Daily meditative practice

{This is part of my Adrenal Fatigue series. To read it from the beginning, go here instead.}

When we’re under stress, the mind puts in a good bit of overtime. If you think back to the last time you faced a difficult problem, you might also remember experiencing non-stop mind chatter. Racing thoughts that are hard to control is a common symptom of an overworked mind. Especially at night, fears and worries seem to flow uncontrollably, no matter how hard we try to turn them off.

Many people are able to connect physical symptoms to times of stress, too. It’s common to notice a connection between a specific event and when a physical symptom began. Not all of us pay attention, but the body drops hints all the time. Knowing this, we can train ourselves to start listening to these clues and figuring them out. As I’ve described about my own adrenal journey, that’s the point when my healing truly began, too.

Mind Body Connection

Understanding the mind and body connection is more than just interesting –it’s life changing. By recognizing the effects of the mind on the human body, we can actually begin to change ourselves. Quieting the mind is a way to produce real and lasting changes in the body. In a noisy world, this quiet can be elusive. But, as you’ll read next, quiet is not impossible to find.

One proven way to quiet the mind (thus the body) is through meditation. Meditation has nothing to do with practicing yoga, nor is it a religious practice that competes with any of your personal beliefs. What it actually is, is the practice of clearing the mind from thoughts, providing a period of rest and respite to the body at the same time. Considering all the stresses we place on our adrenal glands, this is a practice definitely worth considering for healing to occur.

Daily Meditative Practice

When I ask my clients if they meditate, they’ll often tell me they relax with some television, spend time in prayer, take a hot bath, or some similar form of self-care. While those things may be valuable, they aren’t the same as the mind clearing that is required to make lasting changes in the human body.

The truth is that most people in the western world know nothing about meditation. Yet thousands of years of history plus much scientific evidence make its benefits too powerful to ignore. Meditation has been proven to help with immunity, inflammation, digestion, and many common health issues and dis-ease. If more of us incorporated meditation into our daily lives, the impact on ourselves, not to mention the world, would be truly astonishing.

What I Do

There are different ways to meditate, and I recommend finding a practice you like and sticking with it. Ideally, meditation would be done daily, even twice a day, until you begin noticing changes in mood, behavior or physical symptoms. Once you notice benefits, continue the practice daily. Meditation improves and deepens over time, so it’s important to keep going, making it an integral part of your daily life.

I personally enjoy listening to guided meditations spoken by people I admire or voices I find particularly gentle or soothing. Though I prefer being outside, for practical reasons I usually meditate indoors  in a private space in my home (or occasionally in my car) when I know I will not be interrupted. I use ear buds to hear only the voice or music I am listening to, but you can meditate with no sound at all if you prefer.

Searching Youtube is a great way to find pleasing meditations. So is visiting the web sites of those you enjoy listening to, and learning about downloads or CDs that will deepen your meditations even further. If guided meditations seem too distracting, you’ll also find pleasing tones, chanting and music on Youtube, as well.

Woo Woo Disclaimer

It’s natural to be skeptical of things that are new or not entirely mainstream. So, if this all sounds nutty to you, know you’re not alone in wondering if meditation is some type of quackery or hippie fad. I assure you, however, the benefits and effects of meditation have been proven over and over with modern scientific research. For starters, check this NIH article by the US Department of Health and Human Services for a small glimpse at what is known about the effectiveness of meditation on human health. Begin talking to others, and you’ll be surprised how many people you know use meditation for their personal health, too.

Let me know how I can help,

As a coach, writer, recovered over-doer and busyness addict, I understand the challenges of creating a balanced, healthy lifestyle while the mind tries to sabotage your success. In my journey to vibrant health, I created a personalized health system of nutrition and supplementation, lifestyle changes, and I retrained my mind and the energy of my body. I view my success as the formula to my happy, healthy life. I now empower other women to create their own personalized formulas, including the tools and strategies just right for them! Amazing life shifts come from our relationships. I look forward to helping you, too!