How YOU can learn meditation
to fight MS fatigue

Meditation is a valid body state like any other, such as arousal or sleep but normally when we think of this practice, we picture folks sitting in the lotus position and humming or chanting something while keeping their eyes closed.

I think we all agree that the sitting on the floor in the lotus position is frequently part of this practice, it is something that anybody, with or without Multiple Sclerosis (MS), can do. More important is the fact that you will find out it has many benefits on your MS fatigue once you start doing it.

The following is a very straight forward description of how you can start learning to do it so that it will greatly help you with your MS fatigue. The content was compiled from the article written by Mark Stibich, Ph.D., for About.com and my personal experience.

While meditation is surrounded by religion, beliefs and superstitions, it is a valid body state like any other, such as arousal or sleep. By learning to do it, you can reap the benefits of this body state which include:

• Relaxation
• More Energy
• Perspective on your life

Meditation is being taken seriously by health researchers interested in stress reduction and methods to improve overall health. It is used by folks interested in addressing conditions such as anxiety, pain, depression, emotional problems, insomnia, and stress. Many of these conditions are afflicting MSers like you and me.

Meditation is also the ultimate brain workout.

Difficulty: Average

Time Required: 20 minutes, everyday

HOW DO YOU START?

• Sit: Find a place where you can sit comfortably, uninterrupted for about 20 minutes. The most important thing when doing it is to sit with your back as straight as possible. Some folks find that sitting on the edge of a cushion helps keep the back straight.

  You will hear about special meditation cushions, candles, incense, statues, bells, and so forth -- don't worry about any of that stuff.

  The important thing is to sit comfortably and to practice it often. You can add in accessories whenever you want.

• Set a Timer: At times when you are meditating, you may secretly be looking for any excuse to get up and do something else. One of the most compelling excuses is to "check the time." Often while doing it, your sense of timing is lost and that leads to the feeling that you have gone past the time you set at the beginning. This will often happen after you have been sitting for 1 or 2 minutes.

  A timer helps to assure you that you have not been doing it for too long. If you do not have a timer, you will probably look at a clock or your watch every 30 seconds. So set a timer and then forget about time.

• Breathe: Breathing is a unique bodily function. It is automatic, we take over 10 million breaths per year without noticing, but we can also control breathing voluntarily. Think of breathing as how we can communicate with our bodies.

  If we breathe slowly, our bodies relax. While you sit:

• Bring your attention to your breathing

• Notice everything about your breathing:

• The inhale

• The exhale

• The tiny pause between them

• Breathe naturally. Just be aware of your breath

This is your only task and the one thing you have to watch for -- be aware of your breath. If your thoughts wander, just come back to breathing.





• Label: The goal here is not to have no thoughts (that is impossible) but to not interact with the thoughts that occur. If, while you are trying to meditate, you start wondering when was the last time you changed the oil in your car, that is perfectly normal -- just come back to your breathing and try not to 'chase' the thought.

  Some folks find it helps to label the thoughts. When you notice yourself drifting, just place a neutral label on the thoughts -- if you are thinking about everything you have to do at work, label the thoughts 'work' and return to breathing.

• Don't Judge: Meditation is hard and perfect meditation is impossible. Your thoughts will drift. You will find that on some days you spend your entire time thinking about your kitchen sink. Your awareness will drift away and the time will disappear. That is fine.

  Whenever you drift, come back to being aware of sitting and breathing. Do not judge yourself. Do not create a train of thought about how you can't meditate, how you are no good at this. Just come back to your breath.




• Don't Listen To Yourself: There is a little voice inside your head trying to get you to stop. Don’t!

This voice will come up with "great ideas" that you just have to write down immediately.



• The voice will read your to do list to you, leaving you feeling pressured to just stop and get something done.


• The voice will, at least once, utterly convince you that your timer has stopped and you have been doing it for hours and are late for something.




Don't listen to the voice. While you are doing it, there is nothing more important for you to do. Just sit.

• Watch the "Thought Clouds" Drift: Treat this as an experiment. Watch yourself thinking. Examine how thoughts emerge randomly and then begin to connect to other thoughts.

  Watch what happens to thought if you do not nourish them. How do trains of thought stop? Eventually you will see that most thoughts are random and not really worth your time. You will also begin to develop an awareness apart from your thoughts. Perhaps the greatest lesson of doing it is that you are not your thoughts.




• Bring Meditation into Your Daily Life: Many of the skills learned in this practice can be applied during your daily life. You can do it when:

  • Waiting in line
  • Doing the dishes
  • Feeling upset

  
  

  Take a two-minute breathing break several times during the day. Watch as your thoughts and ideas turn up at work, in conversation, or while you are solving a problem. Use the same experimental mindset and watch how you behave and think throughout the day.

• Repeat Daily: Meditation is a skill that needs practice and more practice. Set a daily time for meditation and stick to it. Your brain will benefit from the endlessly fascinating journey into your own mind. Your body will benefit from the deep relaxation and stress reduction."

  
  
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