By Kelly DiNardo
of Meredith Corporation/ Martha Stewart Living
DO BELIEVE THE HYPE: Meditation improves our mental, physical and spiritual health. In the past four years alone, research has shown that it can sharpen our attention, boost compassion, dissolve stress and ease chronic pain. It can also shrink areas of the brain linked to negative emotions, and help maintain telomeres, those vital parts of our DNA that get shorter as we age. And while regular sessions make the most profound impact, a single one can be revelatory: A 2018 study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology found that just 15 minutes had a similar effect to a day of vacation.
A woman stretches at MNDFL, a meditation studio in New York, in 2016. (Nicole Bengiveno/New York Times)
If you’re thinking, “Not for me,” sit tight. You can pretzel your legs, repeat a mantra … or not. There are many ways to meditate, and these days, there’s an app for most of them. Even more compelling, each has unique benefits, as a 2016 Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences study found. The German scientists recruited adults to try four popular styles: breathing, observing thought, lovingkindness and body scan. The body scanners’ negative thoughts about the past and future declined significantly, and those in the lovingkindness camp felt, just as the cozy name promises, the biggest empathy surge.
To turn a spark of interest into a practice, consider these methods to determine which one soothes you most:
Breathing
THE REWARD: You’ll be more focused and energized, and less distracted.
THE RESEARCH: Controlled breathing heightens our concentration by directly affecting noradrenaline, a chemical messenger that, when produced in the right amount, benefits our attention levels and overall brain health, per a 2018 study done at Ireland’s Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience.
THE GIST: “It’s as simple as sitting or lying down and making your breath your focus point,” says Cory Muscara, a former Buddhist monk and the author of “Stop Missing Your Life: How to Be Deeply Present in an Un-Present World.” As you breathe, pay attention to what you feel in your nostrils or belly. You can also count your breaths silently, or mark them by thinking, “Inhale, exhale.” Keep going for a minute or so; the idea is to build up to 30 minutes over time. It’s a great entry-level exercise, since you can reset whenever thoughts about lunch or your email intrude — you haven’t missed a thing. “The key is to not judge your wandering mind,” he says. “Think of it like training a puppy. You just say, ‘Good job,’ and celebrate when it returns.”
TRY IT: MNDFL Video sessions are one to 30 minutes long to help you ease in. (Free two-week trial, then $10 a month; video.mndflmeditation.com.)
GO DEEPER: Sign up for Muscara’s 31-day course. You’ll get a short lesson and audio session in your inbox daily. ($27, corymuscara.com.)
Body-scan
THE REWARD: You’ll feel more rested, relaxed and connected to your body.
THE RESEARCH: Several recent studies found that practicing this method as part of a mindfulness-based stress-reduction program alleviated chronic insomnia by helping subjects wind down before bed; they also spent less time up during the night.
THE GIST: Start at the top of your head. Focus on really feeling any sensations there — tingling, tightness, warmth. (Nothing at all? That’s fine too.) Then move downward to your face, neck, shoulders and so on, homing in on just one body part at a time. When your mind wanders — and it will — acknowledge it, then return to taking inventory.
TRY IT: Listen to the Foundation for a Mindful Society’s Mindful podcast (mindful.org). The episodes feature free guided three-to-25-minute body scans you can do in bed or at your desk. Or try the Calm app, where even LeBron James has gotten into the game to up his own; teachers also include author Jeff Warren. (Free one-week trial, then $15 a month or $60 a year; calm.com.)
GO DEEPER: Look for a yoga nidra class, or download the Deep Sleep experiences in the Sanctuary With Rod Stryker app ($10 a month, parayoga.com). Yoga nidra begins with a detailed body scan that sends you into full relaxation mode; just lie back and drift off until gentle chimes bring you back. You’ll feel like you got a full night’s sleep in a fraction of the time.
Observing-thought
THE REWARD: You’ll learn to tune into yourself — and turn down repetitive, critical inner monologues.
THE RESEARCH: The practice, also known more generally as mindfulness meditation, wakes you up to your thought patterns. That isn’t just productive for you, reported a 2017 study published in the Journal of Cognitive Enhancement; it also makes you more empathetic to others.
THE GIST: Get comfortable (sit or lie down — anything goes), and spend a few minutes “watching” your thoughts move like clouds across the sky, says Sharon Salzberg, a pioneer in the field and co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society, in Barre, Mass.: “Some can be ominous; some can be soft and fluffy.” Your only goal is to avoid labeling them as positive or negative, or letting darker ones derail you. “It can be helpful to say to yourself, ‘It’s just a thought,’ and then move on,” Salzberg adds.
TRY IT: Type in “observing thought” on the Insight Timer app (insighttimer.com); many free sessions clock in at under 15 minutes. Or cue up the basic version of the Stop, Breathe & Think app (which is owned by Martha Stewart Living’s parent company, Meredith Corp.; stopbreathethink.com). Its Noting exercise will help you quiet internal chatter.
GO DEEPER: Attend a retreat where a teacher can help you navigate any emotions that crop up. Kripalu, in Stockbridge, Mass. (kripalu.org); Art of Living Retreat Center, in Boone, North Carolina (artoflivingretreatcenter.org); and Insight Meditation Center, outside San Francisco (insightmeditationcenter.org) host them. Your local yoga studio may, too.
Loving kindess
THE REWARD: You’ll empathize more easily with others, and feel more optimistic about the world.
THE RESEARCH: This Buddhism-derived approach, also called metta meditation, can ease depression and social anxiety, a 2019 review of studies published in Clinical Psychology in Europe found.
THE GIST: You silently repeat a phrase that broadcasts positive feelings, first to yourself, then to a loved one, then to a person who challenges you, then to the whole world. The traditional phrases are: “May I be happy. May I be safe. May I be healthy. May I live with ease,” and so on, replacing the “I” as you go.
TRY IT: Former ABC News anchor Dan Harris’ Ten Percent Happier app features a 15-part series led by Salzberg called “10 percent Nicer.” (Free one-week trial, then $15 a month or $99 a year; tenpercent.com.)
GO DEEPER: Read Salzberg’s “Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation,” which was just reissued for its 10th anniversary; it lays out an easy-to-digest four-week plan of exercises, journal prompts and meditation downloads. American Buddhist nun Pema Cho↔dro↔n is another lovingkindness icon; her latest book is “Welcoming the Unwelcome.” !
