A mother’s thankfulness for her son’s new habit becomes a plea to all men everywhere.
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I stopped by my son’s apartment on the way home from work. His girlfriend answered the door and said I couldn’t disturb him just yet; he was meditating. “Meditating?”Were the two of them making light of my own meditation habits? Turns out, no, they weren’t.
My son’s anxiety and blood pressure sky rocketed from something that had happened during the day so instead of punching a bag, he decided to give meditation a try. Moments later he came down stairs and said he never felt better! His blood pressure was normal and his anxiety –gone! He’s been practicing meditation ever since.
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If a Doctor told a man he had two options: He could get an instant erection through a penile injection or by taking a pill OR he could practice meditation for 6-8 weeks and begin to experience them naturally, which do you think he would choose?
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Many people believe the Beatles had a significant impact on the rise in popularity of meditation. Since their visit to India in the late 1960’s, much was made in the news regarding their study of advanced Transcendental Meditation (TM) practices. The Beatles indeed brought meditation to the forefront; however, through research and scientific studies, it remains popular today among millions of people in our culture because of its effectiveness.
Meditation has shown to open pathways that improve our breathing and circulation. We handle stress and anxiety with ease, managing our physical and emotional health better. So why don’t more men meditate?
Men and women experience the same anxieties connected to work and family life. Men typically respond by trying to ‘fix the problem’ while women try to ‘understand the problem’.
Science proves our brains function differently; they are split between two hemispheres. The left is our logical side and the right is our creative side. Information is passed through the brain by fiber pathways. Generally, men process information through fibers that travel back and forth in each hemisphere where the ‘perception and action’ areas are found. They see a problem and want to resolve it quickly. Women process information through fibers that travel zig zag across the hemispheres combining ‘logic and intuition’. They want a deeper experience to the situation.
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If a Doctor told a man he had two options: He could get an instant erection through a penile injection or by taking a pill OR he could practice meditation for 6-8 weeks and begin to experience them naturally, which do you think he would choose? If a Doctor told a man he could lower his blood pressure by taking a pill OR he could meditate daily, foregoing the medication, which do you think he would choose? Most likely, he would want the quick fix.
Instant gratification has its merits, but when do we realize the longevity of peace and balance out weigh the quick fix and even offer a host of other benefits?
I’m a huge fan of leadership retreats and have been hosting my own for years. The structure of the retreat is broken down into four elements; Maintenance, Motivation, Purpose, and Plan.
How do we get a thinking man to stop thinking -so he can think better?
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Maintenance is all about peeling away the layers of stress through meditation and massage. Sometimes we have to force ourselves into a time slot for creating peace. If we could only realize meditation is a pro-active approach to better health, well-being, and prosperity.
Josh Dean wrote an article in GQ, quoting the 33rd richest man in America, Ray Dalio, founder and chairman of Bridgewater, the world’s largest hedge fund. Dalio is a superhero of the financial world, and I think he might know a thing or two about anxiety and stress.
What this 63-year-old has to say about TM, which he started doing forty years ago, in college, is not ambiguous:
“I think mediation has been the single biggest reason for whatever success I’ve had.”
How do we get a thinking man to stop thinking -so he can think better?
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My husband is 66 years old and the thought of ‘being still’ for any length of time brings on its own anxiety! He’s certainly not opposed to the idea; he just can’t seem to sit still, ever. However, after learning about our son’s success and the multitude of benefits meditation offers, he’s willing to give it a try. After all, who wouldn’t want a decrease in cardiovascular mortality, stress, anxiety, headaches, congestion, and depression? How about an increase in production of antibodies, mindfulness, focus, problem-solving, circulation, and restful nights? –So why not give it a gander?
I want the men in my life to live longer, happier, and healthier. Kudos to my son for choosing an alternative route to relieving stress and lowering his blood pressure. Perhaps the male Millennial generation will catch on and populate a new way to work out- a mental exercise where no dumb bells are required!
Photo: Flickr/Jason Rogers
“a mental exercise where no dumb bells are required” – I, like you, wish we cared for our mental health even as well as we do our physical health, and I wish we cared more for both of them!
The older we get the wiser we become. Sure wish I got into mediation earlier in life. My dad introduced it to me when I was in high school, but I certainly didn’t want to take the time out of my playful schedule to slow down. With my own children of 6, I do see them taking better care of their health than I did at their age. I’m hoping the younger generation embraces a spirit of well-being so when the insurmountable stress arrives (and we all know it will) they are better prepared.
Tamilyn, you couldn’t have said it better. In advertisements and marketing today, we always see products that help us get things done faster. Why are we always in a hurry? Society tells us that we have to go-go-go in order to be successful but that isn’t always the answer. Your son has found what many of us need to do in our everyday lives to calm our minds and reach our natural state. Please post more articles!
Thank you for your kind comment, JR. We certainly do live in a fast paced world. -And yes, sometimes faster is better, but in order to gain a sense of control we need quiet time where we can plug ourselves back in. Through meditation we become centered; we can use more of our creativity that the outside world strips away.
Remember, YOU are the ‘society’. Run your own life…don’t get run over.
Remember, YOU are the ‘society’. Run your own life…don’t get run over
Brilliant – I hope you recorded that for a future post!
Meditation can be pretty powerful. My wife does prayerful meditation and finds great value in it. I have attempted it in the past and have found some of the benefits you’re talking about. I’ve also gotten similar benefits through exercise. In vigorous exercise I am able to tune out all my distractions- swimming tended to be the best for me.
Fantastic! There are great guided meditations you can grab from Hemi-Sync -The Monroe Institute. I learned how to mediate through their CD’s. Their musical meditations are lovely. One of my favorites is called Maiden Voyage. Keep it up…when you reserve the time for ‘being still’, you establish a true sense of balance in your life.