be packed, kids have to go to piano lessons, sports, and doctor’s appointments. We cook our meals in minutes in the microwave or order takeout from the drive through since we don’t have time to sit down to a proper, healthy meal. Our foot taps incessantly while we wait for web pages to load, cursing under our breath if they take more than a few seconds.  

Suddenly it’s like everything has to happen right now and you cannot sit still until it’s done.

And it’s not just you, is it? 

Look around. The world itself is in a rush, people hustling and bustling, constantly moving, hurrying to get somewhere, -- anywhere! -- other than where they are! 

It seems everyone is losing their collective cool a little too quickly these days. Tempers flare at the slightest provocation. We hurl insults and names at one another. We grit our teeth and find ourselves just one misspoken word away from a physical altercation ... as if that would deescalate the tension.

Why? 

Maybe it’s our culture of instant gratification. Maybe it is the advent of technology that is supposed to provide convenience and make our lives more efficient. Maybe it is advertising that sells us on the idea that we constantly have to have more, that happiness comes from things we can buy: if we only buy this program, take that pill, wear these shoes, drive this car, live in this neighborhood, we will be better than the other guy. 

Or maybe ... just maybe ... it is something deeper, something compounded by all of those things. 

Maybe we have lost touch with a fundamental part of ourselves, a connection with the greater world around us, the rhythm of nature. At our very core is a part that recognizes the need to slow down, be patient, and live in the present moment.

Through meditation, I have learned that stillness is not just an external posture. There is a deeper internal, and, yes, spiritual dimension to stillness. 

Allow me to present these 4 simple tips for how to be still when you meditate.

4 SIMPLE STEPS --

(1) DON’T MOVE

This seems obvious, but you’d be surprised -- or maybe not -- by how hard this can be. You must commit to not moving at all. Don’t just plop down somewhere and try to be still. Rather, make a commitment to yourself that you are going to do this and then persevere.

Your focused intention will make a huge difference.

Like anything new, it will take practice. Unless you already train in Martial Arts or yoga, it may not come naturally. In the beginning, you will almost certainly think of a million things that need to get done, even more that cannot be done without you. Your mind will flit restlessly from thought to thought to thought; you will fidget on your cushion or in your chair. When I first started, I managed to sit still for maybe 30 seconds before I knew I had to get up, before my muscles would start twitching with kinetic energy. I willed myself to remain in place, though, and after a few sessions the feeling began to diminish. Soon, I was sitting for 20 minutes, then 30, then an hour. The longest session I ever did was almost six hours, split into two 3-hour sessions with a slight break in between. So progress is not only possible, it is inevitable

With practice and patience -- a lot of patience -- you will master this. 

(2) START SIMPLE

It’s important to build your confidence in being still. You don’t need to follow a complex ritual, recite intricate mantras, or deck yourself out in robes (unless you want to ... then, by all means go for it!).

Find a comfortable spot, sit down, close your eyes and breathe. It really doesn’t need to be any more complicated than that.

Depending on your level of practice, sit still for an appropriate amount of time.

For example, if you are a novice, try sitting perfectly still for 1 minute. If it goes well, increase it to 2 minutes. Then try 5 minutes, etc.

As I said above, I started with 30 seconds. I would sit quietly in my chair, legs crossed and hands laid loosely upon my knees in half-lotus position (not a necessity, by the way), and I would follow my breath. If a thought arose – and a ton of them did – I would notice it, and then return my attention to my breath. The more I practiced, the easier it became to focus solely on my breath and to quiet my mind.

You too can find your comfort threshold and practice right at the edge, slowly increasing your capacity for stillness.

(3) PAY ATTENTION

When you are sitting still, notice what’s happening. Notice the thoughts rising like bubbles but do not attach to them. How does being still affect the quality of your awareness? Don’t devote a lengthy amount of time to thinking about it, just observe.

When you are able to sit still for long periods of time, you will start to notice the profound relationship between outer and inner stillness. The inner stillness that you are cultivating will carry over into your daily life; you will be calmer, more relaxed, more aware of your surroundings, more acclimated to the present moment, less prone to anger.

The stiller you become, the deeper your capacity for meditation; but more importantly, the stiller you become, the more peaceful and aware you become.

The stillness becomes an oasis in the midst of a busy day; the calm center to which you retreat when life becomes hectic or overwhelming. In such times, you tap into the reserves you have built up.

And meditation becomes a state of being rather than something you do.
 

(4) RELAX

It’s easy to experience tension when trying to be still. I read once that meditation is the perfect middle place between being alert and relaxed; the experience of that middle place is deep inner stillness.

There is no tension in that stillness. You are alert and deeply relaxed.

In order to achieve relaxation, you must breathe. Many schools of meditation tell you to breathe normally as you meditate. I have found, on the other hand, that deep breathing, from the abdomen – the center – helps to promote a relaxed body and a calm, peaceful mind.

Try this: after you are seated comfortably, take a few – say, four or five -- deep, cleansing breaths; breathe in slowly for a count of four,until your lungs are full (but not over full to the point of discomfort), hold it for another count of four, then exhale very slowly four a count of four until your lungs are empty. You can do this as a “cleansing ritual” prior to your actual meditation, or as the focus of the meditation itself.  

As you learn how to be still in meditation, it is important to remember to relax at all times. Meditation is the opposite of tension. It’s all about release and freedom.

To experience the many benefits of meditation, I invite you to join us at the Studio, Saturday mornings at 10:30, beginning February 6th, 2016.

Sit with us.
Breathe with us.
Become still and centered. 

For more information, please call us at (570) 332-4377 or email us at barnesmartialarts@yahoo.com