Archive for the ‘Meditation and Mindfulness’ Category
Editor’s note: I originally posted this in October 2008. Now, one year later, I’m revisiting authenticity. Enjoy!
I have found it – the definition of authenticity! Sure, there are plenty of Toms, Dicks, and Harrys out there who claim to know all about “authentic” life styles. They say, “Listen to me. I can guide you to happiness!” Then they charge you an arm and a leg. But I think I have found the real definition of authenticity. Here it is, for free I might add. (You’re welcome!)
It comes by way of Brian Goldman, a graduate student at the University of Georgia in Athens. He was digging through centuries-old research and philosophy when he uncovered what I think is a pretty great definition:
“The unimpeded operations of one’s true or core self in one’s daily enterprise.”
Ohhh … pretty! How simple and sweet is that, huh?
I agree completely with it too, which you probably already knew because I’ve been using the same definition of authenticity for quite sometime now.
Another one of my favorites is Neil Lark Warren’s 10 Characteristics in Finding Contentment. I’ve also recently been struck by so-called physical acts of authenticity, which the authors outlined in a newer issue of Psychology Today.
These physical acts of authenticity are:
1. Meditate. Think of it only as a way to get to your “happy place,” not a technique to influence outside forces. For instance, why do you work? To earn money to buy pretty things. Why do you meditate? To achieve internal happiness. I can handle that.
2. Be Deliberate. Be conscious that you have choices. You can choose to change (lol–”I choose change!”), or you can choose to stick with what you have. You can choose to move forward, go backward, or do nothing at all. Being deliberate simply means acting consciously, with purpose.
3. Act Intuitively. Sure, you got me; this runs counter to No. 2. But as we’ve talked about before, acting consciously can sometimes be detrimental when too much rationalizing and reasoning gets in the way of your gut feelings. Don’t be afraid to follow your instincts. They’re there to guide you forward.
4. Create Solitude. There’s nothing like shutting down–on purpose–so you can recharge. We’re talking power down your blackberry, shut your door, turn off the TV and the laptop, and provide yourself the space to just thing and be. Authentic people regularly look inside and listen to their intuition, but they can’t do this with all the chaos of the modern world swirling around them.
5. Stay Connected. Thomas Moore, author of A Life at Work, says, “Community is an outlook toward life in which you define yourself in relation to the world around you, rather than only in connection with yourself.” Community, he is saying, is a way to enlarge our own sense of self.
6. Play Hard. Don’t hold back when doing what you really love, whether it’s tennis, running, art, dancing. It allows you to fully express who you are at your core.
7. Be Willing to Lose. Authentic people know that failure is part of growing. You must be willing to stare down your failures, learn from them, and move forward if you are to live an authentic life.
I take no credit for the above definitions. But I wholeheartedly believe in the importance of taking personal responsibility for life’s challenges. That means peering inside for answers on why we do what we do, feel what we feel, and think what we think. It’s only through an authentic life that we can look internally, and take personal responsibility. Personal responsibility is the genius of change!
Popularity: 48% [?]
Mindful meditation is the art of bringing peace of mind even while if a world of chaos. When a client said recently, “I’m just trying to be more mindful. Most people don’t even know what that is,” I knew he was right. Simply put, mindfulness is this: To think about what you’re thinking about.
There are many reasons to meditate and even if you only vaguley know what those reasons are, you may still be drawn to the practice simply because you’ve heard it can bring you more peace. This is a simple, yet detailed guide that will make meditation an easy practice to add into your daily life.
How To Meditate
1. Find a comfortable place and position.
You can lie on your bed, sofa, or floor. Sit in your easy-chair, or Indian-style on the floor if that does it for you.
Me? I have two comfortable positions: 1) lying on my sofa (most likely in my office between clients); and 2) sitting on the floor with my legs crossed and a rolled-up blanket or pillow under my tailbone.
You might ask, “Why THAT crazy pose?”
Now we get back to explaining that traditional image of the meditating person sitting Indian-style. When you sit Indian-style (legs crossed), it creates a clean, clear stream of breathing straight from the diaphragm out your airway.
I add the towel or pillow under my tailbone because it lifts my spine off the floor just slightly, making it very hard to slouch. It’s a very comfortable position so try it!
Whatever comfortable place and position you pick, be sure they aren’t so comfortable they’re going to make you fall asleep. Sure, asleep, your mind will be quiet. But you’ll be so unconscious you won’t be thinking about what you’re thinking, and you won’t be able to set an even higher intention.
2. Start breathing.
To make it easy, count to 10 as you inhale and then count to 10 as you exhale. If you can’t make it to 10, try 7. What’s important is not so much the number as that your ENTIRE breath LAST for the entire count. If you don’t make it, you’ll hyperventilate and create anxiety for yourself because you’ll be holding your breath just trying to make it to 10. Don’t do that!
Your counting to 10 is for two reasons–and 2 reasons ONLY: 1) So you actually take deeeeep, looooooong breaths; and 2) so you focus on breathing and NOT on your dog barking, the argument you just had with your husband, or any other extraneous rigmarole.
Some patients have told me they simply can’t count to 10 (or 7) because they can’t let their breath last that long and instead it just works them into a small frenzy. If this sounds familiar and you can’t count to a certain number, then don’t. Know that your breath is meant to do the two things mentioned above and, if it does, then you’re on track.
photo credit: hanssolo @ flickr
Meditation takes practice. Quieting your mind is NOT easy.
So for now, just breathe. Don’t worry yourself about deeper meanings and better health and doing it right and all that jazz. Breathe for 10 minutes using the steps above, then stop (not breathing, meditating!). Do it again the next day and the next day after that–for five days straight. Next, up it to 15 minutes for another five days, then 20 minutes for the five days after that.
If you can breathe consistently and slow down your mind more than ever before for 20 whole minutes, you’re ready to move to the next step.
(By the way, what’s the best way to keep track of your time? Here’s a tip–set a timer. You don’t want your counting interrupted by the thought, “I wonder how long it’s been?”)
3. Keep breathing.
Let me set the record straight for all you beginners. You might have heard that meditation will deliver all the answers to life’s questions and conjure wonderful, magical thing. It’s not going to happen! Not on your first try anyway. Probably not your second, third, or fourth try either.
Meditation takes practice. Quieting your mind is NOT easy.
So for now, just breathe. Don’t worry yourself about deeper meanings and better health and doing it right and all that jazz. Breathe for 10 minutes using the steps above, then stop (not breathing, meditating!). Do it again the next day and the next day after that–for five days straight. Next, up it to 15 minutes for another five days, then 20 minutes for the five days after that.
If you can breathe consistently and slow down your mind more than ever before for 20 whole minutes, you’re ready to move to the next step.
(By the way, what’s the best way to keep track of your time? Here’s a tip–set a timer. You don’t want your counting interrupted by the thought, “I wonder how long it’s been?”)
4. Think about what you’re thinking.
Yes, meditation is meant to quiet the mind. So it might seem a bit strange that I’m asking you to think about what you’re thinking.
But if you’re able to slow yourself down enough so you can actually hear your own thoughts, I want you to do something that seems a bit strange, and will definitely feel strange.
I want you to step outside of yourself. While quiet, breathing, and calm, stand in front of yourself and watch yourself breathing. Imagine yourself calm, relaxed, and breathing easy. Then take a look inside your mind. See what’s going on there.
The first time you do this, you might hear yourself thinking, “This is really strange … am I even doing this right?”
Or perhaps “I can’t see myself. This crap doesn’t work!”
Still, keep at it. Remember, YOU are in control here. Your job is to take back your power. You really CAN see from the outside what you’re doing and hear what you’re thinking when you’ve quieted your mind enough to do so.
But here’s the catch. I don’t want you to analyze, process, talk about (with yourself, that is), or do any ruminating WHATSOEVER about what you see and hear. I only want you to hear what you’re thinking. And then hear your next thought, the one after that. Hear yourself thinking, “Oh, there’s another thought … and, oh, there’s another one!”
No judgment, just thought. (Trust me, you CAN do this … with some practice!)
5. Set an intention.
Once you’ve mastered the above steps, you’re now ready to take CHARGE of your meditation. At this point, you’ll be able to quiet yourself in a snap–it will take a mere matter of a couple minutes–and then stay quiet for a good amount of time.
By now, you’ll meditate for 30 minutes easy. You’ll be LOVING how rested, relaxed, and calm you feel after your breathing sessions. (You’re a regular now–yeah!)
When you’ve reached this level, this next step is to set an intention for your subconscious mind. Ohhhhh … exciting! But why?
Your subconscious thoughts take up 85% to 90% of the 60,000 total thoughts you have each day. By quieting your mind, the ultimate goal is to bring these subconscious thoughts to the surface–to get at what the heck you’re really thinking about most of the time so you can change it.
Here’s an example: Let’s say you have a big decision to make, such as whether or not to take a new job that requires that you move your entire family to another city. It’s a big opportunity, but the decision doesn’t seem cut and dry in your conscious mind. You’re torn. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, your subconsious mind is working hard. It’s aware of your beliefs, emotions, and past memories–all of which could be keeping you stuck in uncertainty.
photo credit: Steve Rhodes @ flickr
Your subconscious thoughts could be activating the “I’m really freaking scared of change because every time I do something like this, I start fighting with my spouse more, I can’t meet friends as quickly as I’d like, and my kids seem to go haywire!” cycle of uncertainty.
Your conscious mind may not be able to pinpoint this, but your subconscious belief system has it SPOT ON!
In this example scenario, your intention for meditation might seem to be to answer the question: “What is the best work scenario for me? I’m stuck between my current job and new job, and I need a clear-cut answer.”
But let’s be honest. I’ll be the first to admit that answers DON’T always come during meditation, and, when they do, they certainly don’t always come very clearly. Like a flashing neon sign in your brain that says, “TAKE THE NEW JOB!”
But ask anyone–ANYONE–who meditates regularly with intentions, and they’ll tell you that something miraculous happens during their meditations that helps them be more clear-headed. They realize answers that they didn’t have before setting a very clear intention for their meditation, quieting their mind, and thinking about their thoughts.
6. Don’t put pressure on yourself.
I could have stopped this simple guide at No. 5, but I felt it’s important to add in this last step. Meditation can work wonders for your health and wellness. But put pressure on yourself to “perform” during meditation, and you will miss out completely on the powerful benefits of this practice.
Many times, I find I don’t have an intention for my meditation. My life seems to be move along, quite nicely thank you, and I have no big dilemmas to work through. Well, whoop-de-do, right?
My point is, the idea here is to induce a calm, relaxed, and stress-free environment for yourself.
Remember, this is YOUR practice! It never matters how someone else meditates. It doesn’t matter what other guides about meditation have said.
Your Meditation Practice
Put simply, it DOES NOT MATTER how YOU meditate if how you meditate works, feels right, and creates a space for quiet and calm.
I merely hope this guide encourages you to start meditating. Simply start. Do it once and know that, right away, you’re not going to be able to “just breathe.” You won’t be able to create gaps between your thoughts. And you definitely won’t be able to have any “a-ha” moments.
But in time (a SHORT time, actually!), you will become a meditation expert!
Your Choice, Your Voice Discussion:
1. What is imperative for you: the past, the present or your future and why is it so ?
2. Does sitting idle in a place, doing nothing and just breathing in and out actually help and benefit a person and how?
Popularity: 43% [?]
A client said to me, “I’m just trying to be more mindful. Most people don’t even know what that is.”
You know what? I think he’s right. If I had to sum up mindfulness in one sentence, it would be: To think about what you’re thinking about.
The purpose of mindful meditation is to become aware of the present moment without any pressure to do, think, or be anything other than what you are doing, thinking, or being at that very moment.
No need to worry about the past because it has already happened. No need to contemplate the future because it hasn’t yet happened. Just bring awareness to this very moment, as it is, without any judgment, because our present moment is always changing.
Sri Swami Venkatesananda suggests that you can ruin the practice of meditation by stating the benefits of meditation, because you introduce a goal into something meant to be goal-less.
He says, “The moment you introduce a goal to meditation, it is gone. Happiness in life comes not by manipulating what you want to achieve but by paying attention to something seemingly totally unconnected with it.”
I would agree. However, I might be getting way of head for those of you who are already scratching your head and wondering, “I don’t even know what this meditation thing is and why it’s important to do, let alone how to ruin it!”
For those of you out there, here are the first steps, the essential how-tos, the building blocks to success. Your simple guide.
In this one article here, I will not only list reasons to meditate, but make the practice of meditation easy.
The List of Reasons Why You Should Meditate
1. Heal your mind and your body. Because your body and your mind are intimately connected, it’s important to know how your thoughts, beliefs, and emotions affect the physical well-being of your body. Prolonged stress without relief, for example, can cause headaches, upset stomach, high blood pressure, heart problems, and high cholesterol and can contribute to depression and anxiety symptoms. Want more on this connection? Read WebMD’s article on the stress’ effects.
2. Escape the noise. Our lives are filled with noise. All three kinds of noise:
- Physical noise like people’s talking, music, television, or anything externally that distracts your immediate train of thought.
- Psychological noise of your judgments, thoughts, beliefs, assumptions, and internal biases you bring to every conversation or situation.
- Physiological noise like a headache, stomachache, or other bodily functions that may disrupt your current train of thought.
Meditation is a practice to free you from all three. It helps you create a quiet space for yourself where you put your judgments, stereotypes, and biases aside and distance your mind from any physical symptoms you may feel at the present moment.
3. Improve mood and immune function. Research suggests mindfulness meditation helps with a whole host of conditions. For instance, mindful meditation seems to help ease the symptoms of anxiety, and practitioners in one study had a better immune response to the flu vaccine than those who did not meditate.
Another study found that cancer patients who did mindfulness meditation for seven weeks had 31% lower stress symptoms and 67% less mood disturbance than those who did not meditate.
The National Institute of Health’s Center of Complimentary and Alternative Medicine has done research on the effects of meditation on various ailments, including eating disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, HIV, depression, and lower back pain. Results in all these studies looked good.
The Purpose of Meditation
Meditation doesn’t have to be involve you sitting Indian-style wearing a robe (though there is a reason this image is part of the tradition–which I’ll touch upon in Part 2).
Really, to get started, all you need is the intention to quiet your mind.
Why quiet your mind? That noise we talked about before, remember?
Also, by quieting your mind, you are then able to actually HEAR yourself THINK.
If you’ve followed all my posts here, you’ll know that I wholeheartedly believe in the power of your thoughts. They control your every emotion and action. So you better know what you’re thinking!
I tell my clients–and now I’m telling you: You need to think about what you’re thinking about. It’s a very important aspect of change. But it’s not easy to do unless you quiet your mind.
OK, OK, you get it. But after all this talk about quieting your mind, how do you do it? Stay tuned! If your taste buds have been tempted, you won’t want to miss Part 2 of Meditation Made Easy!
Popularity: 38% [?]
