Meditation
A Menu of Calming Rituals
First thing tomorrow morning, before you rise, spend a few moments in bed doing something that will make you feel terrific: Meditate.
It's easy. Anyone can do it. Just breathe normally and tune in to the simple miracle of your respiration. Concentrate on the air as it fills your lungs. Note its release as you slowly exhale. Experience your body right now, this very instant, from head to toe. Feel how your body urges itself awake. Feel the sheets around your body. Feel the pillow under your head. Breathe out into the world around you with loving-kindness.
When you open your eyes, allow your eyes to be soft. Note the environment around you. Breathe into awareness as you see the morning light dance across your bedroom walls. Smell the morning air. Hear the morning sounds: the birds, the buzz of traffic or your children bounding down the stairs. Savor fully this moment in time in rich detail.
Now, go make breakfast.
Congratulations. You've just taken the first step toward practicing an ancient healing technique that's said to provide women with a litany of life-affirming benefits.
MEDITATION DEMYSTIFIED
Simply put, meditation is a form of contemplation that's thousands of years old and rooted in the traditions of the world's great religions. In fact, practically all religious groups practice meditation in one form or another.
Of the religions that use meditation, perhaps Buddhism, practiced widely in eastern and central Asia, is the best known. To Buddhists, the practice of meditation is essential for the cultivation of wisdom and compassion and for understanding reality.
Buddhists believe that our ordinary consciousness is both limited and limiting, says Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., in his book Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Living. Dr. Kabat-Zinn is the founder and director of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester and associate professor of medicine in the school's Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine.
Meditation makes it possible to live life to the "full spectrum of our conscious and unconscious possibilities," writes Dr. Kabat-Zinn.
Prayer: Good for What Ails You Meditation certainly has benefits for the woman who's meditating, but what about prayers? And, to take this question to the next step, can you be helped if someone else prays for you? Dale A. Matthews, M.D., prays for his patients. He also prescribes drugs for them and recommends surgery, when necessary. In a word, he does whatever it takes to help them get well, he explains. And he is certainly convinced that prayer is one of those things. "Prayer works," says Dr. Matthews, associate professor of medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C., and senior research fellow at the National Institute for Healthcare Research in Rockville, Maryland. Dr. Matthews has reviewed more than 200 studies linking religious commitment and health, cited in his book The Faith Factor. Dr. Matthews says that he isn't the only physician who believes in the healing power of prayer--with good reason. He cites studies suggesting that people who pray are less likely to get sick, are more likely to recover from surgery and illness and are better able to cope with their illnesses than people who don't pray. Some evidence indicates that sick people who are prayed for also fare significantly better than those who aren't. In fact, some physicians report that people who are prayed for often do better even if they don't know they're being prayed for. Prayer seems to have a positive effect on emotional and physical problems alike, says Larry Dossey, M.D., who reviewed 130 studies examining the efficacy of prayer for his book Healing Words: The Power of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine. He's also author of Prayer Is Good Medicine. Written off by mainstream medicine for decades, prayer got a second look when researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine published a watershed study. To put prayer to the scientific test, they divided 393 men and women hospitalized for heart trouble into two groups. All the men and women got medical care. In addition, half were prayed for by volunteers outside the hospital. None of the men or women knew whether they were in the group being prayed for or not. Nonetheless, the men and women whose medical care was supplemented with prayer needed fewer drugs and spent less time on ventilators. They also fared better overall than their counterparts who received medical care but nothing more. All types of prayer appear to work, says Jeffrey S. Levin, Ph.D., associate professor of family and community medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk. Even the prayers of agnostics, who don't invoke a deity, get results. "Some people offer a very directed prayer to a Father God asking that someone be healed," says Dr. Levin. "Others send their love or feel empathy for the person who is ill." Empathy, in fact, is the key element in prayer, say Dr. Levin and Dr. Dossey. "There has to be caring," says Dr. Dossey. "The desire for recovery has to be genuine, authentic and deeply felt. It has to come from a feeling of love and compassion." As for why prayer gets results, researchers offer various natural and supernatural explanations but admit that they simply don't know for sure. "Just because we don't understand the mechanism doesn't mean that it doesn't work," Dr. Levin adds. "After all, there was a time we didn't know why aspirin worked." Prayer shouldn't replace conventional treatment, says Dr. Matthews, who is studying the effects of prayer on rheumatoid arthritis. But a growing body of evidence suggests that prayer should supplement it, he adds. |
AN ANTIDOTE FOR WOMEN'S SPECIAL STRESSES
Meditation can help you attain peace of mind. And it can also ease physical complaints such as premenstrual syndrome (PMS), tension headaches and other common health problems affecting women.
"Women's hectic role-switching can wreak havoc with their lives and with their health," says Patricia Carrington, Ph.D., associate clinical professor of psychiatry at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Piscataway and author of Freedom in Meditation.
"Office-efficient women from 9:00 to 5:00 often become homemakers, wives or mothers--sometimes simultaneously--at 5:01 sharp," continues Dr. Carrington.
"Meditation gives women a psychological buffer so that life's hectic pace doesn't knock them out," she explains. "It allows you to turn inward and be kind to yourself for a change. Practicing meditation is like taking a vacation once or twice a day. When you nurture yourself, you accrue a tremendous spin-off of benefits."
Take PMS, for example. Your body's response to high stress levels can worsen symptoms of PMS because stress can cause the muscle tension associated with PMS complaints such as fatigue, soreness and aching.
"When you meditate regularly, you dramatically reduce your body's response to stress, and that can ease the discomfort associated with PMS," Dr. Carrington explains. But she cautions that you not make the mistake of thinking that you can meditate PMS away in a session or two. You will probably need to meditate regularly for several months before your body responds positively.
Meditation can also improve irritable bowel syndrome, ulcers, high blood pressure and insomnia, among other stress-related conditions, says Dr. Carrington. "Eighty percent of the people who use meditation to relieve insomnia are successful," she adds.
Other physicians concur with Dr. Carrington. "Meditation can help prevent or treat stress-related complaints such as anxiety, headaches and bone, muscle and joint problems," says Adriane Fugh-Berman, M.D., former head of field investigations for the Office of Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. "Meditation also provides women with an inner sense of clarity and calm, and that in itself may help ward off certain illnesses."
According to one study, meditation may even relieve the discomfort of fibromyalgia, a condition that causes fatigue and intensely painful "trigger points." When 77 men and women with fibromyalgia followed a ten-week stress-reduction program using meditation, all reported that their symptoms improved. And half described their improvements as "moderate to marked."
Finally, meditation frees women from tenacious preoccupation with the past and future and allows them to fully experience life's precious moments, says Daeja Napier, founder of the Insight Meditation Center and lay dharma teacher of insight meditation in suburban Boston.
"Many women tend to live in a state of perpetual motion and expectation that prevents them from appreciating the gifts that each moment gives us," says Napier. "We live life in a state of insufficiency, waiting for a mother to love us, for a father to be kind to us, for the perfect job or home, for Prince Charming to come along or to become a perfect person. It's a mythology that keeps us from being whole.
"Meditation is a humble process that gently returns us to the now of our lives and allows us to wake up and re-evaluate the way that we live our lives," says Napier. "We realize that the only thing missing is mindfulness, and that's what we practice."
MINDFULNESS: BEING PRESENT BRINGS PEACE
Mindfulness means fully experiencing what happens in the here and now. Mindfulness meditation is the art of focusing our minds on what's happening in and around us at this very moment.
Practitioners are taught to concentrate on their breathing and its passage through the body as they dismiss any distracting thoughts. Though it sounds simple, mindfulness takes practice, and the longer you practice, the easier the process becomes, according to Napier. "Breathing is the vehicle of transition from our conventional, anxiety-ridden, goal-oriented experience of stressful living into a natural state of functional calm and tranquillity."
Unlike other forms of meditation, mindfulness (also called insight) meditation works simply by focusing on your breathing, without using added words, images or sounds, says Napier. "Mindfulness teaches you to work with, rather than against, change in order to establish mental and physical calm."
Settle into awareness. Those who teach meditation say that it's helpful to begin the day with the kind of awareness exercise described at the beginning of this chapter, even before you get out of bed, says Napier. Use sights, sounds and senses to tune in to your body. Then, you're ready to begin meditating.
Find a meditation corner. "Set aside a special place that you can go to each day--a place where you are comfortable and where you're least likely to be interrupted as you meditate," says Napier. "Mark it with something simple like a cushion and a flower. A corner of your bedroom is often a good place to meditate."
Get comfy. Assume your most comfortable seated position, either on the floor with your back supported or in a chair. If you like, lean against a wall, using a cushion for added support.
Just breathe. At first, concentrate on the physical act of breathing, without trying to control or change your normal breathing pattern.
Dismiss distractions. If you get distracted by passing thoughts (and you will, especially in the beginning), avoid delving into them. Tell yourself that you'll deal with them later. Return to concentrating on breathing.
JOURNEY MEDITATION: TAKE A PEACEFUL MIND TRIP
Journey meditation combines imagery and visualization to achieve a meditative state. This form of meditation appeals to women who find peace by picturing themselves in a peaceful place, says Eileen F. Oster, registered occupational therapist and meditation instructor from Bayside, New York, and author of The Healing Mind: Your Guide to the Power of Meditation, Prayer and Reflection.
Here's how to begin.
Sit up straight. Get into a comfortable position. Either sit on the floor with your back against a wall, or sit in a chair with your feet on the ground and your hands resting on your knees or thighs. Have a pad and pencil nearby. Write down the worries, concerns or problems that you're afraid will distract you from meditation, and promise yourself that you'll deal with them when you're done.
Take a few cleansing breaths. Breathe in slowly and deeply for five counts, then exhale slowly for five counts.
Find a peaceful place. Close your eyes and concentrate on a soothing, tranquil place where you feel safe and calm. As distractions flutter through your mind, remind yourself that you'll deal with them when you are finished meditating.
A quiet beach is an ideal mental destination for many women, says Oster. Picture yourself resting on the sand. Feel the sun on your skin, hear the water lapping the shore, listen for the sounds of seagulls or see the ships gliding out to sea. You can use the same routine for any beautiful, serene place that calms you, says Oster.
Do it twice a day. You don't need to spends hours meditating, says Oster. "Most women will benefit from a 5- to 15-minute meditation practiced several days a week. A good rule of thumb for practicing journey meditation is to do it in the morning and then again later in the day. A peaceful meditative journey as you wake can improve the whole tone of your day," she adds.
Journey meditation is also an excellent antidote for afternoon slump, according to Oster. "If you can't take a nap at 3:00 p.m. when your energy suddenly ebbs, try taking a short journey break. In as little as ten minutes, you'll find that you've recharged your battery."
| Getting Started Meditation More and more doctors are prescribing meditation as a way to lower blood pressure, improve exercise performance in people with angina, help people with asthma breathe easier, relieve insomnia and generally relax the everyday stresses of life. It's easy to learn on your own. If you prefer formal instruction, here's how to pursue guidance. Number of practitioners in the United States: Unknown. Qualifications to look for: Psychologists with a Ph.D. and registered occupational therapists (O.T.R.) often use meditation and can offer you guidance in learning to meditate. Some clinical social workers (C.S.W.) can teach meditation as well. Otherwise, accreditations and standards for meditation training don't exist. Professional associations: None. To find a practitioner: To locate a psychologist trained in medi-tation, contact the Association for Transpersonal Psychology, P.O. Box 3049, Stanford, CA 94309. For a schedule of insight meditation retreats, contact the Spirit Rock Center, P.O. Box 909, Woodacre, CA 94973. To locate a journey meditation or movement meditation practitioner, contact Eileen F. Oster, O.T.R., P.O. Box 136, Woodmere, NY 11598. Approximate cost: Psychologists or clinical social workers who teach meditation charge $100 to $200 per session--comparable to their normal session fees. |
VIBRATIONAL MEDITATION: MAKING A JOYFUL NOISE
Also called sounding meditation, this technique uses the repetition of a word or sound as its focal point. Vibrational meditation appeals to women who find that making noise is a path to inner quiet, says Oster.
"We're taught to be nice and quiet as little girls--ladies aren't loud. Releasing sound and noise helps us release stress," says Oster. So it's especially beneficial to women.
Here's how to begin.
Get on your feet. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, your knees slightly bent and your hips centered, as though you're about to squat. Or, if you wish, sit or lie down. Keep your body loose and comfortable with your arms at your sides or on your hips. Begin by taking a few cleansing breaths.
Pick a word, any word. Choose a word that alternates vowels and consonants--like "serenity." The word that you select doesn't necessarily have to be a spiritual one, adds Oster. It just has to feel good when you say it.
Repeat after yourself. Repeat the word, chant the word, focus on nothing but saying the word over and over again. "Let the sound of the word vibrate through your body. Let the word resonate up from your abdomen and let it go to your hands, your feet. Let your muscles move as you chant the word," says Oster.
"Women have a tendency to clench their muscles when they're tense," she observes. "It's important to roll the sound through your body so that you can clear out the tightness in your muscles. Doing so promotes the meditative state of relaxation that feels like a natural high."
MOVEMENT MEDITATION:
WALK, DANCE AND SHAKE OFF TENSION
Like the Eastern discipline of yoga, movement meditation combines breathing and gentle, flowing movements to create a meditative state. It appeals to women who tend to achieve a meditative state of mind by moving their bodies, says Oster.
"Movement meditation allows a woman to draw in qi energy from the Earth, which many healers--such as acupuncturists, acupressurists and some massage therapists--regard as the essential life force," says Oster. Qi, pronounced chee in Chinese and kee in Japanese, is energy that moves along meridians, or paths, throughout the body. It is an essential concept in Traditional Chinese Medicine and other Eastern healing techniques.
"Movement meditation is excellent to do first thing in the morning and can also be a prelude to prayer or another form of meditation," says Oster.
Here's how Oster recommends you practice movement meditation.
Center and concentrate. Take several deep, cleansing breaths. Then, move into a relaxed, squatting stance with your knees slightly bent and your hips and pelvis loose. Center yourself by visualizing your feet connected to the soil. Visualize the center of the Earth, from which we draw female energy, says Oster. Concentrate upon and honor the Earth.
Focus your awareness. Gently move your body in an undulating, snakelike swaying motion. See yourself as a flower opening up or as an animal moving through the brush. Dance, if you like.
If it pleases you, use sound or music to focus your attention on the movement and on the vibration. Allow yourself to get lost in the sense of movement and the beauty of your body as it moves. Feel the areas of your body that are tight and let the movement loosen them up.
