Searching For the Waters of Antiquity

We all goof off sometimes, whether it’s “zoning” or doodling on a napkin, we’ve been taught that it’s a bad thing. But meditation expert and author of Searching For The Waters Of Antiquity: A Follow-Along Meditation Process, Shirley Ryan says that goofing off or zoning out can be really beneficial to your well-being. “These days mediation is more important than ever, it relieves stress and studies have shown myriad health benefits related to mediation. More often than not people tell me they don’t have time to incorporate mediation into their lives but there are ways you can ‘sneak’ it in, what we refer to as ‘goofing off’ is one of a few ways.”

Here are the Ten Tips to Quick, Easy Meditation:

1. Doodling: Spend some time doodling, the act of being engaged in this process will help you block out the outside world, even if it’s just for a few minutes.
2. Bird watching: Bird watching is centering and calming.
3. Fish: Mesmerize yourself by watching fish swim.
4. Strolling: It doesn’t have to be a power-walk, in fact strolling is a great way
to use up pent up energy and go into a state of detachment.
5. Laughter: Laughter uses all of our muscles offering relaxation and also
manages pain. Laughter not only relieves tension but the medical benefits
to daily laughter can’t be ignored. (Norman Cousins, Anatomy of an Illness)
6. Skipping stones: Circles within the waters made by the stone turn to calm
waters and a calmer you!
7. Stroking pets: (the therapeutic and calming benefits have been recognized
by hospitals and senior centers for years.
8. Whittling wood: Pure zoning qualities with an extra benefit of artistic
satisfaction.
9. Rosary beads, Mala beads & worry stones: Thousands use these method
to keep focused and feel peaceful.
10. Pictures & mirrors: (Michael H. Brown, Ed.S. Mandala Symbolism, looking
at ourselves and others…”give us reflections of what ordinarily remains
outside our awareness or field of view.  They help us stay connected to loved
ones, and to ourselves.” Bottom line traditionally provides comfort and calm.

All of these easy methods of “mindfulness” meditation practices help more than simply zoning out. In an article from Mercy Medical Center of Des Moines, Integrating meditation into conventional medical practice, sites in a recent study, “…patients who followed a mindfulness-based stress reduction program experienced a 65% reduction in total mood disturbance and a 31% reduction in total stress score.” Giving ourselves small breaks in the day can allow our body to heal minute to minute maintaining health and life satisfaction.

Many years ago I was doing a short workshop for a group of managers in a fairly large company in the North West. They were a pretty conservative bunch of folks, so training about meditation was completely out. Instead, I was discussing stress management and breath work. I went through the whole workshop and at the end I happened to mention in my summary that breath work and meditation greatly improves personal intimacy. A pretty conservative guy in the front of the room said, “Well if you had said that in your opening I would have paid more attention to the workshop!” (more…)

Whatever your intension for meditating, some basic keys to the process is to focus on something either internally or externally. This can be a sound, an internal image, an external object or any of a wide variety of focusing devices. One of the easiest and best things to focus on is our breath itself! Since part of the process of meditation is the use of proper breathing to center and slow down the rhythm of life, it makes sense to use your breath to focus.

Proper breathwork is an art in and of itself, and awareness of our breath is another key to great meditation. To begin, simply breathe into your diaphragm, the place between your ribs and navel for greatest effect. One way to practice the technique is whenever you are at a stop sign, instead of sitting impatiently waiting for it to change, try something new. Try a one minute breath workout. Feel yourself breathe in the light and love of the universe and breathe out the toxicity of your life. This is a small step towards the beginning of a significant life change. Here are some other places to practice good breathing technique:

1. Talking on the phone
2. Brushing your teeth
3. Teeing off on the golf course
For longer sessions try:
4. Showering or soaking in the tub
5. Washing the car
6. Eating-especially when alone
7. Peeling an orange, apple or potato, etc.
8. Grooming the cat, dog, etc.
9. Washing dishes
10. Folding clothes

In the simple act of training ourselves to breathe properly and become more mindful by slowing down our sense of time passing, we can learn to monitor our moods and thoughts before they spiral downward. We can, in other words, make ourselves happier. In addition to making ourselves happier, we can promote better blood flow to the heart, the lungs and all of the extremities. Focusing mind and body ultimately leads to feeling better and when we feel better we do better work, have better relationships and make better decisions. Not a bad use of your time.

Well we are getting everyone meditating it seems. Yes, there is a healing power within the mind even kids can tap. Studies reveal that kids of all ages, even young children benefit from the power of meditation. One Georgia study funded by the National Institutes of Health found, “20 minutes of daily meditation lowered blood pressure and heart rates in middle schoolers.” The study states that students who use simple breathing-type meditation lowered blood pressure readings…and, reducing blood pressure in kids lowers the risk of stroke or coronary problems when these kids become adults. How good is that folks! (more…)

In 1990 I was told I had a tumor in my lung (No–I did not smoke) and I had a 30% chance of living. Well, I was stressed to put it mildly. I always meditated, but as the time for the surgery drew closer, I began to read everything on meditation that I could which reflected the kind of alternative hope that I was sure would work for me.  I meditated diligently to maintain a positive attitude throughout the grim news that seemed to bombard me daily.  
My surgeon was pensive as I discussed my need to bring a meditation tape into the operating room to ensure that I would work well with him during surgery.  I explained that I had carefully scripted a tape that would keep my body functioning within normal range in keeping with his plans for a successful procedure.  Looking down, he curbed a smile as he agreed that he had heard of this kind of thing, but never personally experienced the process.  Bottom line, he said he would do anything that would make me feel more comfortable. Time passed.

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Everyone wants to meditate, but trying to make time and get motivated to do it a struggle we all have. Some easy ways to practice meditation throughout the day is to practice being present in the here and now. This form of meditation is called mindfulness or paying attention during your activities.

One of the big benefits to mindfulness meditation is staying focused. Clear focus helps you to understand where you are going and how you will get there. This kind of meditation is being in the moment, exercising a set of mental activities that sees things with impartial watchfulness. It does not take sides. A mindful meditator is both participant and observer. It is observing all phenomena - physical, mental or emotional - whatever is presently taking place in the mind. Ever eat an orange and really savor the process from peeling through tasting it? Let’s see how mindfulness works. (more…)