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Meditation & mindfulness: Free your mind
Meditation and mindfulness – the ability to be fully connected in the present moment – is coming out of retreats, workshops and Buddhist centres and into everyday life. Is it time for gym operators to help members flex their mental muscles as well as their physical ones? Kath Hudson reports
As the pace of life gets ever more frenetic, with everyone constantly plugged into technology, stress and its associated diseases are growing. The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work reports that around 50 per cent of job absenteeism is caused by stress. Meanwhile, according to statistics from the Meridian Stress Management Consultancy, almost 180,000 people in the UK die every year from some form of stress-related illness.
Meditation and mindfulness are an effective way of breaking the stress cycle and fit naturally with health and fitness. Research from Rutgers shows that combining meditation with exercise (30 minutes each, twice a week) reduced the incidence of depressive symptoms by as much as 40 per cent in just two months. At the other end of the spectrum, meditation can also be used to enhance performance in many areas: athletically, at work and in relationships.
But however good the benefits, there are still a number of barriers to overcome: for many people, sitting calmly for 20 minutes without worrying about the to-do list or getting caught up in mental chatter is as inaccessible as a 5k run to someone who hasn’t exercised in years.
We look at some initiatives that are aiming to make meditation and mindfulness more accessible and take them further into the mainstream…
Easy access meditation app
Created by charismatic former Buddhist monk Andy Puddicombe – who has been described as doing for meditation what Jamie Oliver has done for food – the Headspace app has been downloaded more than 7 million times in 190 countries. Featuring Puddicombe’s voice along with playful animations and graphics, the library of meditations are based on teachings from the decade he spent in the monasteries of Asia.
It’s a very accessible entry point to meditation. The first series is free and an easy introduction. Users then subscribe (£50 for the year) and can access packs focused on different aims such as reducing anxiety or improving happiness. There are also on-the-go exercises to bring mindfulness to activities like walking, cooking and cycling, as well as three-minute SOS meditations for emergencies.
London 2012 canoeing legend Etienne Stott attributed his gold medal to Headspace. He was introduced to the app by the Team GB psychologist in 2011 and started meditating for 20 minutes each morning before training.
“The benefits come on two levels,” says Stott. “In the short term it calms your mind, giving you more clarity and the space to think clearly when you’re under pressure to make decisions. In the long term, I’ve found it gives me the ability to keep perspective and choose my responses in challenging situations, rather automatically going down the most obvious path.”
All of this stood him in good stead at the London Olympics: “At that level, athletes need all of their resources: mental, physical, technical, even spiritual,” he says. “When I sat on the start line at the Olympics, I felt very clear about what I wanted to do and very determined to do it, as well as dedicated to solving any problems which would crop up.”
Equinox: Mindful workouts
Earlier this year, club operator Equinox created a mindful workout that will be offered in a number of key markets, including its Kensington club in London. The HeadStrong class targets stress by working body and mind in equal measure, and is delivered in four sections that mix cardio, strength training and regeneration.
The ‘Focus’ section starts with small movements like rolling over, gradually building up to higher intensity exercises. ‘Adapt’ brings in equipment like ViPR. ‘Willpower’ brings in tougher challenges that rely partly on determination, such as planking. At the end of the class, ‘Reboot’ uses calming music, guided breathing and a relaxed mental focus.
Other senses are stimulated too. Music has been curated to stimulate the mind and complement the class format, while stimulating scents are used during the more active sections and calming aromas – like eucalyptus towels and lavender oil – for the regeneration section.
“HeadStrong is a strategic thought-leader for us, but is somewhat niche,” says Equinox West Coast PR manager Chelsea Haglar. “We’re finding well-managed and promoted special event classes are the best way to keep this special programme and the topic alive. Kensington will be one of the markets offering a series of special event classes throughout the summer and autumn of 2016.”
University meditation space
Part contemplative space and part art gallery, Stanford University in the US opened a meditation centre in 2014. This serene space now provides a refuge from the daily intensity of life on campus and helps students deal with the mental stress of their studies.
The Windhover centre was inspired by artist and former Stanford lecturer Nathan Oliveira, who had envisioned a place where his Windhover painting series could be installed for people to sit, meditate and reflect. Open daily to students and faculty staff, some programming is being offered to introduce people to contemplative practices, such as guided meditation and yoga.
“Our hope for Windhover is that it will truly be a place of spiritual and personal refuge – a place for students and faculty staff to re-establish the much needed sense of balance and meaning that can lead not only to a deeper awareness of one’s self, but also of the world and our place in it,” says the Reverend Joanne Sanders, associate dean for religious life at Stanford University.
Meditation pod
Somadome is a cocoon-like pod which aims to fast-track users into the mindfulness zone. Users benefit from guided meditation while being bathed in an LED colour therapy experience.
Brought to market last year, Somadome has already been adopted by the spa industry and makes its UK debut later this year at London’s Etihad lounges. Some pilot projects in the fitness industry are also due to get underway soon, with fitness industry veteran Tony de Leede investing in the product and planning to put the pods into a number of his clubs in Australia.
“We think providing the space to connect the mind and body is critical in today’s world,” says spokesperson Kelly Gauthier. “We’re living in complicated times and if we don’t have access to the self, to silence the noise, we stand to have more stress.”
Somadome has carried out a focus group with a high-end gym and the feedback was that it enhanced workout performance and improved mental focus at work. Meanwhile, a study of at-risk youths was carried out in conjunction with Dr Oz’s HealthCorps: school attendance and performance went up, morale and moods improved, students felt less hopeless and there was a marked reduction in violent behaviour.
Mindful spa therapies
A luxury hotel spa in London – ESPA Life at Corinthia – has introduced a suite of mindfulness therapies aimed at helping its guests gain the maximum restorative effects mentally, emotionally and physically from their time at the spa.
Spa director Laura Vallati, who collaborated with ESPA to design the therapies, believes mindfulness is the key to wellness. She says: “I’ve studied mental and physical wellbeing for over 20 years, in many different cultures and parts of the world, and the one approach to life that seems to have profound effects on wellbeing at all ages is the practice of mindfulness.”
Mindful Massage and Mindful Facial use breathing and visualisation techniques to complement the massage, to relax the mind and release physical or emotional anxieties.
Pranayama breathing and yoga nidra is introduced into the Mindful Breathing and Meditation treatment, where the goal is mastering conscious relaxation. A Mindful Sleep therapy is also offered, which incorporates a range of ingredients to lay the foundations for a good night’s sleep: yoga nidra to soothe anxieties, hot stone and warm oil massage, and mindful breathing techniques.
Visualisation techniques and yoga nidra relaxation have also been introduced to fitness sessions run along the River Thames and in St James’ Park.
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