Meditation heals both the body and soul

By Rahayu Ratnaningsih

JAKARTA (JP): Why do people get stressed? Why does life entail suffering?

Ancient oriental wisdom relates suffering to a false and illusory self-concept. Every day we wake up in the morning and are hit by the grandest intuitive lie known to human consciousness.

A lie that goes like this: "It's me, it's me, I'm it. I'm the center of the universe, everything else revolves around me. I come first." The bottom line is "me." It's not just that we are selfish, it's deeper.

We cling to the self because we perceive it as the one sure thing, the only thing, that we can count on. I am sure of my own ideas, my own dictates. I know without question what I want, what I hate, what I fear. I think, therefore I am.

While we may wake up thinking that we are the center of the universe, the minute we walk out the door we will not encounter one single person who agrees with us.

If we could hear everyone else's thoughts, we'd hear a chorus of "It's not you, it's me! I'm the center". We are thus in a state of constant disagreement. We're all in the grip of that little dictator inside telling each person that he or she is the center of the universe.

We worry about ourselves all the time. Am I happy enough? Can I get more? Can I get rid of that concern? Is this good for me? Is he or she treating me right? Could I be more loved? How can I earn more?

This feeling of separation from the rest of the universe is the root of all suffering. Stress, depression and anxiety attacks all boil down to the unfulfilled expectation of the ideal self and the way we want others to perceive us.

Meditation is a journey into consciousness where we can begin profoundly questioning, watching and analyzing every nut and bolt that comprises our self. Is it really valid? Is it reality or only what we perceive as reality?

I like to look deep within my Self when my eyes are closed in deep meditation and question, "Who is 'I'? Where is my 'I' located? Is my 'I' my face? My body? Is my 'I' located in my heart or my head? Is my 'self' my anger, my sadness or my laughter? Or am I the sum of all of these?"

Why do I get outraged when my driver doesn't show up on time? Why am I sad when I feel neglected by someone I care for? And the answers will always boil down to a sense of self-importance or self-preoccupation.

We think that the "I" is independent, static, unchanging, solid, and substantial, always the same old "me," but unique, apart from the rest of reality. This is not to say that we shouldn't care about ourselves, or that we should deny our own existence.

The paradox of life dictates one can't lose oneself without finding oneself first. One can't understand detachment without first being attached to the thing one wishes to be detached from.

The beauty of eastern philosophy is that it teaches life as a never-ending process of continuous learning, self evolution and soul searching that embraces the two opposites: attachment and detachment, thinking and unthinking, activity and passivity, searching and not searching, separation and non-separation.

In a nutshell, life can be summarized by a Zen joke which goes: how many Zen Buddhists does it take to change a light bulb? Two. One to change it and one not to change it.

Meditation gradually brings and integrates all the subtle awareness of these extreme paradoxes into a compact understanding of a true self as an inherent part of the ultimate reality.

To distill this to a more down-to-earth description, in meditation we should constantly ask ourselves why we are stressed. Were we really violated or do we just think we were? Is it the other person or me and my thoughts which caused all of this anxiety? Try another perspective. Jump into the other person's shoes and sense what he must have felt. Ask yourself: am I really that important?

This method allows us to venture into our almost dormant right hemisphere of the brain. The right-hemisphere thinking leads us to see the bigger picture. Instead of thinking linearly with an accepted deductive reasoning process, meditation activates the right brain to think multidimentionally.

Another technique of self-soothing is to practice deep inhalation and exhalation while focusing one's mind on a pleasant thought -- a beautiful scene, or the rhythm of your breathing or a single word, such as "one", uttered repeatedly.

Listening to classical music while visualizing a beautiful landscape can be effective in adding special effects. The religious among us could visualize Jesus, Moses or chant the word "Allah" instead of "one". You could also say your favorite prayer.

The main thing is focus. Whenever the mind strays back to the stressful subject of the moment, which is a guaranteed occurrence especially in the early stages of mediation, bring it into the center of focus, and mentally label it "worry, worry" or "thinking, thinking" or "anger, anger". This way you remind yourself of the volatility of your consciousness and become aware of the arising and passing of thoughts.

From a physiological point of view, the benefits of mental focusing have been closely studied at Harvard Medical School and many other institutions.

In fact, many doctors now encourage heart attack victims to learn these stress-reducing techniques. Mental focus produces a unique form of consciousness that differs radically from sleep, wakefulness, and even hypnosis.

The brain pattern obtained during the practice of mental focus displays numerous, slow alpha waves that correlate with both deep relaxation and creative expression. It causes a drop in blood pressure and a lower respiratory rate.

Slow breathing reduces stress while increasing mental alertness. These two physical benefits can help you accomplish intense mental work at high speed. Indeed, studies indicate that 20 minutes of mental focus are equivalent to almost six hours of deep sleep.

Probably one of the greatest physical benefits of mental focus is its effect upon your blood's chemistry. Your body produces a waste product called lactic acid as a result of intense muscular activity. Mental focus lowers the lactic acid level in your blood.

Research indicates that lactic acid is a direct link to anxiety attacks. Therefore, reducing its level would be an important factor in alleviating them.

Both techniques can be combined in one sitting. Do this every day whenever you have a free moment sitting in the car, waiting for your order, or even standing in a line. Practice for at least 20 uninterrupted minutes a day. Prior to sleep, meditation is also effective to induce a peaceful night's rest.

Increase the length of time gradually. Rest assured you will reap almost instantaneous rewards: a more balanced and stable emotional state with a much coveted peace of mind.