Meditation

It’s been almost a month since I spilled my guts about postpartum anxiety and how it’s affecting our society in a big way. I’m here to remind you that PPD and PPA are very real (and curable) mental conditions that require a medical diagnosis. Now that that’s out of the way, I’d like to spill my heart out about another mental condition (so-to-speak) that I’m just as passionate about. 

I wish I could tell you that my interest in meditation was easy to come by. To this day, my relationship with meditation is love hate at best. It all started in 2012 when I interviewed to work for lululemon. The first round was a group interview with 20 (you read that correctly) other hopefuls. Round two was a smaller group setting with the store’s manager, and the last round was the ever-popular in Santa Monica at the time, hot yoga. I was wearing way too much clothing and I’d probably gone out to the bars the night before because I was 23 and that’s what we did. I felt like I was going to pass out immediately, and it took virtually everything I had in my mental toolbox to make it through the hour and a half long class. 

Not two weeks into my stint as a part time educator (sales associate) I was going to hot yoga twice a week and drinking the green juice I so desperately tried to avoid when I moved to LA. Fast forward to my first holiday season in retail. I found myself lying under the stars in a park somewhere in the Hollywood Hills. It was a sound bath, among hundreds of other yogis, all looking to help melt away some of the holiday stress and I was skeptical. I remember thinking that this was my first experience with meditation, but by the end of the hour-long unguided experience, I discovered that I had been meditating in several different forms for my entire adult life. 

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been using visualization in preparation for volleyball matches and any other physical activity that I know will be taxing mentally. I would visualize every skill or milestone it would require to win a match or complete the workout ahead. I can’t tell you how many times I visualized myself hitting a ball to the same exact spot, within inches, on the other side of the opponent’s net. Visualization is actually a major component of every type of mediation practice. 

Mantra Meditation requires you to repeat a mantra, phrase or action repeatedly in hopes that you’ll manifest a feeling or a desired outcome. Ex: Every time I hit a volleyball during this match, it will hit the floor on the other side of the net. I continue visualizing this moment until it is at the forefront of my mind. The idea here is that your vision and thoughts become so narrow, that your brain will have no choice but to put all of its power and intent into your desired outcome. It can be as simple as visualizing yourself lying on a secluded beach when you’re actually in line at the DMV, the desired outcome being a feeling of inner peace in an otherwise stressful environment. 

Moving Meditation, sometimes referred to as Movement Meditation is pretty self explanatory. Most people picture running long distances or practicing yoga when they think of Moving Meditation. While these are the most popular forms because of their fluidity and sense of “quiet,” pretty much any fluid movement, done for a specified length of time or distance can be considered a Moving Meditation. Have you ever found yourself performing a routine before participating in a specific activity or sport? Ex: Wipe the dust and sweat off the bottom of my volleyball shoes with my right hand. Bounce the ball with both hands four times, spike the ball into the floor twice with my left hand. Look over to coach to see where they want the ball to be served. Glance at that spot briefly. Toss the ball with my right hand, serve the ball with my left. Believe it or not, this is a form of moving mediation, and if you’ve ever found yourself feeling a little silly or OCD over something like this, give yourself a break! It’s one of the oldest and most effective forms of meditation. 

There are SO many other types of meditation that are not only accessible, but simple to even the most skeptical beginner. Spiritual Meditation is closely related to prayer and is often practiced in a place of worship. Mindfulness Meditation is a Western concept that revolves around the practice of observation. Remember all those yogis I mentioned, belly up in the dark, listening to a stranger play the didgeridoo in the dead of winter? That was my first crack at Mindful Meditation. The idea is to simply observe your thoughts and do your best not to pass judgement on them. I failed miserably, but it was a start. We all have to start somewhere. 

Here’s my point. I’m not going to idealize the concept of meditation. The first thing I mentioned was my stormy relationship with meditation, and that wasn’t just to sound more relatable. Serious meditation is work, and it’s not for the faint of heart. That being said, it’s not only possible, but wildly accessible in 2020. Did I mention, that when done regularly, it can be linked to better sleep, more intimate relationships with others, reducing stress, lowering blood pressure, reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression, among a myriad of other life-changing improvements to your health? Do yourself a favor and download a free meditation app (or a simple search on youtube will do.) I like Headspace, Calm, and Simple Habit, but there are hundreds of options for every type of meditator, even you! 

Sources:

Bertone, Holly J.  (2017) Which Type of Meditation is Right for Me? https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/types-of-meditation

Herbert C. (2016). Which type of meditation style is best for you?

gaia.com/article/which-type-meditation-style-best-for-you