Presence, mindfulness and meditation in Ayurveda

Our mind is constantly producing thoughts. Some of them relate to our past and the experiences associated with it - we wallow in memories. Some of them relate to our constructed future and the wishes, hopes or fears associated with it.

Both patterns have one thing in common: they go hand in hand with a loss of presence. We pay a high price for this - we lose concentration, mindfulness, active engagement and contact. In short: the power and magic of direct experience in the here and now remains hidden from us.

„I meditate every day“, I hear from many of my patients during the initial consultation. Most of them suffer from anxiety, depression and psychosomatic complaints. „Wonderful! Have you experienced any relief as a result?“ I like to ask. The most common answer is: „I feel more relaxed during meditation, but unfortunately the effect doesn't last in everyday life.“

Why is that? What is meditation anyway and what goals does it pursue? What types of meditation are there and how do I find the right meditation practice for me?

Which meditative practices are based on a religious worldview? What role does meditation play in psychotherapy? Are there any contraindications?

My personal path

When I first encountered yoga and meditation, I was 16 years old and in the midst of self-discovery. I wanted to understand life and make the world a better place. At the age of 21, I took Buddhist „refuge“ (Trisharana) and practised meditation exercises, sometimes for several hours a day, which were passed on by my teachers.

I felt great and regularly attended meditation retreats where we practised for up to 10 hours. As I was still studying at the time, it was easy to reconcile all the duties of the „outside world“ with my inner longings.

When I then opened my first private practice in my hometown of Frankfurt am Main, meditation, along with all physical therapy methods, was the method with which I wanted to alleviate psychosomatic complaints. At the time, I thought that psychological problems were the result of a lack of or insufficient meditation practice. That's what I had learnt time and again from my teachers in India and Europe.

Unfortunately, this method only worked unsatisfactorily. Many patients were unable or unwilling to „meditate“, and some experienced increased symptoms during the exercise. So I set out in search of new ways in which traditional meditation practice and modern psychological science were not opposites, but synergies. I studied psychology for 10 semesters and trained as a psychotherapist. My own practice has also changed since then: it has become more purist and has freed itself from ideological restrictions.

Mindful in the here and now

Our flexible Attention includes the ability of focussed Concentration and expansive Mindfulness. She can rely on our Inner world or to our Outside world refer. Presence is the basis of our self-perception and at the same time an antidote for life in the past or future.

Mindfulness connects as a kind of Panorama awareness ours Attention with the accepting readiness for everything that happens in the moment. We remain open, curious, flexible, non-judgemental and loving - towards ourselves and our environment.

Mindfulness is the basis of any meditation practice. Meditation without mindfulness is impossible. Mindfulness without meditation practice, on the other hand, is!

Relaxation is a frequent Consequence of mindfulness exercises and meditation, but it is not her Goal. When we are mindful of our thoughts and feelings, they can also be painful. Many relaxation techniques even have the opposite effect and can reduce our mindfulness.

We can practise mindfulness and concentration in everyday activities:

in daily body cleansing, shaving, skin care or when brushing teeth,
in the preparation and consumption of food and the subsequent washing up,
during sporting activities or regular yoga practice,
when attending a concert or theatre event,
when walking, driving, lying down, standing and waiting.

One of the most popular and effective mindfulness exercises is observing our breathing and the airflow associated with it, which comes and goes at the tip of our nose, raises and lowers our chest or abdominal wall.

Now - before you continue reading - pause for a moment and pay attention to your breathing without influencing it. Let thoughts and sounds pass by like clouds in the sky, without judging them. What do you perceive?

A second mindfulness exercise that will change your life and all social relationships is the Mindful communication.

Do you know what it's like: you are communicating with friends, acquaintances, colleagues or relatives and feel that the other person seems absent despite eye contact? Your feeling is not deceptive: many people do not listen attentively. They either get caught up in thoughts about the past or the future or they prepare for their next statement while „listening“.

Learn to listen attentively and to perceive your dialogue partner with all your senses. Trust your mind, which produces far more profound and authentic messages spontaneously and effortlessly if you don't regulate it.

Away from the pillow - into life

Many meditators attach great importance to their meditation environment. I was one of them and loved my north-east-facing meditation island with its altar, Buddha statues, cushions, blankets and spiritual equipment (bell, sceptre, mala, incense and much more). Rituals work, that is undisputed. But do we need them?

Meditation is possible anywhere and at any time if we open ourselves to it - even on a building site with deafening noise. Today, I favour forms that are detached from images and objects from Eastern cultures. This creates less irritation and reaches many more people who have difficulties with worshipping deities or reciting unknown mantras.

The lotus position is not a prerequisite for successful meditation! My morning practice takes place on the sofa in our living room, during the day I centre myself between two patients at my desk. Whether you sit on a chair or lie flat on the floor, walk or dance meditatively - meditation is a mental process and largely independent of physical ability.

Meditation YES - but which one?

We can roughly divide meditative practices into two groups:

Passive methods such as silent meditation or mindfulness meditation
Active methods such as movement meditation, visualisation or recitation

Try out both methods to find out which one suits you better at the moment. Experience has shown that active forms are suitable for those whose mind tends to be very restless and distracted. If we focus on an action, this mind can be centred; in a quiet meditation, thoughts often play ping-pong.

Silent breathing meditation and techniques of self-observation, as used in the Vipassana tradition are extremely powerful and confronting at the same time. Our mind wanders off again and again, and that is perfectly fine. We lovingly bring it back to the centre of our attention. The more we practise, the more centred we become.

You can start at home by following instructions via the Internet or an audio file. Or you can start in one of the many group programmes in your area. The exchange with a teacher and like-minded people often has a motivating, reinforcing and clarifying effect. Whichever way you prefer, just get started! The next steps often follow once the first one has been taken.

There are ideological bound and unbound Offerings. The first often come from Buddhist and Hindu traditions in India, Sri Lanka, South East Asia, China and Japan. Before starting, check whether the beliefs associated with the practice are right for you - if not, I recommend non-ideological offers such as MBSR (mindfulness-based stress reduction) according to Dr Jon Kabat-Zinn.

Meditation in therapeutic practice

Meditation is not a relaxation method or a self-therapy for mental disorders. If you suffer from severe anxiety, traumatic images, severe depression, personality disorders or psychosis, you should first consult a specialised therapist before starting a meditation practice.

Meditation leads to alert awareness. There is now a great deal of research on the effects of regular meditative practice. These include, among others

Improving stress management and lowering cortisol levels
Change in the relationship to pain sensations
Reduction of inflammatory parameters and immunomodulation
Influencing cell ageing by reducing telomere shortening
Improvement of neuronal plasticity and antidepressant effect
Promotion of healthy sleep architecture and vegetative balance
Increase in social intelligence, serenity, connectedness, compassion and love

Ask your therapist who offers meditation in their practice three questions:

When, where and from whom did you learn meditation?
What experience of meditation do you have?
What world view underlies the meditation practice you offer?

All three questions should be answered directly and unambiguously. Decide on this basis whether you want to start with an initial exercise.

The loss of presence is omnipresent!

When we experience a very challenging or threatening situation, no relaxation technique will help. Instead, we can face these moments with mindful presence and act calmly, lovingly and with focus - even if we feel anything but calm.

Meditation helps us to develop an inner observer who follows the events on the stage of our lives without identifying with them or being determined by them. This process is healing, liberating and opens the door to deep realisation about our true nature and all phenomena.

With best wishes for your health,