Although more recently popularized at the turn of the millennium, meditation was first documented in 5000 B.C. via cave art, which depicted people sitting crossed legged with their eyes halfway closed. During recent years as scientific advancements have made the study of meditation more accessible, therapists and doctors are suggesting it be implemented into your daily routine.
This is no wonder given the scientific benefits of meditation. There is evidence to show that it actually changes the chemistry of the brain, which leads to improved physiological and psychological reactions to stress. Brain-imaging studies reveal that meditation not only changes the brain’s structure, but it also changes the brain’s activation patterns, altering activation of brain regions involved with emotional regulation, attention, and self-awareness.
Despite the numerous proven benefits of meditation for mental health, this coping skill can be challenging to put into practice for a number of reasons. Based on my own personal experience and experience as a therapist, some of the common challenges to implementing regular meditation practice include difficulties finding time to slow down, the lack of a non-distracting environment available, the challenge of slowing down thoughts while meditating, and the frustrations with lack of progress. The majority of these challenges can be mitigated with one simple suggestion-managing our expectations about meditation.
Meditation is counterintuitive to our culture. We are constantly on the go, priding ourselves in our ability to multitask and fit as many activities as we can into one day. When we are not “doing,” we are on our phones and other devices and rarely engaging in the present moment. Even entertainment throughout recent years reflects our limited attention spans, as movies and television have gotten increasingly more action-packed and faster moving. However, although these factors may make meditation seem difficult to put into practice, they actually serve as proof that we need meditation more now than ever.
Meditation does not have to involve sitting cross legged with hands in prayer and chanting for it to be effective. Meditation should fit the individual, starting with small and reasonable objectives. The purpose of meditation is to bring your body and mind to the present moment. A good way to start is by counting your breaths. State to yourself, “Breathe in….breathe out….1; Breath in…breathe out…2.” See how high you can count without getting distracted. In the beginning, you may only reach 5 or 10, but with time and commitment you will see your progress. Be patient with yourself.
Another technique that can be beneficial is implementing the use of guided meditations. There are many applications and YouTube videos that offer free guided meditations for a variety of topics. Start with a 2-minute meditation, and work your way up to a 5-minute meditation. It is better to start small and be successful than to set your standards too high and fail to achieve them.
A third strategy that can get you started on your journey is what is referred to as “moving meditation.” This involves engaging in an activity while being fully engaged in said activity, such as walking, dancing, riding a bike, cooking, or any other task that engages your five senses. While completing the activity, focus intently on what you are doing rather than your internal dialogue. This will take constant redirection back to the present until you gain the ability to do so.
Meditation can be challenging, however the more you practice the more you will build up your mental muscle. The most important thing is to be open minded and kind to yourself along this journey. The amount of peace and feelings of well-being waiting for you on the other side is worth the wait.
Mindfulness practices have gained more popularity in recent years. When we think of mindfulness a lot of us may think of yoga or deep meditations in a forest somewhere. These are both wonderful practices but may not resonate with everyone. Mindfulness is the practice of doing one thing, with your full attention, at a time. When we allow ourselves to focus solely on one thing and permit ourselves to be in the present moment, we give ourselves the opportunity to be fully engaged in the here and now moment rather than having one foot in the present and the other in whatever our mind is thinking about. This can sound challenging at first but with effort, we can give ourselves the tools to enhance our concentration, decrease our stress and fully attune to what is going on around us.
A great way to begin our foundational for mindfulness is to start by focusing on one thing, any one thing. In reality, this can be difficult since we are socially programmed to maximize every second by multitasking as much as possible. This means pursuing mindfulness can be challenging. It’s okay. There are no expectations and just like anything, it will take time, dedication and practice to hone your skills. To prevent from becoming frustrated or judging ourselves for struggling at first, we can encourage ourselves to show ourselves compassion and gratitude for trying something new to improve our well-being. If we begin a mindfulness practice, anything from driving our car to focusing on our breath, and we notice our mind is wandering elsewhere, we can gently recognize it and redirect ourselves back to the focus of our practice in the present moment. We can do this each time we have noticed our mind has wandered and by redirecting it each time, we are reminding ourselves that we have control over our thoughts and are capable of overcoming distractions.
Each person is different so naturally, how we start may be different as well. One person may pick mindfully listening to a song while another may choose to mindfully drink a beverage while another may decide to mindfully focus on their breath. There is no wrong way to practice mindfulness as long as you are staying engaged in the present moment and bringing yourself back whenever you notice your mind has wandered.
Staying present can have wonderful benefits, it can reduce our stress, enhance our concentration and improve our sleep. This is because when we allow our minds to buzz about from topic to topic, stressor to stressor we are actually putting ourselves through that stress twice. If something is truly going to be challenging, then it will be challenging whether we perseverate about it or not so when we focus on how difficult it will be we are ensuring we will struggle both times. By honing our mindfulness skills, we allow ourselves to be engaged and focused in the present and give ourselves room to enjoy what is in front of us. Mindfulness can be a wonderful tool for those struggling with anxiety, emotional dysregulation due to trauma reminders, relationship stressors and a myriad of other challenges. If you feel this is something you are struggling, please reach out so we can enhance your mindfulness practice together.
