Different types of meditation can create the foundations for a healthier mind and life, and it does not necessarily need to mean sitting still for long hours.
Previously the commonly held notion was that brain growth halted at adulthood, and was set for life. Now research shows it is plastic, and can be restructured and rewired (Gotink, et al., 2016; Holzel, et al., 2010; Restak, 2003). According to psychologist and researcher Richie Davidson (Transform your Mind, Change your Brain), even just 1.5 hours of mindfulness activities can lead to structural changes in the brain. Research has also shown that mindfulness can improve well being (less depression), insight, focus, immune function, and a long list of other benefits (Brown, et al., 2003; Davidson, et al., 2003; Niemiec, 2014; van Vugt, et al., 2011). Through various forms of mindfulness meditation we actually create new neural pathways in the brain that lead to greater well-being (Gotink; Holzel; Restak).
Some people labor under the misunderstanding that meditation only involves sitting still for a (long!) length of time and clearing one's mind (completely). While an excellent practice, this can take years to become proficient at, and is but one way to meditate. Ultimately, the goal of meditation is to bring the mind back to the present moment in a focused awareness, regardless of the body's position and movement. Meditation also involves mindfulness practices to remove thoughts about the future and/or past that may cause stress or anxiety, or that at least cause rumination or misplaced mental focus. The goal of meditation is to focus on the here and now, not yesterday or tomorrow. This allows the brain and mind, and the body and soul, to relax. Then we can find the time to focus on the self, on an objective, on a task, or on any number of goals we choose to set.
Certainly this can be achieved by sitting and focusing on the breath, or sitting and completing mental visualizations. However, alternatively, this can also be achieved through an activity of some type that produces a high level of mental focus and flow. Flow, or the zone, is defined as a mental state in which one is fully immersed in self-motivated energized focus on an enjoyed activity (Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi). Active focus and flow drive our attention to the present moment in the same way a sitting meditation might. This is called action meditation, and has been practiced by Shaolin Kung Fu practitioners for centuries (Shi Yan Ming).
Sifu Sharif Bey (Yee Sa Fu) calls this "finding stillness through movement", and states, "The general idea behind moving meditation is exercising the ability to 'keep the center', or maintain the internal equilibrium and the centered mind undisturbed by or during movement. In sitting/still meditation we explore the inner worlds by stilling the body. In moving meditation we learn to involve the deeply centered self into everyday activity, hence 'finding stillness in motion'." (personal communication).
Following are a few types of action meditation you can try, though certainly not limited to these:
If sitting still and trying to force your mind to go calm just isn’t your cup-of-tea, no problem. Start an action meditation that brings you flow, and you will accomplish the same benefits.
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References
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Brown, K. & Ryan, R. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 822-848
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2013). Flow: The Psychology of Happiness. Random House.
Davidson, R. J., Kabat-Zinn, J., Schumacher, J., Rosenkranz, M. A., Muller, D., Santorelli, S. F., Urbanowski, F., Harrington, A., Bonus, K., & Sheridan, J. F. (2003). Alterations in brain and immune function produced by mindfulness meditation. Psychosomatic Medicine, 65, 564-570
Gotink, R. A., Meijboom, R., Vernooij, M. W., Smits, M., & Hunink, M. G. (2016). 8-week mindfulness based stress reduction induces brain changes similar to traditional long-term meditation practice - A systematic review. Brain and Cognition.108, 32-41, Oct. DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2016.07.001
Holzel, B. K., Carmody, J., Vangel, M., Congleton, C., Yerramsetti, S. M., Gard, T., and Lazar, S. (2010). Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density. Psychiatry Res. Jan 30. 191(1), 36-43. DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2010.08.006 . PMCID: PMC3004979. NIHMSID: NIHMS232587.
Koehn, S., Morris, T., & Watt, A. P. (2013). Flow state in self-paced and externally-paced performance contexts: An examination of the flow model. Psychology of Sport and Exercise. v14, 787-795.
Niemiec, R. M. (2014). Mindfulness and character strengths: A practical guide to flourishing. Cambridge, MA: Hogrefe
Restak, R. (2003). The new brain: How the modern age is rewiring your mind. Rodale publishers.
van Vugt, M.K. & Jha, A.P. (2011). Investing the impact of mindfulness meditation training on working memory: A mathematical modeling approach. Cognitive Affective Behavioural Neuroscience, 11, 344-353. doi: 10.3758/s13415-011-0048-8
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Other Sources
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Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi wrote the seminal book: Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. See his TedTalk:
https://www.ted.com/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_on_flow
Interview with Sifu Bey (Yee Sa Fu), the disciple of Frank Yee (Yee Chi Wai). Sifu Bey manages the upstate New York branch (Syracuse) of See's Hung Ga, and has been training with Frank Yee in action meditation (Qi Gong, Tai Chi, Forms, etc) since the early 80s. Frank Yee is the Grand Master of Yee’s Hung Ga, a southern Shaolin Temple kung fu style. Frank Yee is the disciple of Yuen Ling and Tang Fong, students of the famous Wong Fei Hung.
Shi Yan Ming is a 34th generation Monk that defected to the USA in 1994, and now Grand Master for his Kung Fu school in New York City, teaching northern China Shaolin Temple Kung Fu style. See Shi Yan Ming's book for more details on action meditation as practiced by Chan Buddhist Monks
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Attributions
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Flickr Image by Huno, was used under the Creative Commons license.
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Some people labor under the misunderstanding that meditation only involves sitting still for a (long!) length of time and clearing one's mind (completely). While an excellent practice, this can take years to become proficient at, and is but one way to meditate. Ultimately, the goal of meditation is to bring the mind back to the present moment in a focused awareness, regardless of the body's position and movement. Meditation also involves mindfulness practices to remove thoughts about the future and/or past that may cause stress or anxiety, or that at least cause rumination or misplaced mental focus. The goal of meditation is to focus on the here and now, not yesterday or tomorrow. This allows the brain and mind, and the body and soul, to relax. Then we can find the time to focus on the self, on an objective, on a task, or on any number of goals we choose to set.
Certainly this can be achieved by sitting and focusing on the breath, or sitting and completing mental visualizations. However, alternatively, this can also be achieved through an activity of some type that produces a high level of mental focus and flow. Flow, or the zone, is defined as a mental state in which one is fully immersed in self-motivated energized focus on an enjoyed activity (Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi). Active focus and flow drive our attention to the present moment in the same way a sitting meditation might. This is called action meditation, and has been practiced by Shaolin Kung Fu practitioners for centuries (Shi Yan Ming).
Sifu Sharif Bey (Yee Sa Fu) calls this "finding stillness through movement", and states, "The general idea behind moving meditation is exercising the ability to 'keep the center', or maintain the internal equilibrium and the centered mind undisturbed by or during movement. In sitting/still meditation we explore the inner worlds by stilling the body. In moving meditation we learn to involve the deeply centered self into everyday activity, hence 'finding stillness in motion'." (personal communication).
Following are a few types of action meditation you can try, though certainly not limited to these:
- Exercising. Start an exercise regime (martial arts, dance, rock climbing, etc) that is physically demanding enough that it requires your entire attention to every detail of what you are doing when you do it, such that there is nothing else you can think about when practicing it.
- Walking. A walking meditation involves awareness of all five senses. You focus intently on all the senses as you walk, such as: how it smells, how the air feels on your skin (is it humid? cold?), what you hear, what you see, how the pebbles feel through your shoes.
- Tasking. Some find a sense of peace and mindfulness through some task or activity. Doing a Sudoko exercise, or coloring book, or even cleaning the house may bring your attention to the present moment in a meditative manner. Only you know what activities bring you flow, but it is when you no longer see the clock ticking and time flies by, then you know you have found flow.
- Eating. Hedonistic pleasures can bring one’s mind to the present moment. Don’t just shove the chocolate into your mouth. Stop and savor it. Think about how it tastes. How it feels. Its texture. Bringing your mind to the eating (or other) experience completely is a form of mindful action meditation.
If sitting still and trying to force your mind to go calm just isn’t your cup-of-tea, no problem. Start an action meditation that brings you flow, and you will accomplish the same benefits.
———
References
———
Brown, K. & Ryan, R. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 822-848
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2013). Flow: The Psychology of Happiness. Random House.
Davidson, R. J., Kabat-Zinn, J., Schumacher, J., Rosenkranz, M. A., Muller, D., Santorelli, S. F., Urbanowski, F., Harrington, A., Bonus, K., & Sheridan, J. F. (2003). Alterations in brain and immune function produced by mindfulness meditation. Psychosomatic Medicine, 65, 564-570
Gotink, R. A., Meijboom, R., Vernooij, M. W., Smits, M., & Hunink, M. G. (2016). 8-week mindfulness based stress reduction induces brain changes similar to traditional long-term meditation practice - A systematic review. Brain and Cognition.108, 32-41, Oct. DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2016.07.001
Holzel, B. K., Carmody, J., Vangel, M., Congleton, C., Yerramsetti, S. M., Gard, T., and Lazar, S. (2010). Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density. Psychiatry Res. Jan 30. 191(1), 36-43. DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2010.08.006 . PMCID: PMC3004979. NIHMSID: NIHMS232587.
Koehn, S., Morris, T., & Watt, A. P. (2013). Flow state in self-paced and externally-paced performance contexts: An examination of the flow model. Psychology of Sport and Exercise. v14, 787-795.
Niemiec, R. M. (2014). Mindfulness and character strengths: A practical guide to flourishing. Cambridge, MA: Hogrefe
Restak, R. (2003). The new brain: How the modern age is rewiring your mind. Rodale publishers.
van Vugt, M.K. & Jha, A.P. (2011). Investing the impact of mindfulness meditation training on working memory: A mathematical modeling approach. Cognitive Affective Behavioural Neuroscience, 11, 344-353. doi: 10.3758/s13415-011-0048-8
———
Other Sources
———
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi wrote the seminal book: Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. See his TedTalk:
https://www.ted.com/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_on_flow
Interview with Sifu Bey (Yee Sa Fu), the disciple of Frank Yee (Yee Chi Wai). Sifu Bey manages the upstate New York branch (Syracuse) of See's Hung Ga, and has been training with Frank Yee in action meditation (Qi Gong, Tai Chi, Forms, etc) since the early 80s. Frank Yee is the Grand Master of Yee’s Hung Ga, a southern Shaolin Temple kung fu style. Frank Yee is the disciple of Yuen Ling and Tang Fong, students of the famous Wong Fei Hung.
Shi Yan Ming is a 34th generation Monk that defected to the USA in 1994, and now Grand Master for his Kung Fu school in New York City, teaching northern China Shaolin Temple Kung Fu style. See Shi Yan Ming's book for more details on action meditation as practiced by Chan Buddhist Monks
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Attributions
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Flickr Image by Huno, was used under the Creative Commons license.
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The flow state accessed during active meditation is something that I have found to be easier to maintain than in sitting meditation. Specifically, I love that you brought up rock climbing, as it combines many aspects of focus which culminate in an easily accessible flow state. I find that when I am 40ft up on a rock wall, there are a multitude of sensations begging for attention.
ReplyDeleteImmediately in front of you, there is the rock itself; the tiny chunks and cracks which demand a significant amount of your awareness be placed into your hands and feet. Behind you is what feels like an infinite void, begging you to give in to the impending sense of fear that it creates. Your muscles pleading with your lungs to provide a flow of fresh oxygen, lest they fail in their task of clinging to the granite lifeline. Balancing all of these sensuous experiences brings oneself into the present moment and into bodily presence in a way that nothing else I have tried can.
I've read that when you focus on more than 3 things at once, your awareness switches processing mode from a more linear, piece by piece left brain experience to a more broad, right brain gestalt experience. This shift is also associated with the feeling of being in the flow, or being present with beginners mind. Something like rock climbing is technical enough that it almost forces you into this state, but it can be cultivated anywhere.
I have found that walking in the forest while intentionally trying to split my awareness between the feeling of my feet on the ground, the visual appearance of the trees, and the smells drifting by on the breeze will also reliably produce the expanded state of awareness. Granted, its all too easy to habitually shift back into a linear analysis of one of these individual sensations, but you can cultivate the skill of maintaining the expanded state for longer and longer. Walks in nature take on a whole new depth. Life in general can take on a whole new depth. Once again though, the skill of maintaining this expanded state of awareness and presence back in the hustle and bustle of daily life is a skill that must be consciously cultivated.
I found this description of meditation to be incredibly helpful. I’ve always been uncomfortable saying “I meditate”. I felt like I was implying something about myself that simply wasn’t true. I wasn’t sitting in a candlelit room burning incense and listening ambient music. I’d just occasionally find a quiet spot, close my eyes, focus on my breathing, and let my mind go blank. Does that even count in comparison to the meditation of Buddhist monks?
ReplyDeleteYour definition removes much of this pressure. Sitting still may be one mode of meditation, but it’s definitely not my mode of meditation. When I think about times that I’m entirely absorbed in present moment, it’s always when I’m doing something I love: cooking, playing an instrument, hiking… I think if meditation was culturally reframed in the way that you describe, many more people would be open to it, and more still would realize they already practice it.