A few quiet moments in the morning with some deep breaths can do wonders for your body and mind. It puts your body in a calm state and this simple practice can decrease your risk of getting heart disease. So, let’s hit the reset button – no stress required.
Meditation helps your body to shift gears from fight-or-flight to cruise control. Making it a habit can lower your heart rate and blood pressure, keeping heart disease at bay. So just a few minutes a day can be a way of keeping your heart in check.
A kind of self-care
According to Jude Clark, a clinical psychologist from the coastal town of Kleinmond in the Western Cape, meditation is a means by which one can foster both self-care and self-love, essential components of a well-balanced and fulfilling life.
Clark says the rise of psychosocial stressors and the strain they put on people’s coping mechanisms are pretty profound. It’s a testament to the resilience of the human spirit that we keep on keeping on, despite the challenges life throws at us.
“Things like unemployment, divorce, losing a loved one, chronic illness,” she says.
Mindfulness is all about staying present in the moment and observing your thoughts and feelings without judgment. It’s about accepting what’s happening without putting labels on it, and doing this regularly can be a game-changer for your mental well-being, explains Clark.
Meditation, in its most basic form, is a practice that involves emptying the mind of thought. It is worth noting that there are numerous approaches to meditation, and no single approach is necessarily superior.
As Clark explains, the key to successful meditation is finding a method that resonates with you and maintaining a consistent practice. It is akin to discovering your unique meditation style and adhering to it
“I often begin by just focusing on my breath, taking my attention to the air entering and leaving my nostrils as I inhale and exhale. When thoughts rush in and my mind momentarily becomes preoccupied with a thought, I gently and non-verbally say “sshhh” and take my attention back to my breathing.”
Clinical psychologist Jude Clark
Meditation has been shown to be very effective in reducing stress, decreasing some symptoms of anxiety and depression, improving concentration, facilitating better sleep, aiding in processing difficult emotions, and helping with blood pressure and heart function. Overall, this means having a positive impact on body, mind and spirit, explains Clark.
“For me, breath work, mindfulness and meditation are lifelong practices for good health – of body, mind and spirit.”
Unleash your mind’s potential with a well-deserved break
A practice of eight weeks of daily meditation will reduce depressive mood and anxiety and increase attention, working memory, and recognition memory in novice meditators, according to Pramilla Vassen, a yoga therapist and Ayurveda Lifestyle Consultant located in Claremont, Cape Town.
She points out that the human heart is much more than just an efficient pump that sustains life. The heart, symbolising our ability to experience emotions, serves as a gateway to a wellspring of wisdom and intelligence that surpasses the capabilities of the mind.
“The heart, which only opens when we are open to our feelings, is important for increasing personal effectiveness, improving health and relationships and achieving greater fulfilment.”
Take a deep breath and embrace the magic of meditation
Mastering meditation requires regular practice, but it is not a difficult task, she adds.
Ideally, Vassen says, it is recommended to perform meditation twice daily, specifically during sunrise and sunset.
Engaging in a morning meditation practice that cultivates a deep sense of inner calmness and crystal clarity has the power to positively influence and guide you throughout the entirety of your day.
If it is not possible to do this due to certain responsibilities, you can select any other quiet time before meals. She suggests starting with 10 minutes and gradually increasing the duration to 20 minutes.
Vassen’s guideline for practising mindfulness meditation
- Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed by family or pets. Turn off cell phones and devices.
- Sit comfortably on the floor or a straight-backed chair. Use a back support or any props to settle into meditation. When we are uncomfortable, the mind becomes restless.
- Postural awareness – Sit with your spine erect, chin parallel to the floor, shoulders relaxed, pelvis and legs firmly grounded to anchor your posture. If on a chair, then keep your feet flat on the ground. Place hands on the thighs or lap with palms facing upwards to the sky. Upward hands are a gesture of receptivity and invite positive energy
- Do not lie down as you may find yourself falling asleep.
- Close your eyes and with a gentle smile on your face, take deep abdominal breaths and release the breath slowly. Scan the body from head to toe to consciously relax every part, creating wholeness simultaneously. Continue to breathe through the nose until you fall into a natural breathing rhythm. This will induce deeper relaxation.
- It is natural to have thoughts. Let thoughts float in and out without paying attention. If the mind wanders, then bring it back to the moment by focusing on the breath. Refrain the mind from analysing thoughts or emotions that may arise.
- Whatever is happening, be with it, and accept it. This is the art of observation.
- As you breathe, become aware of the belly rising and the lungs filling with air. Take your time to observe your breathing. Inhalation is expanding, exhalation is contracting. Breathing in is energising, and breathing out is calming. As you exhale, feel the tension in your body being released and flowing out of your body.
- After a while become aware of any sensations that may arise such as tingling or pulsations. When you do so, you will also feel a sense of calm, peace or joy cascade through you. This is part of the letting go process.
- Relax further into a deeper state of peace and calm. You are now meditating. You are aware of your surroundings but free of mind chatter. The brain, mind and body are resting with an incredible feeling of stillness and relaxation.
- Take a few more breaths. Slowly and gradually, bring the attention back to the body and surrounding area. When you are ready, you may open your eyes.
This simple technique is extremely effective at stopping the constant flow of thoughts. When we stop thinking our intuition is able to filter through with insights and guidance that we need to solve problems which is one of the greatest benefits, recommends Vassen.
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