Week 4
So Far
We've learnt that meditation is:
- Relaxing the mind
- and calming the body
And that we do this by:
- Paying close attention to our sense
We've also learnt that in order to meditate:
- We focus on one thing
- And give space in our mind for everything else to float by in the background.
Relaxation and the body
Despite its mystical connotations meditation is solidly based on relaxation of the body.
If you don't relax your body meditation remains a head trip and nothing much happens.
Paradoxically, the fastest way to relax is to notice how tense you are. In this way awareness acts as a biofeedback mechanism telling you where you're tense and what to do about it. If you are not conscious of tension it may disrupt health, hamper performance etc.
Stress and relaxation can seem like purely mental states, but there is an important physical aspect to stress; the sympathetic and parasympathetic responses of the central nervous system.
Stress is actually a manifestation of the fight or flight response, in which the body amps up the supplies of adrenaline and cortisone so we have the energy to club a mammoth to death or outrun a herd of buffalo.
Do we need this much energy to cope with disagreement, worry?
What happens when the stress response is permanently "on"?
Relaxation is the reversal of this process, in which the stress hormones fade away, allowing us to return to balance and eventually sleep.
Am I relaxing?
Many people have never been taught, and therefore don't really know what it feels like to be relaxed. They slip from stress to sleep and miss the signs. Many stressed people don't really inhabit their bodies at all.
Thankfully the signs are easy to recognise once you know what they are. Reading these little signs and signals acts as biofeedback, relaxing you further. Tuning into these details is much more useful than trying to space out in order to feel good.
Physical Indicators
- Muscle tension releases
- Respiration softens
- Blood pressure drops
- Circulation improves
- Digestive function improves
- Aches and pains become more obvious then fade away
If you are alert you can notice all this happening. Also:
- Changing hormone levels
- Improved immune system function
- Altered metabolic activity etc.
Mental Indicators
- Sense of peace/stillness
- Emotional release or flow
- Colours, dream images
- Old/random memories
- Mind seems empty, blank or dark
- Feeling hyper-alert, very present
- Time distorts, collapses
- Serene detachment
- Heightened awareness
- Spectator rather than participant
Relaxing deliberately
Focusing on anything sensory will relax you, but it's feedback from the body that lets you know where you are.
4 signs to look for:
1. Heaviness
- "body felt like lead"
- "hands feel numb"
- "couldn't feel my body"
- heavy-numb-light-disconnected
2. Tingling or warmth on the skin
- "I felt warm when meditation"
- "hands feet became hot"
- usually quite subtle, but can be obvious or even overwhelming
- Fingers may feel puffy
- Improved circulation loosens muscles which become soft and pliable
3. Aches and Pains surfacing
- "I didn't realise how tense I was"
- "I thought I was fine..then I noticed this awful headache"
- Welcome the aches and pains
- With acceptance the pain dissolves
- A meditation can feel like a good massage
- The loosening process continues even after you stop meditating.
4. Changes in the breathing
- "My breathing became quite light and occasionally stopped"
- "My breathing was erratic. I had to sigh or take a deep breath"
- "I felt like I wasn't breathing enough"
- "My breath felt deep and lovely'
- Movement from tense to relaxed usually occurs in jerky stages over 2-3 minutes
- It eventually becomes light and delicate. It feels soft and spacious.
- There can be long pauses between breaths.
In summary a relaxed body tends to feel heavy, still, soft and warm, While these adjectives may seem vague they refer to precise sensations in the body. Muscles literally loosen.
Other signs of relaxation:
- Stomach gurgling
- Increased salivation
- Mild nausea, irritability, discomfort
- Fatigue, twitching
- An avalanche of thought
- Smooth flowing movement
- Other individual signs
Relaxation is a process - you gradually slip into it.
How to evaluate your meditation.
Ask "Am I relaxing?" Then look for signs:
- Heavy body
- Warm skin
- Being in touch with the body including its aches and pains
- Changes in the breath
Then ask "Could I relax more?"
At the end ask "Am I more relaxed? Does my mind feel calmer?"
Don't hanker after perfection. A relaxed body ins not automatically pain free or filled with bliss - it's just relaxed. Nor is a clear mind automatically happy - it's just clear.
Let got of expectation and comparison.