Stress, Chronic Illness, and My Experience With Meditation. Including A Podcast From Hal Elrod Of The Miracle Morning.
For a few years now, I’ve incorporated meditation into my life. Fact: When I meditate, I feel better. Fact: When I don’t meditate, I feel worse. It’s that simple for me, and it could potentially be that easy for you. More and more podcasts and articles are sharing the scientific results on how meditation can improve anyone’s health, but in particular, chronic illness patients.
Recently I came across an incredible explanation on the link between mediation and chronic illness and how it can improve a patient’s health on the Achieve Your Goals podcast by Hal Elrod. If you don’t follow Hal Elrod or know his story, you should check him out. Not only did he create and write the Miracle Morning series of books that have helped countless people become more productive in a variety of areas. But he’s also lived through his battle of chronic illness and cancer along the way. He knows the ups and downs of life, and this episode was too good not to share.
Hal and his guest Cort Davies share their experiences with chronic illness throughout this episode, share how to start a mediation practice with best practices, and show how it scientifically can improve your health. Imagine spending 10 minutes a day, creating a practice that can not only reduce stress but also activate healing properties in your body.
Now I know a few things you might be thinking if you don’t have a mediations practice.
Your first thought might be that it is hogwash and for monks. It’s not. Some of the most successful people in the world incorporate a meditation practice into their lives. And some of the most incredible comeback stories from chronic illness have mediation built-in as well, including my journey of going from bedridden to IRONMAN.
Another thought might be that you’ve tried it before and just couldn’t get into it. I have to be honest; meditation isn’t the most natural thing. It’s a learned skill. I’ve used both of the leading mediation apps, Headspace, and Calm. Both are great and have their own benefits. I personally have liked my experience with Calm more, and I’ve seen my meditation practice improve with it.
You might also think, can it help that much? There have been countless studies on this topic now, and it’s shown that with a combination of breathing techniques and guided meditation that you can hit different levels of consciousness, which include Beta, Alpha, Theta, and Delta brain waves. When your mind and body come together to reach a Theta or Delta state, healing powers kick in, and in a matter of days, you can see/feel a difference.
There are other thoughts you might be having. But I can tell you this, I got off my mediation practice when the pandemic started. My entire routine was changed, and I didn’t adjust as fast as I would like. Lately, I’ve noticed that my health was declining. I lost weight. I had to see my GI for the first time in a while. And last week, I found out that my inflammation and liver markers are currently elevated. I jumped back into my mediation practice when I heard the news. In just a matter of days, my pain lessened. My inflammation went down. And I started to feel like myself again.
So check this podcast out. Give meditation a try. And if you’ve tried it before, give it another shot. I’m not trying to push snake oil here or some miracle. But if someone told me a decade ago that learning to be with my thoughts and new breathing techniques would not only clear my head but improve my health…I would have jumped for the opportunity to see how mediation could’ve improved my life with chronic illness.
What are your thoughts on mediations? Have you tried meditation before? Share your thoughts in the comments below.