Managing Stress Through Meditation
A large body of scientific research shows the effectiveness of meditation in reducing the symptoms of stress (including migraine headaches and muscle tension) and in calming the mind and relaxing the body. Studies have shown that meditation helps both the mind and body gain a state of profound rest much more so than deep sleep.
Meditation can help lower blood pressure, boost immune function, increase memory and creativity, reduce anxiety and help reverse dependence on alcohol or other drugs. It can also reduce levels of plasma cortisol, a stress hormone, and can significantly increase a persons ability to respond to stress in more effective ways. Meditation has been found to have a powerful effect on how we view situations and the daily tasks in our lives. It has been shown to help reduce both state and trait anxiety in people who practice it on a regular basis.
Meditation is not a form of hypnosis or sleep. Meditation in various forms is found in almost every religious tradition. However, it is not necessarily associated with, nor does it conflict with, any religious tradition. While meditation does produce altered states of consciousness, it does not compromise your mental processes or your level of awareness. You are fully awake and aware when meditating.
Concentrative Meditation and Mindfulness Meditation
In concentrative meditation, attention is focused on the breath, a visual image or a sound either real or imagined in order to still the mind and allow a greater clarity and awareness to emerge. Like the zoom lens of a camera, we narrow our focus to a selected field. The simplest form of concentrative meditation is to sit quietly and focus your full attention on your breath, listening to the sound of it, feeling you lungs filling with air and then emptying again. If you focus your attention fully on this for a few moments, you are taking a break from the stressors which are bothering you and when you return your focus to those stressors, you will be able to cope with them more calmly and effectively. Yoga and meditation practitioners believe there is a strong correlation between one's breath and the state of one's mind.
In contrast, mindfulness meditation involves opening the attention to become more aware of all sensory information, including feelings, images, sounds, etc., and thoughts all natural stimuli without becoming involved in actually thinking about them, evaluating or judging them. Mindfulness meditation can be compared to a wide-angle camera lens. Instead of narrowing your sight as in concentrative meditation, you allow yourself to be aware of the entire field. You simply sit, stand or lie quietly, and just witness what is happening around and within you without reacting to it. This helps you to gain a calmer, clearer, more accepting state of mind, while making seemingly things less unpleasant or stressful.
For more information contact william.hale@case.edu.