I recently read what I consider the best thing I have ever read about meditation and I have been thinking about meditation non stop ever since. First of all, here is the article that I read: The Irresponsible Promises of the Mindfulness Movement.
What it comes down to is that there is just as much value in traditional stress reduction techniques as there is in meditation. If you love meditation and have success with it, fantastic. Keep doing it. It’s an important tool. If you don’t like meditation or the idea of meditation that’s fantastic too and you can also keep doing that. But you do have to manage your stress on some level so here are some traditional stress reduction techniques:
Engage in a natural experience. That means do something you like to do for the sheer joy of doing it. No agenda, no goal. It took me a while to even identify what a natural experience is for myself. My natural experiences so far include looking at art, listening to music especially while I cook or work in the garden, horseback riding. And horseback riding only sometimes, not when it’s a learning experience.
Count backwards from 10. Or 20. Or 50. Enhance it by sitting down and closing your eyes.
Purposefully relax each part of your body bit by bit. Pretty self explanatory there.
Write down some things you’re grateful for. Call it a gratitude journal if you need *another* journal in your life. In reality you could just write them on a scrap of paper that you throw away. Or not write them at all, just think about some things you’re grateful for. Or think about someone who has made you a better person or who would name you as the one who made them a better person (I got those ideas from Richard Boyatzis)
So there are 4 legit stress management techniques that have just as much value as meditation. Since stress management is an essential part of managing MS, engaging in these behaviors can be a boon to your health.
I also love breath work. These are my favorite resources for breath work.
Ryanna Battiste She’s new to the breath work scene but I’ve taken a few of her sessions and there’s no denying she’s got a gift.
Wim Hof He’s the most popular breath work person in our culture today for a reason. I don’t like to say he’s crazy, I like to say he’s living his best life.
James Nestor Everything you ever wanted to know about breathing and more
Ashe Higgs Right now his online presence is all martial arts related but he should be out with a breath book soon.