Talk Back with Ellen Wood

I’m a great-grandma! (Also a tip to grow younger)

Exciting news! My first great-granddaughter was born yesterday – and she’s healthy and beautiful. I already had a great-grandson who lives in Portland – my son’s daughter Rhianna’s stepson – and he’s handsome and healthy and already in elementary school.

This time it’s a girl and her parents are Kan and Julia. Kan is the son of my daughter Summer and her partner Kathy.

And to celebrate, here’s one of my best (actually, THE best) tip for growing younger:

WHY “DOING NOTHING” CAN CHANGE EVERYTHING

This question has been posed to me more than once: suppose a person could do only one grow younger action step every day, what should it be? There’s no doubt in my mind – it’s meditate.

Regular meditation changes a person from the inside out in numerous ways. It’s a stress-reducing, centering practice that prepares us to be fully alive and present in the splendor of each moment. During meditation, you can access your deepest inner reserves for healing and living joyfully. And when you heal and live joyfully, of course you grow younger! In addition, this conscious time of mindfulness, whether it’s 5 minutes or 20 minutes or longer, makes you available to hear inner guidance tailored specifically to your individualized needs.

Meditation helps people relax and enhances self-esteem. Actually, scientific studies show it’s a great aid to the libido, helping to overcome impotence generated by worry and concerns. (And it’s a whole lot cheaperand healthier than that pill.) Individuals participating in stress reduction programs based on meditation report better sleep, decreased blood pressure, greater emotional balance, inner peace, greater vitality, more enthusiasm for life and diminishment of pain.

Mainstream allopathic physicians are recommending meditation, Time magazine did a cover story recently on The Mindful Revolution, and even websites of respected institutions such as the Mayo Clinic now provide lessons in how to meditate. These mainstream doctors and institutions used to disguise meditation with generic names like the Relaxation Technique or Relaxation Response, so people who might be skeptical of the word ‘meditation’ wouldn’t be turned off. And thank goodness they did because it has helped a lot of people, including many who were mistakenly linking ‘meditation’ with a particular religion. Nowadays, these institutions are using the word ‘meditation’ because it has earned respect and popularity through demonstrated benefits.

No matter what you call it, it still has the same focus – balancing and harmonizing the mind by watching your thoughts without judgment, and taking a break from the hustle and bustle of daily life. There’s scientific evidence that meditation actually increases grey matter in the brain and delays – and may even prevent – cognitive decline. Yay! My Alzheimer’s gene doesn’t stand a chance of expressing itself since I meditate every day; most days, once in the morning for 30 minutes and once in the evening for 15 minutes. I can say truly, without a shadow of a doubt, regular meditation has changed my life! I am calmer, more focused, more loving, happier, wittier, my brain works better and my creativity is supercharged.

Meditation is also a great stress reducer. In fact, corporations are ‘waking up’ to the many positive benefits of meditation on their personnel – not only in increased work production but also in reduced stress and improved employee satisfaction.

I know many of you already meditate regularly, but just in case you’re ready to start or you’ve fallen out of the habit, here are the steps:

Meditation steps for beginners

1. Find a place to meditate, preferably a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed.
2. Meditate before eating or an hour or two after a meal.
3. Set a timer with a gentle beep for the amount of time you plan to meditate.
4. Sit in a comfortable position and support your back with pillows, if needed. You want your spine to be straight.
5. Close your eyes and take several deep, relaxing breaths.
6. Breathe normally and put your focus on your breath coming in and out of your nostrils. Feel the cool air coming in and the warm air going out.
7. Say to yourself: I am breathing in (as you inhale); I am breathing out (as you exhale).
8. Thoughts will come into your mind (that’s part of meditation.) When they do, notice them, gently let them pass and bring your awareness back to your breath. Avoid judging your thoughts or getting caught up in the ‘story.”
9. Be persistent. It may feel like nothing is happening for weeks or even months but I assure you, it is.

 Joy and Blessings,

Ellen

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