PSYCHOLOGICAL THERAPIES FOR PMS: MEDITATION

Meditation is not really so much a therapy as a way of life. Once you have learnt how to meditate you will want to practise the technique every day – whether you’re in good health or bad.Meditation is not a ‘religious’ exercise, though many religions around the world use meditation to induce a feeling of peace and inner calm. Nor is it simply a case of sitting still for ten minutes. You need to learn to blot out the world so that you have a chance to listen to your ‘inner self’.If you haven’t tried meditation before you may need a little practice before you get the hang of it, but you will. You can learn meditation by yourself at home but the best way is to join a class and get taught property.One of the simplest techniques involves the following steps:• Sit with a straight back, either in a chair or cross-legged on the floor, with your hands resting in your tap and your feet firmly on the ground, feet slightly apart.• Close your eyes and take several slow breaths – make sure your abdomen swells out when you breathe in and sinks back when you breathe out (it is hard to relax if you are breathing with your upper chest).• Repeat a neutral word over and over again in your mind slowly – this word will be your ‘mantra’ (it can be any word but many people choose evocative ones such as ‘one’, ‘peace’ or ‘flower’).• If you feel your mind wandering, and it is natural for it to do so, turn your mind back to your counting or your mantra.• Do this for 15 minutes.• At the end of that time stop and sit quietly for a minute or so before opening your eyes and getting up slowly.Clinical research has shown that regular meditation can reduce stress levels and is of use in treating stress-related conditions. Patients treated for high blood pressure have even been able to reduce their medication after taking up meditation.*58\120\4*