Dayspa

FEB 2014

DAYSPA is the magazine of spa management. Spa owners and spa managers turn to DAYSPA for spa management trends, spa management tips and more.

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(miravalresorts.com) in Tucson, Arizona. "If I can learn to let thoughts be fluid and not hold onto them nor push them away, this will create the calmness that affects the central nervous system. It also lowers the hormonal response, the cortisol." Naughton uses a mindfulness-centered practice based on the teachings of the Buddha. Mindfulness methods have become very popular in recent years; they're often employed for specific therapeutic purposes such as addressing weight or addiction issues, and are used institutionally by schools and corporations. The technique is to bring focus to the present moment. "I'm taking a bite of a delicious apple," explains Naughton. "I notice its crisp crunch. I notice what it feels like when I'm chewing it. At first it tastes tart but then it is sweet. I stay with it." There are many formal, and informal, methods of meditation. "Even sitting still with your eyes closed will have some benefit," says Kaplan. Comparing techniques should be both an objective and subjective process for each individual. Meditate on this: Seasoned teacher Susan Taylor, Ph.D., has the following suggestion for the meditation-resistant: "Pick a time of day and practice one to three minutes of diaphragmatic breathing. Do it for 40 days. I've never known anyone whose life wasn't profoundly changed just by doing that." PAY NO MIND The elephant that always seems to be in the meditation room: doing it "correctly." Experts agree that there is no such thing as doing it right or wrong, there is only doing it or not. "People get the idea that if their mind isn't totally quiet, they're not meditating," says Naughton. "It's almost the opposite. I'm following my breath but a thought from the past arises and I'm agitated. So I work on accepting the thought." Taylor adds, "You become an observer of your mind." Next on our perfectionistic Western brains is the how, when and where of it all. Many people begin by taking a class, working with an instructor or practicing in the energy of a group dynamic. "Guidance is helpful, especially in the beginning," says Naughton. "Sometimes it is actually easier in a group." Some people prefer to meditate upon waking, others before bed. Some make it an outdoor experience, in connection with nature. Again, Taylor reassures, "There are many paths. All programs are respected. Your own inner dweller is your guru." Some people make meditation such a central part of their life that they structure everything else around it. Some attend retreats or meditate for hours daily. People who practice TM generally do so for 20 minutes, twice a day. But there is no prescription. Taylor takes all lifestyle factors into consideration. "You're not going to see an improvement in your body or in your mind if you meditate for 10 minutes and then go to a drive-thru and eat a bunch of GMOs," she says. Kaplan cites the most misunderstood part of a meditation practice. "We don't meditate just for the session itself," he says. "It's not even important how we feel while we're at it. What matters is how we're doing the rest of the day." Learn more about meditation and the brain by reading Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love and Wisdom by Rick Hanson (New Harbinger Publications, 2009). dayspamagazine.com/freeinfo • Use FreeInfo #28 dayspamagazine.com | FEBRUARY 2014 57

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