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Meditation Made Easy
What the Pros Know
By Kate Hanley
Studies have shown that
meditating can increase
immunity, defuse negative
emotions, lower blood pressure
and reduce the effects of
stress. And unlike prescription
drugs, it's free and has no
unpleasant side effects. But
with so much information out
there, how does one know where
and how to begin to meditate?
iVillage went to expert Joan
Borysenko, PhD, a meditation
practitioner for nearly 40 years
and author of 11 books on the
intersection of medicine,
spirituality and healing,
including Inner Peace for
Busy Women, to get the
bottom line on beginning a
meditation routine.
When to
Meditate
According to Dr. Borysenko, we
need to meditate at least 10
minutes a day to begin reaping
the benefits. Ten minutes may
sound easy enough, but in our
multitasking culture, carving
out that time can be downright
hard. Finding time is the number
one obstacle to developing a
regular practice. Her solution?
Keep it simple. "Ask yourself,
What is the minimum I can commit
to that will sustain me?"
Dr. Borysenko says. "Even if
your default practice is five
minutes, it will get you
sitting. Once you're there, you
will enjoy it and you'll take
five more minutes."
Dr. Borysenko recommends
meditating as soon as you wake
up. "Set the alarm, bypass the
coffeemaker and head straight
for your practice," she
explains. "Once you turn the
coffeepot on, then you turn on
the news and the next thing you
know, you are absorbed in other
things."
How to
Begin Meditating
Once you're out of bed, head for
a straight-backed chair. "The
most common physical problem
people face is their body is not
experienced in relaxing without
falling asleep," Dr. Borysenko
explains. Sitting on the edge of
a hard chair with your spine a
few inches away from the back of
the chair is a good way to keep
sleepiness at bay.
To begin meditating, let your
eyes close. Focus your attention
on the sound of your own
breathing - the easiest form of
meditation a new student can do,
according to Dr. Borysenko. Let
your belly expand on the inhale
and contract on the exhale,
allowing the breath deeper into
your lungs and encouraging the
physiological effects of
relaxation. Anytime your mind
begins to wander - and it will,
so don't be hard on yourself
when you realize it has happened
again - gently bring it back to
the sound of your breath.
Bottom
Line
Just this action of focusing on
your breath for 10 minutes a day
is enough. "Most people make
meditating overcomplicated," Dr.
Borysenko says. "They think they
should get up at 4:30, do a half
hour of yoga, a half hour of
meditation and some
inspirational reading. When it
becomes too exhausting, they
revert to doing nothing." By
learning how to maintain a
simple meditation practice, we
can begin to figure out how to
make our busy lives less
complicated as well.
Let our meditation teacher take
you through a simple beginner's
meditation.
Click here to listen to
her guided relaxation.
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