It was an increased ability to be aware of what was happening outside and inside of my body as it was happening, especially in stressful situations that changed my life. Increased awareness in the present moment expands my choices of how to respond to external situations, instead of just reacting habitually and automatically in ways that are damaging to my body/mind. And how did I cultivate greater awareness? Meditation!
Many of us think we know where tension and stress come from. Ringing phones, endless e-mails, street clogging traffic, irritable or difficult spouses, kids and friends, insensitive and demanding bosses, uncooperative and unproductive co-workers, too much to do and too little time, world disasters blaring on TV every night! Right?
Hold on a minute! Is this really true? It is true that life presents challenges and plenty of stimuli that can result in tension and stress on the body/mind. But do stressful situations and people in our lives inevitably have to lead to physical aches and pains, runaway emotions, mental anguish? The answer is a resounding NO!
"…it is not the potential stressor itself but how you perceive it and then
how you handle it that will determine whether or not it will lead to stress…."
Jon Kabat-Zinn
The problem is that some of us react to our external environments in automatic, habitual ways, without realizing what damage the physical cascade of nervous system firings and release of stress hormones in the body can do. Some of us indulge this reaction and compound its negative effects on our body/minds.
Others try to internalize or suppress this stress reaction, but that can lead to increased blood pressure, cardiac and digestive problems, chronic headache, backache, sleep disorders, or anxiety. Still others respond with maladaptive coping behaviors, such as overworking, hyperactivity, overeating, or dependence on substances such as drugs, alcohol, caffeine or cigarettes.
"The problems and disturbances are all near the surface. Go deep, and you'll find your way beyond them. The tumult and confusion can be overwhelming if you keep yourself in the middle of it. Take a step back, and give yourself some perspective."
Ralph Marston
Many studies show that meditators display reduced stress reactivity and greater resilience (see the works of Dr. Dean Ornish, for example). Meditation practice eventually leads to the integration of calmness, spacious awareness, a sense of humor and relative equanimity in the face of everyday life. Thoughts will still come and go, emotions will come and go, stressful situations and people will still be in your life, but the way you handle each will change. Meditation will give you the tools to prevent, release and transform tension in the body/mind.
I invite you to experience an assortment of meditation techniques from a variety of traditions and Masters (Osho, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Joan Borysenko, Pema Chodron, Thich Nhat Hanh, and more). I will share meditations that can be done any where, any time, in moments, in several minutes, or for an hour, These meditations may be guided or to music, involve movement, dancing, making sounds, or just sitting in silence. Each of us is unique, and so the form of meditation, its length, and the time of day we might choose to practice in our own lives is bound to be different. I invite you to come and experiment with various methods for six weeks and find the one that is right for you. If you do, you may just establish a regular meditation practice that will Transform the Tension in Your Life!
TRANSFORMING TENSION:
Meditation and Stress Management
with Roshani Shay , Ph.D.
Six Wednesdays, 6:00-8:00pm, August 2-September 6, 2006
Hawaii Wellness Retreat House
Tuition: $189 (includes textbooks and printed instructions; $200 after July 26)
Pre-register by calling 848-5544 or online at
http://www.hawaiiwellnessinstitute.org/coursesandeventsregistration.html
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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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