Can meditation help me?

on June 22 | in Blog | by Rachel Cooke | with No Comments

When meditation comes to mind, Western people often seem to imagine Buddhist monks sitting cross-legged on a mountain, rising above worldly matters through their complicated postures and breathing techniques. This image may elicit admiration – “Oh, they’re so incredibly peaceful and quiet, they hold the truth!” – and envy – “If only I could be like that, get away from it all and find the answers I’ve been looking for”. The truth, however, is that meditation is now not only widely available to people, but is also recommended as therapy for a multitude of physical and psychological conditions. In recent years the benefits of meditation have become widely available to the mainstream, and many of us are more relaxed and centered because of it.

Laura broke up with her boyfriend four months ago. They’d been a couple for nine years, sharing the good and the bad with each other. Although Laura had a job she was progressing in and enjoyed, she found herself leaving due to the emotional distress she was experiencing from the break up. She quickly discovered that she had forgotten how to live on her own. The constant chatter in her mind would move towards thoughts about her relationship; whether the breakup was her fault, what things she could have changed, how much she wished she was still with her boyfriend, would she be left alone on the shelf forever? And so on. It was her and herself, and that seemed pointless – Laura started to feel that life wasn’t even worth carrying on. The thought of being alone in every aspect of her life was so frightening that she started having panic attacks, especially at night and during the weekends while she was on her own in the house.

A friend mentioned trying meditation and Laura decided to give it a go, anything that might relieve the pain and discomfort was worth a try! The first few weeks were extremely difficult since she was totally unfamiliar to the meditation “process” and her mind hadn’t had any experience of slowing down, but she didn’t give up. She started practicing meditation every night and within three weeks she managed to get to the point where she could begin to shut off her mental chatter, be in the present rather than the past or future and in a calmer pace she was able to find clarity. This process helped Laura to come to the realisation that no matter what relationship she was involved in, the friends she had around her, the family that stood by her (or didn’t), it was her true self she needed to nourish, respect and accept. Laura was now free to take advantage of the time and liberty she had and she started investing them into learning spanish and taking up horse riding – pursuits she’d always had an interest in but had somehow never found the time to do when she was with her boyfriend. She feels happy and at ease being single and is open to finding love again, but won’t sacrifice her needs and desires to have that.

The ultimate purpose of meditation is to clear the mind of outer and inner interferences in order to bring the attention to a single focus point. Thoughts come and go, there is nothing to cling to. Through meditation you can let go of everything, the negative and also the positive, in order to gain awareness. Meditation can alleviate and completely eradicate stress, helping you to find peace and balance. This in turn allows the body and mind to heal and maintain a high level of health.

There are numerous different meditation techniques to choose from. Some require you to follow closely your breath – feel the air coming in through the nostrils, following it going into the lungs and stomach and then back up and out through the nostrils. Others ask you to contemplate a steady light in front of you, concentrate on it and forget about everything else around you. There are some practices which ask you to imagine a light moving around inside your body and to follow it from one cell to another. Bottom line, it’s all about focusing because this is how you learn to detach and unwind.

As a therapy technique, meditation is recommended for relaxation, which aids with almost any issue you may be experiencing. Through meditation you become aware of your conscious mind and you move it away from unwanted worries, distracting thoughts, anxiety; instead moving your whole self into a peaceful state. This opens you up to new perspectives and clarity. Meditation increases your ability to deal with any challenges life brings.

Meditation is one of the best alternative therapies out there. It is a safe and simple method which can be incorporated into everyday life to balance one’s physical, emotional and mental state. It is simple to learn (though can take time and perseverance), doesn’t require special accessories or equipment, it can also be practiced anywhere, at any time. All you need is a commitment to the process and keep on practicing until you can enter a meditative or “present” state whenever you wish.

At P-Therapy we teach many different kinds of meditation, quite a few of our therapists are specially trained and would be delighted to introduce you its plethora of benefits. Contact us now on 020 7607 1289 or info@p-therapy.com to book a session or for more information.

What is Bereavement Counselling or Grief Counselling and how could it help me to cope better? »