Meditation: The 10 Building Blocks to a Successful Practice

     Several weeks ago, my acupuncturist Erin, suggested that I begin a meditation practice as a way to quiet my mind.  Throughout my life, I have had a consistently active mind that tends to wander, whether I am getting a massage, trying to fall asleep, or even receiving an acupuncture treatment.  Erin handed me a copy of a blog post titled: How to Meditate: A 10 Step Beginner’s Guide (March, 2011).  This article provides to the novice “student” of meditation, the basic building blocks with which to begin a practice.

     It has been 3 weeks since I started to follow this advice and I have already noticed small changes.  My quality of sleep has improved (not necessarily the length), my mind does not wander as much when I am falling asleep, and I now drift off during an acupuncture treatment or massage session.  Each heading in today’s post comes from the beginner’s guide I mentioned.  However, I am going to describe to you how I meditate, which may be slightly different from the blog.  Click on the link above to find the original instructions on meditation.

Sit Tall

Chakra Stones on the body

     I have found that I am most comfortable while lying down versus sitting tall.  I place pillows under my head and knees for comfort.  Next, I place Chakra stones on the corresponding areas of my body.  Starting at the Root, and working my way up to the Crown chakra.  If it is cold, I cover myself with a blanket.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Relax your body

     As a way to relax my body, I close my eyes and imagine that I am floating on top of the buoyant Hawaiian Pacific Ocean.  My muscles begin to lose tension and relax, as I “float out to sea”.

Be still and silent

     I do not lie in perfect silence as I listen to meditation music on my IPod.  It is at this point that I become mesmerized by the music, and begin to feel the active energy of the stones that lie on top of my body.  I take a mental note of which chakras are most active during the session, but do not react or try to change what is happening.

Breathe

     Next, I begin to focus on my breathing.  As you may recall from last week, I spoke about concentration meditation as the basis for all other forms of meditation.  The breath can be a powerful tool to center your session.  I start by taking a deep breath in through my nose, exhale silently through my mouth, and repeat this 5 times.  Make sure that the inhale/exhale cycles are equal in length.

Establish a mantra

    Mantras are sounds, words, or utterances that can be repeated throughout your session.  This is yet another way to bring focus to the practice.  Erin always leaves the treatment room with these instructions (which has become my mantra) as my acupuncture session begins: “Relax, breathe deeply, and go where the Spirit takes you”.

Calm your Mind

     There are many days when my mind is so active that it takes to the end of my meditation practice to become focused on my mantra. In this situation, you need to acknowledge the thoughts, set them aside, and return to the mantra.  As I have progressed with my meditation, I have noticed that the scattered thoughts are not as frequent.  When I focus on the energy that is released from the stones, my mind becomes steady and silent.



Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

When to end your practice

     Because my mind can be so active, I could not meditate for longer than 1 or 2 minutes.  After 3 weeks of steady practice, my session has lengthened to anywhere between 20 and 45 minutes.  If my mind is abuzz, then the session is shortened once again.

How to end your practice

     I end the practice by opening my eyes and turning off the music.  Next, I remove the stones in the reverse order in which they were placed.  I then slowly sit up and reflect for a couple of minutes, before standing.

Practice often

     I reserve a time each day (usually in the morning) to meditate.  If my day is very busy, I may only have 5 to 10 minutes to practice, which might be at bed time.  Just remember, something is better than nothing at all.

Practice Anywhere

     The practice of meditation is not restricted to lying on a bed or a couch.  Find your own personal island in which to retreat for a moment in time.  Be it a park bench, beach, mountain top, or your bath tub.

     The greatest lesson I have learned so far is to follow the adage “Patience is a virtue”.  Do not become discouraged if it takes many months to find a clear and calm mind.  Next time, we will discuss the health benefits of meditation. To get you started, I leave you with a YouTube video of meditation music.   ALOHA!!!!!

Tim

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quieting the Mind through Meditation

     In the last post we discussed how to create a wellness plan that is the road map on the journey towards a more balanced life.  I also mentioned that I would talk about self-care methods that you can add to your wellness toolbox.  In previous posts we learned how to practice deep breathing as a way to reduce stress levels (Ha: The Breath of Life 3/19/2014).  In this next series, we will explore the world of meditation (which incorporates deep breathing) as a way to quiet the mind and bring focus to our world. Let’s begin by describing the five categories of meditation as presented by Self-Guided.com.

Concentration Meditation Techniques

     According to Self-Guided, concentration meditation is the building block for all other types of meditation.  Our minds are very active, and can have scattered thoughts or chatter that block us from giving our full attention to tasks at hand.  This technique asks the practitioner to focus on one object of meditation without distraction.  For example, when beginning to develop your power of concentration, you can use your breath as the object of focus to which you return should your mind wander. 

Mindfulness Meditation

     Mindfulness requires us to focus our attention on whatever arises in our experiences.  If you have ever just took the time to appreciate the natural beauty that this world has to offer, stared off into space and wondered how we got here, or listened intently for the answer to your prayers, then you have subtly practiced mindfulness meditation.  Self-guided tells us that “The interplay between concentration and mindfulness meditation allows us to develop the capacity to examine and intuitively understand the deep forces within our ordinary experience” (2014).  You are focusing on whatever comes to mind versus a chosen object of concentration.

 

Reflective Meditation

     Reflective meditation asks us to choose a topic or theme, analyze it, and then draw conclusions based our thoughts.  If you are searching for the meaning to life, death, or how to solve a problem, then this technique will help you to delve into these questions.  Many times the resolution to professional or personal issues are found during deep reflection.  Once again, if your mind wanders, return to the subject at hand.

Creative Meditation

     This form of meditation allows us, at the conscious level, to strengthen specific qualities about ourselves.  For example, if one wants to develop more patience with his/herself, others, or the world around them, then they need to walk the walk, and talk the talk.  The more we practice this virtue (from the mind’s eye), the more it becomes part of our inner self and reflected outward.  The key is to think, act, and speak as if you are a patient person and the rewards will be great.

Heart-Centered Meditation

     Heart-Centered meditation teaches us to be kind, more empathetic, and forgiving.  The practitioner must begin with themselves first, and then expand to the wider circle around them.  This technique taps into the lessons learned from the previously mentioned forms of meditation in order to learn not only the true nature and reality of ourselves, but also the world around us.

 

     Meditation takes patient practice and you may have to begin in small doses.  If this is something you want to add to your wellness toolbox, then I encourage you to find other sources or even workshops in your area.  Next time, we will learn about the basic building blocks for beginning a meditation practice. To get us started, I leave you with a video featuring the Zac Brown Band’s song Quiet Your Mind.  Until then, be well.                    Tim

 

 

 

 

References

The Five Types of Meditation (2014).  Self-guided.com. Retrieved from http://self-guided.com/types-of-meditation.html on 11/17/2014.



Wellness Plan: A Road Map to a Balanced Existence

Illinois Firefighter Peer Support

    In April of this year, I attended training (to become a peer supporter) that was sponsored by the Illinois Firefighter Peer Support team.  One of the assignments required the student to create a wellness plan, which could be used as a road map to a more balanced existence with respect to the mind-body-spirit paradigm.  The wellness plan asks all of us as individuals to categorize areas of our lives that we wish to improve on by setting well defined and measurable goals.  Today’s post will discuss goal setting as well as how to create a wellness plan template.

SMART goals

  As a personal trainer, it is my job to work with a client on developing goals that are both specific and realistic in order to achieve his/her desired results.  The American Council on Exercise (ACE) tells us that in order for goals to be effective, they need to be SMART:

Specific

·         The goal should state what you specifically want to accomplish.

Measurable

·         This aspect of goal setting allows you to see progress.

Attainable

·         Attainment will reinforce commitment to continue on your road to wellness long after the individual goal has been reached.

Relevant

·         The goal should be relevant to your interests and needs.

Time-bound

·         The goal must contain a timeline for completion. (ACE, 2014).

     Before we take a look at the wellness plan template, let’s examine a common wellness goal that millions of people set as a New Year’s resolution: weight loss.  Often times a general statement is made such as “I want to lose weight”.  This goal is very broad in nature and needs to be more descriptive in order to be both effective and attainable.  Using SMART, we will put this goal into more quantifiable terms:

1.      I want to lose weight (very general).

2.      I want to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks (unrealistic).

3.      I want to lose 20 pounds in 4 months (realistic).

4.      I want to lose 20 pounds in 4 months, and I will accomplish this by losing 5 pounds per month (measurable and attainable).

5.      I want to lose 20 pounds in 4 months. I will accomplish this goal of  losing 5 pounds per month by following a combination resistance training (weight lifting) and cardio program, that has been designed and agreed upon by both myself and my personal trainer (Specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound).

     In order to be successful with your wellness plan, there must be a high level of individual accountability.  Depending on the goal set, or category chosen, you may have to enlist the services of a qualified professional who can best aid you in meeting your individual benchmarks.

The Wellness Plan

     The following wellness plan template comes courtesy of the Peer Support Training Curriculum that was designed by Sarah Gura, M.A., L.C.P.C. (2014).

 

 

 

Wellness Plan Template

 

   The one word category is defined by anything you wish to improve upon that will enhance your overall sense of wellbeing (weight).  The goal is written in the form of a need, as in “I need to lose weight”.  The objective is framed by the more specific statement using the words” I will . . . followed by your plan of action (see the SMART goals discussed previously). 

Facets of Wellness

     Examples of one word categories with potential wellness implications include, but are not limited to: food, diet, smoking, exercise, stress, friends, family, and pain.  Before putting the goals and objectives on paper, always remember to frame them by keeping improvement and personal accountability in mind.  In future posts, I will provide you with ideas (tools) that you can put in your wellness toolbox, which can aid in achieving your goals and objectives.  Until next time:

 

Be Well,

 

Tim

 

References

Bryant, C., Merrill, S., & Green, D. (Eds.). (2014). American Council on Exercise Personal Trainer Manual (5^th ed.). San Diego: ACE.

Gura, S. (2014). Create a Wellness Plan.  Illinois Firefighter Peer Support Training Curriculum PowerPoint Presentation Day 2, slide 77.