“Meditation is the art of paying attention, of listening to your heart. Rather than withdrawing from the world, meditation can help you enjoy it more fully, more effectively and more peacefully.” Dean Ornish, M.D.  

We hear a lot about the benefits of meditation, but we really have to start experiencing it to appreciate it. There are two types of meditation, concentration practices and mindfulness or awareness practices. The purpose of each is to still the mind. The benefits of each is an inner peace and clarity of thought. 

With the concentration style, we focus on a single thing such as our breathing, a mantra (a word or phrase), an object, a sound or a movement. You can experiment with what works best for you. The goal is to block out all the chatter in the mind so if you find the chatter continuing, try a different focus.

With the breath, a focus in many time honored traditions, you sit and just notice the breath as it enters your nostrils, as it moves down into your lungs and as it is released. Notice the sensation of it and movement of the chest as it moves in and out. Some breathe to a count of 4 in, 4 hold, 4 out and 4 hold. You can increase the count as you become more skillful.

In using a mantra, choose a word or phrase that does not have an emotional connotation for you. By repeating this in your head you cut off the chatter and thereby move into a meditative state.

Some people are more visual and do better looking at something such as an orange or a flower. Continue to look at it and draw yourself back to it every time the mind wanders. Look with a ‘soft’ eye — an unfocused gaze.

For those that are auditory it may help to listen to a repetitive sound such as Gregorian Chant or records of bells. Something fairly monotonous is probably best, although I knew a woman who could only meditate with Elvis Presley!

Some of us are more restless and find it difficult to sit for more that a few minutes. In this case a walking meditation is helpful. One walks very slowly and attends to every aspect of walking: the placement of the heel, the movement of the foot, the shift of balance from one foot to the other, the experience of the ground.

The mindfulness practices involve bringing awareness to the mind or body at any given moment, no matter what you are doing. Instead of emptying the mind of thoughts we are paying attention to the experience we are having now. We notice what we are feeling physically, mentally and emotionally without judgment or reaction.

The beauty of mindfulness is that you can do it anywhere, any time. Any task you do can become a meditation: showering, doing dishes, weeding, washing the car, mowing the lawn, etc. The Vietnamese Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh has a number of books on mindfulness and applying it in our lives.

I encourage you to try some of these meditations. Start out with a few minutes to discover what works best for you and work up to 20 minutes. Many who meditate only 20 minutes a day find the quality of their work and their lives greatly improved. It all starts with making the choice for a better life.

For more help, check books in the library or bookstores. Some people find a meditation class or a group that meets regularly for meditation helpful in developing their skill.

Author: Margaret McClelland, OTR, MA, MFCC (1998)

Editor’s Note: Margaret is an Occupational Therapist and Marriage, Family, and Child Counselor in Livermore, CA. Margaret is a cancer survivor and has run numerous support groups for those dealing with illness and disabilities.