Meditation for Stress Management

Practice Basic Meditation for Stress Management
By Elizabeth Scott, M.S., About.com Guide
Updated October 23, 2007

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board

Meditation has many health benefits and is a wonderful way to relieve stress and maintain a healthier lifestyle. There are many different ways to meditate, and this is one of the most basic. With practice, you can use this technique to feel inner peace whenever you need it.

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: 5 to 30 Minutes

Here's How:

1. Get into a comfortable position. Many people like to sit in a comfortable chair, or cross-legged on the ground. You want to be able to completely relax while still staying awake.

2. Close your eyes.

3. Clear your head. (This is the part that takes practice.) The idea is to stay unattached to thoughts of any kind. That means that, if that inner narrative voice in your mind speaks up, gently “shush” it and opt for internal silence.

4. That’s it. Keep letting go of any thoughts that may pop into your mind, and the quiet spaces between thoughts will become longer and more frequent. You’re on the road of meditation!

Tips:

1. Give it time. Meditation often takes practice. If you’re expecting to do it ‘perfectly’, you may actually create more stress for yourself than you relieve, and you won’t want to stick with it.

2. Start with shorter sessions—like five minutes—and work your way up to longer sessions—like 30. With practice, this type of meditation becomes easier and more effective.

3. If the experience is frustrating for you and you don’t really want to continue, you may find more success with other types of meditation like the Karate Breathing Meditation.

Source:
Davidson, Richard, et. al. Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation. Psychosomatic Medicine, 2003.

MY THOUGHTS

tried it this morning. i fell asleep. got too relaxed. will try again tonight. maybe i should sit cross-legged on the hard floor. i can imagine how challenging this would be if you have lots of people around. but that's the best training ground. i will know for sure that i've learned the art of meditation when i can be completely peaceful and quiet and relaxed and completely in touch with my inner self even when i'm in the midst of a maddening crowd. good luck! to me!