On Buddhist meditation
Caroline Sylge explains the method
Buddhist Meditation helps us learn to be alive to every moment by concentrating on a symbol, a mantra or our in and out breath for set periods of time, and in the process becalming what is sometimes called our ‘monkey mind’. The process recreates the central Buddhist philosophy that the past has left us, the future has (always) yet to come, and this moment is all there ever is. It also enables us to rest deeply.
The goal of Buddhist meditation is not to stop thinking, but to become if at all possible dispassionate observers of our thoughts. When we're more detached from our worries and our fears, we develop a sense of ease, of ‘being’ rather than ‘doing’.
This process of ‘letting go’ is not only deeply relaxing, but has a direct healing effect on our physical health, reducing blood pressure, increasing our immunity, easing chronic pain, and even minimising depression. It can also improve our concentration, memory and decision-making, because meditation puts both halves of our brains to work, as British-Indian neuroscientist Shanida Nataraja explains in her book The Blissful Brain.
When we think too much, says Nataraja, we're over-using the left half of our brains, the part associated with analytical, rational processing. In turn, we’re neglecting the right side, which is associated with abstract thought, visual-spatial perception and emotions. Meditation rebalances us because it encourages a shift from the left brain to the right brain. It also generates alpha brain waves, a sign that we're activating the parasympathetic nervous system and giving ourselves a rest from the more familiar ‘fight or flight’ responses of our sympathetic nervous system that stress us out and make us ill. This is why health care practitioners increasingly use meditation to treat everything from depression to degenerative diseases.
Meditation can also help us to detach from emotions, such as anger, hate and jealousy – important if we are to believe the American neuroscientist Candace Pert, who found that negative emotions can cause biological changes in the body which in turn can cause diseases. The UK-based meditation teacher Guy Burgs takes this one step further. ‘The huge increase in degenerative conditions over the last 50 years is largely due to our obsessive minds and the lack of mindfulness that most people have in their bodies,' he told me.
Learning to meditate on a Buddhist retreat can be frustrating and difficult, but if you have a good teacher, you'll take home the tools you need to calm yourself down - and wake yourself up - for the rest of your life. Buddhist retreats and courses for beginners are open to all faiths or none, and they usually encourage you to practice kindness to yourself and others alongside teaching you the basic techniques, something I have found very nourishing over the years.
Most teachers will begin with the simplest way of meditating, which is to concentrate on your in and out breath while sitting with a straight back on the floor, a meditation stool or a chair. As thoughts intrude, you acknowledge them rather than trying to forcibly replace or suppress them, but then gently return your attention to the breath. The eyes can be closed, though in Tibetan Buddhist meditation you keep your eyes open to remain more present. Other techniques include visualization, concentration on a symbol such as a candle, a flower or mandala, or repeating a mantra.
Wherever you learn to meditate, once you've mastered it, just one session a day will make a difference. While in theory you should be able to meditate whatever your surroundings, quiet can be helpful when you start out. I have found silent Buddhist retreats especially beneficial, when - without daily chitchat and petty concerns - my mind feels freer to learn to meditate. Sociologists have measured the silences in conversations between English speakers and concluded that we cannot bear a pause of longer than four seconds. So why not give yourself a break?
buddhist Meditation retreats
You can learn to meditate on a day retreat, a weekend retreat or a longer healthy holiday. Take a look at all the meditation retreats we have reviewed and recommend.
