Meditation Isn’t Just for Hippies

Back in the late 60’s, the Beatles blew the lid off of this “thing” called Meditation.  They met this man, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and learned about Transcendental Meditation and if you were paying attention to what the Beatles were doing at the time, at best it seemed weird and worst it seemed sorta creepy.  What is happening with these musicians?  This and Woodstock would certainly make a person stop and know something new was going on!

Scientific Proof

There is proof that meditation actually CHANGES how your brain responds. Psychology Today talks about this in great detail. But the important thing isn’t how long you meditate, if you sit cross legged or make funny chant sounds that scare the dog, it is that you START.

How To Start

Deep Sleep With Andrew JohnsonAnywhere.  This blog focuses on how to make technology work for you.  This post is no different. There are many apps available that you can download many for FREE to start Meditating.  Using a “Guided” type first was most helpful when I started.  I have written about Andrew Johnson before, he has great apps and downloadable audio files for relaxation of all types.  There are also other free ones, in both the Apple App and Google Play Stores for your phone or mobile device.

Latest one I am trying is “Guided Journey,” you can pick the setting (like the beach or forest) and the time that you would like to Meditate: 1 minute to :59 Minutes. The sounds of the setting you pick (waves, etc.) and a very sweet voice “guides” you through a visualization that helps focus you awGuidedJourneysay from all the jumbled thoughts you have and onto something else to help you clear your head.  Just follow along. It is that easy.

Keep On Keepin’ On

Start with short intervals and try to sit at the same time(s) during the day. I started with 2 minutes, twice a day for the first week. The second week I tried 4 minutes and so on. Do what works for you.  I “sit” in the morning, first thing still in my PJ’s and at night after I am ready to go to bed, but before I am in bed.

I also have used these apps when I was in a stressful situation, I have my phone with me so  when I was waiting in a waiting room while my Mom was in the Operating Room.  It was a great way to stay calm and feel fresh and focused. Then if you really get into it, you may want to start meditating in a group, but for now, just START.

I am a big believer in Meditation for just about everything. Great option to try before turning to medication. If you have any questions, like always please drop me an email and I am happy to help.

 

First Things… FIRST

Are Your Teeth-Clenched and Your Shoulders Tight?

Next time you sit down at your computer, pick up your smartphone or tablet, take notice of how you feel?  Are you happy to see the latest news or are you feeling overwhelmed?  “I can’t do this!”  “I don’t understand this!”  “What is wrong with me?”

If you have any of those questions, it is possible that you do actually feel TRAPPED, just like this blog’s title.  Feeling TRAPPED creates many reactions in your body. FIGHT or FLIGHT, right?

FIGHT or FLIGHTRelaxed senior woman doing some breathing exercises

When it is “Fight” you want to beat up whatever is causing you to feel trapped, (which can be expensive if you throw your cell phone around) or “Flight” you try and escape. When you try to escape,  chances are you cannot learn or do what it was you wanted in the first place. Which may be as simple as trying to look at your grandchild’s prom photo. In either case, you are the one that loses.

Try Something New

I am not a doctor. But I have noticed that when I am feeling trapped myself that everything in my body feels tight.  And when everything feels tight, it is hard for me to think clearly. One thing I have learned a lot about in my life is the importance of breathing.  When we get that Trapped feeling we tend to hold our breath.  Right now, try clenching your first.  When you look down at that fist all tight, check your breathing.  Most of us will be holding our breath.  If you are holding your breath, it is difficult to think straight and solve problems.

Here is a great article * from Dr. Anthony Komaroff, from Harvard Medical School that is worth reading, about stress and breathing. Some people have preconceived ideas about meditation and yoga but each of these practices showed me how often I failed to breathe. When I was often in a situation that was stressful or sad, I was holding my breath. It was surprised to learn that when I caught myself holding my breath, once I started to breathe again I could start working to solve the problem at hand.

Give it a Whirl

breathing_in_and_outIt takes just a few minutes, this website here actually has a nice instructional way of explaining * the timing of doing it, and it is well worth it.  I find  I start thinking clearly, act more calmly.  When I have a method to do this to stop and count my breaths it really helps. Otherwise, I haven’t really stopped and refocused with a clear head after all!

 

*I have no affiliation with these organizations or websites, I just find them easy to read and understand and that is always worth sharing. I also want to thank them for the use of their photos.