Meditation - we all know it's good for us and the health benefits are quite clear. However, there's so many different types/modalities out there!! Which one is right, and more importantly, which one can help us!
For around 3 years I was constantly on the search for the 'right type' of meditation for me. Which 'type' would aid me in improving my health? Which 'type' could lessen my symptoms? I tried so many things - Mindfulness, Hypnotherapy tracks, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mind Calm..the list goes on! I had varying success, but what I really struggled with was the visual side of things - 'Imagine yourself sunbathing on your favourite beach feeling perfectly healthy...' More often than not, I failed at achieving this states, primarily because my body was usually screaming with symptoms and ill feelings. This in turn, often ramped up my anxiety levels because I couldn't achieve the desired relaxed state. I just got more and more anxious about my symptoms and frustrated that I couldn't change them. So in actual fact, I often left a meditative session more anxious than when I started...and then I got anxious about being anxious. VICIOUS CYCLE!! I'm sure many of you have felt the same - a very head driven buzzy wiredness. Sound familiar?
I eventually stumbled across a form of meditation that was just right. No visualisation, no breathing in feelings of health and sunny beaches..just being where you are and letting yourself know that that is ok. When I first discovered it, this was a massive realisation for me, and everything started calming down a lot, in particular my mind! It soon dawned on me that all this time I had been trying to do meditation perfectly, and it was those perfection patterns that were actually hindering my progress with meditation. As one with a bit of an Achiever personality, I felt I 'had to get it right.' Ironically, it was this 'having to get it right,' that hindered my progress health wise and in meditation.
It was this learning 'to be' and accepting where I was at in that moment when I noticed shifts happening. It's interesting isn't it, how we spend so much time in our heads and so little time in our bodies. No wonder we get so stressed, and oftentimes lose control of our health.
This type of 'Beingness' is one of just being present in the moment..separated from our thoughts, stress, and anxiety. It sounds Spiritual almost, but it's really not. It's just the process of being here, right now. A process of focusing on our breath, our arms, our legs, our muscles. I usually do this 2/3 times a day, around 10 minutes each time and find it wonderfully powerful and rejuvenating. On the other hand, Catastrophising thoughts, mental tennis, stress, are all pretty exhausting, and are certainly things we could do with less of, especially if you are on a recovery path.
I came across a wonderful Meditation Teacher, Linda Hall, who has herself recovered from a Chronic Illness, M.E./CFS, after suffering from the condition for 8 years and making a full recovery. Her style is extremely soothing and therapeutic, and speaks to people at any level, no matter how healthy or ill you are.
Here is a few of her short meditations (about 10 mins in length) Worth a go :
Linda also has her own website, where she sells Meditation downloads that are specific for M.E. I even did one of her telephone tutorial courses and it was great! All that and more are offered on her site : http://www.audiomeditation.co.uk/
Adam
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