For years I wondered how to meditate. I had always heard it might be good for me. I had friends who tried it and loved it. But I could never sit still long enough to feel like I was getting somewhere. Was I "getting somewhere?" Wasn't the point "not to get somewhere?" That's when I decided to take a 30 minute meditation class once a week. And let me tell you, it was life changing. Or I should say, life affirming. I realized it wasn't about forcing my brain to empty itself of thinking, or to be hard on myself because "I wasn't doing it right;" but rather, to be present with myself and my breath, no matter what thoughts arose. This very act in and of itself is one of self-care. A notion that our hectic lifestyles often forget. That is what meditation is all about. 

 

My hope is that my patients, family, and friends can also benefit from meditation. Sometimes the most challenging thing in life is to thrown your hat in the ring, so to speak. I am a firm believer in trying things. Just once. You never know how it may change your life for the better! 

 

And so much research on the positive effects of meditation is currently underway. So many respectable clinical studies have shown meditation to be excellent for stress reduction, to support healthy learning, memory strengthening, and serotonin boosting. 

 

Here are a few helpful articles that may help spark your interest. If you are interested in where to find meditation classes in our area, please feel free to ask me.

 

http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/12/11/harvard-study-unveils-what-meditation-literally-does-to-the-brain/

 

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/mental-downtime/

 

http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/01/should-schools-teach-kids-to-meditate/283229/