Written by article default Tuesday, 02 November 2010 12:42
Marvin stirred slightly as the unobtrusive ring of the alarm went off to let him know that his time was up. It was still very early in the morning as he was finishing another one of his important components of his morning routine. He had been meditating for a few months now and he already noticed a difference in his ability to hold his focus more intently even through the incessant noise of his random thoughts. Why, just yesterday, he remembered the good trade that almost went sour, but he was able to remain in the "zone" and keep his attention on what mattered most in the trade. As a result, he kept his commitment to his plan, followed his rules and avoided an urge to move his stop. He had experienced another private victory. He also noticed that he felt more relaxed and calm these days, which was new for him, as he had always thought of himself as a "type A" person, that is, keyed up, very intense and easily prone to frustration and fragmentation. Additionally, he also felt more centered and grounded as he approached his trading platform, which was also different; usually, as soon as he sat down to begin his trading session, he would feel fragmented and indecisive, which didn't serve his trades at all. To top it off, he felt quite resistant to the idea of meditation. He remembered thinking to himself that, "...this is woo woo and mumbo jumbo!" But, he finally gave in and tried it because he was tired of sabotaging his efforts by being, as he put it, "a basket case" as soon as he opened a trade. In other words, he had to do something differently in order to get different results. Now, Marvin also realized that he still had challenges with his trading, but he was glad that he had chosen to get outside of his comfort zone to try something that initially looked foreign to him, but turned out to be just what the Doctor ordered.
Meditation is not a panacea, it won't cure all of your ills; but, it is one of the most powerful documented tools that exists for centering the system, reducing stress, improving immune responses, sharpening focus, relaxing and gaining greater piece of mind. Furthermore, every corner of the globe from Asia to the Middle East to Europe to the Western Hemisphere to the deepest parts of Africa all have nurtured in their history some form of deep meditation. And, although meditation takes many forms, from walking, to sitting in a chair, to singing, to chanting, to dancing, etc, most forms at their core have in common a focus not on the doing but on "being." This aspect is very important to the process. To be more specific, Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D Professor of Medicine Emeritus and founding director of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School who wrote "Full Catastrophe Living," talks about the importance of "mindful meditation." Mindful Meditation essentially is sitting in quiet serenity and while following your breathing, you are doing nothing. Dr. Kabat-Zinn's major research pursuits lie in the emerging field of mind / body medicine, with the focus on the clinical, social, and human performance effects of mindfulness meditation training in various populations. These include people with chronic pain, stress related disorders, and / or a wide range of chronic diseases with a particular focus on breast cancer; multi-ethnic and multi-racial inner city communities experiencing high psychosocial stress due to poverty and associated social conditions; and inmates and corrections personnel in the prison system.
In order to meditate you need nothing more than yourself and an intention of just "being." Here is a simple guideline to follow:
1. Find a quiet and comfortable place. Sit in a chair or on the floor with your head, neck and back straight, but not stiff.
2. Try to put aside all thoughts of the past and the future and stay in the present.
3. Become aware of your breathing, focusing on the sensation of air moving in and out of your body as you breathe. Feel your belly rise and fall, the air enter your nostrils and leave your mouth. Pay attention to the way each breath changes and is different.
4. Watch every thought come and go, whether it be a worry, fear, anxiety or hope. When thoughts come up in your mind, don't ignore or suppress them, but simply note them, remain calm and use your breathing as an anchor.
5. If you find yourself getting carried away in your thoughts, observe where your mind went off to, without judging, and simply return to your breathing. Remember not to be hard on yourself if this happens.
6. As the time comes to a close, sit for a minute or two, becoming aware of where you are. Get up gradually.
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