Meditation:
The Calm Technique
by Paul Wilson, from "Instant Calm", Penguin.

Such is the power of the technique that follows that I have written an entire book on the topic. Not surprisingly, it is called the Calm Technique. Part of what this book is about is a sure technique for finding peace and harmony in a troubled world.

The Calm Technique is a simple exercise that anyone can master and apply.

With a minimum of effort, you will discover a way that will allow you to be more positive, more creative, more alive, more tolerant, more able to cope . . . and, of course, more calm.

Use it regularly, and it will change your life. Nothing is surer.

The Calm Technique is, for want of a better word, meditation. Yet it requires no particular spiritual belief or understanding, and nor does it subscribe to any particular philosophy or way of life. As the title of the original book said, it is 'meditation without magic or mysticism'.

So, what is meditation? There are a hundred definitions, most of which I find either precious or obtuse.

Quite simply, it is the process of stilling the mind - suspending the process of conscious thought - so that you can simply 'be'. As Buddha is reputed to have instructed, 'Don't meditate; be in meditation.'

During meditation you exist purely in the moment: nothing can distract you, no worries about the past or concerns for the future; your mind and your emotions are at rest. Many believe this is the most perfect state possible for one's consciousness or awareness.

The effect on your physiology
Meditation is not an experience, as such. It is simply 'being', perhaps not even aware of that state. However, despite its subtlety, it brings about a series of distinct and unique physiological processes.

While you are in the meditative state, there is a dramatic change in the pattern of your brainwaves. There is an increase in the slow alpha waves - which are usually only present when you are wide awake and relaxed. Yet, at the same time as these alpha waves are present, there is a definite presence of delta waves which usually occur only in the deepest sleep. So your brainwaves indicate a state of mind that is highly alert at the same time that it is in deep relaxation. To compound the paradox, there is virtually no rapid eye movement (REM) - an indication of sleep and dreaming - during the meditative state.

More pertinent to this book, perhaps, is the effect it has on your metabolism. Your oxygen consumption decreases even further than it does in deep sleep. Your heartbeat and blood pressure decrease almost as dramatically. The lactate level (which increases during stress) in your bloodstream decreases by up to 50 per cent, nearly four times faster than in a state of deep relaxation.

These unique physiological states are the opposite to those you experience during moments of stress or anxiety.

And this is why meditation produces such a profound sense of peace, harmony and wellbeing.

How do you do it?
Despite the fact that many organisations have devoted their existence to teaching it, and despite the fact that I have written books and conducted countless seminars talking about it, meditation is exquisitely simple.

It is not altogether different to any other trancelike state you might be familiar with: running a long-distance race, taking a long bus ride, knitting a scarf, listening to the waves.

To achieve this state at will is a simple matter of focusing - focusing the mind on one thing so that it excludes all others.

Some meditation techniques would have you focus on a physical object, or on a complex series of actions (as in tai chi). For purposes of simplicity, the Calm Technique requires you to concentrate on a sound.

The sound can be anything you choose. I suggest that it is the sound of your own voice speaking a single word - any word - over and over again.

Once again, for the purposes of this exercise, let's say the word is 'Calm'.

Most meditation techniques claim superiority over others because of the specific sense they use to focus the attention - a sound, a fixed object (internal or external), breathing, a feeling, an intellectual concept, physical exercises. This is hogwash. Each individual habitually favours one 'modality1 over another - visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, intellectual - which means that a meditation technique favouring that particular modality will seem more profound to them.

However each of us has the capacity to use all modalities. So each of the meditation styles are, theoretically, as effective as one another.

That's all you have to do. That is the total process. One word repeated (in your mind) over and over again for a period of 20 or 30 minutes. And when your attention strays - which it will - you simply guide it back to that repeated word or sound as you become aware of the fact.

Even as briefly as I have described it, the Calm Technique will work for you as long as you remember four things:
a it is meant to be as easy as it appears
b the experience in itself does not have to be anything special
c it is not a test of concentration or will power
d those who approach with an open mind will almost always find a solution to their problems during meditation.

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Here's Another Calm Tip:
Try talking to yourself...

The internal dialogue (the mental words you use when you're thinking things through) that most Type A people use is peppered with expressions like 'must', 'have to', 'ought to', 'got to' and so on.

When you listen to such people speak, even their external dialogue sounds the same. 'I have to finish this by nine.' 'I must go to the dentist.' 'I should trim the ivy from the front of the house.' 'I have to be more circumspect in my conversation with strangers.'

Note the instructions they give themselves. These are known as pressure instructions: constant reminders that you must do and achieve more and more. They create pressure. They create stress. Not only do they set an endless agenda, but they perpetuate the feeling that there's always more to be done. You will never have to reflect and be satisfied with what you've achieved, because there is always something else hanging over your head.

Type A people thrive on pressure instructions; using them feeds their tension and anxiety.

Yet, simply by choosing different words for your internal (and external) dialogue, you can eliminate all of the pressures associated with this type of language.

How do you do it? Substitute 'choose to' for 'have to' and you will feel an immediate change in your attitude. Tell yourself: 'I choose to finish this by nine' . . . 'I choose to go to the dentist' . . . 'I choose to trim the ivy from the front of the house' . . . and you will be a changed person.

Perhaps you're the type who would profit more from being let off the 'have to' hook altogether. If this is the case, substitute 'can' for 'have to'. Now, you would tell yourself: 'I can finish this by nine' . . . ' 'I can go to the dentist' . . . 'I can trim the ivy from the front of the house'.

Either way, this new freedom will allow you to feel much more relaxed and comfortable about your duties and your day.

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