 When Meditation Becomes Holistic, It Impacts Every Part of Your Life
There are a number of misconceptions about meditation. The image of a bald cult member sitting in the lotus position humming for hours on end hardly encompasses the scope of diversity that the world of meditation involves. Not only is meditation not limited to that narrow situation in that image, the applications and impacts of meditation on our lives can become truly holistic if we let that happen.
If we fail to get a broader and more holistic view of how we can use meditation and how it can affect our lives, we are missing out. A holistic unstinting of meditation means that we won't limit how we use meditation to that stale image of sitting cross legged saying a mantra. That is certainly a tine honored and acceptable was to use meditation. But the diversity of ways meditation can be used in a holistic fashion means that you can fit your discipline of meditation into exercise, dance and many other aspects of your life.
The key to using meditation in a holistic way is to remember that the goal of meditation is to achieve focus, to calm the spirit and to look inward for inner peace. There are numerous forms of movement meditation that accomplish that goal actively. Yoga and Tai Chi are obvious examples of more holistic meditation that incorporate movement and that can be accomplished anywhere.
Many athletes have leaned to integrate the steps of reaching a state of meditation into running, working out at the gym or swimming. The repetitive motion and the need for breath control is a perfect fit to what we do during meditation. And athletes who find ways to quiet and focus their spirits and minds in a holistic way during exercise often excel in their sport because the meditation causes a greater harmony of body, mind and spirit.
In medicine, the word "holistic" means integrating all aspects of life into the healing process. Holistic healing uses the spiritual aspect of life, meditation, family support and exercise along with medication to effect healing. Holistic meditation means that we allow meditation to become part of every part of life as well. We do not limit it to just that small space at home where dedicated meditation takes place. We open up our imagination and let meditation fill our lives. When that happens, the value that meditation brings to us fills every activity in life in a holistic well as well.
That old advice, "count to 10 and breathe deeply before getting angry" is a mode of holistic meditation. By achieving breath control and looking inward (count to 10) we allow the effects of meditation to sooth the emotions and calm the spirit so that anger cannot cause the damage it usually causes. In childbirth, couples are taught to focus on the breathing and to speak specific phrases to help the mother in labor focus her mind and energies on giving birth to that child. This too is a holistic application of the theories we learn in meditation training.
There is a natural "high" we feel when we complete a successful session of meditation. Holistic meditation teaches us to not leave that natural high in the meditation chamber. By allowing the serenity and inner peace of meditation to take over, we become more effective, cheerful and productive persons in all areas of life. We work better, enjoy family time better, face crisis without fear or panic, have more fun and even make love better. All of these effects are the outcome of a holistic approach to meditation. When we allow meditation to take over our lives in a holistic way, the outcome can only be good.
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