Uschi Heyd
(Senior Yoga Teacher, Bachelor of Arts in Educational Psychology, Diploma in Yogic Studies and Teacher Training)
Have you ever wondered why most customer service representatives ask if you have had a busy day? But is the quality of your day really defined by how busy you are?
We are ‘trained’ to wear our busyness like a badge of honour. We seem to have entered into an unspoken agreement to keep pushing ahead and not to pause, ask questions, look within or connect with what is personally meaningful. Add to this financial pressure and social media induced FOMO (fear of missing out), and we have little chance to remain grounded and focused on what we value.[¹] Unless, we make a conscious effort to do so.
This article reflects on some of the issues many of us are facing and how meditation might help put us back on track.
Looking for a way ‘out’
Are you reading this because you are looking to create change? Maybe you want to reduce stress and anxiety or feel more focused, grounded and loving. Or perhaps there is something else you are thirsting for?
Something that cannot be easily put into words; a sense of wholeness, belonging or homecoming; a sense of knowing of your place in this vast universe.
A big part of our struggles is due to the way we view life, our unexamined expectations or assumptions of how things should be. We have been ‘trained’ to hide our true feelings and work hard to do what we assume is the ‘right’ thing so we will be accepted by our peers and colleagues.
More often than not, what we do and what we believe in are not in harmony. The resulting dissonance creates inner tensions that, if not resolved, can lead to an increase in chronic stress and potential health issues.[²]
Meditation 101
In meditation we aim to observe, with curiosity, the content of the mind. This includes our thoughts, emotions and physical sensations as everything we experience, we experience through the mind.
Some of the benefits are:
- improved emotional wellbeing
- reduced stress
- increased focus and productivity
- improved sleep
- improved immune function
- improved relationships
Meditation is not a magic bullet. It requires commitment and the ability to sacrifice short-term pleasures for long-term goals. However, even a meditation novice can get glimpses of a sense of deep inner peace.
At the beginning, this might only happen during practice but with ongoing commitment the feeling of peace will extend to other areas of your life.
When meditating we are invited to suspend judgement of good or bad, desirable or undesirable and welcome whatever is arising. This allows us to simply be with what is, rather than being swayed by our ‘inner critic’.
We begin to experience a new sense of deep inner calm despite the ongoing turmoil on the surface.[³]
Debunking the ‘Myth’
- You do NOT need to sit cross-legged on the floor to meditate.
- When we meditate, we do NOT try to empty the mind but learn to quietly observe – with curiosity – its content. These are our thoughts, feelings, emotions and sensations.
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For more articles, please visit our Health and Wellness page.
Uschi Heyd is a mind-body practitioner, mentor, facilitator and educator. She has been recognised as a senior teacher with Yoga Australia and recently co-authored ‘Yoga for Health and Wellbeing Training for prisoners in NZ’.
Uschi draws on knowledge and wisdom that she gained from 30 years of spiritual practice and academic and personal study in yoga, education, psychology & nutrition. She combines her love of yoga and psychology with her passion for education and creative expression, which can be seen in her new venture KindLiving (www.kindliving.co.nz). Uschi is based in Dunedin, NZ.
References
(1) Rozgonjuk, Sindermann, Elhai, & Montag. (2020). Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) and social media’s impact on daily-life and productivity at work: Do WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat Use Disorders mediate that association? Addictive Behaviors, 110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106487
(2) Mariotti A. (2015). The effects of chronic stress on health: new insights into the molecular mechanisms of brain-body communication. Future science OA, 1(3), FSO23. https://doi.org/10.4155/fso.15.21
(3) Liu, X., Xu, W., Wang, Y., Williams, J. M. G., Geng, Y., Zhang, Q., and Liu, X. (2015) Can Inner Peace be Improved by Mindfulness Training: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Stress Health, 31: 245– 254. doi: 10.1002/smi.2551.
