Without doubt we all have experienced
stress in our working life. When I was training to be a teacher at
the University of Sheffield, and we were taught some very basic
Alexander technique and meditation skills towards the end of our
course.
What I find interesting moving from a
career in the teaching profession to the software profession, is how
this subject rarely seems to be talked about and addressed. You
might be lucky and have a company where someone on level 10 is
running a meditation or yoga lunchtimes, but many places don't.
I myself have been been surprised that
some close friends (in and out of my profession) don't know the
basics of meditation and it's benefits, so I've felt this a topic
long overdue for discussion on this blog.
What I aim to do here is give a quick
description of meditation, separating the fact from voodoo, and set
out a basic exercise for you to try if you've never experienced it
before.
Stress – a very modern problem
I have a remarkable memory, except when
I'm stressed, when my brain becomes a leaking sieve. Why?
When I'm stressed there tends to be a
lot going on, a lot of things I'm supposed to keep my eye on the ball
with. I might be worried about someone in my family, we have a
deadline, things in my personal or professional life is going through
a tough time. Hey – this is life, stuff happens and stuff builds
up.
The problem is, with so much to worry,
this worry forms thoughts that circle and circle around your head
like sharks, forever distracting us. We can't concentrate or even
sleep, because we can see their fins as they circle around our mental
raft. We can't help it, it's a subconscious thing – the more we
try not to think about the sharks out there we're seeing the more
aware we are of them.
So meditation?
This is where meditation comes in.
Basically meditation helps us to banish these worries and stresses
not by trying to send them away, but diverting our attention to
something else.
Have you at any time reading this blog
thought about the breaths you've been taking? Of course not,
breathing is a subconscious function – it happens without us
thinking about it, which is why we don't suffocate when we go to
sleep (which is pretty handy).
All meditation works by shifting our
conscious focus to our breathing, and by doing this, all these other
things get blurred. Once you start to think about your breathing,
you find it's hard to pull your consciousness away from it. Even now
you're so much more self-aware of each breath you've taken since I've
mentioned – possibly to the point when if you're distracted by a
spelling mistake it almost feels like you're forgetting to breath.
So please right now … remember to breath.
In a nutshell it's really that simple –
focus on breathing. But by giving ourself time to shift the focus
and banish these stresses (even for a little while) it can calm us
enough to focus our minds outside of meditation, or just feel more
settled to be able to sleep.
A basic exercise
Okay – willing to give this a go? I
have come up with a very basic exercise here, you'll need to memorise
it, and give it a try – if it works for you once, return to it
another day, and keep practising.
First of all, try to find somewhere
comfortable – many find lying down helpful, buy an armchair will do
just fine, and try to be somewhere where you'll feel warm, quiet, and
where you'll not likely be distracted. You need to give this your
full attention, so obviously don't try whilst driving or using any
equipment (safety briefing over).
Are you comfortable? Then we'll begin
…
First of all you need to just just
start by focusing on your breathing. Breath in through your nose and
out through your mouth. Just keep doing this for a while. Feel the
rhythm of your breath, and try to breath deeply from the bottom of
your diaphragm. Each breath should, feel slower, slower than the
last. There should feel no urgency, you may even feel your own heart
beating as a rhythm as each breath seems to last longer, and you feel
your body relaxing.
With your eyes closed I want you to
take a breath in and visualise the number 10 in your mind as you
breath out. This isn't a race, let the breath flow softly and
naturally. When you reach the end of it, take another breath and
visualise 9 as you breath out. Keep this going, in through the nose,
out through the mouth. Slow and deliberate with every breath. 8.
Feel each breath longer than the last. 7. Your body feeling the
stress and tension exit with every exhale. 6. Your body should feel
relaxed, but somewhat heavier now. 5. It all feels comfortable, you
feel at peace with each exhale. 4. You are almost there, where you
need to be. 3. Continue to breath, feel the movement, ebbing and
flowing like waves lapping a beach. 2. Imagine you're on a beach
looking at these slow waves of breath coming in. 1. You are there,
sitting on the beach, the waves slowly lapping on the shore with each
breath you take. Watch them come in and feel and anticipate each
wave. You feel quite comfortable where you are, there's no need or
desire to be anywhere else. Just to breath in and out, and watch
each wave as they comes in. Feel the rhythm, feel it slow and
natural, hear in your mind the gentle rumble of each wave in unison
with your breath.
When you are ready to leave though.
Count the numbers back visualising each in turn. 1, 2, 3. As your
body starts to feel awake. 4, 5, 6. You feel yourself shifting
now, becoming more aware of the room around you. 7, 8, 9. You are
almost back, you're thinking less and less of your breathing, and
more about the details in the room around you. 10. Welcome back.
Hope you enjoyed.
How was it for you?
You might have found that didn't quite
work for you – maybe you couldn't get comfortable, or were
distracted during it. Even basic meditation can take a few goes, but
please give it another try out. Maybe try some soft music and
pleasant candle smells to help you relax. Lavender is a good smell
for relaxation.
If you found that worked for you, welcome to the world of meditation. Keep trying the exercise, try and get comfortable with what happens, and try experimenting with it. Maybe look up some other exercises on the internet. Instead of a beach, maybe think about your favourite place in the world, and imagine you are there. The possibilities are endless!
Remember, you don't have to be a hippy
or a spiritual shaman to try this and get the benefits of it. If it
works for you, pass it on. I believe it's the vital piece of an
office workers toolkit to have this. On important or big days at
work, find a few minutes before a big presentation or meeting to do
this to calm yourself – it can work wonders.
Happy stress busting everyone!
