Meditation has been proven to not only relax the mind, but also ease arthritis pain.
There is no magic formula for meditating. Unlike running a race, there is no finish line or world record to break. Getting the hang of it requires an investment of time and patience. Don’t have much of either? You can still meditate.
Try these four meditation techniques to get started:
Keep it brief: You might not have an hour a day to set aside for meditation, so take five- or 10-minute meditation breaks throughout the day.
“Aim to meditate for a total of one hour per day,” says Mark Thornton, a New York City-based meditation teacher and author of Meditation in a New York Minute: Super Calm for the Super Busy (Sounds True, Inc., 2006). “Meditating for a few minutes throughout the day to add up to one hour is just as effective as meditating for a full hour.”
Be consistent: Meditating is a lot like working out at the gym: You need to keep doing it to get results. According to Thornton, a daily practice is best. If the idea of meditating daily feels too overwhelming, aim to meditate every other day. The goal is to set a schedule that you can maintain long-term.
Try active meditation: Meditation doesn’t have to be done in a dark room while seated in the lotus position. You can meditate in the shower, standing in line at the supermarket or even washing the dishes.
To begin an active meditation, take slow, deep breaths and tune into your surroundings – feel the warmth of the dishwater as it covers your hands, watch the bubbles fill the sink, smell the fresh lemon scent of the dish detergent and hear the sound of the dishes clanking together – and continue that mindfulness throughout the meditation.
Adjust your focus. In order to reap the rewards of meditation, it’s important to follow one simple guideline for doing it right: Focus your attention. It’s meditating and not just a series of thoughts when you’re controlling your focus on something specific – a flickering candle flame, a simple mantra – and not your to-do list.
“You’ll know you’re doing it right if you continually notice when your attention has wandered and gently guide your focus back,” Hanley says. “It doesn’t matter how many times you have to redirect yourself, only that you do. It’s learning to steer your attention away from the endless stream of thoughts that quiets the mind and promotes relaxation.”
Thank you everybody for sharing!
Sorry by my english!!
I've found (isometrics)passive contracting and relaxing of knee muscles along with upper and lower leg muscles, WHILE SEATED, seems to loosen the area so standing and moving is easier.
Also, when I'm sitting (anyplace-because isometric exercises are not very obvious) I do a few contract/relax routines about every 10 min. or so. It works so well, that after you consciously 'think' of doing routines, after a while, you just begin doing them, because they feel 'right!'
Hope this gives you one option to improve quality of your life.
You will find that same passive isometrics work all over body...whenever stiff or just to keep an area limber, try some passive routines with muscles around that area!
which has been relatively successful however I suffer from stiffness in both knees after sitting down can anybody offer any advice.
Incidentally I live in Spain where we have a mild climate.
1.I breathin to the count of 5 and retain the breath to the count of 20 and then breat out to the count of 10. I do this 10 times,
2. I close one side of the nose with the thumb and breath in and then I take out the thumb and breath out with the other side of the nose. I do this 10 times.
3. I take deep breath slowly through both sides of nose and then breat out slowly. I do this 10 times.
4.I focus my breath on each part of the body starting with the toes and the feet and coming up through each part of the body,ending with my back. Then I just think of the problems I have at the moment objectively and then breath out downwords from number 10 relaxing.
5. I fold my toungue and breatin through my mouth and hold it to the count of ten and then breat out. I do it 5 times.
5. I breath in and hum the word HUM and then breath out.Do it five times. Then I breath in and hum Tapasoma deergamaya(actually ritheousness) 5 times and then breath in and hum Tapasoma Shanti(actually means peace) maya 3 times relaxing.
6. Finally I take deep breaths five times and breath out each time directing my breath to affeted parts of my body like the back,the neck,the shoulder and knee joints and the eyes.
7. Before getting up from the bed I throw my feet and my hands to strech them and also lift up both hand and throw them left and right,so that I release the body from any stiffness.
Note: I try to keep my attention on my breath all through the above meditation but often my mind wanders. But I immediately bring back my concentration to the breath.I found this greatly relaxes and calms the mind. This meditation takes about 30 minutes.
It can be done sitting also.
Thanks for your attention.
METHOD for beginners and anyone else:
1. Sit in comfortable chair, preferably by self, in a place with least distractions possible.
2. Close eyes, take inventory-are hands, legs, etc. in position so you can relax and not have to fidget.
3. Breathe IN, slowly, thru your nose, while saying the Number ONE to yourself.
4. Breath OUT, slowly, thru your mouth, while saying the Number ONE to yourself.
5. Repeat process. As your mind wanders, don't get frustrated....just gently remind yourself to get back to saying the Number ONE with each breath. No matter how many times you need to do this, it is okay. You will likely find, as you proceed into your meditating session, you will need to remind yourself to focus, less often.
6. As you are in midst of the above process, you will become aware of a slight 'tingling' (best word I can use to describe sensation) in hands and/or feet (My relaxation experience has always begun with my extremities.)
7. Enjoy and allow the tingling sensation to become a part of more of your body, as the muscles relax.
8. The U of Cal. article said regarding how much time you spend, not to focus too much because, with practice, you will be able to relax yourself, at will, and you will just know when enough is enough.
9. When you begin to refocus on your surroundings, give yourself some time to gently return to 'normal.' Breathe deeply and really 'feel' how relaxed and comfortable your whole body feels...my description is 'cottony.' Not a word, but a soft, supported feeling thruout your body as muscles and nerves are so relaxed.
10. After a short time, your breathing along with awareness of surroundings will automatically increase. Move your arms and legs, gently and when you stand, slowly stretch and savor the results of your meditation.
I know above is quite long, but my meditation experience, over all these years, has been such a positive part of my life, that whenever I have had a opportunity, I feel it is important to explain the simple method to others!
Good Luck and Good Life!
I swim laps three times a week and do water walking exercise too. Either or both helps a lot. If I have pain when I am swimming, I imagine a dolphin, my totem, and ask her to remove the pain--in my knee, in my shoulder, wherever. I concentrate on visualizing her doing that and also on swimming. Before I know it, the pain subsides.
I have also used imagery to cure my migraines. I did that 25 years ago, and today I hardly ever have headaches let alone migraines. First, I take deep breaths and then go to a peaceful place in my past. I have a few but my favorite is a cabin on the beach where I stayed two summers as a child. I imagine the cabin, the bees and butterflies around the flowers in the flower box, then I walk around to the front door and notice a spider in her web high above the door. I sit with my back against the cabin and feel the sunshine on me. It is always sunny there because it's my imagery, not reality. I look out to sea and notice boats heading into the west, freighters whatever. I walk into the house and smell the fish soup simmering on the woodstove. I have a cup of hot tea and sit in a wicker chair. Then I imagine taking my favorite dog of years past and we walk out the front door,and I carefully latch it. We walk together up a dirt-sand road and finally onto the beach. In the distance I hear music from a roadside bar---a popular song from that era. We reach the beach and I inhale the smell of tar on a drift wood log. My dog races across the sands and seagulls scatter. I walk along the wet sand and avoid the incoming waves. I watch a group of teenagers playing touch football. I pass a fisherman casting for crabs. I smell the sea breeze, hear the squawk of a seagull, hear the waves hit the shore.
After awhile, my dog and I turn around and head back. The tide is now going out. The ships are gone beyond the horizon. The kids and fisherman have disappeared. We return home and rest against the cabin. I am still in my imagination until I open my eyes. Then I feel the one sided pain of the migraine. I dissipate that pain by spreading it across and up and down on my face. The pain lessens. Then I imagine that the top of my head is like I volcano. I let the pain erupt and slowly but surely the pain lessens and then is gone.
This is just an example of a personal imagery. Anyone can make up their own. The aim is to breath deeply, imagine a peaceful scene, and to concentrate on it. Playing a Mozart concerto while doing this also helps.
I hope this give someone an idea from this to find your own imagery to get rid of your pain.
Meditation does not come overnight.
Keep doing it: Try to focus
Remember Sushma you are the one that is suffering so you will focus on trying to clear and rid of your suffering.
Say something like this:
Strength, Energy flows through me.
This will be your chant. Saying over and over each time.
Namaste!
Try learning Tai Chi for Arthritis. Contact your local Arthritis Foundation for classes in your area. It is an easy 6 Part Basic form and gets you started on a life long activity.
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