26 Oct Free your mind and the rest will follow
By Supriya Ruparelia
Meditation and mindfulness have become increasingly popular over the recent decades. The benefits of meditation have been scientifically proven to help your body and mind, especially your nervous system. There are studies showing benefits against many conditions, both physical and mental, including irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and stress.
The interesting thing about meditation is that it can have a lasting effect on your nervous system, which is directly related to so many other channels in your body, including your hormones and adrenal glands, which in turn affect things like your blood pressure, digestion, sleep, and much more.
In the world we live in today it is not often we give our minds a rest. When was the last time you did nothing, just 10 minutes undisturbed, no tv, eating, reading, or texting? Not even thinking about the past or the future? Your mind is really the most important channel in your body. It controls everything and it is always buzzing away, and we are often the same in this regard.
Let me give you a little insight into my mind when I wake up in the morning… ‘I wonder what the weather will be like today. Who’s dropping off & picking the kids up? Does my daughter have swimming today? Are her swimmers dry? What clients am I seeing today?….’ You get the drift.
My point is that we are constantly distracted. Being mindful or meditating is about being in the present moment; a space we spend so little time in. A Harvard study* that came out said we are lost in thought about 47% of the time. This constant mind wandering can also be a direct cause of unhappiness.
One of the antidotes to this is meditation. Just a daily 10-minute meditation can have a positive impact on the rest of your day. It will allow you more space to reduce stress and anxiety and approach your day with a clear head.
The type of meditation I like to begin with is very simple breath meditation, where you will concentrate on your breath as it comes in through your nose and out through your nose. During your meditation, you will find thoughts creep in and at that point, you have the choice to engage with it or not, and refocus on your breath. Some thoughts can be more intrusive than others, for example, if you’re worried about something, that can be a harder thought to shake.
One technique I learned from a monk in Sri Lanka was to be kind to your thoughts. I was in this amazing place in the mountains, on a silent retreat. You only had one opportunity during the day to ask any questions to the head monk. I was telling him how I was getting angry at my thoughts, and I was so annoyed that they were distributing my meditation that I would imagine I was hitting them away in frustration. He kindly laughed and taught me the importance of being kind to your thoughts. He taught me this technique of visualising a table and chairs with something on it like juice; and when the thought comes ask it to sit down and make itself comfortable and tell it you are meditating and you’ll be back in 10 minutes.
So, if you have persistent thoughts this is a technique you can use, just ask them (your thoughts) to make themselves comfortable and you’ll be back after your meditation.
If you have got this far through the article why not try 3 minutes right now! Begin in a nice comfortable seat (whether in a chair or sitting on the floor) and get as comfortable as you can. Whatever you have going on before this or after just allow that to dissolve, put your timer on for 3 minutes, close your eyes and focus for three minutes on your breath, in through your nose, and out through your nose. After you open your eyes feel the difference in your body and mind. Even three minutes can have a wonderful effect.
If you are interested in learning more about meditation and its benefits please check out my website https://supriya.com.au/ and contact me directly. If you’d like to learn more about Ayurveda and can’t wait till the next issue, I offer a free discovery call so you can learn how Ayurveda can help you get you back into balance.
