How to Improve Your Recovery with Meditation
As of this writing, I’ve written just over 120 posts for this website. Most of which are based on recovery, Suboxone, opioid addiction, depression, anxiety, etc.
I can say without a doubt, this post is the most important of all of them. Keep reading and hopefully you’ll agree.
I was 6 years into recovery before I began meditating. I wish I’d started much sooner.
If you’re in a 12-step program like I am, then you already know how often we hear that “prayer and meditation” need to be a part of our recovery. The AA and NA big book reference prayer and meditation countless times, and they come up in meetings almost weekly. Yes, I sat quietly with my eyes closed countless times and hoped I would find this magic “zen” people speak of when meditating. Every time I tried to meditate I either got tired or realized my brain was simply too active to get any peace. Like many, I felt I simply wasn’t good at meditation.
After talking to others about meditation I found that most people feel they’re just not good at it so they quit trying. Meditation became possible for me only after I understood what meditation is, why it works, why I need it in my recovery, and how to do it.
The goal of this article is to GET YOU MEDITATING with great success!
Again, meditation became much easier for me once I understood what it is, why it works, why I need it and how to do it. It will work for you too if you’re patient. There are many different types of medication that you can research at your leisure. The kind were discussing today is known as transcendental meditation. The good news is transcendental meditation does not require a deep knowledge or understanding to enjoy the benefits it provides. You can start today and get immediate results.
A few things to remember:
Meditation is a practice, not a destination. Even the most practiced of people will have days when they don’t reach a point of bliss in their meditation. The good news is, you don’t have to reach that point for meditation to have a very positive effect in your life. Just keep doing it and you WILL get the benefits. You’ll see 🙂
What is Meditation?
The purpose of meditation is to quiet or at least ignore our busy minds. Think about it: When you first wake up, how long does it take for your mind to begin rambling on and on about all the things you need to do today? Things that happened yesterday? Things that happened years ago? Things that have not yet happened?
Our brain are like a hamster running on a wheel while drinking coffee. It’s non-stop noise 24/7, leaving us no room to actually “think” because our brain is too busy firing what’s known as “automatic thoughts”. Automatic thoughts are abundant and endless. They come and go, with and without a reason. Automatic thoughts cause anxiety, depression, anger, resentments, bitterness, and so much more.
Medication is a practice of “ignoring automatic thoughts for 15-20 minutes per day”.
Why Meditation Works
Taking just 15-20 minutes per day to focus elsewhere and ignore our automatic thoughts allows us to think about almost nothing for a bit. This is a lot like pressing the “reboot” button on a computer. It quiets the mind, gives you space to think clearly without all of the noise clouding your thoughts.
Why Do I need Meditation?
Meditation will make you feel peaceful. Even if just for a small portion of your actual meditation time (it takes a few minutes to focus and ignore the overactive brain) you will feel calm, peaceful, clear-headed and rested. It also plays a huge role on how you approach the rest of your day, which is why it is recommended you meditate in the morning. Some people also meditate at night for added benefit.
After just a few attempts, you are very likely to find a place of peace in your head. Once you do, you will begin looking forward to your meditation as the very best part of your day. It becomes our “home” for the quiet brain. It allows us to start the day feeling in much better control of our thoughts, and with a more peaceful attitude toward life. In my experience, meditation makes life’s struggles seem a little less important than they did before I began meditation. Meditation also reminds me there is a place I can go no matter where I’m at that is peaceful, calm and restful.
The long-term effect of meditation is the feeling of being in better control of your brain. Less reactive. More calm. A peacefulness that tells me “everything is going to be okay”. Without meditation, my brain is more like a runaway train that I have no control over.
How to Meditate
As noted above, there are many different types of meditation. And, everyone does it a little differently. Today, we’re looking at what’s known as “guided transcendental meditation”. The video below can be used as your guide while meditating. Simply listen to the video and follow the guide as she instructs you on what to do. How simple is that?
Why Guided Meditation?
Guided meditation seems to be the easiest, fastest way to get results. This is because it typically includes a narrative that tells you what to do, where to focus, how to focus, what to focus on, etc. I’ve found that the only way for me to ignore my overactive brain, I have to focus on something. The guide in this meditation tells us to focus on the space between our eyes, which distracts us from paying attention to our brain. It’s simple, effective, and is very easy to follow.
Don’t Wait – Get Started Today!
Meditation has changed my life. Big things now seem smaller. Life has more clarity. I’m less reactive to situations that used to trigger anxiety, depression, anger, and many other negative emotions. In short, meditation makes me feel more in-control of my brain. I now realize that so many of my automatic thoughts are simply noise. And, I don’t have to listen to that noise if I don’t want to.
Control Your Brain = Control Your Happiness.
Best of success in your recovery!
