Meditation 101

What is Meditation?

If someone asked me to give a 1-sentence definition of meditation, I’d say that it is an approach to training the mind, just like exercise is a way of training the body. Dee adds to this definition: “meditation is a consistent or daily practice that helps you tune in to your best self.”

I compare meditation to brushing your teeth. In the moment of brushing your teeth, you gain benefits from doing it, but if you skip brushing your teeth for several days, you’ve lost those benefits! So, in order to gain long-term control of your thoughts through meditation, I think it needs to be regular. You’ll get the most bang for your buck by doing it often or even daily.

Dee’s metaphor is similar: a 10-minute meditation session is like doing a single set of bicep curls at the gym. After doing one set, you wouldn’t expect to leave the gym and have your arms look different. It takes repetition to see results. That’s hard to understand sometimes because we live in a culture where we do want instant results! But it’s just like caring for your body through diet, hygiene, and exercise: meditation requires consistency!

Let’s Talk Benefits

Scientists have done brain and body scans to study the effects of meditation by monitoring brain activity and tracking vital signs while people are in the act of meditating. What they’ve found is fascinating! Here’s an article with more detail, but some of the benefits include the following:

Lower blood pressure
Lower heart rate
Lower respiratory rate
Lower blood cortisol levels
Less stress
Less perspiration
Deeper relaxation
Improved blood circulation
More feelings of wellbeing

Interesting research has also been done to study the benefits of meditation on the immune system and aging process by using control groups to compare novice and experienced meditators to non-meditators.

Guru Singh’s podcast discusses how brain development slows when people reach their early 20’s and begins to decrease from then. He talks a lot about a type of meditation that includes hand movements (also called mudras) that has even been linked to Alzheimer’s prevention.

Dan Harris, a news anchor, had a panic attack on air several years ago. He talks about his thoughts of inadequacy that drove him to become a “workaholic” (in his words) and stressful experiences from his time reporting from Afghanistan. After the panic attack, he eventually found meditation and wrote the book 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works–A True Story. His preferred meditation was all about focusing on breath as it flows through the body.

The great thing about meditation is that there are no negative side effects. And it relies on nothing else but you: no equipment, no membership, and no influence from the weather, your kids, or anything else going on in your life!

Meditation Misconceptions

“It’ll be easy”: For some people, when they first meditate, they expect relaxation, which is what a lot of the researched benefits show. But it can be really hard at first, so expect to ease into it.

“I just can’t”: How many times have you heard, “I just can’t meditate because I can’t quiet my mind. My mind just goes really fast and I have all these thoughts all of the time.” This excuse drives Dee crazy! She’s a New Yorker with a fast-paced life and overactive mind. If anything, meditation is even more important for someone who uses this excuse!

“Think of nothing at all”: The biggest misconception is that to meditate you have to “clear your mind of all thoughts.” That’s not realistic! What is realistic is to slow down enough to bring awareness to your thoughts. Even recognizing what others distractions you’re having is okay!

Types of Meditation

A saying about meditation its root word is linked to our word for “sports.” In other words, there are so many types of meditation, just as there are so many varieties of sports! You can meditate when painting, journaling, practicing yoga, or even going on a walk.

The best beginner level meditation is concentration meditation. It uses a single focus, starting with only 2-3 minutes at first. You could try to work up to 10 minutes, where science shows the benefits really start to kick in. You should focus on just one thing: a candle flame, the sound of a gong repeating, a breath, a mantra, or beads on a strand (called a mala).

Other great tools for beginners are guided meditation apps, like Insight Timer and Head Space. Insight Timer gives a search box to find terms like insomnia or anxiety, and it boasts 6 million users and 15,000+ free meditations. I have always preferred guided meditations, so that’s why I use this app!

If for some reason using a meditation app doesn’t work for my schedule, I set aside 10 minutes for journal meditation. First I focus on my breath and body, then I consider the feelings in my body and thought, and finally I journal about the process.

Mindfulness is another form of meditation. In “thought awareness” mindfulness, you just sit quietly while you observe your wandering thoughts, like winds blowing leaves by. If you’re thinking about work or errands, just notice that it’s on your mind without judgement. In “sensory awareness” mindfulness, you focus on the five physical senses: sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing. By going through each sense individually, you give your mind something to ground it and keep returning to when you inevitably have those distracting thoughts.

Other, more unique or advanced types of meditation include transcendental meditation, tai chi, and kundalini meditation. Dee’s practice is based on kundalini meditation which also has a chant and a specific hand motion or seated position. One example is the “Ego Eradicator” – a quick, effective meditation between 1-3 minutes long using the Kundalini “breath of fire.” (For me, when I tried the kundalini method with Dee, I liked it when she led it for me, but otherwise it hasn’t been my cup of tea in my daily practice!)

The Takeaway

Ultimately, Dee and I both do meditation every day in the morning before doing anything else. We agree that it’s the best way to start the day and bring greater peace and awareness into our lives.

Hopefully this post peaked your interest in meditation! What types of meditation do you prefer? What benefits do you find in your daily life? Let us know by leaving a comment!