We’ve all been told we need to meditate, ideally at least 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week they say.
But where did that come from? How do we meditate? What happens when we meditate and how can we get the most out of it?
From what I understand, the 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week came about because in the western world we like tidy time segments and 5 days a week means you can fit it into your work week routine. I’ve seen people go so far as to say you won’t notice any benefit if you don’t follow this protocol – this simply isn’t the case. While it is true the benefits compound the more you sit, there are ways in which meditation is helpful even for 2 minutes once a week.
Imagine you are stuck in traffic and getting frustrated. You remember reading somewhere that breathwork can help calm you down so you take 10 deep breaths focusing on the sensation in your abdomen. Boom, you just meditated and there was benefit.
There are so many ways we can meditate and there is no right answer. The new age community likes to talk about manifestation and meditating while feeling, seeing, hearing and engulfing yourself in the experience that you desire.
The Vipassana tradition teaches paying attention to every sensation in your body starting from the feeling of breath blowing on and off your philtrum and over weeks, months or years becoming capable of feeling every organ within your body.
The yogis teach breathwork to alter your state of consciousness. Rapid short breaths or long, drawn breaths will have different effects on your mental and physical state.
Mindfulness is the practice of nonjudgmental observation. This can be done on and off the mat; observing the thoughts as they enter and leave your mind without attaching value to them or simply observing the water spilled without thoughts of cleaning it up.
Whatever style of meditation you prefer is perfect for you. I personally spend about the first 5 minutes focusing on my breath until I feel that familaure warm fuzzy sensation spread over my brain. Once the tension has left my body I try to simply stay in a state of alertness without thought. Some days minutes will fly by before “I need to clean the litter box” pops into my head and I have to let it go and return to my breath. Other days I find myself replaying my grocery list and to-do list and “did I call my dad on fathers day??” over and over. Those days are the hardest and those are the days that teach me to be gentle with myself. It’s a journey with no destination, some days are smooth sailing and others are an uphill battle but you keep coming back because the practice gives you so much.
Many health care practitioners and mental health workers alike attribute the dysfunctions we’re experiencing in our physical and mental health to a deregulated nervous system. While meditation has been shown to calm the nervous system and engage all parts of the brain on an MRI, specifically the practice of breathing in for the count of 4 and out for the count of 8 has been shown to regulate our nervous system and provide a calmer state of being. This in turn allows for clearer thinking, better sleep and digestion and a whole slew of positive side effects.
Meditation does not have to be a difficult and daunting task, fitting it in as frequently and for as long as you are able is good enough. Over time you will begin to build the healthy habits of maintaining a daily practice. Insight timer is a free app that allows you to track progress, access music and guided meditations or just have a gentle gong to pull you out of your allotted time. Try sitting for one week, you will love it!