This weeks goal: learn how to reduce your stress levels by quantifying your meditation efforts.
“The fundamental pulse of life is the rhythmic wave called oscillation” – Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz
Does meditation actually work for relieving stress? Well, you know my response: there is only one way to find out!
As with all self-experiments, first start with information from some of the experts out there. Mark Divine, founder of SEALFIT (a ridiculously intense workout program based on Navy Seal training) talks about the importance of meditation as a part of their SEALFIT program – just as working out activates the sympathetic (fight or flight) nervous system, deep breathing activates the parasympathetic, which can actively lead to stress recovery. In the SEALFIT program, they even use deep breathing during incredibly intense workouts in order to complete the exercise with far less fatigue than without the breathing techniques.
Brown University had a TEDx talk about meditation, which is below. If you have time to watch it, it is totally worth it.
“The fundamental pulse of life is the rhythmic wave called oscillation” – Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz
Does meditation actually work for relieving stress? Well, you know my response: there is only one way to find out!
As with all self-experiments, first start with information from some of the experts out there. Mark Divine, founder of SEALFIT (a ridiculously intense workout program based on Navy Seal training) talks about the importance of meditation as a part of their SEALFIT program – just as working out activates the sympathetic (fight or flight) nervous system, deep breathing activates the parasympathetic, which can actively lead to stress recovery. In the SEALFIT program, they even use deep breathing during incredibly intense workouts in order to complete the exercise with far less fatigue than without the breathing techniques.
Brown University had a TEDx talk about meditation, which is below. If you have time to watch it, it is totally worth it.
But, you are not a part of SEALFIT (I assume). So, how will meditation affect you, and can you test the effects of meditation on your own stress levels and quantify your body’s response? Well, thanks to modern technology, we can indeed measure stress response. The method that I am currently using is called the Heartmath Emwave2, which is a Heart Rate Variability monitor (you can do this even without a monitor). Heart Rate Variability (HRV) refers to the fact that a healthy individual’s heart rate is not constant; instead, it naturally fluxes from lower beats per minute (bpm) to higher and back again. The Emwave2 measures the coherence of your HRV – the heart rate should rise and fall in a smooth, sine-like pattern. Following is a screen shot of my heart rate during a period of fairly high coherence:
(the x-axis is time, and the y-axis is my heart rate in beats per minute)
(the x-axis is time, and the y-axis is my heart rate in beats per minute)
Notice that my heart rate fluxes between around 50-55 bpm to 70-75 bpm in a fairly smooth and consistent pattern. Areas of low coherence are highlighted with a red line. There are several steps required to get your HRV into high coherence, listed below. When you are in high coherence, you start to feel it – you are happier, more relaxed, and can usually think more clearly. As a side note for any of you writers out there, I have started to hook up my Emwave as I write, and it literally keeps me in the right writing (no pun intended) state.
As background to the next HRV graph I will present, I started Brian Mackenzie’s ultramarathon training program last week. As you can imagine, the program is hard. I mean, it is ridiculously kick-ass. It is for masochists. It absolutely wrecked me. There is a ‘rest period’ during one of the days, and during that period I worked on my HRV with no relation to the fact that I was tired from working out. I found something very interesting, reflected by the following graph:
As background to the next HRV graph I will present, I started Brian Mackenzie’s ultramarathon training program last week. As you can imagine, the program is hard. I mean, it is ridiculously kick-ass. It is for masochists. It absolutely wrecked me. There is a ‘rest period’ during one of the days, and during that period I worked on my HRV with no relation to the fact that I was tired from working out. I found something very interesting, reflected by the following graph:
As hard as I tried to reach a state of high coherence, I simply could not do it. This tells me that the Emwave2 is capable of not only reducing stress and measuring mental stress, but also of measuring physical stress that accumulates in your body (at some point stress is stress is stress, whether physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual). Therefore, the Emwave2 represents a means of quantifying your stress levels as well as a way of tracking your meditation efforts and training your happiness. More experiments will follow, so stay tuned for more insights as to the capabilities of the Emwave2.
As for now, if you want to try to experience the benefits of meditation without the Emwave2, follow these simple steps:
1. Breathe deeply and evenly through your nose.
2. Focus on feeling as if your breaths are entering your heart – a feeling of opening your heart up. Also focus on how the area around your heart feels.
3. Create positive imagery in your mind while still focusing on your breathing. The imagery should give you a deep feeling of appreciation and happiness.
If you are using an Emwave, you will notice that in the easiest setting you are now in high coherence. Once you increase the difficulty, you will have to learn new techniques (such as holding the breath at the top and bottom and focusing on positive emotions) in order to continue to reach high coherence.
If you are interested in buying an Emwave2, there are several options available including their newest option, which connects directly to your iPhone. Super cool.
As for now, if you want to try to experience the benefits of meditation without the Emwave2, follow these simple steps:
1. Breathe deeply and evenly through your nose.
2. Focus on feeling as if your breaths are entering your heart – a feeling of opening your heart up. Also focus on how the area around your heart feels.
3. Create positive imagery in your mind while still focusing on your breathing. The imagery should give you a deep feeling of appreciation and happiness.
If you are using an Emwave, you will notice that in the easiest setting you are now in high coherence. Once you increase the difficulty, you will have to learn new techniques (such as holding the breath at the top and bottom and focusing on positive emotions) in order to continue to reach high coherence.
If you are interested in buying an Emwave2, there are several options available including their newest option, which connects directly to your iPhone. Super cool.
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If you decide to try out the Emwave, let me know or shoot an email to me with questions or more information.
As always, let me know your results and tips - how do you meditate, and what can the rest of us learn from your methods or results?
As always, let me know your results and tips - how do you meditate, and what can the rest of us learn from your methods or results?
