H E A LT H
ASK THE DR.
Eight ways to meditate, without meditating BY DR. FRANK LIPMAN
without meditating in the traditional sense.
We all know the phrase “Gimme a break!”—and certainly, after the past few scary and chaotic months, we could all use one. But with stress levels running high, and travel still restricted, getting away from it all in the middle of a pandemic is easier said than done. And yet the fact remains: Unscrewing the valve and releasing at least some of the pressure has never been more essential for your emotional and physical health. One of the best ways to take a short mental vacation is meditation. It’s free, easy to do and can be done anywhere you can find a quiet spot. Meditation’s benefits are legion—it helps cultivate adaptability and resilience, and reduces emotional reactivity, including the lashing out at others that so often is part of the package. It also offers brain and heart protection; better immunity, mood and sleep; enhanced feelings of calm; reduced anxiety and sensitivity to pain. It may even counteract the agerelated deterioration of your blood vessels, which can drive cognitive decline and even dementia. So, what’s keeping you off the cushion (or wherever you might choose to meditate)? Lack of time, not being able to sit still, not being able to tune out, not wanting to be like your hippie mom and dad—the list of excuses is long and I’ve probably heard them all! So if you’re one of those folks who can’t seem to get into “the whole meditation thing,” the good news is that there are quite a few other ways to gift yourself with a lot of the same benefits, minus the incense and tie-dye (not that they were ever required). Now that our once-frantic lives have slowed considerably, it’s a great time to add more stress-taming, soothing activities to your daily routine to support body and soul. Here are a few ways to start enjoying the benefits,
KIDS GET TIME-OUTS—SO SHOULD YOU. Quality time with family and loved ones is important, but equally important is quality time spent with yourself. So schedule time to step away from everyday distractions. At least once a week, give yourself the gift of two hours that you fill up with exactly what you want to do by yourself: a walk, a bike ride, a good long read in a hammock, an online yoga class or a visit to the spa (where permitted). Turn off the phone ringer (but set a timer if you must) and find a place where you can be alone and undisturbed for your quiet-time session. Silence is golden, but so is the 32
Jeremy Bishop
RECONFIGURE YOUR ROUTINE. In times of trouble and uncertainty, one way to help anchor yourself is with routine. With so much of our old normal undone by the pandemic, try grounding yourself with some new, calming daily routines. For example, not long ago, I had a patient who was struggling with stress and just could not get herself to meditate, so we took an alternate route and developed a routine of soothing activities that were right for her. Her daily plan started with a quiet 10 minutes in the morning where she sat alone in a sunny café near work and slowly sipped a cup of green tea; a twice-weekly tai chi class; abdominal breathing if she felt stress levels rising; and 10 minutes of relaxing restorative yoga poses every night. By combining a variety of these brief, almost-meditative moments, she was able to develop the physical and emotional resources she needed to help navigate tough times and to work toward a calmer and more peaceful version of herself. In times like these, I recommend you develop a similar plan.
