Meditate to reduce stresses
If we can agree on one thing, it’s that the holiday season is especially stressful. It’s not just about the crush of shopping, decorating, cooking and travelling, but the whirl of emotions about getting together with friends and family, some of whom may disagree with you on matters more weighty than whose holiday sweater is ugliest. It may feel like the year to spike the eggnog.
But better yet, it may be the year to try meditation.
We spoke to Tara Brach, a psychologist, teacher and founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, D.C., about how mindfulness and meditation can help you cope with this special brand of holiday stress.
Q How can meditation help with stress, holiday-related and otherwise?
A There’s a real power to just pausing. Meditation helps us to get out of our thoughts about the future and really be in the present moment. It helps us gain the capacity to relax, to connect with what is going on right here and right now, to connect with other people, to reaccess our resourcefulness, our clarity and our ability to focus and keep an open heart.
Q What do you say to doubters?
A The resistance is typically “I will never have the time for 45 minutes a day.” But you don’t have to do that. You are just going to start with three minutes each day. Just come into stillness. Have your intention be to relax with the breath. That will begin to set in motion a habit that will start to train the mind.
Q Can you offer some motivation to give it a try?
A Start by saying to yourself, “OK, I am going to sit still each day.” Find a comfortable way of sitting. First scan through the body and relax obvious areas of tension like the shoulders. Place your hand on your belly as a way of focusing attention and finding breath. Then when the mind wanders you just say, “OK, come back.” Gently, with no judgment.
Q Do I need to do a full meditation — go to a class, listen to a recording — to get into this frame of mind?
A No. You can just do it at the dinner table. Take an internal time out. Feel your breath, offer a message to yourself that is comforting and kind and take three cleansing breaths.
Q Tell us about these breaths. A Take three deep breaths and with each out breath, slowly let go. With the first out breath, you are releasing worries, plans, mental tensions.
With the second out breath, you are releasing physical tightness and tension.
With the third out breath, you are releasing difficult emotions.