Fara Kearnes

Meditation and the Brain: Training the Mind to be Still

Buddhists monks are never in a funk. They enjoy simple lives free from desire. But studies have shown theres more to their contentment than just positive mental attitude and thinking happy thoughts. Scientists now believe that, through meditation, monks have re-wired their brains to live without stress. This astounding discovery of how the mind can be transformed was accompanied by hard evidence: a meditating monk who was hooked up to a brain scan knocked the happy needle right off the chart. What is it about meditation, such a vital part of a monks daily routine, that creates such dynamic results? And by adopting a daily ritual of meditation ourselves, if even for a few minutes, can we really alter our own brains to make our lives more joyful and less stressful? Practitioners of meditation have spoken positively of training the mind to be still, thereby eliminating suffering and other negative emotions. The Buddhists call the process Bhavana which means mental cultivation. Advanced practitioners enjoy the life-long benefits cultivated from improved mental awareness, and the peace and focus that meditation brings about. It may be thought of as a type of relaxation, but remember it is not the same as sleep; meditation that brings even a momentary stillness to the conscious brain reduces stress on the mind as well as the body. When meditation dissolves away the mental irritantssuch as anger, jealousy, and greedthe mind is then engaged to pursue the meaningful objectives of enhanced concentration and insight. And that leads to a happier, more fulfilling life. Ancient skills to battle modern stress Meditation has been around for at least 5,000 years according to the tantras or scriptures found in India, and it was around 500 B.C. that Siddhartha Gautama achieved enlightenment as a Buddha through meditation and spread the practice throughout Asia as part of his teachings. Since those ancient times, the techniques have been handed down through a line of spiritual directors. Lineage is highly regarded in meditation and beginners are advised to get proper instruction and not to try to teach themselves. Different types of meditation While there are many forms of meditation, such as standing, or sitting in a chair, or walking a labyrinth, the two most widely recognized types are adopted from Buddhism, and involve simply sitting quietly on the floor in the Lotus position. And though these two seem to be opposing practices, they have the same goals of awareness, peace, and clarity: Concentrative meditation focuses on a specific object it can be breathing, or a sound, a repeated word or mantra, or an item such as a candle while blocking out the distractions of ones surroundings as well as the chatter of random thoughts that usual

occupy an unquiet mind. The objective of Samantha Bhavana is focusing on one thing until you rid your mind of all worry and experience a high degree of tranquility. Mindfulness meditation focuses on the ordinary experiences of the present and allowing a free flow of sensations, sounds, smells, feelings, memories, and so on, to pass through your mind without reacting to them, or becoming interpretive or judgmental. This is not thinking or reflection; mindfulness is simply to be extraordinarily attentive. The goal of Vipassana meditation (also called insightful meditation) is to fully open ones mind in order to get a deeper understanding of the nature of experiences such as self-awareness, pain, suffering, and neediness.

A commercialized form of meditation that came to popularity in the 1960s is Transcendental Meditation, or TM, which was adapted from the Vedic tradition in India. Developed by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and made famous by the Beatles, TM involves the repetition of a secret mantra or word, usually the name of a Hindu god assigned to the student (at a cost of up to $400) to achieve a trance-induced state of relaxation. Many of the superior claims of TM such as the ability to levitate have been dismissed by critics and ex-TM practitioners. Exploring the mysteries of meditation Buddhist monks flush away destructive emotions through rigorous and daily contemplative meditation. But can such states of happiness and well-being be achieved by the rest of us? The Dalai Lama thought so and invited western scientists to journey to his home at Dharamsala, India, in 2000 and challenged them to put monks through a series of tests. There is almost a scientific-like attitude that is exemplified by Buddhist practitioners in investigating their own mind, said Richard Davidson, a neuroscientist at the University of Wisconsin, who conducted the study at the Dalai Lamas behest. Their mind is the landscape of their own experimentation, if you will. While one monk, Matthieu Ricard, meditated on compassion, he was analyzed by an electroencephalograph (EEG) and a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner. Happiness shows up as increased activity on the left side of the brain near the front of the cortex, while anxiety and sadness are pronounced on the right side. As his brain was scanned, the monk produced positive emotions that were off the charts. Davidson found the results to be tantalizing evidence that these [meditative] practices may indeed be promoting beneficial changes in the brain. What we found is that the longtime practitioners showed brain activity on a scale we have never seen before, Davidson said, observing the surge in gamma waves in Ricards brain. Gamma waves are linked to concentration and memory. The wiring in our brains is not fixed. Who we are today is not necessarily who we have to end up being. Since the byproduct of meditation is relaxation, it affects the body as well as the mind. In addition to increased brain activity and stress reduction, other scientific studies have shown that meditation can improve blood pressure, heart rate, respiration, and the immune system, and has even relieved chronic pain and migraines in some cases. You can change your mind by

changing your brain and thoughts, Davidson said. You can intentionally cultivate positive emotions and transform how you react to events in your life. Negative effects of meditation Meditation is good medicine, except when it isnt. Unfortunately, the practice is not safe for everyone; there are contraindications for people who have a history of mental illness, psychosis, epilepsy or hypochondria. For most people, meditation is a deterrent to depression, but it has been found that the practice can actually make certain conditions worse in patients with mental problems, as it can trigger a number of biochemical and physical responses in the body. Find a quiet place to cultivate a deep sense of well-being Like yoga, you can do meditation without connection to any form of religion. You would be wise, however, to get proper instruction from an experienced teacher in order to learn the phases of entering meditation, proper posture, and how to relax the body. Just keep in mind that meditation should be done daily, preferably at the same time, and in a quiet spot on your porch, in your bedroom, or wherever you have a peaceful place where you wont be disturbed. The early morning is the best time for most people but if youre an evening person, thats fine too. The length of time you meditate is up to you, but most people average about 15 to 20 minutes. Meditation is done in a seated lotus position. Your spine should be straight, using a comfortable, poised posture. As you sit on the floor with your back straight, place your left heel on your right thigh, high up and close to the groin; then place your right heel on your left thigh, close to your left groin. Your gaze should be kept at a medium level, though some practices allow for closing the eyes. Your hands are either resting on the knees or folded upturned in the lap with thumbs tips touching. As you calm yourself with a few deep breaths, focus your mind on your body and instruct it to relax, releasing tension from you muscles, from your head to toes. Next, relax you mind. The focus of your mind on will depend on the type of meditation youll be doing. Pursuing an open mind The Buddha said: Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what holds you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom. The lessons learned from ones own mind during many years of meditation, leads to a deeper compassion for others and an understanding of the preciousness of life. Transforming your mind wont happen over night, or over a summer. Meditation takes years of practice to achieve understanding, as well as the mental and physical benefits mentioned here. As you work daily to train your mind to be still, the results will likely be subtle, imperceptible. Dont expect too much too soon. Awareness will come about gradually; just as the body responds to physical training, the brain responds to meditation. In both cases, the results will depend on how much effort you put into it.