Meditation - what is the big deal?
Everyone seems to be talking about meditation and mindfulness these days. Why? Is there any actual benefit? Is it long-lasting and what is the evidence?
Or, is it just another fad?
This article aims to answer some of the commonly asked questions about mindfulness and meditation. For those who have found it just too difficult to do, there are some tips and tricks to getting started. Remember, you didn’t know how to walk until you practiced it.
In this article, we cover -
What is meditation?
What’s the difference between meditation and mindfulness?
Is it effective, and what is the evidence?
Does it have to be spiritual to be effective?
How to choose your meditation practice… and tips for beginners.
FAQ’s
What is meditation?
Meditation, in one form or another, is an ancient practice first recorded in India around 1500 BCE as part of Hindu practice. As an exercise of the mind, when practiced regularly it promotes a calmer state, improves mood regulation, enhances focus and attention on tasks, better sleep, and greater resilience to stress and anxiety. Think of it as a daily hygiene practice for your mind, in the same way as cleaning your teeth or showering, or as exercising is for the body. We use our mind constantly (even during sleep) and yet seldom think of looking after it. Meditation allows a resetting of the mind, to recognise, understand and control intrusive thoughts, impulsive behaviours, and reactions, by creating awareness and space between the thought and the action.
It is a way of training your attention to have a better focus on work, study, or life in general.
All children benefit from learning meditation, particularly neurodiverse children e.g., those with ADHD, ADD, Autism, bipolar, anxiety, depression, or behavioural issues, by teaching impulse control. It has been demonstrated to be more effective than drugs in anxiety and depression over time. In the first 12 months of taking medications, meditation is shown to be equal to the drugs, however, after 12 months medications have reduced effectiveness, whereas meditation is constant making meditation more effective than drug treatments. Always talk to your doctor before withdrawing or changing the dosage of any medications, however, you can always practice meditation alongside medications without affecting them.
What’s the difference between meditation and mindfulness?
There are many interpretations of mindfulness, and the answer can depend on who you ask. The word ‘mindful’ means to deliberately and without judgement have an awareness of the present moment, to the exclusion of other thoughts, however, it can also refer to a particular style of meditation practice, or another type of practice in its own right.
For example, mindful eating; First, removing all distractions, no TV or devices, avoiding excessive noise, instead focusing only on the smell, colour, and taste of your food. The action of chewing slowly and deliberately, (some people chew 15-20 times, each bite) and having gratitude for the food. In some ways, it could be considered a meditation and something we should practice at every meal. This practice connects us with our food, engages the digestive process, and can improve a myriad of digestive symptoms such as bloating, reflux, and poor nutrient absorption.
Mindfully being aware of our own thoughts can help regulate mood and develop greater awareness of ourselves, and how we interact with others.
‘Mindful meditation’ can be a way of describing a type of meditation focussing solely on an ‘object’, such as a candle, the rise, and fall of the chest, the breath, or chanting a mantra.
Pure meditation, however, can be more than this; a practice where the awareness or attention is of nothing at all for long periods of time with the body in a completely relaxed state. It can take weeks, months, years, or even a lifetime to achieve long periods of time in this state, described by some as being transcendent - where an altered level of consciousness is achieved. Some attribute a spiritual awakening or new level of understanding to this achievement, for others, it is simply a feeling of supreme joy and peace.
Are you one of the many who feel that they can’t meditate, because you can stop your thoughts? It is a common misunderstanding to believe that in order to meditate you must first clear all thoughts, however, it is the ‘trying’ that provides the benefit, not the achievement. In fact, those who have constantly ruminating thoughts benefit the most from the ability to create space and awareness of those thoughts. You wouldn’t expect to be able to walk a tightrope, or run a marathon if you’d never done it before, would you? It’s a form of training or exercise for the brain and the more you practice, the better you get.
Is it effective, and what is the evidence?
In a word, yes! Regular practice is shown time and again in the research to increase relaxation and improve mood, not only in the moment but also longer term. The amount of benefit is proportional to the regularity and consistency of practice, rather than the length of time of each practice. So, benefits can be found in even 5 mins every day, with the greatest benefits achieved in around 30 mins a day. In Sanskrit, the word ‘ghatika’ is a length of time, approx. 24-26 mins, is considered by some as the ideal time for meditation, not too long, not too short, and is practiced in the Vajrayana tradition (a type of) Buddhist meditation. It is thought to be the minimum amount of time for subtle energies to circulate through the whole body. Having said that, consistent meditation for any length of time - is better than none, or long periods infrequently.
In our crazy busy lives, we are spending more and more time in a low (or high, for some) level of fight or flight state (sympathetic nervous system), and not returning easily, or often, to the rest and digest state (parasympathetic nervous system). This alters digestion and absorption of nutrients, stimulates more cortisol and adrenaline in the body, and alters hormone function. Stress is one of the single biggest causes of disease in the Western world, and is responsible for systemic inflammation, cardiovascular disease, weight gain (particularly for women over 40), skin conditions, hormone imbalances, mental health and digestive diseases, and dysfunction.
Many people don’t know or remember what it feels like to be calm, and ideally, we would be spending 80% of our time in a ‘rest and digest’ calm state, and only 20% of the time in an activated ‘fight or flight’ state. The ability to quickly go from fight and flight to rest and digest is called nervous system ‘tone’ and is transmitted via the vagus nerve. There are very few ways of training the vagus nerve, and none are more effective than meditation.
It’s also ANTI-AGEING! Meditation reduces the effects of ageing on the cells. We have little caps on the ends of our DNA strands called ‘telomeres’, which prevent the strands from unraveling when cells replicate. Every time our cells replicate the telomeres get a little shorter which can determine how long we live. Daily meditation has been shown to improve telomere length by reducing the enzyme that makes them shorter!
Does it have to be spiritual to be effective?
Buddhism and Hinduism are often synonymous with meditation, forming an integral part of all of the Buddhist religious practice to attain spiritual awakening. Meditation in one form or another is part of almost every religious practice, and some consider prayer to be meditation. Regardless of your beliefs, meditation is beneficial to all. People with strong spiritual beliefs can incorporate meditation with devotion, or prayer, or you can just take a more scientific approach (not that you can’t have both!) and meditate without any spiritual attachment, in the same way as any other exercise. You get to choose which type of meditation resonates with you, and which aspects you take on or leave.
There are places where you can learn to meditate for free/low cost, often run by particular spiritual groups as part of their religious practice. Yoga and meditation go hand in hand as part of the Ayurvedic system of medicine from India, where a short shavasana meditation usually ends a yoga session, and depending on the teacher it’s often without spiritual connotations.
You can be lying, sitting in the lotus position, or sitting up in a chair, as long as you can maintain a completely relaxed state in your body, (and ideally not fall asleep)it really doesn’t matter. There is nothing wrong with using meditation as a way of getting to sleep, but without consciousness, it is not meditation, it’s just sleep. If you do find you are falling asleep during meditation, this is generally a sign you are not getting enough sleep at night and a naturopath can help you with that.
How to choose your meditation practice… and tips for beginners
How to choose is pretty simple, try out different styles until you find one you like. Anyone who says that they don’t like meditation simply hasn’t found the style that resonates with them. Ask yourself these questions:
Have trouble keeping still if sitting down, or cross-legged? - Then, laying down may be better. Lie face up on cushions, or a rug on the floor, a pillow under your head, and a bolster under your knees if you have lower back issues. Place your hands by your sides, palms up.
Have trouble falling asleep or becoming ‘dull’ (losing concentration)when trying to meditate? Then sitting might be better for you, in a chair with an erect but relaxed spine ‘a position of dignity’, or cross-legged with a cushion under your bottom.
Do you prefer guided meditation? Then, there is a myriad of apps, recordings, and YouTube videos.
Apps - Some good ones to start with are; Headspace, Calm, Insight Timer, and Meditation Studio. Often there is a free introductory period with a subscription later. Insight Timer can be used for its timer function alone and to keep account of days meditated (which can help motivate you)
Recordings: A great start for beginners here: Free Audio Resources for Mindfulness MeditationA range of resources about meditation/mindfulness along with free guided meditations from the UC of San Diego, Centers for Integrative Health https://cih.ucsd.edu/mindfulness
Loving-kindness meditation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sz7cpV7ERsM
Would you prefer to fly solo, with a timer, some nice gong/bell sounds to choose from, and a record of consistent daily practice? Then, download Insight Timer on your phone, you can’t use the free version for this.
Like to learn more about Buddhist meditation? Alan B Wallace, Buddhist monk of 40+ years, and translator/student of the Dalai Lama, visits Australia regularly, and many of his recordings are free online. He is particularly talented at explaining both secular and non-secular meditation practices, and their context in the modern world. Or, there are many Buddhist groups that offer free or paid meditation groups.
Would you prefer to try guided meditation in a group?: (Melbourne) The Contemplary, Clifton Hill http://thecontemplary.org/ and at Tara House, Brighton https://www.tarainstitute.org.au/
There are so many styles and practices, and you really just need to start where you feel comfortable. You can always explore other styles or practices.
What conditions can meditation help with?
Research around meditation and mindfulness grows by the day.
Any condition that is caused or made worse by stress, anxiety, depression, mood dysregulation or neurodiversity (ADD, ADHD, bipolar, Autism, etc.) can be improved by regular meditation, even if taking medications. It can improve insomnia and sleep disorders, digestive disorders, focus and attention at work, school or, hobbies. It can improve symptoms of neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s’ Disease, MS, and dementia. It can improve mood regulation, and behaviour control reduces the effects of ageing, and improves brain and physical health.
Click on the links below for just a few of the (many 1000s) studies demonstrating the effectiveness and benefits of daily meditation:
Would you like to chat about how naturopathy can help your healthcare condition?
Frequently asked questions…
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Absolutely, you can lie on your back on cushions or a mat on the floor, you can sit in a chair (ideally, a straight-backed chair), or wherever you are comfortable and can relax. Any meditation in any position is better than none.
Sitting still is a skill that can be learned as well, and of course, it can take practice. Start with 1 minute, work up to 2, gradually increasing every day. If you have trouble sitting still, then this is definitely an important skill to learn. A naturopath can also help with calming herbs or nutrients that might help you to calm your body and your mind, aiding in your meditation practice.
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Think of meditation as training to develop non-judgemental awareness of your thoughts and learn to control them. A way of training your awareness, so that you control your thoughts. Even monks who have meditated their whole lives find that they still have intrusive thoughts sometimes. It is the action of being aware but not attaching yourself to the thoughts, and gently returning to the objective that is important. Much like watching clouds pass by in the sky, you might think ‘Oh, that’s interesting but I’ll deal with that later’, or words to that effect, then return to the practice. The more you practice this, the better you get at it and the more control you have over your focus of attention.
Therefore, the busier your mind is, the greater the benefit you will derive. A naturopath can help prescribe calming herbs, dietary or lifestyle changes, or nutrient supplements that may aid in slowing your mind and/or body down to enable greater success in meditation.
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Not necessarily, contemplative practices like meditation, and praying have been associated with many religious beliefs but you don’t have to attach any spiritual belief to it to find benefits. Similar to yoga, which originated as part of Ayurvedic practices in India, meditation is a form of exercise for the mind and doesn’t need to have any religious significance.
