FIND YOUR CALM
New studies show that meditation can help you live happier, healthier, and even longer. And it’s far less difficult to learn and practice than you may think. Choose the right technique for you and start reaping the benefits immediately.
Do believe the hype. Meditation improves our mental, physical, and spiritual health. In the past four years alone, research has shown that it can sharpen our attention, boost compassion, dissolve stress, and ease chronic pain. It can also shrink areas of the brain linked to negative emotions, and help maintain telomeres, those vital parts of our DNA that get shorter as we age. And while regular sessions make the most profound impact, a single one can be revelatory.
If you're picturing the Dalai Lama, Don Draper 2.0 or Rafiki from The Lion King and thinking, not for me, sit tight. You can pretzel your legs, repeat a mantra... or not. There are many ways to meditate, and these days, there's an app for most of them. Even more compelling, each has unique benefits. There are four popular styles: breathing, observing thought, loving-kindness, and body scan. The body scanners' negative thoughts about past and future declined significantly, and those in the loving-kindness camp felt, just as the cozy name promises, the biggest empathy surge.
To turn a spark of interest into a practice, consider these methods to determine which one soothes you most. Just like with exercise, you may prefer the elliptical to kickboxing, and while they build different skills, all give you the cardio you need. In other words, to each their own enlightenment.
Breathing Meditation. You'll be more focused and energized, and less distracted. Controlled breathing heightens concentration by directly affecting noradrenaline, a chemical messenger that, when produced in the right amount, benefits our attention levels and overall brain health. It's as simple as sitting down and making your breath the focal point. This is a great entry exercise, since you can reset whenever thoughts about lunch or your email intrude. The key is not to judge your wandering mind.
Body-scan meditation. You'll feel more rested, relaxed and connected to your body. Practicing this method may help alleviate insomnia by helping you wind down before bed. Starting at the top of the head, focus on feeling, sensation and tightness as you move down the body. When your mind wanders, and it will, acknowledge it then return to taking inventory. Try the Calm app or look for a yoga nidra class. Yoga nidra begins with a detailed body scan that sends you into full relaxation mode. You'll feel like you got a full night's sleep in a fraction of the time.
Observing-thought meditation. You'll learn to tune into yourself and turn down repetitive, critical inner monologues. The practice, also known more generally as mindfulness meditation, wakes you up to your thought patterns. This isn't just productive for you; it also makes you more empathetic to others. Get comfortable and spend a few minutes "watching" your thoughts move like clouds across the sky. Some can be ominous; some can be soft and fluffy. Your only goal is to avoid labeling them as positive or negative, or letting darker ones derail you. It can be helpful to say to yourself, 'It's just a thought,' and move on.
Loving-kindness meditation. You'll empathize more easily with others and feel more optimistic about the world. This Buddhism-derived approach, also called metta meditation, can ease depression and social anxiety. The approach can be summed by the quote, "Love is not a feeling, it's an ability." To foster it, you silently repeat a phrase that broadcasts positive feelings, first to yourself, then to a loved one, then to a person who challenges you, then to the whole world.
Kelly Dinardo