Meditation

Sitting in a room with just your own thoughts for company is an activity seldom performed in our hyperconnected reality.

However, the benefits of simply downing our mental tools and disconnecting daily can’t be underestimated.

Let’s investigate what you can expect when you begin this practice.

When I worked as a physiotherapist I treated many patients with chronic pain.

Bad backs and knees were particularly common complaints, often limiting certain movements and positions.

This article investigates how meditation is affected.

It’s a hectic morning.

Client work multiplies exponentially as I rush to complete daily tasks and hit deadlines.

By mid-afternoon, stressed and overwhelmed, I retreat to a dark room to in search of mindful respite…

“Give me your passport,” demanded the leader of the rabble.

I glanced warily at the group of Bolivian Campesinos holding cheap rifles, blocking our path.

Then I looked at my recent Bolivian acquaintance, who nodded imperceptibly.

I was running desperately late, working as a private physiotherapist in an exclusive clinic.

A patient had come to see me with agonising low back pain and by the time they were well enough to walk out, I was hopelessly behind schedule.

Not only were my next patients incredibly angry, but I was majorly stressed.

I lay there awake, mind racing, desperately tired but unable to sleep.

The worst part?

I had to get up in just a few hours to commute across London for a job I hated.

My mind raced, flooded with anxiety about needing rest, but not being able to get it…

You might wonder, as I did when starting, where to focus while meditating.

Most of the initial guidance I read didn’t appear clear in its instruction.

After all, it’s an esoteric practice.

Often I felt I was simply sitting for 30 minutes doing nothing, with no clue if I was doing it right…

Thoughts crowded into my head, demanding attention.

I was living in Berlin; anxious, jobless and unsure what to do next.

I wanted to change career, but didn’t know how to do it.

On one hand, the future seemed full of potential and possibility, while on the other, it appeared a scary, hostile place.

Fortunately, in that time of transition, I had one thing I could rely on…

What is supposed to happen when you meditate?

After all, it can seem like an esoteric and confusing practice to start, with multiple approaches and effects.

Let’s investigate.

How long before meditation works?

It’s a common question.

Many people, upon beginning contemplative practice, question the meditation benefits timeline.

My synopsis here will be based on my own experience and your mileage may vary massively.

Having said that, let’s take a look…