Musings | Meditation Alternatives
“Everyone is unique, and each experience is different”
We are all different. We all experience the world and respond to it in unique ways - even things that appear to be universally beneficial.
Meditation is a powerful tool - it helps us feel calm, positively changes our brains, enhances attention and concentration, and aids us in being compassionate. It is the most studied medicine-free mental health intervention, and the outcomes are tremendously positive. And yet meditation does not work for everyone and is troublesome for some of us. However, all of us likely yearn for its benefits, so what can you do if meditation is not for you?
Ingrid Fetell Lee is one of those people for which meditation is not a match. She has developed a list of other activities that are not meditation but may help you achieve a calm state and decrease feelings of anxiety. We’ve summarized a few of them below. Click here to view the full article to learn why meditation can be challenging for some and review several practical alternatives to meditation.
Visualization engages the imagination. You may want to imagine a place where you feel calm, safe, or happy. You can create a place in your mind and go there when you feel anxious, need quiet, or have trouble sleeping. You may choose to visualize the same spaces each time or create different places in your mind depending on how you feel and what you need.
Colouring may help to reduce anxiety. Working with complex or symmetrical designs may produce a feeling of calm because the picture is symmetric and balanced, so it quiets the visual noise around us. Once we are calm and comfortable, we can better focus and be more creative. Want to try it? Check out this virtual colouring sheet (no printing needed).
Morning Pages are a form of writing or journaling done in the morning. To engage in this activity, you fill three pages first thing in the morning, writing in longhand. In a Morning Pages session, you write without stopping and note whatever comes into your mind. For many, this is a creativity tool, but for some, the Morning Pages activity is also a mental health tool, calming anxiety, improving sleep, and alleviating pressure from the day.
Walking is a great activity - accessible to most people (if you are in a wheelchair, wheeling would be the equivalent activity) and an excellent way to get your body moving. Walking around inside or out can aid us when we feel stuck - in a space or with a problem we are trying to solve. If possible, step outside to reap the benefits of fresh air and the benefits of walking, which include stress reduction and improved cognition. You may want to try a walking meditation; click here to learn more.
We all experience and interact with the world around us in unique ways. Meditation is a powerful and beneficial tool, but it may not work for everyone. This post aimed to explore other activities that lead to the benefits of meditation without engaging in a formal meditation practice. Remember, the objective of personal growth is not to find "the way" it's to find "your way.
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