by Mahalia Freed, ND
It took me years of resisting and suffering to develop and sustain a regular meditation practice. I share my tips and lessons in this article, Confessions of a Reluctant Meditator, or Tips for Fitting Meditation into Your Life.
If you are the kind of person who likes to know the why of things, here is a very brief summary of why meditating will be beneficial for you, too:
The evidence
As a naturopathic doctor I am well-versed in the evidence and clinical applications 
for meditation. It is amazing how effective various kinds of meditation can be. An unsophisticated PubMed search on the term “meditation” yields 2, 215 studies. Depression? Meditation may be as effective as medication. Cancer? Meditation improves mood, sleep, immune system, quality of life. Stress? Meditate to lower blood pressure. Heart disease? Yup. Meditation helps. Indeed, mindfulness-based stress reduction for heart disease, chronic pain and many other conditions is taught at hospitals and in private practices across North America based on the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD.
Even more compellingly, my clients are a fantastic and inspiring bunch. They tell me that meditation practice helps them manage anxiety, gives them energy when their work involves long hours and traveling, keeps them happier, helps them connect more with their friends and family. So not only do I know about the benefits from reading the studies, I know about it from clinical practice.
The bullet points:
- It feels good.
- It is free.
- It can help restore emotional clarity and balance, making you feel better if you are stressed or sad.
- It can energize you when you feel tired (though it’s not a substitute for quality sleep, you type A’s out there!).
- It can help you tap your inner wisdom when you feel uncertain about a decision.
- It can reclaim stillness from the frenzied pace of modern day life, readjusting the skewed balance between being and doing.
- It can reconnect you with your intuition and creativity.
- It will give you unexpected gifts (for me this has included concrete reassurance when things felt dire, and recently, the name of a remedy I hadn’t consciously heard of that was the perfect fit for someone in my care with a complex clinical case).
- It doesn’t have to be hard.
Want some tips to help you find a way to integrate meditation into your full life? Get started here. And please share what works and doesn’t for you!
by Mahalia Freed, ND
I am delighted to tell you that I proved myself wrong this year.
In the past 12 months I have gone from a firm, “meditation is for other people” identity, to being a person who strategizes to find that time in my day.
Huge shift!
Yup, despite ‘knowing better’ via the clinical evidence I saw regularly and the clear benefits in the research, I was sure it was something I couldn’t do. I truly believed that meditation was great for other people – but not for me. I couldn’t sit still, couldn’t quiet my mind, didn’t feel “good” at it. And you know, overachievers like me, we like to be good at things right away.
In effect, I was seeking less challenge, more comfort zone.
Sound familiar?
But, why leave the comfort zone? Well, you can’t grow in the comfort zone. And I got to the point where the benefits of growth outweighed my need for the ‘safety’ of the familiar. I felt like there was more within me but I couldn’t access it. I was frustrated. And stressed out. The tools I had weren’t enough to get me where I wanted to go. And then one more person told me meditation would allow me to get there, right after I finally found the type of meditation that resonates with me (see lesson #1 below). And I tried it. And I liked it. So I did it again. And again. Interestingly, leaving the comfort zone has felt great. So much for holding ourselves back to avoid hard, painful things. In retrospect, resisting meditation was a lot more painful.
I share this in case you – unlike myself – are gifted with the ability to learn from other people’s mistakes rather than needing to make them all yourself.
I hope you find the lessons I’ve learned and the tips I’ve gathered helpful on your own journeys. Why? Because meditation IS good for you (details and evidence via this link).
My two important lessons:
1) There is no ‘one-size fits all’ with meditation, just like there is no one 
magic nutritional supplement that is right for everyone. Once I realized this, I stopped trying to fit myself into someone else’s favorite kind of meditation. I found one that was right for me. As someone with a short attention span and a tendency to be “doing” all the time, Shamanic journeying fits, as it gives me a focused something to do while I am breathing and observing. I found I really liked how I felt afterwards. And I liked the gifts it brought me, each and every time. Even when I approached it metaphorically kicking and screaming. Simple – and eventually kind of addictive, in the good way.
2) Limiting my personal growth with pronouncements like, “meditation is for other people” is only as fun as laughing at myself is later on – when I prove myself completely wrong, again. I am now resolved to limit the limiting pronouncements.
Tips for incorporating regular meditation into your already full life:
1) Most importantly, be a seeker. Be open and find the sort of meditation 
practice that works for you. Is it Transcendental? Mindfulness-based stress reduction? Guided meditation? Visualization? Chanting? Shamanic journeying? One of the many specific yogic meditation practices, from Kundalini chanting and breathwork to Sahaja yoga’s mental silence? One of many Buddhist meditation practices? Walking? Sitting in nature? Prayer?
Once you’ve found something that works for you,
2) Schedule it into your planner. Block off the time or it will get swallowed by the 
many important tasks and even greater number of unimportant distractions that gobble up our days. Very first thing in the morning is the most popular time to set aside time for stillness. Interesting, isn’t it? Here is the tone for the day: Calm, still, centred, grounded. When you put it like that, why don’t we all do it?
3) If possible, create a corner in your home that is set up for meditation. Having the space ready, welcoming and comfortable removes some practical and psychological obstacles. It doesn’t have to be a separate room, though it is helpful to have a door that closes if you share your house with others.
4) Do it together. Meditating weekly with a group can help to deepen and reinforce your home practice. Or meditate with others in your household!
5) Modern times, modern technology. Use YouTube and other electronic resources. Seriously. Whether you are looking for guided visualization or shamanic drumming, you can find it online, for free. Use those 10 minute clips as your company or motivation if this is helpful.
6) Be flexible about the details. At the cottage for the weekend? Meditate on the 
dock. Meeting cancelled? Close your office door, close your eyes and breathe into your heart centre for 10 minutes.
For more about stress management and the impact of meditation on your brain, see for instance Alice Walton’s article, Eat, Smoke, Meditate: Why Your Brain Cares How You Cope.
Ready to take stress management to the next level? Want to use meditation as a tool for getting clear as you “feel your way forward” to total health? Join us for this Toronto workshop, Wednesday November 30th, 2011.
What works for you? What doesn’t? Share your meditation experiences on my facebook wall or via twitter. Change is possible, folks, and it feels good!
“Health is not just a matter of thinking happy thoughts. Sometimes the biggest impetus to healing can come from jump-starting the immune system with a burst of long-suppressed anger”
~Candace Pert, PhD, Psychoneuroimmunologist, as quoted in
“When the Body Says No” by Gabor Mate MD
(aka Cold Wet Socks that make you feel better)
I know what you are thinking. I mean, really, putting wet socks on when you are already feeling sick? But hear me out – this really works! AND, you don’t have to buy anything or ingest anything. Free, easy, at-home symptom relief from the congestion and coughing that often disrupts our sleep when we are clearing a cold. How great is that? Try it out, and tell me how it works for you.
Use:
At the first signs of a cold, especially with cough or congestion. Also useful for sore throat or any inflammation or infection of the throat, ear infections, headaches, migraines, and sinus infections.
Actions:
Reflexively increases circulation and decreases congestion in the upper respiratory passages, head, and throat. Sedating action: better sleep with the sock treatment! (And sleep allows us to heal, right?)
Directions:
- Take a pair of cotton socks and soak them completely with cold water. If you tend to be cold or have low vitality, try using cool water during the first treatment rather than cold water.
- Warm your feet if they are cold. The treatment may not be as effective if your feet are not warmed first. Warming can be accomplished by soaking your feet in warm water for at least 5-10 minutes or taking a warm bath for 5-10 minutes.
- Dry off your feet and body with a dry towel.
- Wring the cotton socks out thoroughly so they do not drip and place the socks on your feet.
- Put thick (dry) wool socks over the cotton socks.
- Get in bed. Cover well and sleep all night with socks on, it should be relaxing and not uncomfortably cold. If you are unable to sleep because of the cold socks consider removing the socks and soaking your feet again, this time using cool rather than cold water to wet the cotton socks. Your feet and the cotton socks should be warm and dry in the morning. If your feet are cool or the cotton sock is still damp, consider increasing the length of the hot foot soak.
- Note: for coughing or congestion, elevating your head by adding an extra pillow (on top of your usual) is also helpful and sleep-promoting.
Vitamin D3 supplementation (at 1200 IU per day) decreases incidence of Influenza A (common ‘flu) in children compared to placebo. (Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 May; 91(5) 1255-60)
By Mahalia Freed, ND
The December holiday season is upon us, and for many, that means a series of large, rich meals, combined with intense (and sometimes tense) family or social interactions. Beyond knowing your individual limits regarding eggnog and chocolate treats, what can you do to enhance digestion? How can you soothe frazzled nerves? What will help keep you from succumbing to a Christmas cold when you finally have time off? This month’s article highlights the wisdom of herbs as complex living medicines that cross body systems to provide us with just the support that we need. Did you know that there are herbs that soothe both the digestive tract and the nervous system? Did you know that there are herbs that decrease gut inflammation and are also antiviral?
Melissa officinalis (Lemon Balm)
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is one such herb. A common weed in the mint family, lemon balm is traditionally used to soothe indigestion, especially when related to emotional stress. The herb is helpful for relieving spasms of the gastrointestinal tract, gas pain, and flatulence. As well, it has a restorative, calming, and uplifting effect on the nervous system. Finally, laboratory studies confirm that the water extract (as in, tea) is antiviral, particularly against the cold sore virus and some types of ‘flu. For calming your stomach and nourishing your nerves, around the holidays or any time, try the following tea:
Nerve Nourishing Tummy Tea
Combine loose herbs
- 1 Part Licorice root
- 1 Part Chamomile flowers
- 2 Parts Lemon balm aerial parts
Place herb mixture in a French press or teapot with strainer and add boiling water. Let steep 5-15 minutes, and drink as desired. Herbalist Rosemary Gladstar recommends this combination for heartburn, to be consumed 30 minutes before and after meals.
Cautions: If you have an under-active thyroid, consult your naturopathic doctor or medical herbalist before regularly using lemon balm. If you have high blood pressure, consult your naturopathic doctor or medical herbalist before regularly using licorice root.
By Mahalia Freed, ND
Maybe you are like me, and you have been wondering for years, “why do I always get 
sick in the fall?”. Maybe you are remembering the recent H1N1 ‘flu panic, or perhaps endless runny noses in your little ones. Maybe you are looking for a way to keep your family from passing colds back and forth this fall and winter. Read on, and learn how to nourish your body so that you are no longer susceptible to developing symptoms when you meet this year’s viruses.
While fall is a season best suited to inner focus, recharging, and retreating, it is often the time when we start new projects, and spring into action on things we have been planning over the summer. This conflict between being and doing, along with the physical change in weather, means that we are vulnerable to colds and ‘flus.
Terrain vs Germ Theory
It isn’t your exposure to a virus that determines whether or not you get sick, but rather how your body responds to that exposure. In other words, it is not the germ that causes disease, it is the terrain the germ finds itself in that either allows the germ to flourish, or quickly eliminates it from the body. Consider public transit, for instance: there is always someone coughing or blowing their nose on a bus or subway. Yet, despite close proximity and lack of fresh air to clear the viral particles away, we do not get every cold we are exposed to. Why? Our own vitality – the health of our terrain – protects us.
It is entirely possible to stay healthy through cold and flu season. All we need to do is support our immune system to be as vital as possible, and cultivate our terrain optimally. Continue reading →
Never fear cold & ‘flu season again! 
Join Drs Angela Warburton, TCM and Mahalia Freed, ND to learn how to increase your immunity and maintain high energy to coast through cold and ‘flu season unscathed. Workplaces may be a prime environment for the spread of colds and ‘flus, but by utilizing simple strategies when you feel something coming on, you can beat the bugs. Apply dietary, lifestyle and supplement tips to decrease duration and severity of symptoms and prevent illnesses for you and your loved ones. Stay healthy all season long with natural medicine on your side.
Please Preregister via Whole Foods to Reserve your Spot: 416-944-0500
Download PDF
Probiotics for health
Literally translated, probiotic means “for life”. Commonly, the term refers to a vast array of beneficial bacteria and certain yeasts available as supplements. Indeed, having a vital and well- balanced population of microorganisms in our digestive tracts is essential. Resident bacteria in the colon synthesize nutrients including vitamin K, essential for blood clotting. Beneficial bacteria and yeast also aid in digestion and proper elimination, enhance immune function, optimize hormone metabolism, support detoxification, create food for the cells lining the digestive tract, and compete with potentially harmful species for space, thus protecting us from infections.
Continue reading →
for meditation. It is amazing how effective various kinds of meditation can be. An unsophisticated PubMed search on the term “meditation” yields 2, 215 studies. Depression? Meditation may be as effective as medication. Cancer? Meditation improves mood, sleep, immune system, quality of life. Stress? Meditate to lower blood pressure. Heart disease? Yup. Meditation helps. Indeed, mindfulness-based stress reduction for heart disease, chronic pain and many other conditions is taught at hospitals and in private practices across North America based on the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD.
