MEDITATION

the power of meditation

Even if you can’t picture sitting perfectly still or completely quieting your brain, you can meditate—and tap into the practice’s many health benefits.

Meditation doesn’t directly burn calories and cut carbs. Instead, it can help you refocus your mind so that it can become easier to stick to a health plan. And that can decrease stress levels, leading to a healthier mind and body.

Commit to Calm

If you find yourself worried about how diabetes may affect your future, meditation can help dispel that anxiety. “Meditation is a generalized de-stressing technique that releases you from your thinking machine, from that restless voice inside your head that never lets up except when you’re asleep or unconscious,” says June Biermann, author of The Diabetic’s Total Health and Happiness Book. “What we particularly like about meditation is that if you give it a try, it can bring you a wonderful respite from that problem you carry around all your waking hours—your diabetes. If you practice meditation consistently, it can change not just your physiology but your entire life.”

It takes time for meditation’s benefits to begin showing dividends. Your blood pressure isn’t going to drop because you tried meditating once for 20 minutes. For the actual benefits of meditation to take hold, the practice needs to be recurring. Find the best method for you and continue practicing—the more you do it, the easier it will be to find your Zen.

What Is Meditation?

The primary purpose of meditation is to declutter the mind. “You realize you are the boss of your own mind. You become a little more patient. You have the ability to bring yourself back to the moment,” says Barb Schmidt, best-selling author of The Practice: Simple Tools for Managing Stress, Finding Inner Peace, and Uncovering Happiness.

There are many, many ways to meditate. And lucky for your busy schedule, research shows meditating just five minutes a day, five days a week is enough to lower stress and even enhance the connections you feel with others.

And those few minutes a day are worth it. You’ll enjoy life more while managing the constant juggling act. “Practicing meditation and being more mindful allows you to be more present for your family, your job, your workout—everything,” says psychologist Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D., author of Uncovering Happiness: Overcoming Depression with Mindfulness and Self-Compassion.


Find the best meditation method for you and practice—the more you do it, the easier it will be to find your Zen.

How Do I Meditate?

All forms of meditation work in a similar way: You choose something to focus on—your breath, an image—and when your mind wanders, you gently bring it back. The key is finding a style that works for you. Here’s a snapshot of four types. Take your pick or ask your diabetes support group leader to bring in an expert on meditation to teach basic skills. Meditation has even entered the 21st century with smartphone apps, which offer electronic reminders to remain calm and balanced throughout the day.

Mindful Meditation

Mindfulness is about being aware of your thoughts, emotions, and environment in a nonjudgmental way; you’re staying present and observing everything you’re thinking and feeling. It’s about accepting your feelings and thoughts as they are. You can do this anywhere: at home, in the office, on hold with customer service. Begin by focusing on your breath. Each time your mind drifts, bring your attention back. Don’t criticize. Instead of thinking, I’m so bad at this, think, Aah, welcome back.

Mantra Meditation

This technique involves choosing a mantra—typically a one- or two-syllable sound or word that you silently repeat to yourself. Sit in a comfortable position and begin silently repeating your word. “Om” is a popular one, but choose any word or sound that you like. As you become more practiced, you may make your mantra a quality you’d like to have more of: patience, compassion, joy.

Walking Meditation

This is basically an on-the-go form of mindful meditation, but instead of focusing your awareness on your breath, become aware of the sensations of walking. Start by practicing in your backyard. Eventually you can move to somewhere calm like a nature preserve, then start weaving it into your daily life: walking mindfully across the parking lot to your office, while shopping, or to meet a friend. Start in a standing position, noticing how your feet feel. Do you feel pressure where your feet are in contact with the ground? Start walking, paying attention to how your weight shifts from one side of your body to the other. Notice how it feels as you lift your foot, place your heel down, prepare for your next step. Continue walking. Any time your mind wanders from focusing on how you’re walking, gently bring it back.

Guided Meditation

Using this method can be incredibly beneficial for new meditators. It’s based on the theory that your body can respond to imagery as it would to a genuine experience. (Need proof? Imagine yourself sucking on a lemon right now. Did you pucker?) With each breath, imagine yourself inhaling IN relaxation and exhaling OUT tension. As your body relaxes, picture yourself at the beach or another calming, pleasant place. Imagine the scene in detail, using all of your senses: Feel the sun’s rays warming your skin and the sand between your toes; listen to the waves crashing; see the bright blue sky; smell the saltwater. Guided meditation can be done in person with a trained practitioner or using recordings, readily available online and through mobile apps.

minimize distractions

Find a place that will minimize distractions. If you’re at work, use an empty conference room or lock your office door. At home, make sure your family knows not to bother you during that time. Sudden noises or interruptions might ruin the experience and break your Zen.