Meditation For Stress Reduction

By Avanti Vadivelu

Your cell phone rings just as you were hoping for a moment to yourself; your email pops up with 26 new mail; your child’s doctor’s appointment looms in the back of your head; you remember that you need to pick up the car from the shop.  Do any of these scenarios sound familiar to you?  Each day everyone is faced with stresses, whether they seem small or big.  In order to be the best person, spouse, parent or employee that we can be, we must learn how to handle the everyday stresses.  The problem is how do we fit that into our schedules without adding more stress?  Cue answer: meditation. 

The practice of meditation has been used for centuries, originating in the Eastern world.  It refers to the state of relaxation that can be achieved by concentrating your thoughts on a certain idea or action.  It could take several hours or just a few minutes if you’re pressed for time.  If you’re a beginner, why not try the following exercises on for size?  Try these at your desk in your office, when you’re in the waiting room at the doctor’s office, or if you’re stuck in heavy traffic…

(Source: Mayo Clinic)
 •  Breathe deeply. This technique is especially good for. Focus your attention on breathing and breathing alone. Concentrate on feeling and listening as you inhale and exhale through your nostrils. Breathe deeply and slowly.
 •  Scan your body. When using this technique, focus attention on different parts of your body. Become aware of your body's various sensations, whether that's pain, tension, warmth or relaxation. Combine body scanning with breathing exercises and imagine breathing relaxation into and out of different parts of your body.
 •  Repeat a sacred name or phrase. A mantra is the name of a sacred deity or a sacred phrase that you repeat silently or aloud. You can create your own mantra. Examples of religious mantras include a Jesus prayer in the Christian tradition, the holy name of God in Judaism, or the Om mantra of Hinduism, Buddhism and other Eastern religions.
 •  Walking meditation. Combining a walk with meditation is an efficient and healthy way to relax. You can use this technique anywhere you're walking — in a tranquil forest, on a city sidewalk or at the mall. When you use this method, slow down the pace of walking so that you can focus on each movement of your legs or feet. Don't focus on a particular destination. Concentrate on your legs and feet, repeating action words in your mind such as lifting, moving and placing as you lift each foot, move your leg forward and place your foot on the ground.
 •  Engage in prayer. Prayer is the best known and most widely practiced example of meditation. Spoken and written prayers are found in most faith traditions. You can pray using your own words or read prayers written by others.
 •  Read or listen and take time to reflect. Many people report that they benefit from reading poems or sacred texts silently or aloud, and taking a few moments to quietly reflect on the meaning that the words bring to mind. You can listen to sacred music, spoken words or any music you find relaxing or inspiring. You may want to write your reflections in a journal or discuss them with a friend or spiritual leader.
• Focus your love and gratitude. In this type of meditation, you focus your attention on a sacred object or being, weaving feelings of love and gratitude into your thoughts. You can also close your eyes and use your imagination or gaze at representations of the object.

Don’t get frustrated if you find yourself losing concentration.  Meditation is an art form, which requires plenty of practice.  If you find your thought wandering, bring them back to focus and try again.  Of course, the end goal in this sense is for you to reduce your stress.  So, if you feel that you are obtaining that goal, then voila!  Keep at it!  If you find yourself getting stressed out at the thought of focusing your energies, then perhaps try a different form of meditation.  Good luck on your road to a stress-free life!