What is this Meditation Stuff?
"Meditation is a practice in which an individual trains the mind or induces a mode of consciousness either to realize some benefit or for the mind to simply acknowledge its content with becoming identified with what that content, or as and end in itself" - Watts, Alan. 11 _10-4-1 Meditation. "Eastern Wisdom:Zen in the West & Meditations"
A few brief notes on meditation:
-The benefits of regular meditation have been throughly researched and well documented (see some research studies here), below are a few benefits we have experienced that are also regularly cited in research studies:
Improved Memory
Improved Sleep
Improved Blood Pressure
Increased Empathy! (Isn't this amazing?!)
Improved Concentration
Decreased Stress
-Meditation literally changes the brain. Neuroscientists at Harvard University revealed that meditation literally rebuilds the brain's gray matter in 8 weeks.
“Although the practice of meditation is associated with a sense of peacefulness and physical relaxation, practitioners have long claimed that meditation also provides cognitive and psychological benefits that persist throughout the day,” says study senior author Sara Lazar, who has direct many studies in this area, “This study demonstrates that changes in brain structure may underlie some of these reported improvements and that people are not just feeling better because they are spending time relaxing.”
-Meditation has been practiced for 1000s of years. Many religions including Buddhism practice formal meditations, but meditating by itself does not necessarily have any religious ties. You do not have to prescribe to any particular rules or beliefs; it can be just a practice.
-Meditation can be trying at first and that is ok, most things worth our time are. The act of meditation gets "easier" as you practice.
-Meditation (at least in MBSR) is not about "clearing" the mind. It is about being aware of what is in the present moment. You will have thoughts and feelings and sensations. This is normal and these things should not be resisted or chased away, they are simply acknowledged and allowed to stay or go.
-During meditation your mind WILL wander. It is the nature of the mind to wander, so don't let it frustrate you or make you think you are doing anything wrong. You will simply bring your attention back to whatever you are using as your point of meditation or what is happening in the present moment.