Week 3 of Dr. Brogan’s cleanse “introduces a daily meditation practice that stimulates the body’s natural relaxation response and paves the way for lasting transformation.” She asks her patients to start with a 3 minute, daily meditation practice.
A few years ago I started hearing more and more about meditation, and was fully on the “I don’t have time for that, train.” But I’ve changed my mind. I listen to the Tim Ferriss podcast. Tim’s schtick is interviewing people who are the best of the best in their respective fields. He, “teases out their tips, tricks, and habits” for his audience to use. He is a great interviewer, one of my favorites, although I’ll give a warning here that his podcast has a fair bit of adult language.
One of the common threads among the leaders Ferriss interviews is that roughly 80% have a daily mindfulness practice. For this reason, I decided to give meditation a try and love the practice now. I think I started with 5 minutes. Now, I usually commit at least 15 minutes every morning, and can’t remember the last time I missed. I look forward to it so much. I have a life goal to be relaxed, focused, and productive, instead of “busy”. And I feel that meditation helps with this.
Here’s an exciting bit of science to support meditation:
In her book, Dr. Brogan writes, “Among the first studies to emerge on the effects of meditation came out in 2005 when researchers at Harvard Massachusetts General Hospital published an imaging study; particular areas of the cerebral cortex were shown to be thicker in people who meditate on a regular basis. Since then numerous studies have documented that “thick-brained” people tend to be smarter and have stronger memories. These cortical areas are involved with attention and sensory processing and are used for planning complicated cognitive behaviors. It appears that meditation is truly an exercise for the brain, as if it helps grow stronger muscles in the areas used.”
Mediation gives us bigger brains!
Meditation is simply sitting in stillness, breathing deeply and trying, without self-judgement, to clear your mind of all thoughts. Focus on your breathing. For me it has become a nice alone-time and a beautiful way to start my day. I invite my kids to join me if I meditate in the evening. They usually decline the invitation.
My favorite guided meditations are by Deepak Chopra. This is my current favorite.Or I will listen to white noise on youtube.
Dr. Brogan shares a 20 minute meditation in her book a mind of your own. I’ve found it to be powerful when I’m facing a problem that is overwhelming me, or taking more of my time and energy than I want it to:
- Drink the breath in in a single long breath through a rounded mouth then close the mouth and exhale through the nose slowly and completely. Continue for seven minutes.
- Inhale and hold the breath comfortably. As you inhale meditate on zero. Think to yourself, all is zero. I am zero, each thought is zero. My pain is zero, that problem is zero. That illness is zero. Meditate on all negative or emotional, mental, and physical conditions and situations, and as each comes to mind, bring it to zero, a single point of light. A small, insignificant, non-existence. Exhale and repeat for 7 minutes Breathing in a comfortable rhythm.
- Think of the quality or condition you most desire for your complete happiness and growth. Summarize it in a single word, such as health, wealth, relationship, guidance, knowledge, luck. Lock onto the single word and visualize the various facets of it. Experience how it feels to have this quality and condition in your life now. Inhale and suspend the breath as you beam the thought in a continuous stream. Lock onto it, relax the breath as needed. Shake out your limbs to end and namaste.
You can also use scripture study as your meditation time. I know people who say they get the same benefits from daily scripture study and contemplation, that is, a calmer mind, a calmer day, and the ability to “handle the unexpected with calm and ease” (that is a line from another favorite Deepak Chopra guided meditation).
If you’re up for it, I highly recommend giving meditation a try.
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