Let’s Talk About Meditation
Nobody said parenting was going to be easy.
Okay, okay....cool your jets before you get yourself all fired up.
We are not talking about moving to India and joining a monastery or joining a hippie commune. I'm talking about the jazzy new trend of "mindfulness". I'm talking about "quieting" your "Monkey Mind". I'm talking about keeping your shit together.
We all have something called the Monkey Mind.
Here is a visualization of our Monkey Mind: think of your thoughts as branches. Humans have roughly over 50,000 thoughts a day. The "Monkey" jumps from branch, to branch, to branch. Causing our attention to jump, from thought, to thought, to thought.
Lucky for us (those of us that want to do something about it) we can tame that filthy little monkey through meditation.
Contrary to popular belief, we don't have to lite a candle, burn some incense and sit Indian Style (or cross-cross-applesauce for the younger generation). We don't have to listen to Yoga music in the dark.
Thank goodness.
Meditation can be as easy as just "focusing" on one thing for a period of time. Meditation can simply start as 1:00 minute of focused thought. As time goes on, it can lead to 2:00 minutes. With a boat-load of practice it can lead to 15:00-20:00 minutes.
Through the miracle of modern technology, we have (only recently) been able to actually "SEE" the effects of meditation on the brain.
Among the physiological changes that happen to our most important organ:
Increased Grey Matter in the following key areas
• Anterior Cingulate Cortex: Increased grey matter changes were noted in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which is a structure located behind the brain’s frontal lobe. It has been associated with such functions as self-regulatory processes, including the ability to monitor attention conflicts, and allow for more cognitive flexibility.
• Prefrontal Cortex: Increased grey matter density was also found in areas of the prefrontal lobe, which are primarily responsible for executive functioning such as planning, problem solving, and emotion regulation.
• Hippocampus: Increased cortical thickness in the hippocampus has also been noted. The hippocampus is the part of the limbic system that governs learning and memory, and is extraordinarily susceptible to stress and stress-related disorders like depression or PTSD.
So, if we want to increase our ability to think "outside the box." If we want to find a way to stay more calm. If we want to keep our cool. Meditation is the way to go!
Meditation increases Grey Matter in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex, Prefrontal Cortex and Hippocampus.
Here's a tip:
Use the "Insight App" on your phone. (It is free and has thousands of Guided Meditations, music, a timer.)
Set your timer for 3:00 minutes.
Simply focus on your breath.
Thoughts WILL continue to come into your conscious mind - acknowledge the thought and go back to your breath.
Before you know it, your timer lets you know you have completed 3:00 minutes.
Easy as that.
Now, there are different ways to meditate. There is Transcendental Meditation (repeating a mantra over and over), Box Breathing (5 count inhale - 6 count hold - 7 count exhale). Or simply focusing on one specific thing (sound, the clouds, your heartbeat).
There really is no WRONG WAY to do it.
Give it a test drive. I don't think you will be disappointed.