Meditation is magic. We all know the benefits are proven and tangible, but that doesn't make it any easier to start a new habit, especially one that can appear to be the act of doing nothing at all. Greg Schweitzer of Twin Ponds Integrative Health Center in Breinigsville left his stressful career as an industrial engineer and dedicated his life to studying and sharing this discipline. Here's all the info you need to feel compelled and empowered to pursue the practice.
Body
Schweitzer saw a 71-year-old client whose resting blood pressure averaged 190/90: “Stroke material,” as he puts it. The man had been held together by blood pressure medication all of his adult life. After Schweitzer's meditation course and three months of a consistent meditation practice, he was down to 138/78, and was eventually able to get off the medication.
“We all have pressure and stress,” Schweitzer says, “and it shows up in different ways. Cardiovascular issues, gastrointestinal issues, cancer, diabetes. Most issues are linked to stress, and meditation is an antidote.”
We know stress can feel awful, but we may not notice that it's wearing away at our body until we begin to feel relief from it. Schweitzer calls rest “an enzyme of life,” as essential as the air we breathe. Meditation brings levels of rest deeper than sleep, allowing the body to repair the damage of stress and generating more energy, ease and alertness.
The mindfulness of meditation ripples out into practitioners' lifestyles. The practice seems to automatically inspire diet and exercise improvements by its very nature of patient self-care.
Mind
There's more to be gained from meditation than low blood pressure and a refreshing feeling. This restful state results in increased happiness, creativity and compassion. A good focus comes more naturally and research indicates that IQs go up.
Imagine realizing how frazzled and fatigued you've been because you're starting to emerge with more energy and greater calm. After three days of Schweitzer's meditation course, a woman told him about her ten year old's rave review: “He said, ‘Meditation must really work. You didn't yell at me when I was making mistakes on my violin.'”
We may not realize how much stress dictates the quality of our relationships until we start to slip beneath the turbulent surface of life into a deeper calm and separate ourselves from our reactions.
Practitioners begin to understand how stress affects the behavior of others, and discover more empathy and patience. Neuroscientists have found that stress can cause connections in the brain to deteriorate, affecting judgment and rendering thought and behavior more rigid, distracted, reactive and anxious.
Such improvement to quality of life, and this tool requires no equipment, no travel, little or no cost and can last the rest of your life.
Here's How
In comfortable clothes, find a comfortable seat. The classic cross-legged position works for flexible folks, but don't jam yourself into anything that puts strain on your body. Simply sitting up in a chair is fine.
A quiet environment is helpful for beginners, but won't always be necessary. Scratch any itches or stretch your neck. The idea is to feel comfortably still, not tense and frozen.
Close your eyes and bring attention to the flow of your breath. Follow it in as you inhale and out as you exhale. If it helps to visualize a balloon expanding, do that. Allow your breath to naturally slow as you relax, but don't try to control it or change it.
“You'll find yourself thinking about something else,” Schweitzer says. “‘This is silly. Nothing is happening. What should I have for lunch? I have a million things I should be doing.' Just notice it and bring your attention back to your breath.”
Try setting a timer for five minutes, and when it goes off, take another minute to relax your attention and evaluate how you feel. If you continue to practice once or twice a day, you'll notice an effect. Even 5–10 minutes can make a difference, and you might find yourself building up to the recommended 15–20.
Don't be too hard on yourself. As Schweitzer says, “It's not about performing a good meditation, it's about how that meditation improves your life.”
Get Guidance
If you don't have faith in your self-discipline or work better with a little formal training, Schweitzer's seven-session, 10-hour course might help kick-start this healthy habit. Many people who attend the program's initial free intro session are frustrated with their own attempts to start or stick with it at home.
Through a mix of private and small-group instruction, Schweitzer sees his clients impressed by their confidence in the practice and the quickly felt effects of his trademarked Effortless Meditation style.
628 Twin Ponds Rd., Breinigsville | 610.670.6700 | twinpondscenter.com | stressreductionresources.com
