Meditation gets lots of support from the medical community, and for good reason: it works. Scores of studies have been done to evaluate the effectiveness of meditation on stress in various populations, from nurses (Pipe 2009) to cancer patients (Ledesma 2009), and just normal everyday healthy people. (Chiesa 2009) The two main types of meditation, are mindfulness and concentration.
Mindfulness is a state of being fully engaged in the present moment, without analyzing or over-thinking an experience. Have you ever stood on a street and watched a parade go by? Mindfulness meditation has been likened to that experience: no involvement, just watching the world go by. Concentration meditation involves focusing your attention on a single object (e.g., a burning candle, a tree) or sound (e.g., your own breathing, the wind).
Mindfulness meditation is generally earmarked as the one that is especially effective at reducing stress, anxiety, and depression, and it also has been the subject of many studies. Just like any stress reduction technique, mindfulness meditation takes practice. In the beginning, you may feel a bit strange. However, every time you practice mindfulness, you actually change your brain by forming new synapses, which are the connections between the neurons in the brain. This action strengthens the areas associated with relaxation and weakens those involved with stress.
Mindfulness Meditation Techniques
- Body scan: In this approach, you focus your attention on various parts of your body. It is similar to progressive relaxation in that you begin with your feet and gradually work your way up your body, stopping and focusing on each individual part or area before moving on to the next one. However, you do not tense and relax your muscles, but rather simply focus on the way each part of your body feels. Do not judge whether the feeling is good or bad, just that it is present.
- Mindful eating: Mindful eating is a healthy and stress-free way to eat your meals. For mindful eating, remove all distractions during your meal. (If you have a partner who is sharing the meal, encourage her or him to try this as well.) That means no television, radio, reading, texting, or talking. Instead, find a comfortable place to eat, have all the food in front of you, and focus all of your attention on each bite. After each bite, put down your fork or spoon and completely savor the food, chewing it thoroughly and completely. Do not pick up your utensil again until you have swallowed. Eat your entire meal in this way. Mindful eating may be a challenge for those of you who are used to eating on the run or eating your meals in great gulps because you “don’t have time.” But consider this: you are accomplishing several tasks at once when you eat mindfully: you are practicing stress reduction, you are consuming your meal and you are improving your digestion by eating slowly and purposefully.
- Walking meditation: This is also a great mindfulness meditation for busy people, because you can accomplish both your exercise and your stress reduction in one activity if you practice it with the right mindset. Which mindset is that? In walking meditation, you focus on the physicality of each step that you take: the sensation as each foot touches the ground, the rhythm of your breathing, the feel of the wind against your face, the sun warming your skin.
Visualization/Guided Imagery
Visualization, or guided imagery, which is one of the ten most popular ways to help reduce stress. Visualization involves imagining a scene in your mind’s eye where you feel peaceful, free of fear and anxiety, and safe. The possibilities are endless and can be taken from any period of your life. Perhaps it’s a deserted tropical beach, the tree house you built when you were a kid, a mountain hideaway, a cave you found one day when hiking. You may even choose an imaginary place or a place you’ve dreamed about, like a vacation home you want to build someday or a cabin by a lake.
One of the benefits of visualization is that you can do it just about anywhere that’s quiet and where you won’t be disturbed for about 15 minutes or so. It requires no materials, although there are tapes available that guide you through visualization (thus “guided imagery”), or you can enlist the help of a therapist. It can be helpful to listen to a tape or read a transcript of guided imagery instructions to get started.
How to have your own Visualization Session
Find a spot where you are comfortable and will not be disturbed for about 15 minutes or so.
Close your eyes and breathe slowly and deeply, allowing yourself to become relaxed (see “Deep Breathing” for help)
In your mind’s eye, imagine you are in your restful place. Picture it as vividly as you can: that includes what you see, smell, taste, hear, and feel. For example, if you are on a beach:
See how the sun glistens off the water
Hear the sea gulls calling out to each other
Smell the sea air and hint of fish
Feel the sand between your toes
Taste the salt on your fingers
As you become more accomplished at visualization, you will be able to imagine yourself interacting with the environment in your imagination, becoming part of the moving picture so to speak
