Meditation: steps to inner calm

Written by Esme McAvoy, health journalist

If stress and frustration are part of your everyday life, there's much you can do to master your thoughts. Find out how meditation can help, plus there are exercises for you to try.

Buddhist teachings often describe the mind as a monkey: hyperactive, out of control and in need of some discipline.

And in our hectic modern lives, it's easy to blame other people or our situation when we feel low or angry, without first looking at what's going on inside our heads.

Gaining some kind of mastery over the mind isn't just for Buddhists. There are simple techniques to calm the inner chatter that everyone can learn.

Why does the mind race?

'It's the natural tendency of our minds to continually seek out sensation,' says Dharma Vajra, meditation teacher at the Brighton Buddhist Centre.

'The mind continually gets bored with what it's seeing, hearing, tasting, and so looks for new things to be engaged with.

'It has a tendency to race around, jumping from one idea to another, giving itself no time to consider anything fully.

'This means we can live in a state of constant distraction.'

Try this

• Sit down somewhere quiet and set an alarm for one minute's time.
• Close your eyes and just relax.
• When the minute is up, open your eyes and write down every thought that popped into your head during that time.
• This is a good way to see just how much inner chatter is going on in your mind. How many items did you stay with for more than a couple of seconds?

Meditation

Meditation is one of the best ways to calm the mind - and the good news is that anyone can do it.

'Meditation is essentially sitting still,' says Dharma Vajra. He says a number of approaches have come out of the different countries where Buddhism has spread.

'But at a very basic level, it's about simply stopping your daily life, sitting down and just being with yourself.'

And if you think you're too easily distracted to meditate, think again.

'The idea behind meditating is not that we're seeking to have perfect meditations, like an Olympic gymnast going for a perfect 10,' says Bodhipaksa, a meditation teacher from Scotland.

Instead, Bodhipaksa suggests approaching meditation as a workout for the mind.

Try this

Most Buddhist meditation classes introduce the concept of 'mindfulness of breathing'. The idea is to calm the mind by bringing awareness to the breath.

• Sit in a quiet room.
• Focus moment by moment on the inhale and exhale. Observe it as it is, without forcing or trying to lengthen or slow the breath.

'At first, you will only be able to keep attention on your breath for a few seconds at a time before your mind wanders off, ' says Dharma Vajra.

'Every time you notice this has happened, you simply bring your awareness back to the breath, without judging yourself or getting angry and frustrated.'

Part of this process involves learning to accept things as they are without trying to change them.

'Don't struggle to sit for long periods of time - even sitting for five minutes a day can be enough to feel the benefits.'

Mindfulness in everyday life

Chances are, as you're reading this, you're doing something else too - whether it's eating, drinking or thinking about what you'll be doing later.

We spend much of our time dwelling on the past or anticipating the future. Mindfulness in meditation can help you focus on the now.

And psychologists are increasingly seeing the benefits of meditation in easing disorders like depression and anxiety. The Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice at Bangor University funds research into meditation.

'The research being done at Bangor is looking into the medical benefits of meditation, shorn from any religious beliefs or Buddhist philosophy,' says Martin Wilks, a chartered counselling psychologist who uses mindfulness practices with his clients.

Steps to inner calm

Try the ideas and exercises below to bring some calm into your life.

1. Single-task: rushing about and multi-tasking might work for short periods of time, but it usually means we end up doing nothing properly. Instead, focus on the task in hand and do it carefully. This keeps you in the present and makes the job more satisfying.
2. Wake up earlier: roll out of bed and sit on the floor, with your back straight and relaxed. Close your eyes and tune in to your breath for a few minutes. 'A daily practice can work as an early warning system, insulating you from challenging and stressful situations,' says psychologist Martin Wilks.
3. Eat mindfully: see each meal time as something to enjoy. 'Try eating breakfast without reading,' says Bodhipaksa. 'See what it's like when you really pay attention to the food you're eating. When you notice your mind wandering, bring it back to the experience of eating.'
4. Cut down your to-do list: stick to three things and tackle those first, then enjoy a few seconds of doing nothing. 'Too often we have a sense that the current moment is not acceptable. We look around and see other things that "need" doing, but these constant tweaks are distractions that stop us accepting where we are right at that moment,' says psychologist Martin Wilks.
5. Be creative: a creative or active hobby will help you switch off from work. 'When I worked in a very stressful job, I found sculpture was a useful way to deal with my obsessive tendencies,' says Bodhipaksa. 'Instead of spending my time worrying about a presentation the next day, I would play around with how I was going to cast a certain piece.'
6. Pace yourself: don't try to change everything at once. Instead, make small changes one step at a time, and see how each change gives you the confidence to make another.

Meditation exercises for busy people

Scan your body

• Sit or lie down in a comfortable position with your back straight.
• Close your eyes and focus on your breathing.
• Gradually bring your awareness to each part of the body in turn.
• Work through the whole body, part by part.

'With depression, there can be a tendency for people to ruminate on negative thoughts, going over and over them in the mind,' says psychologist Martin Wilks.

'A scan like this can be a great way to get out of your head and back in touch with your body.'

Centre your breathing

• Sit in a relaxed position.
• Breathe deeply and slowly into your abdomen for two or three minutes.
• Do this exercise several times a day.

'If your mind wanders, just gently bring it back to your breathing,' says Bodhipaksa.

'There is a natural phase of relaxation that takes place every time you exhale.

'By paying attention to this phase of relaxation you encourage your body to relax more deeply, and this in turn has a calming effect on your mind.'

Meditate while you walk

Go for a mindful walk in your lunch hour.

• Pay attention to each part of your body, from the wind on your face and hair to how your arms and shoulders are moving.
• Work down to the feet and feel each footfall.
• Each time your mind wanders off to what needs doing next, bring it back to the present and where you are now.

'The aim is to pay attention to the changing sensations in the body,' says Bodhipaksa.

'When we put our attention more into the body, the mind tends to become naturally quieter.'

Further information

• Bangor University (www.bangor.ac.uk/mindfulness) offers eight-week courses and shorter sessions in mindfulness techniques.
• The Friends of the Western Buddhist Order is an international network of Buddhist centres. Visit www.fwbo.org to find meditation classes near you.

Last updated 03.11.2008