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Tips for a Successful Meditation Practice

New Year, New Habit:
Tips for a Successful Meditation Practice

Now that tsign says good habitshe dust has settled after all the New Year’s celebrations, it’s a great time to think about trying something new on for size this year that will benefit both your mental and physical health, all year long. We’re talking about meditation, and I am going to share with you tips for a successful meditation practice. Meditation has been shown to keep you stress free, reduce the effects of aging, improve brain functioning, improve sleep, boost metabolism, and more.

So what’s the best way to start a new meditation routine?

Why is meditation important to you?

Determine ahead of time exactly what you expect to get from meditation, and why it is important to you personally. Knowing ahead of time why you meditate gives you something to draw on when you feel like skipping out on it. Write this down so if you start to fall off the meditation bandwagon so to speak, you have a good reminder of why you started in the first place.

Set up a designated meditation area.

An ideal space is one that is quiet, clean, uncluttered, has natural light, and has paint colors that are reflective of a calm mood. This place could be indoors or outdoors. Elements of nature can be a welcome addition to a meditation space as well. Think plants, seashells, or a small water fountain. Music can also really help in setting a zen-like mood. We typically recommend quiet music without lyrics to help you feel calm. Personal touches like aromatherapy, chimes, candles, and crystals can also help transition you into a meditative state. Remember to remove any distractions like the TV and your phone.

Time it for success.

Now that you have a relaxing and serene place to retreat to, it’s time to think of the days and times that will work best for you to meditate. It could be the weekends or early mornings before work. It really depends on your personal schedule. There is no right or wrong time to meditate.

Also consider how much time you have free for each session (for example, one day you may have 30 minutes free, another day you may only have 10 minutes you can set aside). Write this down somewhere that is easy to see (i.e. on the fridge) so you are reminded throughout the week of your designated meditation day(s) and time(s).

Start small and build up.

As with any new habit, tackle your new meditation practice a little bit at a time, and complete every practice. It will take discipline but you don’t need to be an expert at it right away. Practice for short periods of time to start with to ease into it. It is easier to allow yourself to step outside of your comfort zone even if you’re bored or restless if you it is only for a short time.

Pick something you will enjoy.

Choosing a meditation that you will actually enjoy (i.e. breathing meditations, visualizing with a pre-recorded meditation, moving mediation) will make you more likely you will stick with it today, tomorrow, and in the future. Here is a great article to give you a few more ideas of types of meditation you could choose.

Build some flexibility into your new routine.

Allow yourself to be fluid in some aspects of your practice, for example, if you feel like meditating longer than you normally do, then do. If you want to meditate in a different place or at a different time then you normally do, go right ahead! Allow yourself to play with it. While having a routine is valuable for building success into your practice, allowing yourself to experiment and play will keep it fresh. After all, it has been said that the spiritual path is mainly an inclination of the heart towards the mystery of life so don’t second guess it if you want to mix things up a bit!

All that’s left now is to PRACTICE, PRACTICE, and PRACTICE! If you need help getting started with your meditation practice let us know. We offer classes, guided meditations, and helpful articles like this one.

To your inner peace – Anna

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Meditation Classes for Those with Aspergers: A guide for teachers

Tailoring Your Meditation Classes for Those with Aspergers Syndrome: A Resource for Teachers

Meditation classes for those with Aspergers signAsperger’s Syndrome is traditionally regarded as a developmental issue and is classed as a ‘high functioning’ autism spectrum disorder. Some people, however, argue that Aspergers is not so much a disorder, but is in fact a different way of thinking where the emphasis is more on being creative rather than co-operative. Regardless of the definition and reasoning, there are often common characteristics that people with Aspergers exhibit, and an awareness of these along with strategies for catering for them in a meditation class will help your Asperger’s client to get the maximum benefit from your classes.

First and foremost don’t forget the importance of talking to people as individuals. Not everyone will have the same difficulties. Find out what your client hopes to achieve by learning to meditate and discuss what types of difficulties they have, (if any), with things like concentration, interacting with others, noise and smells. It’s possible that they may already know of a fix – they’ve had to deal with this all of their lives and of necessity have often become quite adept at tailoring solutions to help themselves get through situations that present problems. Letting them know that you’re aware of possible issues and that you’re open to working to resolve them can go a long way to allaying anxiety before your client even attends their first class.

The following are some of the more common traits that people can experience and some tips for dealing with them. Please keep in mind that everyone is an individual and as such may/may not require adjustments to classes.

Cognitive Aspects:

  • A lot of people with Aspergers find it easier to relate more to concrete concepts, as opposed to abstract ones. An example of this is an exercise involving visualisation: an instruction given to the class to imagine their body becoming lighter and lighter and floating up through the roof like a helium balloon may be impossible for someone with Aspergers to relate to because it’s just not possible for this to physically happen.

Having them focus on bodily sensations, however, such as their breathing and suggesting that they breathe away stress accompanied by an explanation of the way in which oxygenation of the brain allows for more clarity of thought, regulation of breathing and reduction of stress hormones may be just the thing they need to get them on the right track to successful meditation.

Ensure any meditation exercises you use are based on fact and reality, as opposed to abstract imagery.

  • Some people with Aspergers may be fearful of certain situations, so it’s important to find out how they feel about interacting in a group and whether they have any specific fears. Adjusting class numbers and altering the meditation room as necessary to accommodate these things will go a long way to making them feel more comfortable and creating an environment that’s more conducive to learning. In the example given above, they may have a fear of heights and a propensity to take things literally could have them focussed more on how scary the experience would be, rather than on the sensation of lightness.

Language Aspects:

  • Clients may be very literal. Your approach to this should go hand in hand with the discussion above about keeping concepts concrete, as opposed to abstract. Ensuring that you don’t include a lot of metaphors or similes in your speech will work to minimise any confusion.

Overstimulation

  • A lot of people who suffer from Aspergers become overstimulated very easily, resulting in heightened anxiety. Sources of hyperstimulation can include textures, sounds and smells. For this reason, it’s a good idea to ensure that the room in which you teach meditation has soft lighting, pleasing textures and that you don’t use any kind of perfume, incense or other scent that could prove irritating or distracting. Note external noise levels and when speaking, ensure that you’re making yourself heard above them. You don’t want your voice to blend in and have other sources of sound detracting from your instructions.
  • If you know someone who has Aspergers, you may like to ask them to give the room a once over to ensure that you can adjust for anything that isn’t apparent to you. Of course, this won’t ensure that everybody who crosses your threshold won’t have difficulties, however it may help the majority.
  • Try to follow the same routine in your classes as much as possible. Some people find it difficult to adjust to change, so when it’s necessary to cancel classes because of holidays or there’s a change of venue for some reason, make sure you give plenty of notice and reminders and let them know exactly what that means for them, as well as being prepared to discuss anything that might make it easier for them to accept. This will go a long way to decreasing their anxiety when the change actually takes place.
  • If you’re working 1:1, keep in mind that they may have difficulty maintaining eye contact and experience difficulties reading your body language or facial expressions. This is true for group interaction as well, so it pays to be aware of, and sensitive to, the needs of your clients and spell out group rules in a tactful manner that doesn’t make them feel singled out for attention.

Keeping the above suggestions in mind when catering to those with Aspergers will make the classes more enjoyable for everyone concerned, give them a sense of achievement and allow them to experience the benefits of regular meditation and mindfulness practice. In fact, it’s possible that they may get even more out of your classes because of the invaluable techniques that help to combat their increased anxiety and sensitivity.

Once again, I would like to thank the folks at Asperger Experts for the following quote they provided me when I contacted them:

Meditation and many forms of somatic experiencing are terrific ways to help the AS individual process out their sensations. Generally speaking, one has a tendency to resist internal/external stimulations without letting them process through as the body naturally wants to do. Sitting with one’s sensations and consciously processing them out in a comfortable, safe environment is a fantastic way to work through these challenges.

May your classes always be full of happy, mindful clients who are content and able to find peace whenever they feel the need.

If you would like more information and articles about this and other topics consider signing up for my newsletter in the right hand column:

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Meditation and the Brain

image of brain representing meditation and the brainThe Washington Post recently ran an interesting article chronicling the study of one Sara Lazar, a neuroscientist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Her study looked at the effects of meditation on the brain.

In conversations with the Washington Post, Lazar revealed that she had first started to practice yoga to treat a running injury, after it was suggested to her by her physical therapist. After realizing firsthand the benefits of yoga, Lazar became interested in finding out why exactly yoga worked so well in treating her injury. After speaking with her yoga teacher and hearing about how yoga “increases your compassion and opens your heart”, Lazar began to notice that she had become calmer and better able to handle more difficult situations. She was also “more compassionate and openhearted, and able to see things from others’ points of view”.

A true scientist at heart, Sara’s first instinct was to believe that she was suffering from the placebo response (which occurs when a person who is ill perceives an improvement or actually experiences an improvement in symptoms or overall health from the psychological effect of receiving treatment rather than from the treatment itself). That was until she did a literature search of the science and saw evidence proving “that meditation had been associated with decreased stress, decreased depression, anxiety, pain and insomnia, an enhanced ability to pay attention, and an increased quality of life.” In other words, there was a direct correlation between meditation and the brain. These associations were enough to cause Lazar to switch her PhD studies from molecular biology to further studying the effects of meditation on the brain.

Lazar’s findings

Her studies showed “that long-term meditators” had “an increased amount of gray matter in the insula and sensory regions, the auditory and sensory cortex.” This makes sense, stated Lazar, given that “when you’re mindful, you’re paying attention to your breathing, to sounds, to the present moment experience, and shutting cognition down. It stands to reason your senses would be enhanced.”

Additional gray matter was also found in the frontal cortex, an area of the brain associated with working memory and executive decision-marking. This area normally shrinks as we get older, making it harder to figure things out and remember them. However, this area in a 50 year old who regularly meditated remarkably had the same amount of gray matter as that of a 25 year old.

To prove that the increase in gray matter was in fact directly related to meditation, Lazar and her team conducted a second study. In this follow-up study, people who had never meditated before were put through an 8 week program of mindfulness-based stress reduction. Every week the participants were given a recording and asked to practice 40 minutes a day at home. The results of the study showed an increase in gray matter in all of the participants, further confirming Lazar’s findings from her original study.

An interesting study for sure and further proof of the positive impact that meditating, in any shape or form, has on the body.

To your inner peace – Anna

References:

Schulte, B. (n.d.). Meditation’s effect on the brain shows up in scan. Retrieved June 16, 2015, from http://health.heraldtribune.com/2015/06/16/meditations-effect-on-the-brain-shows-up-in-scan/#

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Pain Management & Meditation: The Perfect Scientific Equation

image representing painWe’ve talked a lot about the relationship between meditation and pain and the valuable role that mindfulness plays in the equation.  However, we have yet to delve into the research behind the relationship between mediation and pain management.

We thought we would take some time to look at some of the science supporting this relationship by sharing some recent research studies that either directly or indirectly supports the role that mediation plays in addressing chronic pain.

Harvard University and MIT study of how meditation relieves pain

(Effects of mindfulness meditation training on anticipatory alpha modulation in primary somatosensory cortex)

A study carried out by Harvard University and MIT in the spring of 2011 focused on the neural mechanisms behind why meditation helps to relieve pain symptoms.

The study involved 12 participants who had not previously practiced meditation. Half of these participants were asked to carry out a guided audio meditation for 45 minutes per day, after receiving two and a half hours of initial training in mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). For the first two weeks of the study participants learned to pay close attention to body sensations overall and in certain parts of the body. They also practiced disengaging and shifting their focus to another area of the body.

The results of the study showed that people who were trained to meditate over an 8 week period were better able to control a specific type of brain wave called alpha rhythms. These waves flow through cells in the brain’s cortex, the home of sensory information, and help to suppress irrelevant or distracting sensory information, such as pain. Scans of the participants brains were conducted prior to the study, at the 3 week mark, and at the end of the study. Those participants who had meditated showed larger and more frequent changes in the size of their alpha waves when asked to focus on a certain body part. Although the participants did not suffer from chronic pain, the study shows that pain management through mediation is possible as it allows for a shift in focus away from a painful area in the body, not unlike turning down the volume of loud music. Lower stress levels were also reported by participants who noted that they were no longer as reactive to their situations.

University of Massachusetts Medical School study of using meditation to manage back pain

(Effectiveness of mindfulness meditation (Vipassana) in the management of chronic low back pain)

A study conducted by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Professor of Medicine Emeritus and creator of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in 2009, examined the effects of a 10 week MBSR program on 51 patients with chronic pain who were already undergoing various medical and physical therapies for their chronic pain. All subjects were interviewed before and after completion the program and were also asked to complete a follow up questionnaire at 2.5, 7 and 11 months post intervention. Each subject acted as his/her own control.

The results of the study, documented in the Indian Journal of Anaesthesia, showed that patients had made significant progress in the areas of improved energy, pain management, and coping skills. A follow up study by Kabat-Zinn also showed a reduction in present moment pain, negative body image, and of activity restricted by pain. Positive effects on mood disturbances and psychological symptoms including anxiety and depression were noted. Other findings of the secondary study included a decrease in pain medication use and an improvement in activity levels.

A four year post-study follow up of all 225 involved study participants showed a high level of compliance with continued meditation practices.

These studies show that there is a clear connection between a routine of mindfulness and the successful long-term management of chronic pain. Adding meditation to your daily routine when suffering from chronic pain can only be beneficial, even in small doses. We hope you’ll give it a try.

To your inner healing – Anna

 

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The Scientific Side of Meditation

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There will always be skeptics out there who don’t believe that meditation actually has any health benefits. Luckily, there are now published scientific studies to back up its many emotional and physical health benefits. Some of these studies are summarized in Psychology Today’s article “20 Scientific Reasons to Start Meditating Today”.

For example, a study looking at the alterations in brain and immune function produced by Mindfulness Meditation showed that a short program in the practice produced positive effects on the brain. It also improved overall immune functions and decreased pain. A separate study on how the brain handles pain when meditating in the presence of a bad smell showed a decrease in “pain-unpleasantness by 57% and pain-intensity ratings by 40%.” (F. Zeidan, K.T. Martucci, […], and R.C. Coghill “Brain Mechanisms Supporting Modulation of Pain by Mindfulness Meditation”).

The article also outlines how meditation boosts our overall happiness. In a study looking at how meditation affects the process of the brain in people with depression, it was found that meditation greatly helped decrease worrisome thoughts (Viveka Remal et al “The Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Cognitive Processes and Affect in Patients with Past Depression – Springer”).

Meditation has also been shown to positively impact one’s social life by increasing social connections and emotional intelligence. In a study looking at the effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction training on the elements of loneliness and pro-inflammatory gene expression, it was shown that those practicing mindfulness meditation showed noticeable reductions in both elements (J. David Creswella et al “Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction training reduces loneliness and pro-inflammatory gene expression in older adults: A small randomized controlled trial”).

Meditation has also been shown to boost self-control as well as the ability to regulate emotions. It even increases grey matter especially in areas related to attention and memory. Studies have shown that the cortical thickness of people familiar with insight meditation is thicker in the areas of the brain associated with attention, interception, and sensory processing (Sara W. Lazar et al “Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness”).

Although the jury may still be out about whether or not evidence really shows meditation to have health benefits, studies like those outlined above, and many others, clearly show a trend in the right direction.

To your inner peace – Anna

References:

Seppala, Emma M. “20 Scientific Reasons to Start Meditating Today.” Psychology Today: Health, Help, Happiness Find a Therapist. Web. 15 Nov. 2014. <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/feeling-it/201309/20-scientific-reasons-start-meditating-today>.

“Brain Mechanisms Supporting Modulation of Pain by Mindfulness Meditation.” Web. 15 Nov. 2014. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3090218/#!po=2.17391>

Et Al, Wiveka Ramel. “The Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Cognitive Processes and Affect in Patients with Past Depression – Springer.” Web. 15 Nov. 2014. <http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/B:COTR.0000045557.15923.96>.

“Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Training Reduces Loneliness and Pro-inflammatory Gene Expression in Older Adults: A Small Randomized Controlled Trial.” Web. 15 Nov. 2014. <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889159112001894 20>.

Et Al, J. David Creswella,. “Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Training Reduces Loneliness and Pro-inflammatory Gene Expression in Older Adults: A Small Randomized Controlled Trial.” Web. 15 Nov. 2014. <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889159112001894 20>.

Sara W. Lazar, Et Al. “Meditation Experience Is Associated with Increased Cortical Thickness.” Web. 15 Nov. 2014. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1361002/#!po=4.54545>.

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Types Of Meditation

Meditation is a HUGE topic and what I cover in this site is only a part of what meditation can encompass because I write for people who want simple, easy to learn mediations that they can incorporate into every day life. The following article gives you a glimpse into some well known types of meditation.

Categories Of Meditation

Movement

  • Yoga
  • T’ai Chi
  • Qigong
  • Martial Arts in general seem to have a strong element of focus that I would classify as being akin to mindfulness.
  • Breathing meditations
  • Walking, Labyrinth Walks
  • Dance, 4 (or 7) Directions Dance, Ecstatic Dance
  • Continuous Movement (This seems to come under a few different names but the basic idea is allowing yourself to be moved by music in a flowing, continuous, unstructured manner. This lets you focus on movement and music, allowing the part(s) of your brain involved in movement and music to be fully engaged while the parts associated with language and judgement to take a break).

There are tons of different versions of what I would call movement meditation out there! Some are very structured, others very unstructured. Some have very strong religious /  spiritual elements, others have no religious overtones whatsoever. There are even sensual / sexual based ones – um, I probably won’t be covering those in this site, sorry 🙂

Mindfulness or Being Present

It is impossible to list everything here, so I will tell you what I consider to be hallmarks of mindfulness.

Most actions when performed with full attention could be considered to be mindful. Even actions that are not “healthy” could technically fall into this category. For our purposes we will try and stick to the healthier versions!

Stopping the part of the brain that is in charge of language from running an on-going commentary. The Pre-frontal cortex seems to be the big talker and allowing it to take a break lets you to become more aware of, and fully experience what you are doing and the world around you.

Silence (absence of words). Yes, I know I just said that but it is so important it bears repeating 🙂

Fully employing your senses of vision, hearing, smell, touch and taste. Some mindfulness techniques focus on just one of the senses, (like watching a candle burn) others want you to fully experience ALL the senses involved in whatever action you are performing.

Energy Work

This includes

  • Healing Touch
  • Reiki
  • Working with energy meridians and centers (chakras) to balance your own energy system, or those of other people
  • Other healing work may rely on God or Universal Spirit, some rely on Angels, and yet others say they work all on their own without the help of divine intervention. There isn’t a common language to describe this process, as a result there are a LOT of different versions. One thing many of them have in common is that the person who does the healing work is usually in a state of meditation (church based versions would probably refer to it as being in a state of prayer).
  • Energy Reading, includes things like Aura Reading or seeing an image that represents the person you are doing the reading for. This can involve the “reader” going into a very deep state of meditation, referred to as a trance.

Religion or Spiritually Based

Many meditations originate from various religious or spiritual practices. Just a few examples are

  • Various religious chants
  • Sufi Dances
  • Prayers that require a focus on a word or idea like “Love” or “Peace”
  • Some religious music is designed to be used as a point of meditation
  • Some guided meditations involve following a guide, or angel
  • Yoga when practiced as a whole life experience instead of just an exercise program, has spiritual elements

As you can see from this small sampling I’ve written about above, there are so many varieties of meditation that there really is something for everyone! I hope through this site that I can help you find a few that will work for you 🙂

To your health!