By Dr. Puja Shah
Imagine meditation that actually fits the way your mind works…
Instead of the version that leaves you fidgeting, frustrated, and sure you are doing it wrong…
Ayurveda’s answer is that there is no single right way to meditate. There is a right way for your constitution.
By now, everyone knows meditation is one of the greatest practices for wellness and personal growth.
You’ve surely seen the studies on how it decreases stress, calms you down, and boosts mental clarity.
But it now appears we may just be scratching the surface of what meditation can do for us – and the ancient science of Ayurveda holds the key to unlocking its full potential.
Let’s start with the science:
Meditation and your telomeres
Here is what has actually been measured, and it is more modest than the headlines.
In 2015, in the journal Cancer, Linda Carlson and colleagues at the University of Calgary ran a randomised trial with 88 distressed breast cancer survivors. One group practised mindfulness meditation and gentle Hatha yoga, a second did supportive-expressive group therapy, and a third received a one-day stress management seminar.
What they measured was telomeres: the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes, which tend to shorten with age and stress, and whose shortening is associated with conditions like cancer and heart disease. Over the trial, telomere length held steady in both intervention groups, while it decreased in the control group.
Three things worth knowing before anyone sells you that as proof. It was a trend rather than a statistically significant result (P = .054). The meditation group did no better than the group therapy group, so this is not something meditation did on its own. And nothing here rewrote anyone’s DNA: telomeres were maintained, not lengthened or altered.
That is a real finding, and it is worth exactly what it is. Holding a line is not the same as turning back a clock, and we are not going to tell you otherwise.
How Ayurveda can help you meditate better
One of the key concepts in the ancient science of Ayurveda is that of the Doshas: everyone has a dominant Dosha – Vata, Pitta, or Kapha – that corresponds with the elements found in nature.
Your Dosha shapes your personal characteristics and behavior. It outlines your unique needs for healing and wellness. In short, it reveals the truth about you.
And according to Ayurveda, your Dosha also determines how you should meditate for the best possible results.
Here are the ways Ayurveda advises you to approach meditation, depending on your Dosha (and if you don’t know your Dosha yet, go here to take our free Dosha quiz).
Meditation for the Vata Dosha
Vata is airy, creative and imaginative. It means thoughts can come and go easily, and the mind can be easily distracted. Body stillness can be hard.
As a Vata, try affirmations that ground you as you steady your mind – such as “I am focused.”
It is also helpful to focus on an anchor, such as hand mudras and the breath. Follow each breath in and out of the body, and count your breaths using a gentle tap of the thumb to each finger.
Remember, quieting your mind may take some time, but the peace and centered, grounded state you get from it, will be more than worth it.
Meditation for the Pitta Dosha
Pittas are fidgety and full of fire, and may struggle with stillness despite being driven to achieve the proper meditation technique.
Taming your full Pitta energy will be important, so keeping a goal in mind may be helpful. Try reminding yourself of the benefits of meditation, and how your memory and productivity will improve by achieving your state of deepest calm.
Japa meditations or the repetition of specific mantras should help, as well as Pranayama for focusing the energy within the body.
Try deep full bodied breaths into your lungs and stomach, and like the Vata, following the breath in and out of the body. Remind yourself to meditate daily for a set amount of time to fully reap the benefits.
Meditation for the Kapha Dosha
As a Kapha, you’ll likely take to meditation most easily, since you are already naturally grounded. Just be warned: falling asleep may also be just as easy as achieving stillness!
A great way to stay alert is through walking mindfulness meditations, or chanting out loud during meditation.
As with other Doshas, it’s important for you as a Kapha to remember to stay consistent with your daily meditation practice.
Your daily moments of focus will help stimulate your mind, which is often a great gift for Kaphas.
The time to reap the full rewards of meditation is now
Winter is a wonderful time to start focusing on your meditation practice. If we follow the path of nature, the colder months allow us to go inward, just as bears hibernate, or trees shed leaves and wait for new growth in the spring.
And now that you know how to best meditate according to your Dosha, you too can start reaping the full rewards of this timeless practice.
Happy meditating, and may your telomeres be forever long.