Meditation For Stress Management

Objectives  To identify and explain the difference between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system  To explain the effects of the “Fight or Flight” response on the body and how this response is often falsely triggered in our modern world  To learn and practice four meditational techniques to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and reduce the effects of negative stress in our lives

 For most of humanity’s time on earth, humans were hunters and gatherers - Mobile - Searching for food

 When danger occurred, the automatic response in the nervous system was activated - Today, this response is known as the “Fight or Flight” response

The “Fight or Flight” response ensures that energy is mobilized quickly in order to survive a dangerous encounter

It includes: Putting the body on alert The release of stress hormones in the adrenal cortex A rapid heart beat Rapid breathing And larger muscles receiving more oxygenated blood

It is a really important adaptation in the body to maximize the chances of survival in a dangerous situation

But what happens if the “Fight or Flight” response is triggered too frequently and in situations that are not really dangerous as often happens in our modern world?

Then what was adaptive becomes maladaptive and negative stress results

In other words, sometimes the “Fight or Flight” response is triggered not because of real danger to the individual’s survival but as a kind of false alarm

When a false alarm happens too frequently, the body experiences  Tense muscles and no outlet for that tension - Soreness in the neck and shoulders - Headaches - Nausea  Anxiety  Depression  Fatigue

But there is an antidote - There is an alternative to the “Fight or Flight” response - A person can actually slow her heart rate and slow her breathing

The Parasympathetic Nervous System:  Is part of the automatic nervous system too - It is sometimes called the “Rest and Digest” system - It slows the heart rate - It relaxes the body - And it slows many of the body’s high energy functions

And the good news is that through a regular meditation practice, a person can activate the parasympathetic nervous system to ensure that every day a little rest and relaxation occurs

Meditation: - Activates the parasympathetic nervous system - Relaxes the body - Slows the heart rate - Slows the breathing rate - Improves circulation - Soothes the nerves

And you don’t have to become an ascetic Sadhu to reap the benefits

You can just be the way you are but a little bit more relaxed

So, what is meditation? - Meditation is a practice of training the mind to not cling to thoughts and worries but rather to let thoughts and worries pass - In order to transform the mind during a meditation session, the individual can use a variety of techniques

Today, we will learn four different meditational techniques: 1. Mantra Meditation 2. Concentration Practice 3. Mindfulness 4. Autogenic Training

We will first learn the directions for all four of the techniques and then we will practice each technique for ten minutes - And don’t worry: I will repeat the directions again before we practice

Mantra Meditation:  Sit in a comfortable position but with an erect spine – not rigid but erect – a noble posture  Repeat a word or phrase  When other thoughts arise, return to the mantra  Stay with the mantra until the meditation has ended

The mind will wander - It is the nature of mind to wander - Think of the mind as walking with a toddler - You want the toddler to walk on the sidewalk but the toddler is attracted by every new and shiny object - The toddler wanders off the sidewalk - And you patiently return the toddler to the sidewalk again and again

Gently bring your mind back to the mantra

Concentration Practice:  Sit in a comfortable position but with an erect spine – not rigid but erect – a noble posture  Focus on your breathing  You will be counting to ten and then repeating the count  But with every exhalation, you will say a different number  For example, breathe in, breathe out – think 1 and then repeat for 2 and 3 until you have reached 10  Then start at 1 again

A word about eyes: - Eyes may be closed - But if you prefer the eyes to be open, then eyes should be semi-open and looking a few feet in front of you

 If you lose your count, don’t worry  Simply return to 1 and start all over again

Mindfulness:  Sit in a comfortable position but with an erect spine – not rigid but erect – a noble posture  Sit quietly for a few moments  Then focus lightly on your breathing  Focus on the point where air enters your nostrils or on the belly as it rises and falls with each inhalation and exhalation  When thoughts arise, notice them like passersby on the street – not clinging but noticing  Return to the breath

 Thoughts will come  Thoughts will go  You will notice them  But you will not follow them  Instead you will return to the breath

Autogenic Training:  Sit in a comfortable position but with an erect spine – not rigid but erect – a noble posture  Notice how your body feels  Notice where the tension resides  Then focus on your hands  Repeat silently "My hands are warm and heavy”  While it is possible to focus on each of the different parts of the body and repeat this phrase six times for each part, we will only focus on the hands  We will repeat “My hands are warm and heavy”

- This technique was discovered when it was realized that in a deeply relaxed person, the body felt warm and heavy - Thus, by repeating the phrase “warm and heavy” and focusing on a body part, the mind is lulled into a deeply relaxed state

- But before we actually practice, I will share a few thoughts about our District’s goals for all learners and how we might apply some of the benefits and lessons learned from meditation to improve the learning environment for all learners

- First, what we cannot teach  The meditational techniques to our students  Although we are practicing the techniques in a secular fashion, three of the four techniques originally derived from religious practices Mantra – Hinduism [Bhakti or Devotional] Concentration – Mahayana Buddhism, Zen in particular Mindfulness – Theravada Buddhism

- In Engel v. Vitale, the Supreme Court ruled that prayer in public schools is a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment  While some may argue that secular meditation is not prayer and that secular meditation is only a vehicle for relaxation, the First Amendment rights of all students must be respected

- So, we cannot teach these techniques even though secular  Yet what we learn through meditation does apply to our District’s goals Rigor Engagement Responsibility

 Meditation teaches us that - There is no such thing as a mistake - Rather what is often perceived as a mistake is part of the learning process - A mistake is really just a stepping stone to success

 When we meditate, the mind wanders  It’s not bad that the mind wanders  That’s what minds do So, when we notice the mind wandering, we bring the attention back again

 This lesson really helps with engagement  Even the most focused learners, sometimes daydream  By encouraging our students to take responsibility, we encourage them to notice when they are not engaged  And remind them that instead of criticizing themselves, they just need to bring their attention back to the task

 Well, you get the point  When we meditate, we learn to gently return our attention again and again We take responsibility for ourselves We learn patience We are engaged We learn to stop negatively judging ourselves We learn that learning is never a straight line but always a circuitous route

 Oh, and as a final benefit, if we are more relaxed, our students will be more relaxed A relaxed attitude is always contagious Yes, keep calm and watch calm grow

- Now, we will practice each one of the following techniques for ten minutes 1. Mantra Meditation 2. Concentration Practice 3. Mindfulness 4. Autogenic Training

- Exit Reflection  Which practice induced the greatest state of relaxation?  Which practice was difficult?  What would you like to learn more about?  How has this workshop affected your point of view?