Meditation, the practice of stilling the chatter in your mind and focusing your attention on the present moment, exists in many forms, including visualization, paced breathing, moving and chanting. Most forms involve drawing your awareness inward, and yet many people choose to meditate in groups. Meditation is deceptively simple. When building a regular practice to reap the benefits of meditation, it helps to have the support of a community.
History of Meditation
Carvings from 3300 B.C.E. in the Indus Valley show yogis sitting in meditation. The Buddha sat in meditation under the Bodhi tree to reach enlightenment around 525 B.C.E.. In the 1960s, instructors such as Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, B.K.S. Iyengar and Shunryu Suzuki-roshi began teaching in the West. In the 21st Century, Western meditation is generally more secular and less ritualistic than its counterparts from Southeast and Central Asia.
Types of Meditation
Meditation instruction is available in books, online, at hospitals, in martial arts dojos and on corporate campuses. Mindfulness meditation often involves sitting in silence, focusing your awareness on a neutral anchor such as your breath and letting go of thoughts. In a guided visualization, a speaker or a recording will describe a peaceful scene, such as lying on a beach, or lead you through a mental scan of your body. Yoga and tai chi use the movement of the body and its energies as focal points.
Benefits
The Mayo Clinic reports that "a growing body of scientific research is supporting the health benefits of meditation. But many of the studies aren't of high quality, and some researchers believe it's not yet possible to draw conclusions about the possible benefits of meditation." The article also states that medical conditions such as allergies, anxiety, cancer, depression, heart disease, high blood pressure, pain and substance abuse may benefit from meditation. Researchers at the Harvard Medical School found that meditation activates the sections of the brain that regulate the autonomic nervous system, the monitor for involuntary processes like blood pressure and digestion. Meditation can be an excellent tool for moderating the effects of stress on the body.
Meditating in a Group
Meditation does not have a specific goal. For that reason, it is easy to wonder whether or not you are succeeding. Having the security of a group for meditation can help you stay committed to your practice. A set meeting time helps to clear space in your schedule for meditation. Even though the experience of meditation is solitary, a community can offer comfort. Sometimes, the awareness meditation brings can be painful. A meditation group can offer the resources of more experienced practitioners.
Resources
Medical support groups sometimes provide meditation instruction. Many cities have meditation centers that offer free lectures and group sittings. Live instruction provides information in the teacher's demeanor and tone of voice that would be missing from reading a book. Many yoga and Buddhist instructors volunteer time as part of their own practice. They may be available for introductory lectures. Consider a retreat for extended group meditation.
Member Comments