Meditation is one of the most powerful tools available in the service of building resilience into our systems. And, as is so often said about mediation, it is “simple, but not easy.”
Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Full Catastrophe Living, defines mindfulness as “paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.” This is quite the task and a beautiful place to strive for and be.
Our minds will always wander. As AdditudeMag puts it, “it’s the nature of the mind to be distracted.”
Among many other health benefits (Science), meditation is a tool that teaches and nourishes our abilities to recognize the moments our minds wander from our designated focal point, i.e., the breath, particular sensations, etc., as well as to gently and lovingly return our attention to the places we choose.
Over time and with support, this skill of returning one’s attention to the present moment can be generalized to all areas of our lives.
For example, if you are working on a creative project and you somehow just happen to find yourself playing around on social media, over time you will have strengthened your neurological muscles enough to be able to choose to return your attention to your creative project. Voila!
I love to find and create meditation practices that work specifically for each person. Just as with exercise and nutrition, there are a variety of approaches to meditation. Sitting isn’t the only meditation practice. You can meditate in movement as we do in yoga, tai chi, and other physical practices. You may meditate while brushing your teeth, eating, or create a loving-kindness practice. The options are many!
A plethora of resources exist to help us find and create the right meditation for you. Here are just a few:
Books
– The Mindfulness Prescription for Adult AD/HD by Lidia Zylowska, MD
– Mindful Parenting for AD/HD by Mark Bertin, MD
Apps
– Headspace
– Evenflow
I would love to help you create a meditation practice that works specifically for you. Please send me an email at barbaralipscomb@gmail.com to book an appointment.
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