Tai Chi Helps With So Many Things

This week, I just wanted to let someone else talk. Bill Douglas is a well known author and teacher of tai chi, qigong, and meditation. He put together a video that summarized recent studies on the health benefits of tai chi. 

Bill presents studies and stories that say that meditation and tai chi help to

• Increase brain size
• Control symptoms of type 2 diabetes
• Improve standing balance after a stroke
• Reduce balance impairment from Parkinson's disease
• Improvement multiple symptoms of multiple sclerosis

Watch the video (It's about 12 minutes long).

To see the video on Youtube, click here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4KzYiMfL1g

Marines Expand Use of Meditation Training

I often talk and write about the benefits of mindfulness meditation. No one that knows me would say that I am a wu-wu new ager. I am all about results. Researchers are using neuroscience to study what happens to people that meditate. The results are real. Meditation helps us be better people by nearly any measure you can imagine.

Doctors used to believe that our brains are fixed and never change after reaching adulthood. This is not true. In one way, our brains are like our muscles. Use it or lose it. Muscles that are not used shrink and become less effective. Muscles that are used grow and become more effective. It's the same with the brain. Meditation has been shown to

• increase the number of neural connections in the part of the brain responsible for concentration and empathy

• decrease the number of neural connections in the amygdala, the area of the brain that controls anxiety and fear

• enlarge the hippocampus, the area of the brain that controls memory

This is proof that we can use meditation to rewire our brains to become happier and more peaceful. We can remember better and make better decisions under stress.

The results have been so positive that the military has taken notice. In a small 2008 study called Mindfulness-based Mental Fitness Training (M-Fit), a small group of marines took part in their normal 8-week, 12-hour a day training as they usually did. In addition, they were taught breathing exercises, how to focus, and how to manage monkey mind. After their training was completed, they were found to have improved mood and attentiveness. The ones that meditated the most had the most benefit.

Tasks that require lots of mental effort, such as elite athletics and combat require lots of working memory capacity. So do emotional challenges, like leaving family behind and heading to a war zone. These types of tasks use up working memory. Over time, that working memory can be restored. Troops who meditated regularly increased their working memory capacity and they were more aware of their bodies response to stress. Before it is restored, depleted working memory leads to poor decision making, impulsive behavior, alcoholism, and domestic violence.

According to an article in Men's Journal, working memory is:

... a term that brain scientists use to define a cognitive resource that is much more than simple recall. Working memory capacity powers complex thoughts. It’s what we call upon to figure out restaurant tips, break down spreadsheets, or even settle ethical dilemmas like whether or not to pull a trigger. The level of this resource can be depleted throughout the day. A morning disagreement with a co-worker — or a roadside bomb for that matter — can make it harder to solve a problem that requires math skills a few hours later in the day. In the battlefield low levels of working memory capacity might mean the difference between life and death.

There is more in the newspaper article here (WashingtonTimes):

 

© 2013 Eric Borreson

What is Meditation?

Meditation is a mental practice used to get beyond the unaware mind into a deeper state of awareness. According to Wikipedia,

“Different meditative disciplines encompass a wide range of spiritual and/or psychophysical practices which may emphasize different goals -- from achievement of a higher state of consciousness, to greater focus, creativity or self-awareness, or simply a more relaxed and peaceful frame of mind.”

A common form of meditation is mindfulness meditation. This is relatively easy for beginners to do. During meditation, we try to keep our mind on a single point of focus. The point of focus could be a short repetitive prayer, our breath, a breath count, qi energy flows, or anything else.

Meditation has a long history. It has been part of Buddhist culture for thousands of years. The two common types of Buddhist meditation are shamatha and vipassana. Shamatha consists of types of concentration meditations used to develop focus. Vipassana consists of practices to develop insight into the true nature of reality.

Step eight of the eight-fold path of Buddhism refers to “Right Concentration”, referring to meditation. In this context, concentration refers to a mental state where the entire mind is directed toward a single object. Through meditation, people develop the ability to remain calm and focused in everyday situations.

Christians have practiced meditation for almost as long, although they prefer the term "contemplation" nowadays. Some Catholics use the rosary to practice meditation. There are many biblical references to meditation among the prophets. Many scholars and religious officials of the Middle Ages wrote guides to meditation. In addition, there are many secular meditation practices.

Regardless of our motivation or background in meditation, our first efforts at meditation are difficult. Before we even notice it, our mind has wandered away. We find that our mind bounces around from one idea to another and it seems that there is nothing we can do to stop it. Some people describe it as your “monkey mind”, where your mind jumps around like a monkey jumping from one branch to another.

Mindfulness meditation is the process of recognizing when our minds have wandered away from our point of focus and bringing it back. Your mind may wander away during every single breath. That's OK. Just notice when it happens and bring it back. It is important to avoid judgment about how you are doing. There is no such thing as a "good" meditation or a "bad" meditation. It just is. Live in the moment during your meditation. It is not about forcing a result. It is about developing a skill. That's meditation.

The idea of meditation is to learn to become aware of our thoughts and emotions. It is not about stopping those thoughts. With practice, we can develop the ability to concentrate and focus so that we can control distractions and ignore all the stories we make up that cause us stress and discomfort.

Exercise develops your muscular strength or endurance. Meditation develops your “concentration muscles” and helps us learn how to maintain focus. When the mind wanders, all that is necessary is to bring the mind back to that point of focus. Do not allow recriminations or frustrations to develop. It is more important to meditate regularly than to meditate for a long time but only occasionally. If you are a beginner, start with 10 minutes a day. When that feels comfortable, go ahead and extend the time a little bit.

Let's finish with a quote from ZBOHY, the Zen Buddhist Order of Hsu Yun (http://www.hsuyun.org/chan/en/essays/bychuanzhi/204-healing-breath.html)

As the mind is quieted by the slow breathing exercise, the brain becomes better able to regulate serotonin (c.f. Bujatti, M. and Reiderer, P., Journal of Neural Transmission 39: 257-267, 1976) and other chemicals responsible for regulating our biochemistry: we sleep better, our overall mood improves, and we become calmer and less agitated. In addition, muscles relax, the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems become stronger and healthier, physical endurance and stamina increase, digestion improves, and mental capacity for concentration and memory are enhanced.

Here are some links to articles with some specific meditation guidelines:

You can read about breath counting meditation here 

You can read about meditation for relaxing and energizing here

You can read about walking meditation here

You can read about labyrinth walking meditation here

You can read about meditation in tai chi here

© 2012 Eric Borreson

How Does Mindfulness Help Us?

Modern psychology tells us that mindfulness can be used to help us manage the stress in our everyday lives. We are taught to pause and reflect when we are faced with a stressful situation. It is often stated as pause and be "in the now". There have been many studies done in the last few years that show this approach has real physical benefits including enhanced functioning of our immune system, reduced blood pressure, and improved cognitive functioning.

How does this work? What is it about mindfulness that helps us? A recent article in the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science provides some insight (see below for complete reference).

The authors define mindfulness as "the nonjudgmental awareness of experiences in the present moment". They provide evidence that mindfulness is a "multi-faceted mental practice that encompasses several mechanisms". The mechanisms include 1) regulating attention; 2) awareness of body; 3) regulating emotions; and 4) changing perspective on the self.

The authors further say that these mechanisms work together in mindfulness meditation and that mindfulness is "associated with neuroplastic changes" in the brain. When they say "associated with", it means they haven't proven cause and effect, but the events are correlated. In other words, mindfulness meditation is correlated with rewiring your brain. The authors go on to say that more research is needed. No surprise there, they are researchers after all. They suggest that further research may be useful in guiding targeted treatments of psychological disorders.

I'm not sure I agree that studying these mechanisms separately will provide the benefit the authors seek. The mechanisms seem to be closely interrelated. For example, awareness of body (mechanism 2) is hard to develop without improving our ability to focus (mechanism 1, regulating attention). It's hard to argue that changing the perspective on the self (mechanism 4) can be accomplished with learning more about regulating your emotions (mechanism 3).

The main point I take away from this study is that mindfulness meditation is not a vague placebo that cures all. It requires training to develop specific meditation techniques and it has measurable results on brain functioning.

How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective.

Perspectives on Psychological Science November 2011 6: 537-559, doi:10.1177/1745691611419671 

The abstract is available online at http://pps.sagepub.com/content/6/6/537.abstract

A summary of this paper is provided at Wildmind.

© 2011 Eric Borreson

Mindful Labyrinth Walking

I recently returned from a week-long tai chi workshop in Terre Haute, Indiana. We stayed and practiced at the College of St. Mary-of-the-Wood. This is a pastoral campus in a rural area on the edge of a small city. There were no houses in sight from the main campus. It was a beautiful place to get away the hustle and bustle for a few days.

I habitually rise fairly early. Sleeping in a strange place certainly didn't change that. I decided to take advantage of that early morning time and walk around the campus. On Tuesday morning during my walk, I discovered that there was a large labyrinth on campus. I decided to walk the labyrinth.

I started to walk the labyrinth with the intention to have an enjoyable start to my day. I quickly discovered the gnats. Millions of them. They were swarming all over every living thing within sight. They were buzzing around my head, landing and crawling all over me. I spent the walk swatting at them. I let the gnats interfere with the enjoyment of my walk.

My dharma teacher, Carl, often says that one reason we have so much stress in our lives is because we make up stories to interpret our sensory inputs. In other words, when we have input from one of our senses or when we have a thought, we tell ourselves stories to explain the meaning of that input. The stories help us react to the world based on previous experiences.

The story I have in my head is that having "bugs crawling on me" is a "bad thing." It is unpleasant and potentially dangerous. Therefore, I "know" that walking a labyrinth while bugs are crawling on me is an unpleasant situation. However, stories are not reality. Creepy-crawly bugs are just a story we tell ourselves.

That evening, I thought of another story, The Buffalo and the Monkey. Blessings to Dr. Tom for sharing this story with me. Here is an abbreviated version.

Many years ago (presumably in the time of talking animals), there was a buffalo living on the edge of the forest. The buffalo was large, fast, and powerful. All of the animals, even the tigers, stayed out of its way. All except one. A monkey regularly tormented the buffalo. The monkey pulled the buffalo's ears, hit it with sticks, poked it in the eyes, and did any other deviltry that the monkey could think of.

The wise owl asked the buffalo why he put up with the torment from the monkey when he, the buffalo, was such a large and strong animal. The buffalo replied, "All the animals have a purpose here. Even the monkey has a purpose. He is here to teach me patience."I decided that I wanted to rewrite my story about the gnats. Gnats are not dangerous. They are not going to bite me. They are not going to spread disease. My new story is that gnats are just gnats. They are not important. I can ignore them.

One of my tai chi teachers, Caroline, said that in order to learn, we need intention, attention, practice, and a teacher. So the next day I walked to the labyrinth with a different intention in mind. My intention was to pay attention to my walking practice based on direction from my teachers Caroline and Carl. I decided to walk mindfully.

What is mindfulness? I posted a similar question recently on one my LinkedIn groups. I had 24 comments. Comments included " … the natural interactions between our conscious thoughts and the subconscious physiological responses that occur", "… a way to control the autonomic nervous system", and "… using the power of the mind to control pain". Let me give you my definition here. Mindfulness is being aware of your body, thoughts, and emotions at all times.

Following the direction from my teachers, I decided my intention was to use tai chi walking to walk the labyrinth. I wanted to enjoy the walk and continue to practice mindfulness. I brought my attention to my feet and my shifting weight. I focused on the path and how I was placing my feet. I focused on the feeling of my feet on the ground and how my feet felt as I shifted my weight from one foot to another.

I ignored the gnats and walked. They landed on my face. They crawled in my hair, around my ears, and down my neck. I noticed them, but I didn't worry about it.

I do have to admit that there were a few times when I had to shift my attention from my walking to removing the gnats from my ears. That was a little too much for me that morning. But I quickly brought my attention back to my walking.

During my walk, I met someone else walking the labyrinth. We passed silently and shared energy. Thanks to my new friend, Donna, for sharing that experience with me. That was truly a mindful, spiritual morning for me. It was truly meditation in motion.

© 2011 Eric Borreson

Finding Peace in My Own Life

I have learned through bitter experience the one supreme lesson - to conserve my anger. Gandhi

What does it mean to have "peace" in our lives. I'm not really in a position to influence international events. I need to keep it on a more personal level. To me, peace means to maintain an emotional balance, without anger or frustration, but with plenty of love and compassion and joy.

Something interesting just happened to me. Two people that know me pretty well said that I have changed recently. They both said that I am calmer and don't get as upset about things as I used to. That's interesting because I have been trying to change, but 50+ years of habits are not easy to modify. I hadn't internalized yet that I was making much progress.

My dharma lessons teach how to substitute one emotion for another, less anxious, one to reduce anxiety and negative emotions. However, I don't think that is exactly what I have been doing. When I think back to specific examples of how I have been avoiding negative emotions, my thoughts weren't about substitutions. They were more like "I don't need to get angry about this. It's not worth it. I don't like to be angry."

For example, I was asked to help install a new cable modem on someone's computer. The installation software wouldn't install properly, the directions didn't match the screens that came up, and it was just a real mess. I spent some time online looking for help, but couldn't find anything useful. I calmly put the modem back in the box and said that just wasn't going to happen today.

In another example, I had a doctor appointment recently. The appointment was for 3:15 PM. When I arrived (on time), the receptionist told me that the doctor was "running a little behind." If they bother to say that, it means that the doctor is running really late. Two years ago, I would have been angry and I probably would have rescheduled the appointment so I wouldn't have to sit there too long. This time my thought was, "OK. That gives me some time to sit and enjoy the peace and quiet." I finally got to see the doctor at 4:50, more than an hour and a half late. I didn't have a minute of anger or anxiety.

I have been teaching meditation, blogging about meditation and tai chi, and encouraging everyone that I know to begin meditation. There are hundreds of studies over the last few years that show the benefits of meditation. And now I have started to see results in my own life. What great news!

© 2011 Eric Borreson

Yoga for Stress Management

We feel better when we walk out of yoga class than when we walked in. So there’s a reasonable question to ask. Why do we feel so good after yoga practice? Like many things in modern life, it comes down to stress. When we are stressed, our body activates the “fight or flight” response. This is part of our sympathetic nervous system. Several involuntary responses follow, such as the release of stress hormones, increased heart rate and blood pressure, the activation of our immune system, etc.

The key to stress management is to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system is the part of your nervous system that calms you down. It works to counteract your sympathetic nervous system and tells your muscles to relax, lowers your heart rate, and lowers your blood pressure.

The parasympathetic nervous system can be activated when you calm your mind and body. This happens with meditation and with yoga poses that encourage deep relaxation. These include forward bends; sitting, supine, and prone postures; and inversions. These poses should be held for a relatively long time to allow your body to relax and develop slow breathing. There are many other types of poses, like backbends, handstands, and arm balances that are very powerful and beneficial. However, these poses do not activate the parasympathetic nervous system as well.

In the end, it’s pretty simple. Yoga was designed to improve our health and balance. It’s no surprise that it does what it’s supposed to do.

© 2011 Eric Borreson

Simple Qigong Relaxation Meditation (Fang Song Gong)

Fang song gong is a type of qigong relaxation. Fang means “doing” or “releasing”. Song means “relax” or “loosen”. Gong means “work” or “practices”. The phrase means to follow practices that relax or loosen and eliminate any unnecessary tension.

The Chinese language has a word, guan, that is a pictogram of a crane. It means “tranquil observation”. A crane appears relaxed while it is standing in the water, but it is vigilant for a fish to swim by and become lunch. We can learn to be this aware, too, but we must cultivate body awareness. We cannot relax and eliminate tension unless we are aware of having that tension, where that tension is, and how that tension is maintained.

As you become aware of tension in any area of your body, that tension dissolves away. As you become aware of your breath, your breath slows down. Essentially, Fang Song Gong consists of the following steps:

Step 1: Sit with your eyes closed for a few moments. With every exhale, relax your muscles, one section at a time. Begin with your face, neck, and shoulders where you build up stress. Relax the front of your body beginning with your arms and hands, chest, abdomen, legs, and feet. Relax the back of your body beginning with your back, waist, hips, thighs, calves, and bottom of your feet. Repeat until you feel light and relaxed.

Step 2: Repeat a simple word or phrase softly to yourself. Feel your body and energy meridians channeling your energy with every exhale. Let your body melt into a tranquil state. Continue as long as you are comfortable, perhaps 5 or 10 minutes.

The word or phrase can be anything that has meaning to you. If you prefer, use the word song. Stretch out the s at the beginning into a “tsssong” that lasts for your entire exhale.

There are a few other things to keep in mind while practicing Fang Song Gong.

o If some parts of your body do not seem to want to relax, just let it go. With continued practice, you will learn to relax all your body.
o You may feel parts of your body becoming tingly, warm, or even itch. This is normal. It means you are becoming sensitive to your qi.
o If you feel any discomfort, check your posture and make adjustments until you feel comfortable.

© 2011 Eric Borreson

What is OM-AUM?

By Dr. Jagdish P Dave

OM or AUM is the most sacred syllable in Hinduism. It is uttered at the beginning and end of a prayer or a mantra. AUM like the Swastika is seen in every Hindu temple and shrine. AUM is referred to in almost all Upanishads-Spiritual Books of Wisdom.

AUM consists of three phonemes A, U, and M. AUM represents the Hindu Trimurti or Trinity- A: Brahma representing the principle of creation, U: Vishnu, the principle of sustenance, M: Mahesh or Shiva-the principle of dissolution for further creation. AUM also represents the three Goddesses or forms of Shakti-energy associated with the Trimurti. AUM represents three Gunas, attributes: Sattvika-light, purity and serenity, Rajasika-activity, heat and fire, and Tamasik-dullness, darkness and ignorance. It also represents the three stages of existence: birth, life and death.

AUM symbolizes the manifestation of the formless Absolute Reality, Brahman, in form and sound. AUM symbolizes the oneness in the multiplicity of existence. AUM represents the triple appellation of the Brahman - that is beyond the beyond-beyond time, space and causation.

AUM is used as a mantra by itself. It is called Bija (seed) or Moola (root) mantra. AUM represents four states of consciousness: A-Jagruti (wakefulness), U-Swapna (dreaming), M-Sushupti (deep sleep) and Silence-Turiya-the Fourth (transcendental state of consciousness). When you pronounce AUM, say A as you begin to round up your mouth very slowly. You pronounce U when you begin bringing you lips closer and closer, and pronounce M when your mouth is completely closed.

When the sound is ended, listen to the silence, the soundless sound. This deep silence is felt in the seventh Chakra, the Crown Center, called Sahasrar in the Kundalini Yoga system. By meditating on AUM, one realizes the three inter -connected attributes of the Brahman-Sat-Truth, Chit-Pure Consciousness and Ananada-Bliss-Sacchidananada.

AUM is the Eternal Syllable, Pranava - the Primordial Sound;

AUM is pronounced in Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism in chanting and in Mantra Meditation. AUM is usually pronounced at the end of an invocation or benediction for Shanti or Peace. It is pronounced as AUM shantihi, shantihi, shantihi- let peace prevail locally, nationally and globally, for me, for you and for everyone.

from http://www.davesatsanga.org/
reproduced with permission

Windhorse – Lungta

Meditation is intended to make each of us a better person. To become a better person (to move forward), we must be brave, calm, and steady. In order to develop these qualities, we must learn how to harness our mind.

A common approach to harnessing our mind is by using our breath, or wind. Tibetan teaching talks of the windhorse, or lungta. Windhorse is the subtle energy, or air, within our body. It is the unlimited energy of goodness and awareness. When we have windhorse, our life moves forward. Regular meditation helps us to know our mind and learn how to harness it to accomplish our goals.

A focusing meditation is one type of meditation that we can use. We focus on our breath during meditation. When our mind wanders, we need to gather it up again and bring it back to the breath. With practice, our mind becomes stronger and our inner strength can come out as we begin to know our mind. As we start to learn our mind and its highs and lows, we begin to accept those highs and lows as part of ourselves. Our meditation becomes more peaceful as we worry less about things.

Part of meditating is learning to recognize wandering thoughts as they happen. With practice, we can quickly bring our focus back to the breath. There is no reason to feel bad about a wandering mind. Anyone that meditates knows that the mind will begin to wander again, no matter how much we practice. It just happens.

If we do not learn to manage our minds, self doubt starts to show up at some point in our lives. It starts to make sense to say and do negative things. This state of mind begins to accept violence and aggression as the way to get things done. We do not try patience or compassion because we have no practice using them. We have confidence in aggression.

We need windhorse to help us break out of this cycle. The enlightened qualities of the mind are available to those who look for them through meditation.

This article was based on an article in Shambhala Sun, September 2009.

© 2010 Eric Borreson

Meditation Practice and Improvement (week 3 of 3)

Anyone who has practiced meditation knows the effect of the “Monkey Mind” where one’s mind jumps around from one idea to another like a monkey jumping from one branch in a tree to another. This article from Wildmind gives some practical advice on how to train your mind to improve your practice. The third principle discussed in this article is to apply knowledge of which antidotes are effective in dealing with the hindrances.

http://www.wildmind.org/blogs/on-practice/faith-and-discipline

“The next week you might take on building up and applying knowledge of which antidotes are effective in dealing with those hindrances you have recognized. I suggest that you take on the practice of noticing distractions quickly, recognizing hindrances accurately, and applying antidotes effectively, in three-week cycles over three months.

“A good habit to establish if you meditate within a busy schedule is to give yourself at least five minutes at the end of the meditation, before plunging into something different. If after meditating you suddenly listen to the news on the radio or even start to plan your day in a determined way, that original subtle experience of concentration will be jarred. Over time an inner rebellion to being put through such jarring can develop. The result may be that you feel resistant to meditating, without knowing why.

This is really interesting. I can’t remember all the hindrances while I am meditating. My mind wanders. I have found it useful to sit for 5 minutes after completing my morning meditation. I think about where my mind had wandered and try to identify the hindrances. Then the next time my mind wanders off in a similar way, I can try to catch it sooner by identifying that hindrance.

This article went on to discuss how discipline arises from faith. In this case, faith means that we can have confidence that meditation really works and that we can apply ourselves to make it work.
© 2010 Eric Borreson

Meditation Practice and Improvement (part 2 of 3)

Anyone who has practiced meditation knows the effect of the “Monkey Mind” where one’s mind jumps around from one idea to another like a monkey jumping from one branch in a tree to another. This article from Wildmind gives some practical advice on how to train your mind to improve your practice. The second principle in this article is to learn to accurately recognize the hindrances that cause your distractions.

http://www.wildmind.org/blogs/on-practice/faith-and-discipline

Faith and Discipline (week 2 of 3)
By Vajradaka
“In the following week you could take on another task for each meditation practice. This time have the general intention to recognize accurately the hindrances underlying your distraction. To call this ‘wandering off’ is not really enough. At this point it is worth mentioning that there is an important relationship between knowledge and discipline. It is helpful, for example, to be familiar with the traditional list of five hindrances — the varieties of distraction — and their antidotes. This kind of knowledge comes partly from reading and being taught by others, and partly from learning through your own experience. For instance, on the basis of knowing the symptoms of ‘restlessness and anxiety’ you can differentiate them from ’sense desire’. Taking time outside formal meditation to consider whether you’re recognizing the hindrances accurately can be useful. Correct recognition of hindrances allows you to be more effective in countering them.”
There are 5 ways that the mind wanders during meditation. These are typically called hindrances (nivarana). The 5 hindrances are “sensual desire”, “ill will”, “restlessness and anxiety”, “sloth and torpor”, and “doubt”.

Sensual desire is a desire for pleasant experiences. Your mind may wander off and think about something pleasant, like food, sleep, or sex. It may also be pleasant thoughts of planning for a event, like a holiday party. These things attract our thoughts because them seem more interesting than our breath.

Ill will is the reverse of sense desire. It is related to painful experiences, like physical pain. It may be an unpleasant encounter that you can’t let go. The true problem is preoccupation with the experience.

Restlessness and anxiety is a quick-moving or unsettled mind or body. It may happen when you have a lot on your mind. You may not be able to get comfortable. Something always aches or itches.

Sloth and torpor happens when we are tired or have eaten too much. Your body and mind just want to give in to the easy way. Be aware that it may also include a deep resistance to meditation. There may be something else going on that you are not aware of.

Doubt is when you start to question whether or not you are doing the right thing. It creates a difficulty in committing to the practice. “Is this helping me?”

When your mind wanders during meditation, it is because of one of these reasons. Your focus can improve by simply naming these hindrances. “That is sense desire. It’s OK to ignore it.” “This is restlessness. Let it go because my meditation is important.”

There are a couple of other things to try to help maintain your focus in the face of the hindrances. First, Try to remember why you are meditating. Don’t fight the hindrances. Don’t argue with yourself. Just bring your mind back where you want it.

Second, “cultivate the opposite” hindrance. Focus on the opposite to counteract an undesired hindrance. The opposite of sense desire is contentment with our situation. The opposite of ill will is enjoyment in our experience. The opposite of restlessness is calm. The opposite of sloth is activity, with the intention of getting your mind involved so you can come back and meditate. The opposite of doubt is commitment, where you can just do your meditation and clarify your doubts later.

For more about this topic, there is a good article by the Dublin Buddhist Center at
http://www.dublinbuddhistcentre.org/pdf%20Files/Week%204%20-%20The%20Ways%20the%20Mind%20Wanders.pdf .

This is the second of 3 parts. Next week, I will post the rest of the article. This will give suggestions for the third week of Meditation Practice and Improvement.
© 2010 Eric Borreson

Meditation Practice and Improvement (part 1 of 3)

Anyone who has practiced meditation knows the effect of the “Monkey Mind” where one’s mind jumps around from one idea to another like a monkey jumping from one branch in a tree to another. This is an excerpt from an article from Wildmind gives some practical advice on how to train your mind to improve your practice. The first principle in this article is to learn how to recognize when your mind begins to wander.

http://www.wildmind.org/blogs/on-practice/faith-and-discipline

Faith and Discipline (week 1 of 3)
By Vajradaka
“Most of those who have difficulties are not disciplined enough in the way they work in meditation, and a measured amount of discipline each day can make the process easier and more enjoyable. For example, you can set yourself the task of shortening the time it takes you to notice when your mind wanders off. At the start of each practice, form an intention to catch yourself as soon as possible each time your mind wanders. If you consciously decide to do this every day for a week, a positive inclination to acting in this way will develop. Your skill in noticing your attention wandering will increase and your concentration will benefit. Taking on a task like this is within your ability and if it succeeds it will increase your confidence, interest and engagement. It will make the practice feel more your own.”

I don’t totally agree that one week of extra focus will make much difference. I have been practicing standing meditation daily for more than that and I don’t think that I have noticed much change in my ability to notice when my mind wanders off. I think that it takes more time for people with active, or jumpy, minds like mine. I have difficulty concentrating anyway. I have started meditation practice to try to improve that.

I do expect to be able to notice a difference in the near future. I may be getting hung up on the physical difficulties of the standing part of the meditation. That part is getting better with time.

This is the first of 3 parts. Next week, I will post more of the article. This will give suggestions for the second week of Meditation Practice and Improvement.

© 2010 Eric Borreson

Relax your way to perfect health

It seems that the mainstream news organizations are finally starting to see what has been right in front of them for years. I came across this article recently. It is from the British newspaper, the Independent.

Take a deep breath... How to relax deeply So how can you access relaxation's healing powers? Harvard researchers found that yoga, meditation and even repetitive prayer and mantras all induced the relaxation effect. "The more regularly these techniques are practised, the more deeply-rooted the benefits will be," says Jake Toby. Have a go at one or more of the following for 15 minutes once or twice a day.

Body scan Starting with your head and working down to your arms and feet, notice how you feel in your body. Taking in your head and neck, simply notice if you feel tense, relaxed, calm or anxious. See how much you can spread any sensations of softness and relaxation to areas of your body that feel tense. Once your reach your feet, work back up your body.

Breath focus Sitting comfortably, become aware of your breath, following the sensation of inhaling from your nose down to your abdomen and out again. As you follow your breath, notice your whole body and let tension go with each exhalation. Whenever you notice your mind wandering, come back to your breath.

Mantra repetition The relaxation response can be evoked by sitting quietly with eyes closed for 15 minutes twice a day, and mentally repeating a simple word or sound such as 'Om'.

Guided imagery Imagine the most wonderfully relaxing light, or a soothing waterfall washing away any tension or worries from your body and mind. Make your image as vivid as possible, imagining the texture, colour and any fragrance as the image washes over or through you.
From http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/relax-your-way-to-perfect-health-1763109.html

Meditation and Breathing

When we are stressed, our body activates the “fight or flight” response. Several involuntary responses follow (sympathetic nervous system), such as the release of stress hormones, increased heart rate and blood pressure, the activation of our immune system, etc. With long-term stress, our sympathetic nervous system gets overloaded and contributes to many chronic illnesses.

From the web site, http://www.amsa.org/healingthehealer/breathing.cfm, breath “…can be used to find a balance between the mind-body, the conscious-unconscious, and the sympathetic-parasympathetic nervous system.”

Breathing is something that we do both voluntarily and involuntarily. We can use conscious breathing to affect the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system works to counteract the sympathetic nervous system. In other words, we can use conscious breathing to control, or even to reverse, the effects of stress on our body.

As we get older, we tend to breathe shallower than when we were younger. This means that we do not empty our lungs very well and we breathe with the top part of our lungs. Abdominal breathing is a breathing technique that helps you learn to use your lungs better. It helps your body develop the “relaxation response”, which is the opposite of the “fight or flight” response caused by stress.

To practice abdominal breathing, start in a normal meditation posture. Take several deep breaths with long exhales to allow your mind and body to relax. Place your right hand on your chest and your left hand on your abdomen just below your belly button. Pay attention to how your hands move while you are breathing. Inhale through your nose and consciously expand your abdomen. Exhale through your mouth and contract your abdomen. You should notice that your right hand (on your chest) barely moves. Your left hand (on your abdomen) should move much more. After you become comfortable with this technique, you no longer need to place your hands.

Your exhales should be about twice as long as your inhales. In a yoga class, teachers often have students inhale for a count of 4 and exhale for a count of 8.

This breathing technique does not feel natural when we start. With long-term practice, abdominal breathing becomes natural and we always breathe that way.

© 2010 Eric Borreson

Conscious-Walking Exercise

I generally prefer to give you my own work in this blog. There is not much value in just providing a quote to you. In this case though, I came across an article that I wanted to share. This exercise teaches you to be aware of the moment and to pay attention what your body is telling you.

Master Wasentha Young of the Peaceful Dragon School

Find a safe environment to walk. As you begin this Conscious-Walking exercise, in silence, stand and allow each breath to bring you into the moment, sensing your mind, your body, and how you are feeling. When you get the impulse to move, start the walking journey. Remain mindful of your body's movement as you walk down the street, on a nature path, or around in a room. Be aware of your feet placement on the ground, your legs supporting your body, and your arms gently swinging. You may also notice the emotions that arise and the thoughts going on in your mind as you stay aware of your breath. You are now doing Conscious-Walking, a type of walking meditation.

Now allow your senses to expand and begin to notice your environment: your eyes seeing the colors and shapes, your nose smelling the scents, and your body maybe feeling the wind. If you are walking through a neighborhood, see the squirrels, cats, dogs, and people gardening or doing home-based chores. If you are walking on a nature trail, see the trees, leaves, and rocks; hear the birds, or even a fly. Check in with how you feel and your emotions as you let your senses grow.

Before ending your Conscious Walking, allow yourself to revisit what your body feels like. What are you thinking? Reflect on your experience and feelings associated with what you saw, heard, smelled, and sensed in your environment. Do you feel a change in your state of mind from when you started? This dialogue between your mind, body, emotions and your environment can be very useful in developing an awareness of your relationship with the world around you.

Peaceful Dragon School
1945 Pauline Blvd. Suite B
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
734.741.0695
Copyright 2004-2008 Peaceful Dragon School. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.peacefuldragonschool.com/ConsciousWalking.cfm

Reproduced with permission

More on Breath Counting Meditation

In a previous essay, I described the concept of relaxing and energizing breaths. In another one, I described a simple breath counting meditation. In the breath counting meditation, you take long slow breaths and count up to 10 starting with 1 on the inhale, 2 on the exhale, etc. When reaching 10, start over at 1.

A variation that combines these two ideas is to count the inhale and the exhale as 1 and only count up to a smaller number, such as 3 or 4. Say the number to yourself as you finish the exhale. In other words,
inhale, exhale – 1
inhale, exhale – 2
inhale, exhale – 3
inhale, exhale – 4

After practicing this meditation for several days or weeks, modify it by counting before the breaths. In other words, say the number to yourself before you begin the inhale.
1 – inhale, exhale
2 – inhale, exhale
3 – inhale, exhale
4 – inhale, exhale

It’s a subtle difference, but it is noticeable. In the first stage, your mind links the counting with the exhale. Long slow exhales are relaxing. This emphasis tells your body to let go of tension and relax. This is a good start to a meditation to allow yourself to relax and learn to enjoy the other benefits of meditation.

In the second state, your mind links the counting with the inhale. Inhales are expanding and energizing. This emphasis tells your body to wake up and get energized. This is where you can begin to increase your awareness.

Some of this information was adapted from
http://www.wildmind.org/mindfulness

© 2010 Eric Borreson

Meditations for Relaxing and Energizing

The mind commands the body and the body obeys. The mind commands itself and finds resistance. —Saint Augustine (354-430)

We spend years training our body to do what we want it to. We learn to crawl, then to walk, then to run. We learn sports, or climbing skills, or tai chi, or many other physical skills. It’s not necessarily easy, but we put in the effort because we see the value in it.

Somehow, we never are taught to train our minds in the same way. Breath counting meditation is one way to develop focus. It’s not easy. Our mind resists and wanders all over the place like a monkey jumping from one limb to another in a tree. The counting helps us focus.

In general, quick inhalations and long slow exhalations are very relaxing. Combine them with a long hold after exhaling for an even more relaxing meditation. Moderate inhales and exhales are balanced and energizing. Inhales with a long hold are energizing.

For example, inhale for a count of 4, hold for a count of 1, exhale for a count of 8, and hold for a count of 4. This is relaxing.

Inhale for a count of 6, hold for a count of 4, exhale for a count of 6, and hold for a count of 1. This is energizing.

Inhale hold exhale hold effect
4 1 8 4 relaxing
6 2 6 2 balanced
6 4 6 2 energizing

Depending on the type of meditation that you want to do, you can vary your breathing to get the desired effect.

© 2010 Eric Borreson

Breath Counting Meditation

This breath counting meditation is designed to improve your ability to hold the mind steady, without wandering. It is not very elegant or spiritual, but it does strengthen your "concentration muscles." Breath counting can be part of a regular routine of meditation.

Counting your breaths gives your mind something to focus on so. When distracting thoughts arise, you can come back to your counting. The method is easier to understand than it to do. The goal is to do this meditation with full mindfulness. Success comes from repetition.

1. Find a quiet place, calm yourself, and try to get rid of distracting thoughts from your mind.
2. Start in a sitting position, either in a chair or on the floor. Gently close your eyes.
3. Take slow, deep breaths and count each breath, one on the in-breath, two on the out-breath, three on the next in-breath, etc., up to ten.
4. After reaching ten, start over.

This is much more difficult than it seems. What’s going to happen is that your mind will begin to wander. If that happens and you lose count, begin the count again at one. Sometimes your mind will want and you will count past ten. When you realize you have drifted, begin at one again. This difficulty is so common that it has a name. It is called "monkey mind", where your mind jumps from one idea to another like a monkey jumping from one branch to another.

The goal is to learn how to notice when your mind begins to wander so that you can bring it back to the meditation again. The counting is a feedback to help you know when your mind has drifted off. When your mind wanders off and you return to your counting, you are improving your ability to focus. Every time your mind wanders and you bring it back to the meditation, it is like exercising. Your “concentration muscles” get a little bit stronger.

© 2010 Eric Borreson

What is Meditation?

This is the first of a series of essays on meditation.

Meditation is a mental practice used to get beyond the thinking mind into a deeper state of awareness. It is more important to meditate regularly than to follow a rigid schedule. According to Wikipedia,

“Different meditative disciplines encompass a wide range of spiritual and/or psychophysical practices which may emphasize different goals -- from achievement of a higher state of consciousness, to greater focus, creativity or self-awareness, or simply a more relaxed and peaceful frame of mind.”
A common form of meditation is concentration meditation. This is the easiest for beginners to do. Part of the idea of meditation is to develop concentration so that you can control distractions. The meditator tries to keep one’s mind on a single point of focus. The point of focus could be a short repetitive prayer, one’s breath, a breath count, qi energy flows, or anything else.

Meditation has a long history. It has been part of Buddhist culture for thousands of years. The two common types of Buddhist meditation are shamatha and vipassana. Shamatha consists of types of concentration meditations used to develop focus. Vipassana consists of practices to develop insight into the true nature of reality.

Step eight of the eight-fold path of Buddhism refers to “Right Concentration”, referring to meditation. In this context, concentration refers to a mental state where the entire mind is directed toward a single object. Through meditation, people develop the ability to concentrate on focus in everyday situations.

Christians have practiced meditation for almost as long, although they prefer the term "contemplation" nowadays. Some Catholics use the rosary to practice meditation. There are many biblical references to meditation among the prophets. Many scholars and religious officials of the Middle Ages wrote guides to meditation. In addition, there are many secular meditation practices.

Regardless of our motivation or background in meditation, our first efforts at meditation are difficult. Before we even notice it, our mind has wandered away. We find that our mind bounces around from one idea to another and it seems that there is nothing we can do to stop it. Some people describe it as your “monkey mind”, where your mind jumps around like a monkey jumping from one branch to another.

Continued practice develops better mental focus. Exercise develops your muscular strength or endurance. Meditation develops your “concentration muscles” and helps us learn how to maintain focus. When the mind wanders, all that is necessary is to bring the mind back to that point of focus. Do not allow recriminations or frustrations to develop.

I will discuss specific meditation techniques in future writings.

© 2010 Eric Borreson