 MEDITATION & STRESS RELIEF
By Jay Lamb of the Pranachi School of Meditation
We all know what stress feels like, but how many of us really understand it?
What actually is stress? Understanding is always the first step toward solving any
problem.
The body’s job is to respond appropriately to thoughts coming from
the mind; “pick up the teapot” results in just that. In order to operate
effectively and efficiently, the body is designed to take action on only one, focused,
clear thought at a time. When we have a multitude of chaotic thoughts rushing through the
mind, the body becomes overloaded, attempting to respond to the many conflicting messages.
Chaos in the mind creates chaos in the body, and chaos creates stress.
The mind is designed to assess and compare everything we encounter in
life so we know how to properly respond to it. If there is food, the mind will recognize
it, and we eat. If danger is present, we know to run or fight. Unfortunately though,
rather than clearly perceiving reality, the mind tends to see things from a distorted
perspective. It colors everything we encounter with thoughts and emotions remembered from
past, similar experiences. As an adult, I may be led to believe that all big, black dogs
are dangerous, because of an unfortunate experience I had with one when I was five years
old. The dog I am encountering right now could be the biggest mushball in town, but not to
me, not to my mind’s distorted perception. The mind has me fearful and stressed about
a memory that has little or nothing to do with what’s happening right now. Fear,
anger, jealousy, pride, etc., are taken from the past and applied to our present
experience. Most of our stress is nothing more than a habitual reaction to a memory.
We can begin to see that most stress is created in the mind.
Trying desperately to juggle outside circumstances in our life can only
have limited positive effects; the conditioned mind is the problem we must address.
But how do we deal with this mind, so crazed and mis-adventurous? If
you were caught up in a battle, bruised, tired and sore, yearning to somehow restore
peace, what would be your best approach? First, you can’t see much of the big picture
from the front lines, so pull back, find a vantage point away from the chaos, rest and
have a look at what the heck’s going on! Sitting peacefully on a hill, things look
different. It’s not difficult to see who’s doing what and why. Taking a break
feels good and the insights gained will help you decide on a clear course of action. From
the front lines, staying alive is the most you can hope to accomplish. From your detached
vantage point, things seem workable.
If we consider the chaotic mind to be the battleground in the above
scenario, meditation is the peaceful sitting on the hill. Meditation is a technique that
allows us to unhook from all the chatter in the mind. It is a method of impartially
observing the chaos in the mind from a detached, clear, quiet place. We rest and
rejuvenate. And we begin to see the various circumstances of our lives with greater
clarity, free from the stress creating illusions of the mind. We see reality, and the
mind’s distorted versions of it, as separate and distinct. With this understanding,
we are in a position to make new choices. We are becoming clear and aware, which slowly
dispels all of the mind’s imagined stories, (like the one about my “suspicious
looking” husband or my boss who is “definitely out to get me”, etc., etc.)
Meditation begins to re-establish our proper relationship to the mind.
We were given the mind to use in a comfortable, controllable way- like an arm or a foot;
but the mind is controlling us much of the time; we are marionettes dancing to it’s
whims. Over time, meditation begins to settle and clear our thinking and emotions. Peace
and vitality re-emerge. Creativity is heightened. Enjoyment enlivened.
Meditation helps, a lot. It is a steady, consistent awakening. The
practice is easy to learn and simple to do when properly understood. No special talents or
beliefs are required. Meditation is the other doorway, the friendlier path.
Jay Roma Lamb owns & operates Pranachi School of
Meditation. |
