Mindfulness Meditation Explorations
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Medding In Mindfulness
My first introduction to meditation came at the tender age of ten years old while living with my grandparents in Kensington, NH. I am an avid reader and I came across a paperback book on transcendant meditation in the back of a dusty 2nd floor closet.
As per my habit I read the book cover to cover but I remember not liking the idea of meditation at the time. The pamphlet delved into Hinduism and Buddhism which was popular in the 1970´s United States. (I believe the book belonged to one of my uncles.)
The instructions were to clear your mind of thoughts and I was definitely not good at that. Being perfect, I did not like not being good at anything so I moved on to something else. Later I learned meditation is about allowing my thoughts to happen naturally and recognizing my Self as the observer of my thoughts, perceptions and emotions
The Magic of Meditation
The books I found unexpectedly helpful at that age were not about meditaion at all. As children we were in competition to see who could hold their breath. The Black Pearl by Scott O´Dell provides great insight into the techniques of free divers attempts to expand their lungs and dive deeper into the depths of the ocean. (Later in life I found these helpful to dive deeper into the depths of my mind)
As I lay awake all night practicing for winning the family prize for holding my breath (I think they were just trying to get us to shut up) I unwittingly practiced the techniques used for meditation. Paying attention to my breath, thoughts and surroundings but also stimulating the Vagus Nerve and giving my anxious child monkey mind a shot of naturally produced acetycholine.
The biography of magician Harry Houdini also taught me a few tricks on meditation techniques. Houdini spent much time in India, as he was fascinated by the meditation masters fakirs he found there. A trick he learned was to slow his breathing to almost a stop. When he did his famous escapes from airtight containers the onlookers were amazed by his death defying ability to hold his breath forever. The trick was Harry had already calculated how much air was in the locked box and how long he had to slow breathe and relax his body out of the straightjacket. Does that sound relaxing?
The Beauty Of The Buddha Belly
The reason you see the Buddha smiling so happily is in his big beautiful belly. One secret to a peaceful meditation session is to eat a meal before. This helps signal your brain that it is time to ´rest and digest´. That does sound relaxing! Deep abdominal breathing can do the trick if you don´t have any snacks around. My favorite is the breathe in for four (4) seconds, hold for seven (7) seconds and breathe out for eight (8) seconds. This is another way of stimulating your vagus nerve and telling your brain it is okay to chill out and be still while you access your stillness.
These techniques are ingrained in our brains since the caveman days. Because if you had time to take a deep breath, you had time to relax while the sabre tooth tiger chased your neighbor.
Abdominal breathing works well for relaxation with or without meditation. It is the body´s way of giving the brain a break. The Vagus nerve is stimulated and you get a shot of acetylcholine. (The chemical cigarette smokers are looking for when they light up) Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter which helps to modulate and/or stimulate the release of other neurotransmitters in the brain. (dopamine, glutamate, gaba, etc..) This is why you start to feel wonderful after about 10-20 minutes. (A natural Rocky Mountain High)
Deep breathing also lowers your blood pressure. Perhaps you have tried this at the doctors office while waiting in the little room. Deep abdominal breathing is what got me off the blood pressure meds which were not lowering my blood pressure and causing other unfortunate side effects. The trick is to fill you lungs slowly with air and hold without straining. This puts a little pressure on your heart muscle, ironically raising your blood pressure a bit before relaxing your abdomen and releasing the air back out to the air. Doesn´t that sound relaxing? Go ahead and try it several times. Your brain will thank you for it!
The Key To Self Compassion
A road block I still stumble over is self compassion. It was one I put off until later in life and wish I had given myself and my Self a break. In today´s dog eat dog, winner takes all society we are trained since childhood to do more, go faster and told we can sleep when we are dead.
Well, I almost died and I still kept it in high gear trying to walk to the grocery store before my broken leg and ribs healed. Stress becomes addictive and the brain gives you a reward for it but I believe you believe you deserve a break. Take it easy, relax. Easier said than done, but when you give your Self permission to chill, you will really know the meaning of chill.
For me it is a practice and if I fall out of practice I fall into my old habits. It helps to do a mindset reset in the morning and any time during the day before you take off and start acting and reacting on impulse power.
So go ahead and give yourself permission to take a break, give yourself permission to relax, give yourself permission to chill. Your body, mind and soul will thank you for it and take you for a relaxing ride into the Universe of your choosing. Reap the rewards.