Alternative and Complementary
Meditation
By: Richard L. Stieg, M.D., M.H.S.
Meditation has been described as "the art or technique of quieting the mind so that the endless chatter that normally fills our consciousness is stilled."1 There are many papers and books as well as CDs, seminars, classes and even retreats dedicated to this important topic. People meditate in many ways, whether formally trained to do so or having developed techniques on their own. The fact that meditation in some form appears in virtually all cultures throughout human history attests to the importance of this discipline.
"Quieting the mind" through meditation is one of many ways to achieve rest and escape from the distractions and stresses of daily life. The importance of rest is emphasized in all of the world's major religions, as well as in the ritual life of many primitive cultures. The Sabbath, or day of rest, is designated as Friday in the Muslim faith, Saturday in the Jewish religion and Sunday to Christians. This tradition began early in the history of these great religions. In the first book of the Old Testament, it says "On the seventh day God rested." In the New Testament, Jesus said "Come to me and I will give you rest." Several times a day, Muslims stop to rest, face Mecca and pray.
Meditation can be as simple an act as resting to watch a sunset over the sea or to walk quietly in a garden, stopping from time to time to "smell the roses." It may be as complex as an advanced yoga session or sitting silently for days with Buddhist monks in a temple. Whatever the technique, the idea is to "quiet the mind."
For most modern Western people, everyday life represents chaos, noise, distractions, competitiveness and situations that create fear and unrest. Consider for example our own society, where loss of job security, inability to afford health care and inability to access good health care if you become ill are examples of fearful situations for so many people. Fear, chaos, confusion, noise – these are all sources of ongoing stress and, as everyone now knows, stress can kill. It kills through imbalance in health, strain on personal relationships, loss of satisfaction and, worse, loss of contact with our spiritual selves. It is only a flimsy and lame excuse to say that we have no time for rest and that "life was simpler" when our ancestors wisely built rest and meditation into their daily rituals. They understood, as some of us have now forgotten, that attention to rest helped to create harmony, peace and satisfaction.
So, what has this all got to do with people who suffer with chronic pain? Like any other illness, chronic pain may cause us to lose our balance and harmony, lose our way, become disrupted and fail to see the many dimensions of ourselves that are more important than the body we inhabit. (Those "pure scientists" who doubt the existence of such dimensions can stop reading here.) It is possible to restore such losses and reduce suffering in immeasurable ways through meditation and rest. This is not "fluffy" talk – ask any chronically ill person who successfully meditates what it has done for them and you will see for yourself.
So, just go meditate and everything will be fine, right? Well, not quite. Chronic pain is an enormously powerful distraction and one that makes successful meditation difficult to achieve; however, pursuing this discipline is worth the effort. Buy some books or tapes on the subject. Take classes. Talk to chronically ill people who have learned to "quiet the mind." I suggest beginning very simply with the books listed below. Complex disciplines are more difficult to practice, make less sense to the uninitiated and yet are still there for the interested advanced student.
Remember, getting rest and "quieting the mind" from our everyday distractions is a healthy thing to do and a discipline that can help us all, whatever the state of our bodies.
Meditation by Eknath Easwaren. Published by Nilgiri Press. Available from The Blue Mountain Center of Meditation, P.O. Box 256, Tomales, CA. 94971. www.nilgiri.org
Meditation by Brian Weiss, M.D. Published by Hay House, Inc (includes a practice CD). (800) 654-5126. www.hayhouse.com
Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in Our Busy Lives by Wayne Muller. Bamtam Books, NY, 1999. Available from www.amazon.com.
To read other installments from Transcending your Pain, click:
"Quieting the mind" through meditation is one of many ways to achieve rest and escape from the distractions and stresses of daily life. The importance of rest is emphasized in all of the world's major religions, as well as in the ritual life of many primitive cultures. The Sabbath, or day of rest, is designated as Friday in the Muslim faith, Saturday in the Jewish religion and Sunday to Christians. This tradition began early in the history of these great religions. In the first book of the Old Testament, it says "On the seventh day God rested." In the New Testament, Jesus said "Come to me and I will give you rest." Several times a day, Muslims stop to rest, face Mecca and pray.
Meditation can be as simple an act as resting to watch a sunset over the sea or to walk quietly in a garden, stopping from time to time to "smell the roses." It may be as complex as an advanced yoga session or sitting silently for days with Buddhist monks in a temple. Whatever the technique, the idea is to "quiet the mind."
For most modern Western people, everyday life represents chaos, noise, distractions, competitiveness and situations that create fear and unrest. Consider for example our own society, where loss of job security, inability to afford health care and inability to access good health care if you become ill are examples of fearful situations for so many people. Fear, chaos, confusion, noise – these are all sources of ongoing stress and, as everyone now knows, stress can kill. It kills through imbalance in health, strain on personal relationships, loss of satisfaction and, worse, loss of contact with our spiritual selves. It is only a flimsy and lame excuse to say that we have no time for rest and that "life was simpler" when our ancestors wisely built rest and meditation into their daily rituals. They understood, as some of us have now forgotten, that attention to rest helped to create harmony, peace and satisfaction.
So, what has this all got to do with people who suffer with chronic pain? Like any other illness, chronic pain may cause us to lose our balance and harmony, lose our way, become disrupted and fail to see the many dimensions of ourselves that are more important than the body we inhabit. (Those "pure scientists" who doubt the existence of such dimensions can stop reading here.) It is possible to restore such losses and reduce suffering in immeasurable ways through meditation and rest. This is not "fluffy" talk – ask any chronically ill person who successfully meditates what it has done for them and you will see for yourself.
So, just go meditate and everything will be fine, right? Well, not quite. Chronic pain is an enormously powerful distraction and one that makes successful meditation difficult to achieve; however, pursuing this discipline is worth the effort. Buy some books or tapes on the subject. Take classes. Talk to chronically ill people who have learned to "quiet the mind." I suggest beginning very simply with the books listed below. Complex disciplines are more difficult to practice, make less sense to the uninitiated and yet are still there for the interested advanced student.
Remember, getting rest and "quieting the mind" from our everyday distractions is a healthy thing to do and a discipline that can help us all, whatever the state of our bodies.
Suggested Readings
Meditation by Eknath Easwaren. Published by Nilgiri Press. Available from The Blue Mountain Center of Meditation, P.O. Box 256, Tomales, CA. 94971. www.nilgiri.org
Meditation by Brian Weiss, M.D. Published by Hay House, Inc (includes a practice CD). (800) 654-5126. www.hayhouse.com
Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in Our Busy Lives by Wayne Muller. Bamtam Books, NY, 1999. Available from www.amazon.com.
To read other installments from Transcending your Pain, click: