By DR. VICTOR S. SIERPINA
If you are new to meditation, you may think of it as something done sitting cross-legged on a pillow with your eyes closed. You are not alone. This is a common misperception of how meditation must be practiced. While one can certainly meditate in this way and posture, there are numerous other methods that may not seem so exotic or unfamiliar.
For example, did you know you could meditate by just focusing your attention on your moment-to-moment breathing? How about the one-bite-at-a-time meditation in which you put down the eating utensil between bites to fully enjoy your meal? Oh, and while you are eating don’t read, watch TV or engage in other distractions. This kind of eating is perhaps harder than you might think, but it is definitely a form of meditation.
A centering exercise can be very easy. For just 10 minutes, sit quietly with your eyes closed, or open if you prefer. Focus only on your breath, the rhythmic inward and outward pattern, the in and out, rise and fall of your chest, the space between breaths. Notice how your mind calms. As thoughts pop into your mind, let them float away like leaves on a stream. Return to the stillness of breathing.
Stillness, reflection and contemplation may be the ticket to sorting out our priorities and also to reducing the negative health effects of stress. These are well known as stress increases risk of cardiovascular disease, mental health problems, diabetes, cancer, headache, chronic pain and affects every body system.
Yoga, tai chi and even repetitive exercise such as swimming, walking, cycling or running are opportunities for meditation, as is prayer.
A moment or two of stillness allows our attention to move from constant focus on content, activity and planning. Instead, we enter into the richness of our inner being, that immutable spiritual center that is always there, patiently awaiting our attention. Like an ever-flowing spring, the quiet mind offers a continual feast. This is true inner peace, always there for us to enjoy in abundance.
A book by Dr. Jan Bays, “How to Train a Wild Elephant and Other Adventures in Mindfulness,” is a wonderful guide to building meditation into your daily life. In this book, the physician author likens the mind to a wild elephant that needs gentle, persistent training to enter into and stay in control. The essence of meditation is becoming immersed into self-acceptance, nonjudgmental awareness and gratitude in the present moment.
She also wrote another remarkable book called “Mindful Eating.” This useful guide challenges those of us for whom the first bite is the best as we wolf down the rest of the meal mindlessly, without really enjoying it. This kind of “non-mindful eating” behavior packs on unnecessary calories fast and furiously and without joy.
So give yourself the gift of mindfulness, quietude and a few moments of “unplugged” time daily. Taking the time to center is a way to improve your nerves, your heart, your gut and even your relationships.
Dr. Victor S. Sierpina is the WD and Laura Nell Nicholson Family Professor of Integrative Medicine and Professor of Family Medicine at UTMB.