Meditation: A Simple, Fast Way to Reduce Stress

People affected by Parkinson’s commonly feel, at different points in their journey, anxious, tense or worried. We have heard from many community members that meditation helps manage these symptoms of stress. Anyone can practice meditation. It's simple and inexpensive, and it doesn't require any special equipment. And you can practice meditation wherever you are — whether you're out for a walk, riding the bus or waiting at the doctor's office.

Understanding Meditation

Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years. It is considered a type of mind-body complementary medicine. During meditation, you focus your attention and eliminate the stream of jumbled thoughts that may be crowding your mind and causing stress. This process may result in enhanced physical and emotional well-being.

Meditation and Emotional Well-being

When you meditate, you clear away the clutter that builds up in your mind and contributes to your stress.

The emotional benefits of meditation can include:

• Gaining a new perspective on stressful situations
• Building skills to manage your stress Increasing self-awareness
• Focusing on the present
• Reducing negative emotions

Stress can sometimes magnify or worsen your Parkinson’s symptoms. While improving your emotional well-being and reducing stress, you may also find that meditation helps you manage some of your motor symtoms.*

Types of Meditation

Meditation is an umbrella term for the many ways to a relaxed state of being. There are many types of meditation and they all share the same goal of achieving inner peace.

Ways to meditate can include:

• Guided meditation. Sometimes called guided imagery or visualization, with this method of meditation you form mental images of places or situations you find relaxing. You try to use as many senses as possible, such as smells, sights, sounds and textures. You may be led through this process by a guide or teacher.
• Mantra meditation. In this type of meditation, you silently repeat a calming word, thought or phrase to prevent distracting thoughts.
• Mindfulness meditation. This type of meditation is based on being mindful, or having an increased awareness and acceptance of living in the present moment. In mindfulness meditation, you broaden your conscious awareness. You focus on what you experience during meditation, such as the flow of your breath. You can observe your thoughts and emotions, but let them pass without judgment.
• Qi gong. This practice generally combines meditation, relaxation, physical movement and breathing exercises to restore and maintain balance. Qi gong (CHEE-gung) is part of traditional Chinese medicine.
• Tai chi. This is a form of gentle Chinese martial arts. In tai chi (TIE-CHEE), you perform a self-paced series of postures or movements in a slow, graceful manner while practicing deep breathing.
• Yoga. You perform a series of postures and controlled breathing exercises to promote a more flexible body and a calm mind. As you move through poses that require balance and concentration, you are encouraged to focus more on the moment.

Everyday Ways to Practice Meditation

Don't let the thought of meditating the "right" way add to your stress. If you choose to, you can attend group classes led by trained instructors, but you can also practice meditation easily on your own. Some people build meditation into their daily routine. For example, they may start and end each day with an hour of meditation. But all you really need is a few minutes of quality time for meditation.

Here are some ways you can practice meditation on your own, whenever you choose:

• Breathe deeply. This technique is good for beginners because breathing is a natural function. Focus all attention on your breathing. Concentrate on feeling and listening as you inhale and exhale through your nostrils. Breathe deeply and slowly. When your attention wanders, gently return your focus to your breathing.
• Scan your body. When using this technique, focus attention on different parts of your body. Become aware of your body's various sensations, whether that's movement, tension, warmth or relaxation. Combine body scanning with breathing exercises and imagine breathing heat or relaxation into and out of different parts of your body.
• Walk and meditate. Combining a walk with meditation is an efficient and healthy way to relax. You can use this technique anywhere you're walking, such as in a tranquil forest, on a city sidewalk or at the mall. Slow down the pace of walking so that you can focus on each movement of your legs or feet. Don't focus on a particular destination. Concentrate on your legs and feet, repeating action words in your mind such as lifting, moving and placing as you lift each foot; move your leg forward and place your foot on the ground.
• Read and reflect. Many people report that they benefit from reading poems or sacred texts, and taking a few moments to quietly reflect on their meaning. You can also listen to any music you find relaxing or inspiring. You may want to write your reflections in a journal or discuss them with a friend or spiritual leader.
• Focus your love and gratitude. In this type of meditation, you focus your attention on a sacred object or being, weaving feelings of love, compassion and gratitude into your thoughts.

Building your Meditation Skills

Don't judge your meditation skills, which may only increase your stress. Meditation takes practice. It's common for your mind to wander during meditation, no matter how long you've been practicing meditation. If your attention wanders, slowly return to the object, sensation or movement you're focusing on. Experiment, and find out what types of meditation work best for you and what you enjoy doing. Adapt meditation to your needs at the moment. Remember, there's no right way or wrong way to meditate. What matters is that meditation helps you reduce your stress and feel better overall.

*Meditation is not a replacement for traditional medical treatment. Please consult your doctor if you have any questions or concerns about practicing meditation.

Sources

Article adapted from the Mayo Clinic (www.mayoclinic.org).

This content was published in the Winter 2014 edition of our quarterly magazine, Viewpoints. The content was accurate as of this publication date.