CASSANDRA HARRISONKAPLAN UNIVERSITYSEPTEMBER 14, 2012

Meditation

Overview

‘Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years and was originally meant to help deepen understanding of the sacred and mystical forces of life.’ (Mayo Clinic, 2012)

“During meditation, you focus your attention and eliminate the stream of jumbled thoughts that may be crowding your mind and causing stress.” (Mayo Clinic, 2012)

Types of Meditation

Guided meditationMantra MeditationMindfulness

MeditationQi GongTai ChiTranscendental

MeditationYoga

Benefits

Relaxation and Stress Reduction New PerspectivesIncreased Self-AwarenessImproved ConcentrationLiving in the MomentReduction of NegativityResearch Suggests that Meditation may Help

with Allergies, Anxiety disorders, Asthma, Binge Eating, Cancer, Depression, Fatigue, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Pain, Sleep Problems, and Substance Abuse

Creating a Space

Creating a space is a personal process

Some may wish to eliminate clutter and set up a relaxing scenery

A space is not necessary and we can use any place such as our work chair at our desk

How to Begin

You may wish to employ a timer so that you do not have the urge to check on how long you have been meditating

Starting with a body scan is helpful to acknowledge how each part of your body feels and to relax into your chosen posture

A good amount of time to begin with is around 5-20 minutes daily, beginning at the lower end

Experiment with postures and breathing techniques to find which ones suit you best

Postures

There are a number of postures to assume while meditating

Here are a few examples

You can also lie down or do walking mediation

Breathing Techniques

Counting the In Breaths 1-10 and then in Reverse

(Starting Over If you Lose your Place)

Thinking the Words In and Out Following the Breath

Inhale Love and Exhale Hate

Noticing Where the Breath Fills the Body

Journaling

Keeping track of the amount of time spent meditating each day and what the experience

was like is an excellent way to remain committed and track progress and review

benefits

Questions

References

Mayo Clinic. (2011). Meditation: A simple, fast way to reduce stress. Retrieved September 14, 2012 from, http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/meditation/HQ01070