Find Your Calm – and Let It Be
Some of the greatest revelations come up in our Support Group discussions, and this week was no exception as we talked about the meaning of yoga and meditation and how they relate to mindfulness. What I realized is that this could be a barrier for some because it’s so spiritual and personal. Cultivating a practice of mindfulness asks us to dig deep within ourselves and, perhaps, reveal ourselves in ways that we may not be ready to do yet.
But the benefits are clear. Meditation helps reduce stress, enhance self-awareness, lengthen your attention span, improve sleep, and control pain. Yoga improves flexibility, builds muscle strength, perfects posture, reduces neck pain, increases blood flow, and improves your ability to focus. All it takes is the desire to try.
One safe way to get started is to join a group of other seekers, such as a Courage to Caregivers Breathing Meditation program. It’s one of our fan favorites, and our participants report that it helps them sleep and focus better, as well as giving them extra peace in handling their caregiving responsibilities. The program gives you the tools to reclaim your breath, making this a sustainable life skill.
There are also lots of websites and apps available to help you with your meditation practice. Here are a few of our staff picks: www.glo.com (online yoga classes and meditation); www.calm.com (soothing backgrounds and sounds, guided meditations); www.healthjourneys.com (meditations with focus on improving health). And you might search the app store for some of their favorite apps: Headspace; Insight Timer; Relax and Rest; Stop, Breathe and Think.
As far as cultivating a new personal mindset toward mindfulness, one way to start is just to let it be. In this article, mindfulness expert Jon Kabat-Zinn says, “It’s not a matter of letting go – you would if you could. Instead of ‘let it go,’ we should probably say ‘let it be.’ … You can do this by thinking of your mind as an ocean. Just as waves are affected by weather, our emotions can be blown around by the winds of change and circumstance, and our troubled thoughts can create turbulence in our minds. However, if you went below the surface of the ocean, you would find calmer, gentler undulations. You can achieve the same thing with your mind.”
Consider joining us for one of our Breathing Meditation or Support Groups on Tuesdays at Laurel School on the East Side and on Wednesdays at Urban Community School on the West Side. Or … if you’re not in the Cleveland area or just can’t escape your caregiving responsibilities at those times … stay tuned. We’re working hard to become more virtual in 2020!