Start Meditating Today!

Meditation slipped soulfully into the pop culture in the mid-70s whenthe TV series Kung Fu showed America how cool quiet contemplation, shaved heads and dragon tattoos could be. Often depicted kneeling in some dark room in the midst of a large number of candles, David Carradine's Shaolin monk, Kwai Chang Caine, clearly relied upon his meditation practice to help him win the day.

Meditation is making a comeback. But is it a fad, or are there lasting benefits to be gained from mindful silence?

The short answer is, if you are not taking some time to meditate each day, you ought to be. Research published in the Journal of American Medical Association Internal Medicine indicates that practicing meditation regularly may reduce anxiety, alleviate depression, and lower blood pressure. Other studies have shown it can minimize the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, help overcome insomnia, and even diminish the incidence, duration, and severity of some acute respiratory illnesses.

That's just the biology. You probably already know the psychology: Meditation can increase self-awareness, reduce negative emotions, and build the skills need to manage stress.

Sounds good. So why aren't we meditating more?

For one, we have a lot of misconceptions about how much time it takes. Maybe it's the images of those Shaolin priests and all those candles, but many people believe they need to be sealed away in solitude for an hour or more daily to derive any benefits from meditation, when actually just ten minutes of quiet time can have a demonstrable effect on our well-being.

If you're not religious, you may think that meditation smacks of prayer, and so shy away from it. If you are religious, you may believe that meditation is intrinsically Eastern and perhaps at odds with your own Judaeo-Christian faith. But although meditation arose originally from our attempts to better understand the mystic and sacred in our lives, in both the East and the West, there need not be any spiritual component to your meditation.

Then there's all the different flavors. Guided, mantra, transcendental, Qui Quong, and Tai Chi are just a few of the variations. What's a newbie meditator to do?

It's true that the number of different styles can be intimidating, but so too is the number of ways to exercise, andI hope you don't let that stop you from regularly working out. My advice is to simply start – today.

Find a comfortable chair, and close your eyes. Breathe in deeply, exhale slowly through your nostrils, and focus all your attention on your breathing. Do this for ten minutes – that's all! You've officially embarked upon a program of meditation, and can expect to experience at least the benefits of decreased stress level immediately.

Of course, you should certainly do some research and see if some of the more specialized forms of meditation might have even further benefits for you. Many gyms and community centers offer yoga and Tai Chi programs, and some people need the social commitment of a daily “class” to maintain the discipline.