This will be an unusual blog post for me, but it could be helpful for you, if you're interested in teaching others to meditate. One caveat--this is oversimplified. It avoids a lot of jargon, and doesn't take into account the years of practice that some meditation teachers (including myself) may have. This is a training for case managers, to give them some tools for introducing meditation to clients--even if the case managers themselves aren't meditators. So it's for beginners.
But--- if you're a beginner, this might be just the introduction you need. So, here goes...
Teaching Meditation to Clients
Often, clients will talk about stress, anxiety, worry. They may express their need to do something
to supplement medications they are taking for these symptoms. Or, they might
not be on medications and so they need a coping mechanism to help. Studies have proven the benefits of
meditation for physical and mental health.
By listening to the client’s expressed needs, a case manager might find
the right moment to ask if a client has ever tried, or is interested in,
meditation.
Some clients have tried meditation in various forms, but
have found it unhelpful. This is likely
because they have either tried a type of meditation that does not fit their
personality type, or they have experienced roadblocks in meditation and have
not had proper coaching for how to move past these roadblocks. This training will help a case manager
recommend and teach meditation to a client, and address possible roadblocks to
meditation.
·
The Need
for Meditation
o
Medical benefits
o
Deal with fear, anxiety, worry
o
Find inner peace
o
Your personal reason: ____________________________________________.
·
Common
Concerns about Meditation
o
“I don’t have time to meditate.”
§
By creating space for meditation in your life,
you find your head is more clear and your emotions are more grounded. You become a more intentional person, and you
find you have more time because of that intentionality. Besides this, the quality of your time is better.
o
I’m not good at sitting still / clearing my
mind.”
§
Some forms of meditation involve sitting
still. Others are more active. Some involve active thought, and others are
more about clearing the mind. You can
find the type of meditation that suits your personality, physical needs, and
the needs of your day.
o
“I’m concerned it might violate my religion.”
§
Every religion has a form of meditation. Meditation is a universal, human, practice,
and does not need to be religious at all.
If a client says they are interested in learning meditation,
the case manager should ask whether the client is the type of person who wants
to move around (or has a hard time sitting still), or whether they would
benefit from seated meditation (because they’re good at sitting still, or
because of medical necessity). This
training divides meditation into four types, which can overlap.
Physically Active Meditations
·
Primary
Example: Walking Meditation
o
Who: This
meditation is good for people who want to be alert and move. Primarily good for extraverts.
o
Why: This meditation keeps a person active, and
promotes good health. It allows the
person to change their scenery.
o
Where: You can do this meditation as you walk
through your neighborhood, in a shopping mall, or even from room to room in
your house.
o
How: Walk slowly, soaking in all the sights and
sounds around you, as if you are seeing them for the first time. Develop a rhythm between your breaths and
your footsteps. For example, four
footsteps for each inhale and four footsteps for each exhale. Maintain that rhythm as you continue to
walk. Notice how the rhythm changes if
you are walking uphill, for example 4 footsteps per inhale and three footsteps
per exhale. Notice how it might change
if you walk faster or job, for example, three footsteps per inhale and two
footsteps per exhale. For variety, try
going very slowly, taking one step per inhale and another step per exhale. Be aware of everything that’s part of you—the
sound of your breathing, the beat of your heart, the feeling of your feet on the
ground, your core temperature rising as you get moving. Be aware of everything that’s around you—use
all five senses to heighten your awareness.
Be totally present in the moment.
This presence and awareness is called Mindfulness. Mindfulness meditation can be done in any
physically active meditation.
·
Other
Examples of Physically Active Meditation
o
Biking, swimming, any activity that involves
repetitive movement that can be counted along with breaths.
o
Non-repetitive movements that can also involve mindfulness
meditation are gardening, cleaning, painting, sculpting, etc. The goal is being totally present while doing
these things.
·
Roadblocks
in Physically Active Meditation
o
“I’m not athletic—this kind of movement hurts.”
§
If it hurts when you do that, don’t do
that. Meditation shouldn’t be painful.
o
“I get distracted by all the things around me.”
§
Maybe you need a physically passive meditation
where you can isolate yourself by closing your eyes.
§
Try headphones or ear plugs if sounds distract
you.
§
The goal of physically active meditation is
generally NOT to block everything out, but to embrace everything, and
experience it to the full. It is to find
peace in activity.
Physically Passive Meditations
·
Primary
Example: Seated Meditation
o
Who: This
meditation is good for people who want total quiet and stillness. Primarily
good for introverts. This is
particularly good for those whose mobility is limited.
o
Why: This meditation promotes good posture and
health. It is better than active
meditation, for those who are trying to achieve altered states of
consciousness.
o
Where: You can do this meditation anywhere you can
sit comfortably, quietly, undistracted, and uninterrupted.
o
How: There are many forms of seated meditation. For
most of them, sit comfortably with your back straight, but comfortable. It is not necessary to sit in the Lotus
Position, but many people like to cross their legs or put their feet on the
floor. Close your eyes, or, if you
prefer, keep them open just a little and focus on a single point. Gently, inhale (through your nose, if
possible)—feeling the breath fill your lungs to full capacity. Gently, exhale through your mouth—feeling
your lungs empty completely. Pause for a
tiny moment between inhale and exhale, between exhale and inhale.
·
Other
Examples of Physically Passive Meditation
o
Postures: Meditation while lying down, while
hanging in a yoga swing
·
Roadblocks
in Physically Passive Meditation
o
“Sometimes I fall asleep.”
§
Sleep is one of the best kinds of
meditation. If you need sleep, don’t
worry about falling asleep during meditation.
However, if you don’t want to fall asleep during meditation, try keeping
a straight back, and focus on breathing from your diaphragm. Also, mentally active meditation practices
help prevent falling asleep when doing physically passive techniques.
o
“I can’t get comfortable.”
§
Discomfort in a particular area of the body
frequently alerts you to the need for stretching, posture adjustments, and
possible health issues that need to be addressed. Meditation can be a way to get in touch with
what your body is saying to you. Use
meditation as a way to listen to your body.
Mentally Active Meditations
·
Primary
Example: Mantra Meditation
o
Who: This
meditation is good for people who want to think more deeply about a particular
thing, or those who have a difficult time keeping their mind still, or those
whose belief system does not permit mental stillness.
o
Why: Mentally active meditations acknowledge that
“monkey-mind” frequently prevents mentally passive meditation. Instead of trying to defeat thoughts and
achieve a state of thoughtlessness, mantra meditation embraces and channels the
mind into a singular thought.
o
Where:
Mantra meditation can be done anywhere,
and during many activities, as long as the activity itself does not require a
lot of focus. It does not require the
body to be either physically active or passive.
o
How: Choose a word or short phrase that is
meaningful to you. This might be from
sacred scripture, a poem you love, or any other source. For example, you might choose a word like
“home” or “om” or “shalom,” Or you might choose a phrase like, “Be here now,”
or “light as a feather.” Paying
attention to your breath, inhale until your lungs are comfortably full, then
pause. As you exhale, say or chant your
word or phrase slowly, until your lungs are comfortably empty. Then repeat, for five, ten, twenty
minutes. Attend to the sensation of your
breath, and perhaps your heartbeat, if you can feel it.
·
Other
Examples of Mentally Active Meditation
o
Creative visualization – Breathe deeply. Imagine yourself on a beach or in a forest,
or sitting with a mentor or spiritual teacher.
Imagine every detail of the scene, what they say to you. Or, imagine you are an animal or plant. What are you?
See the world from that creature’s perspective.
o
Chakra meditation – Breathe deeply. Imagine that you are opening balls of energy,
beginning between your legs, then below your navel, then your upper belly, then
your heart, then your thoat, then between your eyes, then the crown of your
head. Sit in that energy a while. Then, in reverse order, close those balls of
energy.
o
Compassionate Body Scan –Scan your body for
signs of discomfort, and send your body compassion.
·
Roadblocks
in Mentally Active Meditation
o
“Repeating this mantra or imagining these things
feels silly.”
§
If you can shrug off the feeling of silliness
and “just go with it,” eventually you will move past that barrier. If you can’t get past the feeling of
silliness, choose a mentally passive meditation.
o
My belief system/religion forbids repetitious
prayers.
§
Remember that meditation on a word or phrase is
not a prayer at all. Repetition is the
way you memorize anything—and you are trying to get your mind and body to
“memorize” the feeling of peace you get from that word or phrase.
Mentally
Passive Meditations
·
Primary
Example: Breathing Meditation
o
Who: This
meditation is good for people who want to practice clearing their mind
entirely, who don’t find themselves overly distracted by their surroundings,
and who just want to “zone out.”
o
Why: Some people find a great deal of relaxation
in the ability to let everything go and just “be.” The goal of mentally passive meditation isn’t
to experience ecstasy or enlightenment—if that were a goal, then the mind would
be working toward that goal. Instead,
the goal is to simply rest and be present in the moment.
o
Where: Breathing meditation can be done anywhere you
can be quiet, without a lot of distractions.
o
How: Sit quietly in a comfortable position where you
won’t fall asleep. Close your eyes and
focus on the inside of your eyelids. Or,
focus on a single point, like a candle.
Simply breathe in deeply from your diaphragm, feeling your belly expand
until you are full of air. Exhale
deeply, feeling your belly contract.
Focus on the rhythm of your breathing.
If it’s helpful, play gentle music without lyrics that helps you inhale
and exhale in tandem to the rise and fall of the music. If distracting thoughts appear, simply smile
at them and return your focus on breathing.
·
Other
Examples of Mentally Passive Meditation
o
Mandala Meditation – Focus on a geometric
pattern and lose yourself in its shapes
o
Focus on a mantra in another language that you
don’t understand—lose yourself in the simple sounds.
·
Roadblocks
in Mentally Passive Meditation
o
“Distracting thoughts , sounds, feelings keep
coming up.”
§
Imagine you are on a riverbank. You are enjoying the scenery when a boat
passes by. You could wave at the people
on the boat, call out to them, and ask if the fish are biting. Or, you can simply smile at the boat and let
it float by. Distracting thoughts are
the same way. Don’t dwell on them—simply
smile and let them pass by. Don’t beat
yourself up for having them—the regret for having them will be more distracting
than the distracting thought. Simply let
it be and let it go.
Conclusion:
Teaching Clients to Meditate
·
Get to
Know the Client - It is essential that you get to know your client, and
listen to their needs before inviting them to meditation practice. Some may tell you that they already do
meditate. Even if you don’t consider
their meditation practice to be the most effective, if it is working for them,
perhaps they don’t need to learn a thing about meditation.
o Clients may express their own desire for a
physically active or passive, mentally active or passive, form of
meditation. The key is to go with what
the client wants to explore, rather than pigeon-holing them into what you
believe they need.
o
Listen to concerns your client may have about
meditation. Be prepared to discuss.
·
Be
Willing – Consider going beyond explaining meditation to them. Be willing to practice meditation with
them—at least once—so they can see what it feels like.
·
Start
Small – It isn’t important to begin with a long meditation period. Most people who begin a meditation practice
begin with perhaps five minutes, and move up incrementally until they have
longer periods of meditation.
·
Focus
Aids – Some meditators prefer the use of items that help them focus. Consider the use of a candle or mandala for
visual focus, gently rolling music or nature for audio focus, or meditation
beads of different types for tactile focus.
If sounds are distracting, ear plugs may help. If opening the eyes is distracting, a sleep
mask may be of assistance. Some people
like to burn sage, incense, or scented candles, to “create space” for meditation. Be sure that the location allows flames or
smoke, if something is to be burned.
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