Meditation 
By Jaime V. Pitner, MICP, RHC 

You don’t have to sit in the Lotus position for two hours and chant  “Uhmm” to meditate. That’s okay if you do, but meditative practices are much easier to incorporate into your daily life than you may think. 

Why should you meditate? Think of it as a way for your mind and body to recharge after all the daily physical and mental drains on your energy.  What does meditation have to offer that other forms of relaxation can’t give you? Well, meditation is always there for you, you can use it anytime, anywhere, and when you need it most. 

You can enjoy the benefits of meditation for any amount of time, a few minutes, or even just moments.  You can’t always sleep, but you can gain much of the benefits of a good nap with just a few minutes of meditation.   During even brief meditations your bodys metabolic rate can be reduced up to 17% in just a few minutes, in comparison, it takes 4 to 5 hours of natural sleep for the body’s metabolic rate to reduce even 7%. 

The body’s cells use oxygen to metabolize nutrients generating energy to fuel the demands of the body’s functions. The relaxation response resulting from meditation allows your inner energy systems to rejuvenate, and much less oxygen is required.  You can then breath slower and deeper, your muscles relax requiring less blood, and so your heart works with more ease and blood pressure lowers to healthier levels. 

Brain waves also become slower, providing a calm, clear mind. We know how important sleep is to our overall health. Meditation allows you to benefit from some of the vital aspects of natural sleep, and actually enhances your ability to transition from a hectic day to a restful night’s sleep.  As you practice meditation it becomes easier for you to train your mind and body to transition more quickly from stress and anxiety to relaxation.   

How to Meditate

Here’s a few easy steps to follow:
 

• Take a nice deep breath
  This sends the first signal to the mind and body to bring about relaxation. Slowing the release of stress hormones and activating the calming effects of the parasympathetic side of the nervous system. You can take a deep breath, even imperceptible to those round you.
• Drop your shoulders
  Your shoulders speak to you, they tend to react first to any stress and hold on to it. Drop your shoulders, and let go of the muscle tension. Loose and relaxed muscles tell the mind and body that the energies of the stress response are not needed.  Do this anytime you think about it throughout the day. It’s like loosening a valve, allowing you to get rid of built-up pressure.
• Think without words
  Relax the internal conversation, you did it when you were a baby and didn’t know any words. You do it unwittingly as you engage your senses in calming activities, like lying on the beach, or watching a sunset. 

Meditation is simply a natural state of being, called upon not so much by conscious activity, but through physical action. The physical skills of breathing and muscle relaxation communicate a powerful and effective message of relaxation directly to your body.  As your body feels relaxation, your mind now has the confidence to allow it to spread bringing mental relaxation.  Meditation has cumulative effects, maybe all you have during the busy day is the time to take just one deep breath... take it.