Everyone is challenged by the unsettling influences of the global pandemic. Our senses, which are our windows to the world, are continually bombarded with chaos everywhere we turn – news apps, newspapers, social media… It can easily overwhelm us.
If we are not grounded, it doesn’t take much in our outer environment to disturb any remnants of inner peace and calm. Yet, we can’t seem to put down the unsettling news and images in the media. Why do we torture ourselves in this way?
Meanwhile scientific research tells us under chronic stress our heart rate and blood pressure increase, our muscles tighten, and our immune system weakens – and that is just a few of the negative influences of debilitating stress.
Metabolizing Our Experiences
Deepak Chopra, M.D., a pioneer in the field of mind body medicine said it well, “we metabolize our experiences.” The good news is that we are not victims. We can take proactive action to minimize, even neutralize the impact of stress. The solution lies in balance. It is the key to a healthier, better life.
Here’s where meditation comes in. Every day we have the ability to transcend the chaos in our lives, and experience peace, delight. These are found at the Source of Thought – the most silent mind. A proven vehicle to accomplish this is the practice of Effortless Meditation™ (EM).
When I introduced EM at a local corporation, one of the directors said this is a tool that we can use for the rest of our lives. We don’t have to drive across town to get to a gym to use it, and we can do this almost anywhere. It’s ideal for our needs.
Within a few weeks employees who took the EM training, offered as an employee benefit, were reporting a myriad of benefits. These included less stress, greater mental clarity, improved memory, better relationships at work and home, restful sleep, less fatigue, reduced anxiety, and greater happiness.
A Quiet Room
The company was so pleased that they created a “quiet room” for team members to use whenever they wished to meditate. I taught EM in this company practically every day for six consecutive months. Corporate leaders recognized a need and took corrective action.
Prior to the meditation training, the company had reorganized five times in the preceding seven years. Rapid, relentless change is chronic stress; it wears us down. Adapting to it is exhausting, maybe you’ve noticed! To make matters worse, over time the influence of stress accumulates.
Restful Sleep and Energy
Fortunately, the mind is powerful. A clear mind allows us to accomplish great things, and yet it needs deep rest to repair and heal in order to function at its best. This is one reason that sleep is so important. Rest is preventive maintenance for our mind and body. Without good rest, we cannot sustain the energy needed to have a successful and fulfilling life.
By calming the mind and releasing stress, Effortless Meditation practice helps us sleep better. In addition, every meditation provides us with deep supplemental rest and energy. They are both vital to provide balance, reduce anxiety, and to lighten our day. This is especially true in the turbulent times of today.
Deep rest nourishes us in a way that nothing else can. It is nature’s medicine.
Effortless Meditation courses are regularly offered both in-person and with on-line video conferencing.
Greg Schweitzer
Stress Reduction Resources, Director
