5 meditation methods

Deep in the wilds of Maine, Cynthia Bourgeault's cellphone rings.

That someone is calling the sought-after meditation instructor isn't really surprising. That a consecrated Episcopal hermit even has a cellphone is.

But then again, the 60-year-old anchorite, who lives alone in a four-room hermitage with no running water and just five utensils, but enough solar power to run her computer, also represents the thoroughly modern face of the ancient practice of meditation.

Contemporary meditation is about "creating a new kind of consciousness that the planet can survive on," says Bourgeault, who cofounded the Contemplative Society in Victoria in 1997.

Many Canadians seek balance through meditation
And meditation is gaining momentum. Born from the world's great religious traditions, including Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism and others, meditation (in many forms) is also practised by more than one half of Canadians who don't attend religious services, says Statistics Canada. And with good reason.Maliha Chishti, a University of Toronto PhD student in post-conflict aid who practises meditation in the Islamic tradition, says meditation has given her deeper spirituality. "The fundamental change for me was... how I interact with the world," she says. "Meditation brings a focus by asking, 'How does this serve a higher purpose?'"

The self-discipline that meditation requires also means "you begin to live a very moral life," says Brother Brahmananda, a Los Angeles-based ministering monk at the nonprofit Self-Realization Fellowship. "This is the basis on which spiritual living has to rest. In other words, it ain't gonna work unless you lead a moral life."

Healthy mind, healthy body
There's a psychological effect, too. According to a report published by the American Psychological Association, "meditation interventions have a positive, medium-size effect on depression." In addition, a West Virginia University study found that meditation diminishes psychological stress by 54 per cent.

There's even a physiological benefit. Just 20 minutes a day of soothing reflection significantly reduces the risk of heart disease and lowers the risk of stroke by 15 per cent, says a study by the University of California. It can also improve your immune response; a University of Wisconsin-Madison study found that meditation increased antibodies by up to 25 per cent.

"Meditation helps rewire the neural pathways, but its most powerful contribution is to change the way you think," says Bourgeault, who emerges from her solitary existence to teach for part of each year. "It trains you to think from the heart."

If you're not sure of your first step on the path toward physical and spiritual harmony, read on. There is a meditation method for you.

Click here to discover 5 paths to inner peace...

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Technique: Centering prayer
Tradition: Christian

"Your intention is to let go of intruding thoughts," says Anne Henderson, past president of the Contemplative Society in Victoria, which offers retreats and workshops. "You sit in silence and surrender thoughts, to gently clear the mind."

In a comfortable position -- sitting or kneeling straight-backed -- quietly concentrate on a chosen meaningful word, such as love, peace or joy.

If a negative or unwanted idea emerges or you feel restless, repeat the word and gently let go of the thought. This can be a difficult method, but it's more important to feel peace rather than master the technique. Henderson illustrates the point with the story of a nun who once told Father Thomas Keating, one of three Trappist monks who cofounded centering prayer in the 1970s, that she had 10,000 intruding thoughts and found it hard to control them. "He said to her, 'Oh, how nice! You have 10,000 opportunities to return to God.'"For Henderson, the effects are tangible. "I don't get bothered in traffic, lineups or by unpleasantness. My blood pressure is lower, and I handle stress better. I feel more balanced and centred."

For more information:
Visit the Contemplative Society's websites at contemplative.org or centeringprayer.com. Or, read Centered Living: The Way of Centering Prayer (Liguori, 1999) by Dom M. Basil Pennington.

Technique: Sufi meditation
Tradition: Islam
For Sufis -- who follow esoteric traditions of Islam -- the goal of meditation is to "polish the heart, which is rusted," explains Maliha Chishti, who also does yoga. "The idea is that to achieve spiritual realization is an inward journey." As a result, she says, where you meditate (or reflect on the names and attributes of God) doesn't matter -- it could be on a bus or at your desk -- because the idea is "to live in a state of complete taqwa, which is an awareness of God in every aspect of your life."

During a session -- taught by a sheikh, or venerable leader -- practitioners ignore all distractions and focus on one or two divine qualities like beauty, mercy or compassion, or the phrase "No God but God." "It's the affirmation of the oneness of God, there's no reality but God's reality, and no other power, truth or beauty," says Chishti. "You repeat it with sincere reflection. In its recitation is an awareness that your reality is divine reality. It's very comforting."

For more information:
The Sufi Path of Love (State University of New York, 1984) by William C. Chittick or Living Sufism by Seyyed Hossein Nasr. The Jerrahi Sufi Order of Canada also has a website.

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Technique: Raja yoga
Tradition: Hindu

Based on traditions thousands of years old, raja yoga combines day-to-day moral living with sessions of concentration and controlled breathing to help the soul become free of physical distractions, and thus achieve complete union with God.

The specific techniques take years to master and are usually only taught to serious students, but raja yoga practitioners begin by learning to sit absolutely still, concentrating on breathing and emptying the mind of all feelings, thoughts and perceptions to experience the true "Self," the divine soul within. "Along the way, these various yoga techniques do help, slowing down the breathing and the heart," says Brother Brahmananda. "You're living a very moral life, and that puts you ahead physically, mentally and spiritually."

For more information:
Go to the Self-Realization Fellowship website or read Raja Yoga by Swami Vivekananda.

Technique: Mindfulness
Tradition: Buddhist
Considered one of the most accessible techniques for Westerners, mindfulness "puts distance between you and your thoughts," says Joseph Emet, a Dharma (Buddhist) teacher in Montreal. "It's a bit like self-knowledge." The first step on the path is to empty your mind, by focusing on your breathing. "Then the mind and body are doing the same things," says Emet. Once in this state, the practitioner deliberately takes note of thoughts and feelings that arise -- but from a removed point of view. "It's like being a witness to your thoughts, rather than allowing them to take over," says Emet. "Instead of being angry, think, I am witnessing anger. Then, you observe with a keen mind what is happening, what emotions and sensations you have with detachment. You can get over your gut reactions, open your mind and have insights about yourself and what causes others to act as they do."

And that, he says, is the key to improving your health. "The Buddhist approach to health is that you can control your addictions and if you develop love for others and yourself, you will care for yourself."

For more information:
Guided Mindfulness Meditation CD (Sounds True, 2005) by Jon Kabat-Zinn. To locate a mindfulness instructor near you, go here.

Technique: Guided imagery
Tradition: Modern psychology
Looking for a meditation technique not based on a spiritual tradition? Consider guided imagery -- psychology's modern angle on an old idea.

It's simple: Close your eyes and breathe deeply from your diaphragm. With every exhalation, release anxiety. Once relaxed, envision you are in a tranquil environment -- on the beach, floating in a warm bath or relaxing by a fire. Involve all your senses, so you can hear, smell, feel, even taste your surroundings. Let your vision relax you deeply. (If this is difficult to manage on your own, an instructor or a meditation CD can direct you.)

When you're ready, count backward from 10 or 20 and return to alertness. "It's like taking a mini-holiday," explains Sandra Pickrell-Baker, who teaches touch and energy healing techniques and makes guided imagery CDs in Halifax. "Women in particular are so ‘other' focused, we forget to take care of ourselves. But this is fundamentally the best gift for others, to care for ourselves."

For more information:
Staying Well with Guided Imagery (Warner, 1995) by Belleruth Naparstek. Or feel free to contact Pickrell-Baker at spb@accesswave.ca or (902) 401-7936.

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A beaded lifeline

Rose Pardy, 64, can pinpoint the exact moment her world began to unravel.

It was November 1997. The now-retired sales manager was at work in Ottawa when she received news that her 23-year-old son had just committed suicide.

But it didn't end there. Eighteen months later, her 30-year-old son died in an accident. Her daughter was also battling recurrent thyroid cancer, while her husband's rare, deteriorating liver condition meant he urgently needed an organ transplant. "Each time, I meditated on the rosary," she says of how she dealt with overwhelming grief and anxiety. "I prayed in my son's ear as he was lying in the hospital. I remember meditating when my husband's operation was under way. Even though I was alone in the hallway all night, I didn't feel that I was."

Far from simply repeating prayers, says Rose, the rosary requires you to simultaneously meditate on the Mysteries -- the miracles in the lives of Jesus and Mary -- and how to project their meaning into your life.

"Anytime I do my rosary, I rid myself of anxieties. I don't need to be in complete control of my world, because I let something else take over," she says. "Afterward, I feel very calm and stable, I sleep better and I feel more invigorated."

Find more techniques for relaxation in our Health and Nutrition section.

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