Monday, July 18, 2016

Meditation

My clinical supervisor at my previous job got me interested in meditation. He has been meditating for decades and would reference it every once in a while during supervision. I asked him about it one day, expecting a long explanation of what to do. I thought maybe we’d have to talk about it later because supervision was precious time for talking about clinical stuff. He stood up, got his bench, showed me where to place my gaze and how to position my body, then said, “just sit.” Was it that simple?

Meditation really is that simple. You literally practice just “being.” Sit with yourself for a few minutes, still and in silence. Eventually, you learn to focus on breath and the practice becomes trying to not engage with your thoughts. It’s all about non-judgment. Don’t judge your thoughts. Don’t judge whether you’re doing it right. Don’t judge your judgements! No second darts. I picture myself standing on a beach looking out at dozens of little sail boats crossing the sea. Each boat has a different colored sail and one of my thoughts in it. My goal is to let the sailboats float on by, in their neat little row going wherever they go. It’s hard not to hijack those boats, though, and put them on a certain course of my own. The practice lies in letting them go…they aren’t delivering any precious cargo to anywhere special.  

It might feel as though you’re wasting time “doing nothing” during meditation. You aren’t. There are many benefits to the practice that are heavily supported by scientific research done using functional MRI (scans that show brain activity). A regular meditation practice has positive effects on focus and attention, learning and memory, anxiety and depression, pain management, immune function, etc. (a huuuuge “etcetera”). Even children benefit greatly from mindfulness training. In 2007, a middle school in San Francisco implemented daily meditation time, or “quiet time,” and it has created a 50% reduction in suspensions, a 65% reduction in truancy, and an overall increase of 0.5% in grade point average (source: www.edutopia.org). When you meditate, you are making a worthwhile investment in your health. It is the antidote to the effects of a stressed out world. 

I need to recommit to a regular practice. I’ve been inconsistent. It took my supervisor six years to get into a regular and consistent practice! A friend from high school, whom I played field hockey, gymnastics, and golf with, had a motivational expression that I will remember forever. She used to say, “Go brainless!” to her teammates when they were thinking too much about something, especially in gymnastics. It’s so perfect for talking about meditation. I need to stop thinking and talking and writing about it. I need sit and do it. I’m going to practice not engaging with my thoughts for 10 minutes everyday. Are you in? Ready. Set. Go brainless. 

**If you need a something to help you get going, download the app called “7 Days of Calm”**

Another good resource is a book called Zen Mind; Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki

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