Midlife Meditation - Wellbeing 23-25 of Flowingthrough50

Unlocking Mental Clarity and Stress Relief: The Power of Meditation, Breathing, and NSDR

I don’t know about you but I can’t think of many days that I’m not stressed. At least it feels like more stressed than unstressed days. Whether it's the demands of work, family responsibilities, lack of sleep, or the constant bombardment of information, finding moments of peace and clarity can seem like a distant dream.?

So, I’ve finally succumbed to considering meditation, to help navigate the craziness with more ease and resilience. Meditation, breathing techniques, and NSDR (Non-Sleep Deep Rest) offer three powerful avenues for reducing stress, increasing mental clarity and focus, and promoting effective recovery and sleep. My intention is to leverage the small time windows I slot them into, by getting you more quality time back in rest, peace, clarity and focus.

Below is my layman’s overview from reading, listening to a few podcasts and testing out a few practices myself. The key going forward is to incorporate them into??the daily routine- something I’m still working on.

Understanding the Brain's Role in Stress Management

Before we explore meditation and other techniques, it's helpful to understand the context of how the brain processes stress and influences our mental state. Here’s my layman’s view:

The left dorsal lateral pre-frontal cortex (LDLPFC) plays a crucial role in interpreting present-moment experiences and assessing their appropriateness. It works in conjunction with the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which gathers internal information, and the insula, responsible for processing external circumstances. Together, these brain regions enable us to gauge the appropriateness of our sensations, thoughts, and feelings, helping us navigate the complexities of daily life.

The Power of General Meditation

General meditation serves as a foundational practice for enhancing self-awareness and promoting mental well-being. By engaging in meditation, whether seated or lying down with eyes closed, we initiate a profound shift in brain function. Closing our eyes reduces external sensory input, allowing us to focus more on internal sensations—a process known as interoception. This heightened awareness of our internal state enables us to cultivate a deeper connection with ourselves and our surroundings.

Meditation encompasses three key elements:

• Interoception and Exteroception: By closing our eyes and tuning into our breath, we can observe the interplay between our internal and external sensations. This heightened awareness fosters a sense of presence and alignment with the present moment. Some of us are more internally aware, others more externally aware. Meditating can help us understand which we are, and enables us to balance ourselves by the type of meditation we choose.
• Breath work: Conscious control of the breath serves as a form of meditation in itself. Techniques such as cyclic hyperventilation or slow, deliberate breathing can help regulate our internal state and promote relaxation (more below).
• Interoception and Dissociation: Meditation allows us to explore the continuum between heightened interoception and dissociation, where we disconnect from our internal feelings. By cultivating greater awareness of our emotions and bodily sensations, we can develop a more empathetic and balanced approach to life.

Example Practices:

NSDR and Yoga Nidra: offer a path to deep rest, something I severely lack with the “deep sleep” bar on my Oura ring showing up red “pay attention” 95% of the time.?

NSDR (Non Sleep Deep Rest) and Yoga Nidra offer alternative methods for relaxation and stress reduction. Unlike focused meditation, which involves directing attention to specific objects or sensations, NSDR encourages a state of unfocused awareness. This allows for deep relaxation and can be particularly beneficial for promoting sleep and reducing cortisol levels, the stress hormone. The difference between NSDR and Yoga Nidra (it’s centuries old decedent) is really around the language, symbolism, spirituality- the latter being more traditional and preferable for some (the purest form) the former, for others (including me) more modern &??accessible.

Incorporating Meditation and Breathing Techniques into Your Daily Routine:

• Morning Meditation: I like mindfulness meditations to start the day as these help cultivate clarity and focus. By training your mind to stay present and reduce distractions, you can enhance cognitive function and set a positive tone for the day ahead.
• Evening Relaxation: Winding down in the evening with breathwork exercises such as box breathing or psychological sighs. Box breathing - equal periods of breathing in, holding, out, holding (4-8 seconds each) helps us focus internally, regulate our heart rate and disassociate from external stress. Psychological sighs we do naturally without realizing it. However, an intentional two vigorous breaths in- one deep, the other a top up, followed by a long exhale (ideally with pursed lips to slow down the exhale) is apparently the quickest and most effective real-time tool, to reduce stress.

These techniques can help calm the mind, regulate the nervous system, and prepare the body for restful sleep.

Accessing Resources for Meditation and NSDR:

Fortunately, there are numerous resources available to support your meditation journey. From guided meditation sessions on YouTube to specialized NSDR practices, you can find a wealth of tools to suit your needs and preferences. Whether you prefer short, focused sessions or longer, immersive experiences, there's something for everyone to explore. I’ve just been testing a few out and have linked them below. My preference is to work towards two short (~10 min each) sessions per day, for 5/7 days / week. In addition to seeing how I feel after one month, I’m going to track some of the data via my Oura ring and watch, to see how that informs the ongoing approach.

Whichever tools we choose, I’m sure we’d all appreciate a greater sense of harmony, resilience, and calm and clarity in our lives.

Here’s some resources, you can find many, many more:

You can join some of the more popular meditation Apps for free trials. They are easy to cancel too. I had tried Headspace before but now I’m using Aura.??

There’s also plenty of free resources available. I’ve listed a few below for reference.

NSDR:

Huberman 10m

https://youtu.be/KHIbgSN2qAU?si=Y1ZxCXgvUx2zbilq

https://youtu.be/AKGrmY8OSHM?si=Mlk9NrwRXuBRrY84

Yoga Nidra with Tim:

https://youtu.be/v87BX0bJK8Y?si=ILq3MHUrDkDy59QF

Ally Boothroyd

https://youtu.be/_noquwycq78?si=21e8z-U9Rg5Rg6kl

Meditation for Mental Clarity and Focus:

https://youtu.be/YFRZI3xMovM?si=ttmmSjkPvOK98jSu

https://youtu.be/CcqZ47d398k?si=tqbejT6aO15IRHpU

https://youtu.be/ausxoXBrmWs?si=pjurF3PKosLkDhAf