ReBourne Wellness

“All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” -Blaise Pascal

Did you know there is a counter-cultural movement occurring right this very moment encouraging more people partake in the art of sitting still? Look around: People are cashing in PTO left and right to take a much-needed hiatus to the beach, turning their phones off and setting their out-of-office email notifications without a second thought. Instagram influencers are promoting entire days of detoxing from social media. More individuals are even scheduling time daily to sit still and be with their own thoughts.

Gone are the days of believing that being busy is a sign of happiness and success; here instead are the days of meditation and mindfulness.

“Meditation? Mindfulness? I don’t even have time to go to the gym and get supper on the table in a timely manner, much less meditate and be mindful!”

If your gut reaction to this new “trend” of sitting still was something like this, then this blog post is definitely for you. If you walk with your head down on the sidewalk, checking your overflowing inbox and responding to your text messages, read on. If you find your mind wandering over and over again during your workday; if you experience unexplained chronic pain; if you are always exhausted no matter how much sleep you get— listen up!

The Myths of Meditation

There tend to be a couple of myths surrounding meditation that we need to address first and foremost. One of these is that this activity involves clearing the mind of all thought and disengaging entirely from the outside world. In all reality, this is actually virtually impossible! On the other hand, meditation isn’t a power nap either.

Meditation can look a lot of different ways, but at its most fundamental level, it merely involves sitting still with your spine and head upright, hands in your lap and eyes closed, breathing steadily in and out of your nose and focusing your attention on one of the sensations that regular breathing brings. Isn’t it a crazy thought that our bodies are so accustomed to not breathing regularly that tuning into one of these sensations is actually quite startling and powerful enough to bring your mind to awareness?

Maybe you notice how your shoulders relax, easing slowly away from your ears. Perhaps you notice that the furrow between your eyebrows goes away or you unclench your jaw. Whatever the physical sensation is, the mental benefit will be tenfold.

Note: Your brain is still on while meditating. Thoughts will arise. (What am I going to make for dinner tonight? I wonder what happens to so-and-so after last night’s cliffhanger in This Is Us. I need to check on Jessica and see how she is doing! Etc., etc., etc.!) It is only natural for this to occur, especially when our brains are so accustomed to working in overdrive around the clock. Be patient with yourself and gently ease those thoughts to the side, refocusing back to that physical sensation.

Life Changing Benefits of Meditation

• You will be more creative and calm. Deep breathing causes the brain to produce theta waves, which are responsible for the deep relaxation that occurs right before you fall asleep. They also deactivate the brain’s sensory processing and create intense periods of creativity.
• Your heart rate will slow significantly. A recent study showed that people who meditate lower their heart rate by three beats a minute in a single meditation session, subsequently using 17% less oxygen. We often fail to recognize that, when we are moving 100 miles a minute, our breath speeds up and consequently deprives our brain of the oxygen it so desperately needs to function happily and healthily.
• Sitting still reduces psychological AND physical stress. Studies show that meditation and mindfulness not only alleviate depression and anxiety, but they also ease physical stress. For example, chronic pain brought about by tension held in the body or symptoms exacerbated by stress will decrease drastically with mindful practices.
• Your pre-frontal cortex activity will shift from right to left hemispheres. “Wait, why is this so very impressive?,” you might ask. Fun fact: The pre-frontal cortex is the most developed part of the brain, and it is responsible for reasoning and self-awareness. Left hemisphere-oriented individuals are known to be more emotionally stable overall, so this shift enacts more rational thinking and emotional control.
• You will be more aware of your own emotions and surroundings. When we move through life as quickly as we do, always chasing that next paycheck or running to another engagement, our brains simply can’t keep up. By sitting still, you will retrain your brain to notice the little things: the way the birds chirp when you wake before the sun, the way working from home has affected your emotionalbandwidth (it’s okay to notice the negative things, too), how the smell of your coffee brewing fills the whole house in the mornings, etc.

Tips & Tricks to Sitting Still

You might be thinking, “Why in the world do I need tips and tricks to sit still? All I do is sit there!” But if this was the case, you’d be doing a lot more of it, wouldn’t you? In fact, sitting still is one of the hardest things for humans in today’s day and age to do because we are so wired to move at the speed of light and always be “on.” It takes patience and practice, but as you read above, it will pay dividends in the long run.

1. Start small. Set aside five minutes a day to be still and mindful. Don’t you dare rebuttal with “I don’t have five minutes in my day!” Find it somewhere: Sit on the kitchen tile in front of the oven while your frozen pizza is baking. Plop yourself down on the hardwood floor right before bed instead of mindlessly scrolling through Instagram. (P.S. That blue light from your phone will negatively affect your sleep quality, anyway!) Heck, sit on the toilet a little bit longer during your bathroom break at work!
2. Dedicate a specific space to your mindful practice. It doesn’t have to be anything special, but by doing this, you are training your brain to be aware of the little pockets in your day where you can be more aware of your surroundings. Perhaps you decide to deck out an entire meditation room. Great, good for you! But you can just as easily sit down in front of the coffee pot while your first cup is brewing or meditate while your shower is heating up.
3. Follow your breath. Even when your mind wanders, as it will when you first start practicing mindfulness, just focus on your breath. 6 seconds in, 6 seconds out. It may feel like an eternity, but slowing your breath down is going to enter you into a physically calm state, and your brain will follow in hot pursuit.

I said it once, and I’ll say it again: Sitting still is not near as easy as it sounds. But with the right amount of dedication to the practice of mindfulness and excitement to be in a healthier state of mind, you will quickly find yourself entirely transformed by meditation.

Resources:
Sit Still for Five Minutes a Day
Meditation: The Multiple Benefits of Sitting Still