Meditation Techniques and Resources There are two types of meditation discussed in depth on this page, meditation on the breath and mediation on body sensations which is sometimes called mindfulness meditation. Meditation on the Breath I see many people in my clinic with physical manifestations of anxiety and stress. Symptoms could be a feeling of tightness in the chest or stomach, tremors, and shaking or rapid heart rate. Many of these symptoms can be addressed through a relaxing meditation technique that focuses on watching the breath. You can start today with learning this meditation focused on the breath. Visit this website for more information: http://www.buddhanet.net/audio-meditation.htm Go about half way down the page and select the file under Guided Meditations by Malcolm Huxter called “Calming the Body with the Breath” This exercise can be done sitting up as Malcolm directs, or laying down. If you've been doing it laying down for a few days in a row, try sitting up. You'll find that sitting up will help keep your concentration focused. I use the meditation on the breath for anxiety-related problems, and mindfulness meditation for pain-related problems. Sometimes people find starting with the breath meditation to be easier than sensation meditation. Try to do this meditation technique for 15-30 minutes once or twice a day. Everyday practice is best, even if it's only 15 minutes. Mindfulness Meditation Meditation, biofeedback, and relaxation techniques have time and again proven useful in the treatment of such problems as chronic pain, headaches, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. One of these techniques that has been well studied is the mindfulness meditation program taught by Dr. Kabat-Zinn. He established the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and Society (CFM) at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He has taught thousands of people suffering from all types of pain and distress. If you are interested in seeing what mindfulness meditation can do to help with your particular problem, I would make the following recommendations. * Purchase both the Guided Meditation Series 1 (the CD) and the book Full Catastrophe Living. They can be purchased from Amazon.com or from Dr. Kabat-Zinn’s website. * If you are interested in some of the research done on this technique, visit the University of Massachusetts Medical School's Center for Mindfulness in Medicine website. Getting Started Today with Mindfulness Meditation For those of you who want to get started right away while waiting for your materials from Dr. Kabat-Zinn, you can try this guided mindfulness meditation audio-file: http://www.buddhanet.net/audio-meditation.htm Go about half way down the page and select the file under Guided Meditations by Malcolm Huxter called “Body Scan”. I would suggest doing this meditation once or twice a day for fifteen or twenty minutes. Pick a time that is sufficient to provide benefit, but not so long that you'll be unable to do it regularly. A consistent daily practice for twenty minutes a day is probably better than an hour once a week. Scan the body from the top of the head down to the feet then back to the top of the head. Repeat this till your meditation timer goes off. I recommend using a timer or alarm rather than breaking meditation to look at your watch. How long should a scan from the head to toes take? Its up to you, though don't go so slow that you get bored and lose focus. A few minutes to ten minutes at most for one pass through the body is just about right. After a few times listening to the audio-file, you are ready to do it on your own. Having a quiet space to practice is very important. Make sure no one interrupts you. Wear comfortable clothes appropriate for the temperature. Soften the lights. It should be neither too bright nor totally dark in the room. I prefer to do meditation with eyes closed. The audio-file for the body scan meditation suggests lying down on the floor. If you find that you are falling asleep then try meditating sitting up in a chair or on a cushion on the floor, with good posture, straight back and neck. Use a position that you can hold for the entire time. It doesn't have to be an advanced yoga position. Though having a sitting posture that requires a small amount of attention to maintain can help to keep you from falling asleep. On the other hand, if you are having a hard time sleeping at night, practicing the body scan lying in bed can be a helpful way to overcome insomnia. These meditations are non-denominational techniques that should be acceptable to people from any religious background. Return to Mind-Body Therapies

Meditation Techniques and Resources

There are two types of meditation discussed in depth on this page, meditation on the breath and mediation on body sensations which is sometimes called mindfulness meditation.

Meditation on the Breath

I see many people in my clinic with physical manifestations of anxiety and stress. Symptoms could be a feeling of tightness in the chest or stomach, tremors, and shaking or rapid heart rate.

Many of these symptoms can be addressed through a relaxing meditation technique that focuses on watching the breath.

You can start today with learning this meditation focused on the breath. Visit this website for more information:

http://www.buddhanet.net/audio-meditation.htm

Go about half way down the page and select the file under Guided Meditations by Malcolm Huxter called “Calming the Body with the Breath”

This exercise can be done sitting up as Malcolm directs, or laying down. If you've been doing it laying down for a few days in a row, try sitting up. You'll find that sitting up will help keep your concentration focused.

I use the meditation on the breath for anxiety-related problems, and mindfulness meditation for pain-related problems. Sometimes people find starting with the breath meditation to be easier than sensation meditation.

Try to do this meditation technique for 15-30 minutes once or twice a day. Everyday practice is best, even if it's only 15 minutes.

Mindfulness Meditation

Meditation, biofeedback, and relaxation techniques have time and again proven useful in the treatment of such problems as chronic pain, headaches, anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

One of these techniques that has been well studied is the mindfulness meditation program taught by Dr. Kabat-Zinn. He established the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and Society (CFM) at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He has taught thousands of people suffering from all types of pain and distress.

If you are interested in seeing what mindfulness meditation can do to help with your particular problem, I would make the following recommendations.

* Purchase both the Guided Meditation Series 1 (the CD) and the book Full Catastrophe Living. They can be purchased from Amazon.com or from Dr. Kabat-Zinn’s website.

* If you are interested in some of the research done on this technique, visit the University of Massachusetts Medical School's Center for Mindfulness in Medicine website.

Getting Started Today with Mindfulness Meditation

For those of you who want to get started right away while waiting for your materials from Dr. Kabat-Zinn, you can try this guided mindfulness meditation audio-file:

http://www.buddhanet.net/audio-meditation.htm

Go about half way down the page and select the file under Guided Meditations by Malcolm Huxter called “Body Scan”.

I would suggest doing this meditation once or twice a day for fifteen or twenty minutes. Pick a time that is sufficient to provide benefit, but not so long that you'll be unable to do it regularly. A consistent daily practice for twenty minutes a day is probably better than an hour once a week.

Scan the body from the top of the head down to the feet then back to the top of the head. Repeat this till your meditation timer goes off. I recommend using a timer or alarm rather than breaking meditation to look at your watch. How long should a scan from the head to toes take? Its up to you, though don't go so slow that you get bored and lose focus. A few minutes to ten minutes at most for one pass through the body is just about right. After a few times listening to the audio-file, you are ready to do it on your own. Having a quiet space to practice is very important. Make sure no one interrupts you. Wear comfortable clothes appropriate for the temperature. Soften the lights. It should be neither too bright nor totally dark in the room. I prefer to do meditation with eyes closed.

The audio-file for the body scan meditation suggests lying down on the floor. If you find that you are falling asleep then try meditating sitting up in a chair or on a cushion on the floor, with good posture, straight back and neck. Use a position that you can hold for the entire time. It doesn't have to be an advanced yoga position. Though having a sitting posture that requires a small amount of attention to maintain can help to keep you from falling asleep. On the other hand, if you are having a hard time sleeping at night, practicing the body scan lying in bed can be a helpful way to overcome insomnia.

These meditations are non-denominational techniques that should be acceptable to people from any religious background.

Return to Mind-Body Therapies