So you think I may be exaggerating just a little?

You have tried meditation and it is just not for you. You can’t quiet your mind long enough to feel any of the benefits I am talking about. I have heard many reasons for not meditating, and I understand if my personal experience is not quite enough to sway you to try meditation. Hopefully this recent study on mindfulness meditation will help you to see the value in starting your own regular meditation practice.

(PhysOrg.com) — Participating in an 8-week mindfulness meditation program appears to make measurable changes in brain regions associated with memory, sense of self, empathy and stress.

“Although the practice of meditation is associated with a sense of peacefulness and physical relaxation, practitioners have long claimed that meditation also provides cognitive and psychological benefits that persist throughout the day,” says Sara Lazar, PhD, of the MGH Psychiatric Neuroimaging Research Program, the study’s senior author. “This study demonstrates that changes in brain structure may underlie some of these reported improvements and that people are not just feeling better because they are spending time relaxing.”

“It is fascinating to see the brain’s plasticity and that, by practicing meditation, we can play an active role in changing the brain and can increase our well-being and quality of life.” says Britta Hölzel, PhD, first author of the paper and a research fellow at MGH and Giessen University in Germany.

The uplifted feeling I get after sitting in meditation is not just because I took a few moments to sit quietly and relax, it is because my brain is being reconstructed. The participants in this 8 week study reported meditating for an average of 27 minutes a day. Analysis of MR images, which focused on areas where meditation-associated differences were seen in earlier studies, found increased grey-matter density in the hippocampus, known to be important for learning and memory, and in structures associated with self-awareness, compassion and introspection.

Meditation actually changes our brain structure.

I have tried several different styles of meditation, and the type of meditation I chose on any given day really depends on how active my mind is. There are some schools that believe there is only one way to meditate properly. I am not enrolled in any of those schools.

If you read Eat, Pray, Love and are unexperienced in meditation, you may think the meditation described in the book is the only way to practice – sitting for hours in pain, judging yourself harshly until your mind cooperates and quiets down, taking four months in an ashram to finally achieve a good meditation practice. It does not have to be that difficult.

Many of us have participated in the Chopra Center 21 Day Meditation Challenge.

It is a great and gentle introduction into different types of meditation, and in fact the Winter 21 Day Challenge began today. It is not too late to sign up if you are interested. The meditations last an average of 15 minutes each. They are guided by The Chopra Center’s lead educator Davidji. His voice is soothing and seductive as he guides participants through a different meditation technique each day. I highly recommend this challenge if you are considering starting your own meditation practice and would like to be eased into it.

For another simple, yet powerful breathing meditation practice, Thich Nhat Hanh’s Conscious Breathing Practice never fails to center me.

From Peace is Every Step, by Thich Nhat Hanh

“There are a number of breathing techniques you can use to make life vivid and more enjoyable. The first exercise is very simple. As you breathe in, you say to yourself, “Breathing in, I know that I am breathing in.” And as you breathe out, say, “Breathing out, I know that I am breathing out.” Just that. You recognize your in-breath as an in-breath and your out-breath as an out-breath. You don’t even need to recite the whole sentence; you can use just two words: “In” and “Out.” This technique can help you keep your mind on your breath. As you practice, your breath will become peaceful and gentle, and your mind and body will also become peaceful and gentle. This is not a difficult exercise. In just a few minutes you can realize the fruit of meditation.”

So tonight, after I finish writing and editing this post, I am going to roll out my mat, light some incense, and sit silently in meditation. And in doing so I will let go of the frustrations of my day, and prepare myself to sleep a peaceful, restorative sleep. The ten, twenty, or thirty minutes I dedicate to my meditation practice will continue to serve me for hours after. That’s a pretty good trade off of time don’t you think?

Sometimes they happen when, after several days of feeling good, I wake up in the kind of pain that is impossible to reason. Or they happen when I reflect on how long I have been sick, and how long it is going to take me to heal. Sometimes they happen for no specific reason at all. I just get tired of the work, tired of the journey, and I just want to stop.

But I don’t stop – for too long anyway. And the thing that propels me forward and makes me keep showing up is this – the moments.

There are moments in our lives, moments that when they happen make us say: “Ah-ha, this is it! This is what it is all about.” Sometimes they happen when I am on my yoga mat and all the pieces come together and I feel nothing but joy. Or they happen at a support group function when I see a member’s face transform from agony to acceptance over the course of the evening. They can happen in a phone call, or from an email, or an exchange on facebook. They happen all the time. We just have to be aware and present to receive them.

Yesterday I scheduled a last minute group meditation at the Chopra Center. It is something we do together once a month, but I missed the one earlier this month, so I scheduled an extra one just for me. As I was heading out the door, for a moment, I had the urge not to go. It had been a long day – 2 1/2 hours of yoga teacher training followed by 90 minutes of gentle yoga at the YMCA. I was tired, and could easily have stayed home, especially since no other members had signed up to go. But I showed up – for me – because meditation nourishes me, and I was pleased to be joined by another member at the last minute.

Group meditation can be powerful, taking you much deeper into your practice, but it can also create unique challenges. A few minutes after we were seated in meditation, a late-comer burst in the door, literally crashed into the chairs, and then took about 3 minutes to get settled. THEN the very loud band started playing at the nearby restaurant (end of summer festivities). AND THEN the very loud late-comer began snoring and snorting! At one point I had to focus very hard to keep from laughing out loud at the absurdity of it all!

It is the most distracted I have ever been during a meditation, and yet I still felt restored by it. Walking back to my car I realized I was not nearly as fatigued as when I arrived. I am certain I was not in deep meditation for too long because of all the distractions, but however much I did was enough. I am so glad I showed up. If I had stayed home I would have been feeding my fatigue rather than nourishing myself. And it was great spending some one on one time with a member who need some guidance.

So all in all, there were several moments last night to keep me going – and keep me laughing. I cherish those moments, and that is why I keep showing up – because you just never know when one will appear.

In 1993, May 12 was designated as the International Awareness Day for Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases (CIND) by Tom Hennessy, the founder of RESCIND, Inc. (Repeal Existing Stereotypes about Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases), to memorialize the birth date of Florence Nightingale, the English army nurse who inspired the founding of the International Red Cross. Nightingale contracted a paralyzing, CIND-like illness in her mid-thirties and spent the last 50 years of her life virtually bedridden. Despite her illness, she managed to found the world’s first School of Nursing.

The National Fibromyalgia Association (NFA) joined the Awareness Day effort in 1997 and has led the call for increased recognition of fibromyalgia each May 12. The NFA collaborates with fibromyalgia support groups and patient advocates around the world to coordinate innovative national and international events in honor of Awareness Day. Awareness Day activities are designed to increase awareness of chronic pain illnesses including fibromyalgia, as well as to assist patients and organizations in educating the general public, healthcare professionals, government officials, and legislative bodies.

The National Fibromyalgia Association’s theme for the 2009 National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day campaign is “Fibromyalgia Affects Everyone” and will focus on the far-reaching effects of this disorder—from broken lives to the economic costs to patients and society. 

There are events going on all over the country (and world) in honor of Fibromyalgia Awareness Day. If you would like to see if there is an event going on in your community you can check the NFA community events page. 

How I plan to participate in Fibromyalgia Awareness Day

I struggled to come up with one thing for my fibromyalgia support group to do in honor of May 12. The NFA is doing a walk and I considered following their lead, but then I thought about walking, and I thought about getting other group members to walk, and I quickly decided that a luncheon would be a much more successful event. But I didn’t stop there. I schedule three events for my support group members in honor of Fibromyalgia Awareness.

On May 12 we will be having our luncheon at a local mediterranean bistro. A bit fancier than the coffee shops where we usually meet. I am looking forward to a great afternoon of socializing with the spirited and resilient members of my group. If you have the impression that support groups are depressing, this group would change your mind. Someone suggested we should be called an empowerment group instead! It is definitely under consideration.

On May 15 we are meeting at the beautiful Chopra Center in La Costa to take an intro to meditation class. Meditation is not as easy as it sounds. It takes practice to learn how to quiet your mind and breath in a manner that will restore and refresh you. At this introductory class they spend half an hour teaching about meditation, and half an hour practicing. I went to the Chopra Center last night with another group member to practice the daily 30 minute meditation, and get an idea of what to expect when we return next week. I took a couple of photos so I could share them with you.

Meditation Room

They were very welcoming and the environment is so relaxing and reverent. I hope each of my group members takes advantage of the free opportunity they are extending us.

Finally on May 16, The Wellness Center is supporting Fibromyalgia Awareness and offering a free gentle yoga class to my group members, and to anyone in the community who is interested in participating. I felt it was important to have one event that was active, and since I am a huge proponent of yoga, I am very pleased that we were able to organize this.

It is going to be a busy week, but I am grateful for my group, and grateful to the community I live in for their generosity and participation in promoting Fibromyalgia Awareness.

5/30

It began as an average Sunday morning – sleep in, go to a leisurely breakfast at our favorite cafe, hit the grocery store and buy something to grill for dinner, head back to the house, walk the dog and then assume the position – me at my computer and Rob wherever he lands with his laptop. Rob made a call to one of his friends who just happened to mention he was walking around Balboa Park at the Healing Arts Festival. “The what?” I said. “The Healing Arts Festival?” “What is it and why didn’t I know about it?” So I immediately got online and looked it up.

The festival was organized and sponsored by The Alternative Healing Network, 501(c)(3) non-profit of San Diego. Their purpose is to educate the community and promote the use of alternative medicine as a path to increased health and well-being. Sounds like a great event right? We thought so too so we hopped in the car and headed down there. 

It was a beautiful day in San Diego today and the park was packed. Tons of natural health booths, two stages with bands playing, yoga and qi gong sessions going on, and people everywhere. I am pretty sure dog beach was deserted today because there were almost as many dogs as people at the festival. So we walked around and I made as many contacts and connections as I could. I am always on the lookout for health and wellness information to share with my fibromyalgia support group, and a new potential guest speaker to come share their expertise at one of our educational meetings. I was not let down.

I don’t know what it is about the holistic community, but by far, they are the community most eager to help and share their knowledge and skills with my group. They are truly and genuinely interested in what I am trying to achieve as a group leader, and also in helping each and everyone of the members improve our health and well being. They are sympathetic and understanding of chronic illness, but believe strongly that our health and quality of life can improve, and they are passionate about helping us learn how. Of course they have a financial interest when they donate their time to come speak at our meetings. Of course they are hoping to gain new patients and of course their services are not free. They did not spend 9 hours today manning their booths for the simple joy of it. They did it to increase community knowledge and awareness of alternative medicine and healing. Participate in a yoga session, lay down for a free massage, and then sit down and experience the healing effects of music. Sounds like a nice time doesn’t it? And what a bonus to head home feeling better and stronger than when you left. Some of the practices may call for a more open mind then others, but they are all meant to help heal the body, achieve emotional freedom, and improve ones quality of life. 

I am overjoyed with the contacts I made today, especially the great contact I made with the Chopra Center, and so glad that we made the spontaneous decision to head down there. Of course it means that now I am sitting here writing my post at 8:30 at night. But as long as I get it in by midnight, I will get an A on my writing assignment for the day. I should have been a teacher. I am such an easy grader!

2/30