By Michele S Jang, PT ~
Isn’t meditation good for everybody? Certainly many studies show that meditation leads to positive changes in the brain and is beneficial for your health.
I contend that different means can achieve a state of calmness and that meditation is not necessary for everyone. Observe those around you. Parents notice the various ways each child engages the world; in the workplace, one is aware of the numerous ways others arrange their work environments. At one extreme, some one may keep their space extremely neat, everything filed or put away, the bed made or desktop clean and organized. At the other end of the spectrum one’s room may be filled with many piles, items not filed or stored away, and overall visually cluttered.
This second person may be texting a friend, while simultaneously working on their computer and their television on or music playing. The first individual may work in quiet, preferring little stimulation. Each of these individuals has set up the environment to fit their emotional needs. They are in essence comforted and calmed by their environment. If you have these people swap spaces, I foresee discomfort and anxiety. If forced to stay in those rooms, I predict that each would proceed to reconfigure the space to their own liking.
When meditating, we eliminate clutter and distraction to attain a sense of peace and to potentially reduce anxiety. For the person who likes things organized and calm, this approach may work. For the person who likes many different stimulations going on simultaneously, this may be not only extremely challenging but they may not find it calming at all.
When prescribing exercises in physical therapy, we need to keep in mind the “one size does not fill all” concept. Some people really enjoy and appreciate being prescribed more exercises or having things changed up often. They prefer constant stimulation. Others however get easily overwhelmed and prefer consistency, knowing what will be coming. These people do best if prescribed three to five exercises at one time, written down of course. For each of these types of people, we try to lower their anxiety and create an approach that feels not only calming but motivates them towards rehabilitating.
Michele S Jang, PT is a physical therapist who likes to look outside the box. She has been a physical therapist for over 22 years and has extensive training in manual therapy or the use of hands to help rehabilitate the body. Michele has been an instructor both in the United States and abroad. Her clinic offers Free Consults on Tuesday afternoons. Michele also has a team of therapists at Spirit Winds who offer an array of expertise on exercise, fall prevention, foot and shoe assessments, body mechanics and proper breathing technique to increase awareness and healing. Her team can be reached at 805 5435100 or [email protected]
