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Dear friends and clients,

Early in my legal career, my very mainstream dentist urged me to try meditation techniques because my jaw was so tense I couldn’t open my mouth wide enough to get my teeth cleaned. He suggested some reading, and I started down a path that led to a happier, healthier life and, I think, some important career successes.
If you already meditate, you might want to explore additional ways to reduce stress, sleep better and improve your health. If you jog, garden, knit or pray, you may be engaging in meditation activities without realizing it. If you haven’t attempted any form of meditation, there are lots of reasons to give it a try. I hope that this issue of Bev’s Tips will give you some ideas for getting started or broadening your meditation practice.

Warm wishes,

Meditation techniques
Can help you to
Feel better, and work better

November 02 , 2004

Of the dozens of books on meditation, some of my favorites are those of Dr. Herbert Benson and his colleague William Proctor. Benson coined the term “relaxation response” to describe the condition induced by meditation techniques, including a lowered heart rate, decreased rate of breathing, lowered blood pressure and slower brain waves.

Benson and his Harvard Medical School colleagues were among the first to use Western scientific methods to show that regular meditation can counteract the harmful impact of stress. More than 25 years ago, they demonstrated that you can improve your health and well-being by regularly following a four-step process:

Find a quiet environment;
Consciously relax your muscles;
Focus for 10 to 20 minutes on a mental device
– something as simple is repeating the word, “one;” and,
Assume a passive attitude when thoughts intrude.

In my early attempts at meditation, I was heartened by Benson’s finding that beginners can achieve measurable benefits from the relaxation response, even when you feel like you just aren’t getting the hang of meditation.

In later years, Benson concluded that the benefits of meditation are enhanced if you not only take those four steps, but also – instead of just repeating a neutral word like “one” – you link your routine to your deepest personal beliefs. In other words, if you replace “one” with a word that has religious or philosophical associations, the measurable impact of the technique will be enhanced.

Benson’s research suggests that meditation, particularly when employing repetition of a meaningful phrase, can help you to:

Relieve headaches;
Reduce blood pressure and hypertension;
Overcome insomnia;
Enhance the effectiveness of many therapies, including those for cancer; and,
Improve productivity, in part through reduced stress and anxiety.

More recently, in “The Break-out Principle,” Benson and Proctor wrote about ways to use meditation and similar techniques to overcome creative blocks and jumpstart effective performance.

A “breakout” occurs when you get past a struggle and suddenly your creativity is flowing, and new, unexpected solutions seem to fall into place. “Breakouts” can be valuable when you are wrestling with a challenge that seems insurmountable, or trying to find an out-of-the-box solution for a knotty problem.

Benson’s great point is that you can generate a breakout moment by interrupting your struggle and engaging in a trigger activity. The trigger might be not only traditional meditation or prayer, but also art or nature appreciation, yoga or sports, or any number of repetitive activities. In other words, Benson’s work suggests ways to overcome a block and spark creativity through meditation, and describes how many kinds of activities might be classed with traditional meditation using repetition of a phrase.

In the years since Benson began writing, it has become clear that there are many ways to achieve the benefits of the “relaxation response.” You can meditate by really focusing on your breath, your steps, or your knitting. You can do it by bringing your full attention on a task like washing dishes, and even by fully observing your own stress or pain.

You can reduce your stress by building meditation techniques into your daily routine. For example, when you’re sitting at your desk, or waiting in line, or have been put “on hold,” try focusing on your breath. And as you breathe in and out, repeat a meaningful word. Or visualize your favorite place. Simple meditation practices can make a big difference in the way you feel and the way you do your job.

Reading suggestions
These books may help you get started with meditation.
To buy the books online, click on the titles below.
For LONGER reviews of THESE AND other books that may be of interest, go to
ClearWays Books and Services.

Beyond the Relaxation Response, by Herbert Benson, M.D., with William Proctor. Time Books: 1984. Building on Benson’s earlier works, this book explains some of the reasons why meditation does work. Most important, it describes how you can get started with meditation techniques to reduce stress and promote healing and well-being. In minutes a day, the authors say, you can interrupt the cycle of anxiety and alleviate some of today’s most serious health problems.

The Break-out Principle, by Hebert Benson, M.D., and William Proctor. Scribner: 2003. While Benson’s earlier research focused on the benefits of eliciting the relaxation response to enhance health and well-being, with this book the authors describe how you can go even further.

Brain research, they say, shows that traditional meditation techniques can trigger bursts of creativity, productivity, self-awareness and athletic performance. And there are a number of other triggers that can work just as well, including laughter, repetitive motion, prayer, altruistic activity and stimulation of the senses. In other words, sometimes the best way to move forward is to take a complete break.

The Best Guide to Meditation, by Victor N. Davich. Renaissance Books: 1998. The title is overblown, but this is still a good introduction to meditation techniques. It describes a variety of simple exercises and introduces the lingo common to discussions of meditation. The book is written for “regular people” who want to give meditation a try, with a minimum of fuss.

Watch for upcoming issues of Bev’s Tips, with articles including “10 Ways to Jumpstart Your Energy,” and “Retirement or Restructuring?”

Bev’s Tips for a Better Work Life is published on the first and third Tuesday of each month by Beverly E. Jones of ClearWays Consulting, LLC. Bev is a lawyer and former executive who now coaches accomplished attorneys and other professionals to bring new direction, energy and enjoyment to their work lives.

All rights in all media reserved. However, the content of Bev’s Tips for a Better Work Life may be forwarded in full without special permission on the condition that (1) it is for non-profit use and (2) full attribution and copyright notice are given. For other uses please contact Bev Jones.

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