John Shoemaker, Supported Housing Program Director, describes why RISE Housing and Support Services promotes the practice of meditation.
What are the general benefits of meditation?
Essentially, meditation is a state of being that we can bring about with certain practices. It is a way to adjust our internal system in order to maximize our experiences of life. What this means is that meditation can benefit us in any area of our lives, from our physical health and productivity to our emotional balance and our mental clarity.
Why do you consider this an important service to offer clients of RISE?
Through my own experience, I have come to understand meditation as a vital component of maintaining mental and emotional balance. The individuals we serve at RISE have many mental and emotional challenges, so we should provide whatever tools we can to help them increase their ability to cope more effectively with their illness and improve their lives.
How does meditation help clients manage mental health?
For most people, the benefits of meditation have a general tonic quality in that they can help with any aspect of life. So, mental health is almost always supported with regular practice. In terms of specific examples of how meditation is particularly beneficial, I would point to how it helps us access a deeper state of relaxation and experience a heightened state of awareness. Cultivating these qualities gives our clients tools they can actively use to reduce and cope with the stress of their symptoms to cope better with daily life. With that said, if we have clients who are mentally decompensated or in a highly delusional state, it is advisable to hold off until they have stabilized before encouraging meditation. And in some rare cases, meditation simply might not be a good idea for certain individuals at all. Whenever there is a question, other service providers can be contacted to seek their input and advice about whether or not meditation would be recommended.
What would you recommend a daily practice be for clients?
Traditionally, meditation has been taught directly from teacher to student. There are many reasons for this, but one of the main reasons is that it is very easy to get lost and baffled by our own minds. Left to our own devices, we typically resort to what we are most comfortable with, and this is not always conducive for meditation. By working with a teacher we can obtain clear direction and benefit in many subtle ways. So, rather than give a few general concepts or techniques here, I would recommend that clients come to class so they can receive direct instruction to help guide and ease them into the practice. Once a person has received instruction over a period of time, they will be able to establish a specific daily practice to work with that is appropriate and effective for them.
Why is a group meditation class effective?
Basically, we are trying to make this practice available to the most people possible, so group classes are the best way to do that. With that said, there can be a mutually beneficial energy created by a group of people who are engaged in a positive activity. Because of this, meditating in groups can be helpful in certain ways, as the group energy can be supportive. But meditating in groups can also bring challenges, depending on the nature and state of being of who is present. Nonetheless, there are ways to use whatever challenges might exist in the group setting in ways that can actually deepen our practice, so even those challenges can help.
What are ways someone who has never practiced meditation can start?
The most important thing in the beginning is that a desire exists to learn. Once that exists, then a commitment must be made to develop a practice over a period of time. I compare meditation to learning to play a musical instrument in terms of the energy and time commitment necessary for it to become a more natural activity for you. My best advice is to find a teacher you resonate with and regularly attend classes in person. If you cannot attend in person classes, then seek out online programs that can give you a basic foundation to build upon. But most importantly, practice every day. Make it part of your staple diet. With commitment and instruction, you will be in a good position to maintain a regular meditation practice and receive all the wonderful benefits that it can bring.