We have all heard that meditation has positive effects on stress for everyone, but research has been done which indicates that meditation is particularly good for people with MS, reducing fatigue and depression and improving quality of life.
I have tried to meditate in the past, but to no avail. I want to be a person who meditates, but haven't put in the effort to develop a meditation practice. The closest that I have gotten to really meditating is something I call a "mini-meditation," which often turns into a brief nap.
I am ready to try again. Hopefully, this will be the time that "sticks."
What about you? Do you meditate? Do you notice a difference in your MS symptoms? Do you have any tips for those of us who want to start meditating? Please, share your tips and stories in the comments section below.
Is that a typo, that stress helps MS? Or am I misreading?
I.don’t have MS but offer this meditation practice starting advice. Devote just a minute on day 1, 2 minutes day 2, and so on. Also just show up, the way folks show up in school , at work, or at the gym. Just showing up for meditation guarantees that you will put in the time. Any minutes are better than none. Just sit doing the easiest technique whether watching breath or feelings or thoughts and let yourself be. The practice will flower on its own. Stress is life. How we respond to it is what matters.
My yoga doctor/teacher (one of the best health practitioners i have ever met) says it takes 3-6 months of everyday yoga practice, before being able to do full meditation. I guess it takes time to learn proper breathing and concentration that are required for serious meditation. In the meantime, yoga (stretching, breathing, positions) make me happy, upright, and stable,, and i also do mini meditation/guided imagery before going to bed that makes me sleep like a baby. Looking forward to real meditation, i will keep you posted!
I recommend “Full Catastrophe Living” by Jon Kabat-Zin, Ph.D., who founded the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School 30 years ago. Here is a link for the Center and its program — Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction.
http://www.umassmed.edu/cfm/stress/index.aspx
He as trained people all over the country in MBSR. I am starting an 8 week MBSR course in Portland, Oregon, next week.
Ha looks like a typo. Stress is definitely bad for MS and life in general. I have taken meditation classes but find yoga works best for me. I do my own kirtan kriya chant before bed because otherwise I lay there and worry.
There are many “aids” to help you learn and enjoy meditation. You do not need to practice for months to get benefits. Two quick one you can find online are Kelly Howell meditation cds, and the Silva method. Good luck.
What I do may be termed meditation – I don’t really know. It’s more imagery – imagination – visualization. I close my eyes, picture the lesions on my brain and send in the “scrubbing bubbles” to clean my spots off my brain!! It’s fun – and effective. I feel empowered – like there is actually something that I can do for myself to combat this silly disease. And apparently it works. I have 2 less lesions than when I started doing this!! BTW, I also think “FUMS-FUMS-FUMS” That’s empowering too! http://www.FUMSnow.com.
I started doing yoga in my teens long before I even knew what MS was all about. I was diagnosed in 2001, and I still find yoga to be the best method to deal with stress, and let’s face it, there’s no way to avoid stress so it is essential to learn to deal with it. Cuddling with a pet is another great stress aid. :0)
http://www.facebook.com/FixMsNow/
I can definitely recommend Full Catastrophe Living – the stress reduction program at the University of Massachusetts Medical Centre – learning to deal with stress is beneficial for everyone – not just those with chronic disease.
I learned about mindfulness exercises 5 years ago while working with PTSD clients at a veterans’ hospital. I was very sporadic with my practice until my MS returned after a 20year absence (which was never diagnosed.) Fifteen months ago I joined a meditation group at a local Dharma center and having a community to practice meditation with has made all the difference. I don’t feel any pressure to become a Buddhist, but I find the principles of impermanence and living on the moment critical to my well-being as I decline. My practice is one of the main reasons I do not suffer.
Try “HEARTMATH”, heart rate variability training. There is online training support and computer software and fancy hand held devices to monitor your progress. Years of data support this product for stress reduction and health benefits.
Does anyone with MS have trouble with LOUND noise. Like small kids crying very lound and carry on. I have noticed that kids having fits etc, really bother me. My friends do not understand. Is there any articles about that I could show them.
Thank you, Terri
I don’t believe that meditation is good for people with MS, reducing fatigue and depression and improving quality of life. I think, there are various reasons may incurred against every diseases which can be find out by a curate diagnoses. And, should be taken drug/physio therapy as per doctor’s suggestion.
I just love what Rick R. wrote in comment #2 about starting a meditation practice–meditating is so simple and so easy to do. In fact, I started laughing, because I’m going to follow his advice, which I’ve heard before in my meditation group but had forgotten! I had stopped meditating in recent months and have felt bad about it. Now I remember–all I have to do to get back into my practice is to just sit–just for 1 minute, 2 minutes, etc.!
I have also done different styles of yoga for 10 years; it has helped me so much physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Yoga is a often called a form of meditation through movement.
The sitting meditation practice that I learned is called Vipassana (aka Insight) meditation. It’s straightforward and simple–no special props or equipment needed.
I also recommend “Full Catastrophe Living” by Jon Kabat-Zinn–it’s an excellent introduction to techniques that can help anyone who lives with a chronic health condition. The Mindfulness Meditation that is taught in the book is based on Insight Meditation (I’ve been told).
re: Terri, I can’t stand it when my husband plays guitar or my mom TALKING really loud over the phone. I tend to get really upset and my breathing gets shallow… not good.
u r right Julie, its difficult to meditate……i m also a Multiple Sclerosis Patient….so, i have no hope from alopathy…..so, started to look at some alternative way of treatment…..i started meditation….in the beginning it was almost impossible for me to meditate…i was unable to seat with closed eyes for 10 mins…lots of thoughts come to mind when i seat for meditation….in the begging i tried to stop those thoughts…but it comes with double speed….then i never tried to stop those thoughts which comes to mind……it automatically stopped after 15 days….and now i can seat for meditation more than 1 hour…….it gives me lot of benefits for handling my MS……progression of lesions is totally stopped in my case….i m doing all my routine work normally…..
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P.S Apologies for being off-topic but I had to ask!
I have practice meditation for many years and found it took quite while to get it. If you have Android smart phone, try to download application stress releaser. It not only teach you to meditation but also give you feed back how well you doing it with biofeedback point and cure display. It is wasy to learn and have timers to remind you the practice time and you are worry free for any of your appointment. I practice it when I have any time in office, waitting to pick up kids and etc.