Vipassana MeditationA mindfulness-based practice

Translation of ‘vipassana’:

To see things as they really are

AS THINGS ARE...REALLY

OK, IT’S NOT THAT BAD BUT...MEDITATION WAS THE FIRST THING

I THOUGHT OF WHEN I READ THE WORDS“HEALTH INTERVENTION”

WHICH TELLS YOU SOMETHING

symptomsthat inspired this intervention

POOR READING AND/OR RESPONSES TO BODILY CUES:

•HEADACHES, MAINLY ASSOCIATED WITH LONG PERIODS IN FRONT OF THE COMPUTER SCREEN

•THAT CUP OF COFFEE AT 4 IN THE AFTERNOON WHEN AN ORANGE WOULD HAVE SUFFICED

•INTERPRETING DEHYDRATION AS HUNGER (NOT MINDFUL OF WATER INTAKE)

•NOT RESTING OR RELAXING FATIGUED BODY PARTS, WANTING TO ‘PUSH THROUGH’

•STRESS, MANIFESTED IN NECK AND BACK TENSION, UNEVEN OR SHALLOW BREATH, MUSCULAR TIGHTNESS, ACHES AND PAINS

THE MIND:

•STRESS, MANIFESTED IN CYCLICAL OR UNWANTED THINKING AND/OR BEHAVIORS

•DISTRACTION, PROCRASTINATION, ATTENTION SPAN

•OCCASIONAL LOW MOOD STATE ESPECIALLY AROUND THE SENSE OF CONNECTION (OR LACK THEREOF) TO WHAT I’M DOING, NEGATIVE RUMINATION AND MEMORY RECALL

THE SCIENCE ON MINDFULNESS MEDITATION

OVERVIEW:

•VARIOUS TYPES OF MINDFULNESS MEDITATION ARE GROUPED TOGETHER IN THE SCEINTIFIC LITERATURE UNDER MBSR: MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION.

•IF INDEED THE STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF MEDITATION IS STILL IN ITS INFANCY IT IS DUE TO A LACK OF CONSISTENCY IN THE METHODOLOGY ACROSS STUDIES

FINDINGS:

•SIMILAR TO RELAXATION TRAINING, MBSR IS SHOWN TO MEDIATE DISTRESS, DEPRESSIVE RUMINATION, AND POSITIVE MOOD STATES OVER THE SHORT AND LONG TERM. MODELING SHOWS THAT MBSR’S MEDIATION OF DISTRESS MAY CAUSED BY ITS EFFECT ON RUMINATION. INFACT, MBSR MAY BE UNIQUE IN ITS EFFECT ON DISTRACTION AND RUMINATION (1)

•A STUDY ON MBSR AND MOTOR CONSCIOUSNESS SUGGESTED THAT, WHILE A MBSR GROUP FOUND A PHYSICAL TASK JUST AS HARD AS A CONTROL GROUP, THE MBSR GROUP EXPERIENCED MORE PLEASURE DURING THE TASK AND A GREATER SENSE OF CONTROL AND CALMNESS.(2)

BY NOW...WE KNOW THAT MBSR ENJOYS WIDE APPLICATION IN CLINICAL AND NON-CLINICAL SETTINGS BUT

HOW DOES IT WORK, REALLY?

ONE STUDY SUGGESTS THAT MINDFULNESS CHANGES EMOTIONAL INFORMATION PROCESSING. MBSR INCREASES POSITIVE WORD RECALL AND POSITIVE MEMORY RECALL. WITH THE BRAIN DRAWING FROM ITS ‘SUNNIER’ PARTS ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION DROP SIGNIFICANTLY.

NEUROLOGICALLY THIS IS DESCRIBED AS IMPROVED PREFONTAL ATTENTIONAL CONTROL OVER THE AMYGDALA.(3)

IT IS NATURAL THAT THE AMYGDALA IS USED IN MOMENTS OF PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL DISCOMFORT OR THREAT. BUT CHRONIC STRESS OR PAIN CAN CAUSE IT TO BE OVERUSED.

IN OTHER WORDS, THE AMYGDALA IS VERY FAST AND VERY DECISIVE BUT SHOULD ONLY HAVE THE MICROPHONE WHEN THE AUDITORIUM IS ON FIRE...

SO...DID IT WORK FOR ME?

INTERVENTION

•THE NEXT STEP WAS TO FIND INSTRUCTION IN HOW TO INTERVENE THROUGH MBSR: I ATTENDED SEVERAL BEGINNER MEDITATIONS AT THE NEW YORK INSIGHT MEDITATION CENTER (NYIMC.ORG) IN MANHATTAN.

•THE BEGINNER’S SIT WAS ONLY ONCE A WEEK, TUESDAY NIGHTS. THIS DIDN’T SEEM LIKE ENOUGH FOR A TEN WEEK INTERVENTION. I FOUND THROUGH THE CENTER A SIT IN BROOKLYN MUCH CLOSER TO HOME THAT HAPPENED BIMONTHLY ON MONDAYS.

I’VE ALREADY IDENTIFIED BIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS OF STRESS DUE TO A BUSY LIFE

•IN BOTH CASES I STAYED FOR THE DHAMMA TALK AFTERWARDS. I WASN’T REALLY LOOKING FOR A BELIEF SYSTEM (AND NONE WAS PUSHED ON ME) BUT THE LECTURES HELPED ME TO UNDERSTAND OTHER PEOPLE’S EXPECTATIONS FOR THEIR MEDITATION, GAIN ADDITIONAL INSIGHT INTO HOW TO MEDITATE AND, PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY, A SENSE OF WHAT ARE CONSIDERED UNIVERSAL GOALS AND EXPERIENCES IN VIPASSANA.

INTERVENTION CONT’D

•THE COST OF ATTENDING GROUP MEDITATIONS WAS BASED ON THE BUDDHIST NOTION OF DANA: VOLUNTARY DONATION TO THE ‘TEMPLE’ THAT IN MY CASE WORKED OUT TO 5 TO 10 DOLLARS PER SIT. THIS WAS IMPORTANT FOR MY ATTENDANCE AND ADHERENCE BECAUSE, HAD THE PRICING BEEN HIGHER OR MANDATORY, I WOULD HAVE GONE LESS OR MIGHT HAVE COME TO THINK OF THE INTERVENTION AS INDULGENT RATHER THAN PERSONAL MAINTENANCE. IT MIGHT HAVE ACTIVATED PART OF MY SELF-CONCEPT: A MILD CONTEMPT FOR THE FITNESS/SPIRITUAL COMPLEX...

INTERVENTION CONT’D

BUMPS IN THE ROAD

•IT SEEMED OBVIOUS TO MEDITATE IN THE MORNINGS BUT I COULDN’T DO IT. I TRIED AND TRIED BUT MY ADHERENCE WAS POOR.

•MY BEST TIMES FOR ADHERENCE TURNED OUT TO BE FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY AT AROUND FIVE IN THE AFTERNOON.

•I FOUND THAT I HAD TO REDUCE MY COFFEE INTAKE, EVEN IN THE MORNINGS, TO GET THE MOST OUT OF MY AFTERNOON SITS. OVER THE COURSE OF THE INTERVENTION I HAVE REDUCED MY COFFEE INTAKE BY ABOUT HALF -A WELCOME CHANGE.

AS I STARTED TO TRY AND BRING A MEDITATION PRACTICE HOME WITH ME IT FELT AS THOUGH MY ENVIRONMENT WAS SUDDENLY COMPRISED

OF ONLY TWO COMPONENTS:

AND, OF COURSE,

•SOME OF MY MEDIA HABITS, NAMELY POLITICAL SCREEDS AND COMMENT BOARDS, PROVED COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE.

•FULL NIGHTS OF SLEEP PROVED ESSENTIAL. WITHOUT PROPER SLEEP I’D GROW SLEEPY WHILE MEDITATING OR BE TOO WIRED.

•THE HARDEST CHALLENGE BY FAR, AND I KNOW I’M NOT ALONE ON THIS, WAS SIMPLY GETTING MY BODY TO STOP FOR A MINUTE EVEN WITH ALTERATIONS IN STIMULI. AS A NOVICE MEDITATOR I KNOW MY MIND WILL TAKE TIME TO HAVE REAL MOMENTS OF PAUSE AND NON-JUDGMENT. BUT THE BODY HAS ITS OWN ATTENTION SPAN AND MINE IS PRETTY SMALL WITHOUT HELP...

•I STARTED TO TIRE MYSELF BEFORE SITTING BY JUGGLING A SOCCER BALL IN THE PARK FOR AN HOUR. THE ADVANTAGE HERE WAS THAT I DO THIS ANYWAY BUT ALSO JUGGLING A SOCCER BALL HAS A WAY OF CLEARING THE MIND OF ALL ELSE.

•MAYBE THIS IS CHEATING BUT EXERCISE BEFORE SITTING ALSO PRODUCED ENDORPHINS WHICH, UNLIKE CAFFEINE, FEEL LIKE STABLE ENERGY.

STRATEGIES AND HABIT CHANGES

monday tuesday wednesday thursday friday saturday sunday

meditationsit

80% 30% 10% 10% 100% 70% 80%

exercisetime 100% 10% 0% 10% 100% 90% 100%

amount of

sleep8hrs 7hrs 7hrs 6.5hrs 8hrs 8hrs 8hrs

coffee intake 2 cups 3 cups 3 cups 3 cups 2 cups 3 cups 2 cups

•BELOW IS AN OBSERVATION TABLE WITH THE AVERAGE RATES OF ADHERENCE TO MEDITATION AND EXERCISE, AS WELL AS AVERAGE AMOUNTS OF SLEEP AND COFFEE OVER THE TEN WEEK INTERVENTION PERIOD. PLEASE NOTE: I DIDN’T RECORD LENGTH OF MEDITATIONS (NEVER LESS THE 20 MIN., NEVER MORE THAN 45 MIN.) NOR QUALITY OF THEM. THE FIRST TWO ROWS SIMPLY DOCUMENT THE 10 WEEK AVERAGE OF ADHERENCE.

•TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY ARE MY BUSIEST DAYS; THAT IS REFLECTED IN THE TABLE BELOW

OBSERVATION

OBSERVATION CONT’D •ADHERENCE TO BOTH MEDITATION AND EXERCISE AS WELL AS, TO SOME EXTENT, REDUCED COFFEE INTAKE AND SUFFICIENT SLEEP PROVED DIFFICULT MID-WEEK WHEN I HAD BOTH WORK AND SCHOOL. OFTEN THERE WAS LITERALLY NO TIME FOR MEDITATION AND EXERCISE; SLEEP AND CAFFEINE INTERVENTIONS COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER OBSERVED DURING THE BUSIEST PART OF THE WEEK

•FRIDAY WAS MY BEST DAY ADHERENCE-WISE. THIS REFLECTED AN EXCITEMENT TO RESUME THE INTERVENTION AFTER THE KIND OF BUSY DAYS THAT INSPIRED THE INTERVENTION IN THE FIRST PLACE

•SATURDAY’S LOW MEDITATION ADHERENCE REFLECTED TWO THINGS: FRIDAY NIGHT IS MY NIGHT TO GO OUT SOCIALLY AND SATURDAY IS A BIG DAY TO PREPARE FOR DEADLINES.

•PERHAPS MY COFFEE INTAKE SEEMS LIKE A LOT BUT THE TABLE ACTUALLY REFLECTS A REDUCTION FROM PRE-INTERVENTION LEVELS (BY HALF!, EMBARASSINGLY)

•THIS MEDITATION INTERVENTION ALSO INSPIRED GREATER ADHERENCE TO AN EXERCISE REGIME AS I FOUND A TIRING OF THE BODY USEFUL PRIOR TO EACH SIT. AS THE TABLE SUGGESTS I DID NOT ALWAYS FOLLOW THROUGH ON MEDITATION AFTER EXERCISE.

CONCLUSIONS

•THE USE OF EXERCISE IN THIS INTERVENTION HAD TWO BENEFITS SPECIFIC TO IT:

IT HELPED TO REDUCE FIDGETING DURING MEDITATION

IT HELPED STRENGTHEN MY CORE WHICH FACILITATED PROPER POSTURE AND STAMINA DURING MEDITATION: A MAJOR DETAIL THAT IMPROVED RESULTS HERE AND MORE GENERALLY

•THE RESTING OF THE EYES INHERENT TO MEDITATION (EYES CLOSED OR GENTLY FOCUSED ON A POINT IN FRONT OF YOU) SHARPLY REDUCED HEADACHES ASSOCIATED WITH COMPUTER SCREENS EVEN WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN TIME IN FRONT OF THE COMPUTER

•ALTHOUGH ADHERENCE WAS POOR MIDWEEK THERE WAS A GENERALIZED IMPULSE TO “TAKE A MOMENT” AND “DEEP BREATHS” WHICH INDICATES AN IMPROVED SELF-CALMING SKILL SET

•I WAS LESS WILLING TO ENGAGE IN PROCRASTINATION BECAUSE OF A MORE LOGICAL ANTICIPATION OF WHAT IT WOULD FEEL LIKE IF I DID: MINDFULNESS AT WORK…

•I COULD FOCUS ON WORK FOR LONGER AND MORE HAPPILY

•AS PER THE STUDY MENTIONED EARLIER I DID EXPERIENCE A CHANGE IN MEMORY RECALL: SHORT TERM MEMORY WAS MORE EFFICIENT AND NEGATIVE LONG-TERM MEMORY RECALL LESS FREQUENT. I WAS MORE ‘UNDERSTANDING’ WITH MYSELF

CONCLUSIONS CONT’D

•VIPASSANA, THE MBSR I TRIED, INVOLVES TRYING TO MINDFULLY OBSERVE THE BODY’S SENSATIONS AND LET THE MIND’S INSISTENT GENERATIONS COME AND GO WITHOUT JUDGMENT. VIPASSANA’S INNOVATION FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS A TEN DAY SILENT RETREAT WHERE PRACTITIONERS MEDITATE 8 HOURS A DAY. THE BENEFITS OF THE PRACTICE CAN BE HAD WITHOUT THE RETREAT ALTHOUGH I NOW LOOK FORWARD, WITH EXCITEMENT AND FEAR, TO MY FIRST CHANCE TO DO SUCH A RETREAT.

AN INCREDIBLE DOCUMENTARY ON THE BENEFITS OF MEDITATION UNDER FAR MORE STRESSFUL CIRCUMSTANCES THAN THOSE I’VE KNOW IS THE DHAMMA BROTHERS (http://www.hulu.com/watch/255596)

EVEN WITH REAL ATROCITIES IN ONE’S PAST AND AN ENVIRONMENT THAT VIRTUALLY ASSURES SOMEONE A SHORTENED LIFESPAN THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY AND REASON TO GROW.

MEDIA

the metta prayer

I CONCLUDE MANY OF MY SITS WITH THE METTA PRAYER WHICH I LEARNED AT THE BROOKLYN GROUP I MENTIONED. IT IS A USEFUL REMINDER BUT ALSO GIVES THE MEDITATION A FEELING

OF USEFULNESS OUTSIDE OF JUST MYSELF (the ‘you’ in the prayer doesn’t have to mean ‘me’).

I HOPE YOU ENJOY!

REFERENCES

1 Jain, S., Shapiro, S. L., Swanick, S., Roesch, S. C., Mills, P. J., & Schwartz, G. E. (2007). A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness meditation versus relaxation training: Effects on distress, positive states of mind, rumination, and distraction. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 33(1), 11-21.

2 Delevoye-Turrell, Y. N., & Bobineau, C. (2012). Motor consciousness during intention-based and stimulus-based actions: modulating attention resources through mindfulness meditation. Frontiers in Psychology, 3.

3 Roberts-Wolfe, D., Sacchet, M., Hastings, E., Roth, H., Britton, W., Roberts-Wolfe, D., ... & Britton, W. (2012). Mindfulness training alters emotional memory recall compared to active controls: support for an emotional information processing model of mindfulness. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 6, 15.

ACKOWLEDGEMENTSTHE NEW YORK INSIGHT MEDITATION CENTER

JOSHUA, A GREAT TEACHER