Class 1

History, Benefits, and the

Meditative State

Meditation is an ancient practice that is performed
in many different ways all over the world.
Tai chi, the Japanese martial art Aikido, and
walking meditation practiced by the Zen
Buddhists are just a few examples.
Meditation is a form of mind-body medicine that
can benefit psychological health, promote
relaxation, and assist the body in coping with
illnesses (National Center for Complimentary and
Alternative Medicine, 2010).
Once mastered, meditation can be used anywhere,
anytime you need to calm down, clear your mind,
or direct your focus inwardly.
To get into the meditative state, the first task is to
quiet the mind.
Deep breathing, abdominal breathing,
diaphragmatic breathing. These are all different
terms for breathing deep in the stomach instead of
in the chest.
As you breathe in, you allow the oxygen to fill and
raise your stomach instead of your chest.
This fills your lungs from the bottom, allowing you
to take a deeper, more natural breath.
Practicing diaphragmatic breathing slows your
heart rate and blood pressure, increases the oxygen
supply to all cells in the body, and helps relax the
mind (StressLess Living, 2014).
Sit comfortably with hands in your lap.
Breathe in deeply and allow your abdomen to fill with
air.
Breathe out slowly.
Concentrate only on your breathing and the rise and
fall of the abdomen with each breath.
The sound of your breath becomes a type of mantra,
blocking out all other thoughts and sounds.
If other thoughts try to intrude, push them out, and
bring your focus back to your breathing (Hughes,
2014).
**10 minute demonstration video.
Diaphragmatic breathing has been shown to
relieve anxiety in stressful situations, improve
immune function, lower blood pressure in practice
and long term, reduce insomnia, and reduce
feelings of pain (NCCAM, 2013).
Just by taking a few minutes to breath and quiet
the mind we can escape the demands and
pressures of the outside world and enjoy the
peacefulness of our inner world.
We can set aside a certain time everyday to
practice, or use deep breathing in a stressful
moment when we need to control our bodys
natural responses of increased respiration and
blood pressure.

**In Class Practice **Questions?
**Reminders: Try to practice diaphragmatic
breathing 5 - 15 minutes each day. Increase your
time as you become more comfortable.
Practice in different situations: at work, driving,
waiting in line at the grocery store
Write down any physical, behavioral, or
emotional changes you start to notice.
Write down any questions you think of for next
week.

Diaphragmatic breathing expanding the
diaphragm muscle as you inhale, allowing the
abdomen, not the chest to rise and fall with each
breath (StressLess Living, 2013).
Diaphragm - the muscle separating the chest and
abdominal cavities.

(Images from DArienzo
Psychological Group,
2012).
DArienzo Psychological Group. (2012). Diaphragmatic breathing
training for relaxation handout. Retrieved August 5, 2014, from
http://www.drdarienzo.com/wp-
content/uploads/2012/13/Diaphragmatic-Breathing-Instructions-
Jacksonville-Florida.pdf
Hughes, M. (2014). How to meditate for beginners: A simple technique for
quieting the mind. Retrieved August 4, 2014, from
http://www.quietmindsystem.com/how-to-meditate-for-beginners/
National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine. (2010).
Meditation: An introduction. Retrieved August 3, 2014, from
http://ncca,.nih.gov/health/meditation/overview.htm
National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine. (2013).
Relaxation techniques for health: An introduction. Retrieved August 3,
2014, from http://nccam.nih.gov/health/stress/relaxation.htm
StressLess Living. (2014). How to do diaphragmatic breathing. Retrieved
August 4, 2014, from http://www.stress-management-for-peak-
performance.com/diaphragmatic-breathing.html