First Post

Welcome. My name is Shaw Eberhardt and I am a clinical therapist. I would like to share each week on something that I learned in relation a client or a specific question. Please feel free to comment, to add your experience, or ask a question.

For this week I would like to start out with meditation. Many people have difficulty staying in the moment and that can lead to anxiety in the short run, and depression in the long run. Some patients awfulize, meaning that they can tell that the worst is going to happen in the future because of something going on today. What is the worst that can happen? Is it really going to happen?

There are as many forms of meditation as there are leaves in a tree. Find one that works for you. One of the easiest mindfulness meditations is to be aware of your breath. Whenever you think of it take three deep breaths, feeling the air move in and out of your lungs. Try not to hold on to any stray thoughts that pass through. If one thought dominates, take another breath.

Another form of meditation is a guided mediation, that involves listening to a recording of a meditation led by someone else. I have some CDs and MP3s of guided meditations, and there are plenty of scripts on the web. I use a digital recorder to read and replay to myself.

Finally, one of my favorite forms comes after strenuous exercise. You may have done this if you train in Karate or Yoga. In karate we would sit in seiza and in yoga one would do the dead man's pose. After a hard workout there is nothing like sinking into the ground and letting the mind slow. You may have felt the same peace and calmness after a long run or a good game, and getting a drink of cold water.

That is of course the purpose of meditation, the peace, calmness, centeredness, and one-ness with the universe. Or simply a knowledge that at this time, right here, right now, everything is OK. This allows us a safe haven, a launching point. If we can have a centered post we can explore. Much like we used our mother's leg as a home base to return to, when we were exploring the world. If you can feel it once, you can feel it again. With some practice, you can return to that feeling of centeredness even when the world around you is whirling out of control.

See you next week.