Meditation can be done in fewer than five minutes and is beneficial for anyone–and even more valuable for women 50 and above, according to specialists.

“Meditation means different things to different people,” said Barbara Grace Elam, MS, LCPC, wellness coordinator of the stress management program at Southern Illinois University (SIU) in Carbondale, IL. “It can be as simple as ‘quiet time’ or prayer; focusing on the breath; focusing on an inspirational phrase or word; or focusing on a beautiful scene or image.” Mindfulness–heightened awareness concerning one’s body or surroundings–also can be considered a type of meditation, she said.

“We live in a stressful world, in which more and more people take medication for mood management,” said Elam. “Meditation is a natural tranquilizer with no negative side effects on the body.”

When you meditate regularly you begin to see the results in your activity, according to Lissa Coffey, a California-based lifestyle design and relationship expert, broadcast journalist, and author of  What’s Your Dosha, Baby? Discover the Vedic Way for Compatibility in Life and Love. Coffey said meditation makes you more focused and energetic, and that you sleep better and feel better.

Stress relief is a major benefit of meditation, said Coffey. “When we are stressed, the channels that connect mind and body get ‘clogged’ so that they can’t communicate as effectively or efficiently with each other.” She said meditation allows the body’s physiology to relax in such a way that these channels open and information can flow freely. “Meditation helps us to maintain our health,” she asserted.

More Time and Energy

Because women 50 and above are particularly busy with many responsibilities, said Coffey, “Meditation is a great way for them to take care of themselves so that they have the time and energy to handle anything that comes their way. It is a great habit to get into.”

Elam added that meditation can activate improvements in appearance, as stress can make skin break out and also can cause weight gain.

In addition, meditation helps people medically. Santa Barbara, CA-based Jay Winner, M.D., author of Take the Stress Out of Your Life: A Medical Doctor’s Proven Program to Minimize Stress and Maximize Health, said meditation has been shown to be beneficial for a variety of health problems including headaches, high blood pressure, psoriasis, and chronic pain.

“For instance,” he said, “over the course of an approximately 19-year study of people with high blood pressure, people who meditated had a 23% decreased chance of dying” because of lowered blood pressure and reduced risk of stroke. The study is from the American Journal of Cardiology, May 1, 2005, titled “Long-Term Effects of Stress Reduction on Mortality in Persons (greater than or equal to) 55 Years of Age with Systemic Hypertension.”

Dr. Winner said regular meditation is also associated with an increase of activity of an area of the brain associated with well-being, and also with a decrease in the thinning of brain tissue–which tends to occur with aging. “Meditation can help deal with the symptoms of menopause,” he said.

As women age, they tend to be more prone to heart disease, said Elam, who noted “Meditation can be helpful to the cardiovascular system. In the stress response by the body, blood pressure increases, heart rate increases, and blood sugar and insulin increase.” But during the relaxation response, which is induced by meditation, all those physiological responses decrease, she said. 

Quiet Time

In order to meditate, you don’t need any special equipment; just setting time aside regularly will do. Meditation can be done indoors or outside, but a quiet area is the best environment. “Turn off the phone and any nearby electronics, close your eyes,” said Coffey. “If you meditate at the same time and in the same place each day, then as time goes on you will get used to the routine and fall into a meditative state more easily.”

Elam said at the Wellness Center at SIU, staff recommend at least two minutes of focused, deep diaphragmatic breathing several times a day.

“Most people think that meditation is ‘not-thinking,’ or clearing your mind, and when they find that they can’t do that, they get frustrated and give up,” said Coffey. “We can’t stop thinking, so don’t try. Just sit. Just be. Breathe. Sit in silence, and when a thought comes your way, let it drift by like a cloud; let it go.”

Coffey said you can mantra into your consciousness, making a sound like “om” to distract yourself from petty thoughts. Whenever other thoughts come into your mind, guide yourself back to your mantra. “You can also count your breath, either on the inhale or exhale,” Coffey explained. “Count up to five, and back down to one. If a thought interrupts you, start again.”

Dr. Winner said every time you realize that your attention has drifted off, without any judgments bring your attention back to the breath. “If your attention wanders 100 times in ten minutes, patiently bring it back 100 times,” said Dr. Winner. “Additionally, you may then try relaxing one body part at a time from your feet up to your head.”

Silence Sandwich

Coffey suggested meditating twice a day, every day, to “sandwich” the day in silence. She advised it be done first in the morning after waking up, but before breakfast or working out.  “You’ll start the day alert, relaxed, and refreshed,” she said.

The second meditation should be done late in the late afternoon, after work but before dinner. “You’ll alleviate the stress of the day and be relaxed to enjoy the evening and get a good night’s sleep,” she said. For maximum benefit, Coffey suggested striving for 30 minutes each time; however, if you are busy and can only do ten minutes, this is fine too. “The regularity of the practice is the most important factor in seeing results,” she explained.

There are many kinds of meditation. Some that Coffey talked about are walking meditation, nature meditation, and visual meditation.

With the last two you can take a little break from work, and remind yourself of your connection with spirit while sitting right at your computer, said Coffey, noting “The idea is to put your attention on the object of your meditation, and to let all other thoughts drift away.” In your mind in a nature meditation, “you can sit under a tree, walk barefoot on the grass, use your senses to experience the present moment, the sound of the birds, the feel of the breeze, the smell of the flowers, the taste of the fresh air, the beauty all around,” Coffey said.

She noted that meditation does not have to take a lot of time. “You can meditate by focusing on the breath and being present as you’re waiting at a stoplight, in line at the grocery store, or waiting in a doctor’s office,” Coffey said.

Dr. Winner agreed. “Meditations as short as six minutes can help decrease your stress,” he said. “The decrease in your stress level and ease of practice will likely convince you to make meditation a regular part of your day.”

In addition to being a relaxation exercise, practicing meditation daily can teach you to be more “present” and less distracted during the day, said Dr. Winner. “So even when you don’t have six minutes free, your meditation has taught you to quickly let go of distractions and enjoy the current breath, bite of food, or footstep.” 

Regular meditation can improve your physical health and your emotional well-being, as you learn to enjoy each moment of the day to its fullest.

–Jennifer Nunez

Resources:

• Academy for Guided Imagery: http://www.academyforguidedimagery.com/whatisguidedimagery/page25/page26/page34/page34.html
• American Journal of Cardiology: http://www.ajconline.org/
• Lissa Coffey: http://www.coffeytalk.com
• Barbara Grace Elam: http://shc.siuc.edu/wellness%20pages/wellness_home.htm
• Dr. Jay Winner: http://www.sansumclinic.org/site.asp?s=9&actapp=8b&id=2DA9FDBFE52C4B059593D4E5AEF7A77A&innerid=430581B7301C401FA688D77A041EE39D