When you think of meditation, do you picture a passive spiritual practice that takes decades to show benefit? That is what keeps most from exploring its healing potential. Here is an article written by one of our meditation students that I thought was interesting enough to publish on the blog.
When I tried it several years ago, all I can remember is having my legs fall asleep and trying to negate the pain in my neck and lower back as I twisted to get more comfortable.
But last week, I had a new experience. I had heard some word on a new meditation program starting by a doctor who had a background in meditation science. I was first hesitant to go to Dr. Susan Taylor's class because of my past experience with meditation. Let's face it; my body does not want to twist into a pretzel, as I sit chanting "Om" for 40 minutes. I can barely sit for 2 minutes without my hamstrings tightening and back aching. But this was different. At the beginning of this class we got a few laughs as we proceeded to learn the science of why and how we create the difficulties that we do. Dr. Taylor said that the cause of all our problems today is due to too much worry, hurry and curry. Well, the entire class related to this concept with laughter. She went on to explain that the goal of life is to become centered in the self instead of being self centered and conscious of the self instead of being self-conscious. In other words, it is not all about us. Again, many of us laughed with the sentiments of familiarity. She went on to explain what meditation is and what it is not. She made a point to say that meditation is not religion. It is a practical, scientific and systematic technique for knowing yourself on all levels. Meditation does not belong to any culture but is a simple method of exploring the inner dimensions of life and finally establishing yourself in your own essential nature. That once you have access to your own essential nature, then you have the power to heal yourself. With all that said, she began to give us the practical knowledge on why posture is so important when trying to meditate. It was fascinating to know that your body alignment can affect your moods. But that wasn't all. I also learned that I don't have to sit on the floor to meditate although there were some bodies, all of one, in the class that could be molded into a pretzel twist. The majority of the class also confirmed my exact feeling, that sitting is hard and prevents the desire to meditate. Dr. Taylor explained that an uncomfortable posture is the main component that distracts people from learning the art of meditation. So with all that said we began to learn how to practice. I sat in a chair with a cushion behind me, because let's face it; sitting erect is not what my body is accustomed to. I tend to start out sitting erect then slumping by the end of the morning at my desktop computer. Once Dr. Taylor made some adjustments to my posture, I was able to ease my tension, and suddenly I was comfortable in the chair. Dr. Taylor then proceeded to tell us how to breathe and how not to breathe. I thought of course I knew how to breathe, after all I've been breathing successfully on my own all of my life! She explained the importance of breathing in the prevention of disease. At this point, I actually became more interested. Since heart disease runs in my family, I was fascinated to know that the way I breathe can determine the health of my own ticker. The lecture was full of practical information and medical references on the benefit of meditation on the immune system, nervous system and brain function. That information alone gave me reason to want to meditate. Dr. Taylor's entire premise was to teach the knowledge behind the practice so that we could build a solid foundation for having meaning behind our meditation. Then we began. Exhale and inhale. After only 1 minute of that I suddenly felt the tension melt from my head down to my toes. Then I began to watch my mind let go of its tendencies to think, analyze and play back the events of the day and future; in other words, getting caught-up in my own drama. I somehow began to be the observer and not the participant within my own thought process. The next thing I knew was that time was up and we had to call it an evening. I could not believe that I sat for 30 minutes without feeling anxious or agitated, or running out of the room. I experienced relaxation firsthand, perhaps to a degree that most people can only read about. So if you think that meditation is only for those following a religion, fear not, Dr. Susan Taylor teaches meditation from a scientific and healing paradigm. She incorporates the traditional yoga meditation skills integrated with western medical science into her class, The Healing Power of Meditation: Yoga for the Mind. Taylor ended our session by reemphasizing the benefits of brief meditation breaks. Taylor says, "A short, one-minute meditation enables those stressed-out to relax, to prioritize the demands on them, and to more easily see solutions to problems." "Meditation is simple," says Taylor. "Find a private place, sit comfortably and slow down your breathing. Count from one to five and then five to one with each breath. You'll notice that interruptive—often negative—thoughts are gradually replaced by a more natural awareness and calmness. It's at that point that clarity emerges. You'll be amazed at how energized and alert you feel afterward." Oh, and she says relax your tongue and it just might help you to stop thinking so much.
Labels: Meditation, Student Stories
