5 Paths To Peace
Relax, Refresh, Rejuvenate, Renew, Retreat!
By Frances Lefkowitz
Photography By Julie Dennis Brothers
Photography By Julie Dennis Brothers
A surefire way to calm your mind, meditation is also one of the best things you can do for your body. Mounting medical evidence shows that the practice can boost the immune system, improve circulation, lower cholesterol, ease chronic pain, end insomnia, counter anxiety, relieve gastrointestinal distress, and actually extend your lifespan. Meditation is a wonderful way to reduce stress, says Timothy McCall, M.D., author of the forthcoming Yoga as Medicine. Stress not only makes people miserable in their day-to-day lives, it also undermines their health.
The goal of most meditation practices is simple enough: Bring your attention to one thing in order to deepen your awareness of the present moment. For people accustomed to multitasking, paying attention to just one thing can be a challenge. The trick is to find a practice style thats right for you. If sitting and breathing is not your thing, perform a simple walking meditation. If you're not comfortable focusing on the noise inside your head, listen to the sounds outside it. If silence seems scary, repeat a mantra.
Here, we offer a guide to five beginner-friendly techniques, with advice from some of the worlds leading meditation instructors. Try each style on for size, and when you find one that fits, stick with it. Its like exercising a muscle, says teacher Richard Rosen; with each workout it gets stronger. Soon you'll carry the centered awareness gained from meditation into the rest of your daily activities, making everything more satisfying. As Rosen says, First its a chore, eventually its a pleasure.
You can sit in the lotus position if you want to, but you can also be seated on a chair or sofa, lying on the floor, or even standing up and walking around. Don't get too hung up on form the best position is the one that helps you stay focused.
Basic Breathing Meditation
Instructor Richard Rosen is the author of The Yoga of Breath and Yoga for Fifty Plus, and a contributing editor for Yoga Journal. Trained at the BKS Iyengar Yoga Institute in San Francisco, he has been teaching yoga since 1987.
What is it? The cornerstone of all meditation techniques, this practice centers on something we always do but rarely notice: breathing. You do not have to do anything with your breath but observe it, says Rosen. Eventually, you can work on changing the breath, and sending it into new areas of your torso. But at first, just become aware of each inhalation and exhalation; let your mind track how the breath moves, mapping where it goes to develop an understanding of your own unique breathing identity.
What's it good for? Use this meditation to get centered anytime and anywhere. Breath is with us always, says Rosen. You can retreat into the breath whenever you're feeling dull or tired or stressed out.
How long does it take? Start with 10 minutes at first, then work your way up to 15 and finally 20 minutes. You can do this practice any time of day, but do it regularly, five to seven days a week.
How Do I Do It?
1. Sit in a comfortable position with your legs crossed. Or lie on your back with a firm pillow or rolled-up towel under the knees to provide comfort and support and to open the pelvis; place another pillow or towel under the neck and head to help release the throat. Your body should be more or less straight, and your arms should rest about 45 degrees from your torso.
The goal of most meditation practices is simple enough: Bring your attention to one thing in order to deepen your awareness of the present moment. For people accustomed to multitasking, paying attention to just one thing can be a challenge. The trick is to find a practice style thats right for you. If sitting and breathing is not your thing, perform a simple walking meditation. If you're not comfortable focusing on the noise inside your head, listen to the sounds outside it. If silence seems scary, repeat a mantra.
Here, we offer a guide to five beginner-friendly techniques, with advice from some of the worlds leading meditation instructors. Try each style on for size, and when you find one that fits, stick with it. Its like exercising a muscle, says teacher Richard Rosen; with each workout it gets stronger. Soon you'll carry the centered awareness gained from meditation into the rest of your daily activities, making everything more satisfying. As Rosen says, First its a chore, eventually its a pleasure.
You can sit in the lotus position if you want to, but you can also be seated on a chair or sofa, lying on the floor, or even standing up and walking around. Don't get too hung up on form the best position is the one that helps you stay focused.
Basic Breathing Meditation
Instructor Richard Rosen is the author of The Yoga of Breath and Yoga for Fifty Plus, and a contributing editor for Yoga Journal. Trained at the BKS Iyengar Yoga Institute in San Francisco, he has been teaching yoga since 1987.
What is it? The cornerstone of all meditation techniques, this practice centers on something we always do but rarely notice: breathing. You do not have to do anything with your breath but observe it, says Rosen. Eventually, you can work on changing the breath, and sending it into new areas of your torso. But at first, just become aware of each inhalation and exhalation; let your mind track how the breath moves, mapping where it goes to develop an understanding of your own unique breathing identity.
What's it good for? Use this meditation to get centered anytime and anywhere. Breath is with us always, says Rosen. You can retreat into the breath whenever you're feeling dull or tired or stressed out.
How long does it take? Start with 10 minutes at first, then work your way up to 15 and finally 20 minutes. You can do this practice any time of day, but do it regularly, five to seven days a week.
How Do I Do It?
1. Sit in a comfortable position with your legs crossed. Or lie on your back with a firm pillow or rolled-up towel under the knees to provide comfort and support and to open the pelvis; place another pillow or towel under the neck and head to help release the throat. Your body should be more or less straight, and your arms should rest about 45 degrees from your torso.
