056: Meditation - The Science of Transformation & Practical Tips

In this Part 2 of 2 of the Meditation series, Self Love and Mindset Coach, Meditation & Breathwork Coach, Sunny Lamba takes you on an enlightening journey through the science of meditation. We explore its profound impact on our health and happiness.  We dissect how meditation has physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health benefits. 
And more so, we discuss the transformative power of meditation in re-writing our trauma stories and creating a NEW VERSION OF YOU. 

I also offer a treasure trove of strategies for those new to the meditation scene, ensuring a smooth transition into this life-enhancing practice. From maintaining focus to the significance of routine and sacred space, these insights aim to help you cultivate a practice that fits seamlessly into your life.

To cap it off, I extend an open invitation to OUR MONTHLY GUIDED MEDITATION & BREATHWORK event where we can nurture a sense of community and shared experience. Join me on March 24, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. For details, connect on Instagram. 

And for those who can't be there in person, here is a special gift for you - A Calming Guided Meditation for those turbulent days or moments. 

Join the Flawthentic Me community of powerful women who are always there to celebrate you.. Join Group here!

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Transcript

Sunny Lamba: 0:00

This is part 2 of my meditation series, and today we are going to talk about the benefits of meditation, science behind meditation and some tips for you. So let's dive in. This is Flawthentic Me, a self-love podcast for South Asian women, a place where we celebrate self-love even when we feel imperfect or flawed. A safe space where you can be raw, real and authentic. And here's your host, self-love and mindset coach, sunny Lamba. Hello, my beautiful souls, welcome back to another episode of Flawthentic Me. I have a busy household today because my son has his friends over, so if you hear some background noise, I'm sorry about that. This is your host, sunny Lamba. Before I start, I want to say thank you to everyone who takes the time to listen to this podcast. It means a lot to me and this podcast is nothing without all of you. So thank you so much, and if you find anything in here that is beneficial to you, please do share it with me. Send me a message on Instagram at Sunny underscore Lamba. This is part 2 of our meditation series. In part 1, we talked about the difference between meditation and mindfulness, and then I busted some misconceptions. So today we are going to talk about the science behind meditation, share some benefits which kind of go hand in hand with the science, and then I'll give you some tips. If you are a new meditator or if you've been thinking about meditation, then these tips are going to be really helpful. But before I start, I do want to remind you that if you are in the Toronto area, in the GTA area, I am having my second in person meditation and breath work women circle. This is on March 24th, which is Sunday, at 10.30 am. So join me. The first one was so amazing. There were seven wonderful women who joined. We had a beautiful time healing our heart. For the March series, I'm dedicating it to International Women's Day, so the theme for this one is embrace your power. Meditation would be based on stepping into your power, and then our breath work session would be about releasing and letting go of some stuck emotions so that you can actually start embracing your power. Now let's talk about the science behind meditation. If you did not listen to part 1, go back and listen to the last episode and then come back here, or listen to this one first and then go back there.

Sunny Lamba: 2:47

Meditation has tons and tons of benefits, and most of these benefits you already are aware of. It definitely has huge mental and physical health benefits, and here are some of them. Number one meditation reduces stress. It has known to decrease the levels of cortisol, which is the stress hormone in our body, thereby leading to a more relaxed state of mind. Now, when you reduce stress, of course it has multi-fold physical health benefits as well. So heart disease, high blood pressure and any stress-related disease, in fact, even fat gain. So weight gain too much fat storage in the body is also an impact of high levels of cortisol. So when you meditate, as I said, it's not just the physical and health benefits, but also it helps you reduce weight because it's lowering your cortisol.

Sunny Lamba: 3:40

Meditation also is really beneficial for your emotional health. It can improve your self-image. It can give you a more positive outlook towards life. It also improves your attention span. So if you're struggling with focus, if you're always distracted, you want to work on one task but you keep picking up your phone, or you keep thinking of multiple things to do, or your brain is going to point A, point B, point C, d, e, f, then meditation will help you improve your focus. Because when we meditate, that's what we're doing. We're literally sitting and practicing focus. We're focusing on our breath or focusing on our word or something, our mantra, so it helps you with attention span.

Sunny Lamba: 4:23

Meditation also improves sleep because it reduces your stress level. So of course, it relaxes your mind and helps you fall asleep better. It has benefits in managing anxiety and depression. Again, that is stress-related as well. Some studies have also found that meditation helps in pain management. It might have to do with focus or because we learn breathing techniques. So when you are experiencing pain or, let's say, childbirth, right, so when a meditator would probably be able to regulate that pain much, much better than they can focus on their breathing, more than a person who has never meditated. There's many, many, many more benefits, but one of the biggest benefits that I have found, other than, of course, my sleep is better, my focus is better, my stress levels are lower all those benefits but on top of that, one huge benefit that I have found is that it helps you reprogram your subconscious mind. It really helps you deal with those subconscious beliefs, those limiting or negative beliefs that you have about yourself or about your self-image. Through meditation you can reprogram that, and I'm going to talk about the science behind that in a moment Now.

Sunny Lamba: 5:45

I did say in the last episode, that people think that meditation always, always brings peace of mind. No, sometimes meditation can bring up trauma, but in the long run it will always bring peace of mind. So, yes, some trauma might come up and it will bring up anxiety, feelings and all. But if you don't give up and you continue practicing in a safe way, maybe guided by a meditation teacher like me who knows when you are experiencing trauma or trauma informed coach, maybe, in that way you are in a safe environment and you can then really dig deep into that trauma and in the long run, it will help you get that peace of mind and, of course, it will help you heal that trauma.

Sunny Lamba: 6:30

Okay, so I now want to talk about the science behind meditation. I have been meditating for seven and a half to eight years almost now, and my meditation really went to that deeper, next level after Vipassana, which was I attended the ten days Vipassana silent meditation Last September and then, after Vipassana, I ended up reading Dr Joe dispenser's book Breaking the habit of being yourself, and this book really digs deep into the science behind meditation and how meditation helps us in Transforming ourselves and creating this new version of you that you want to create. So that's what I'm going to talk about. That's where my information is from mostly, and I have Actually experienced this, so I am a living proof of how amazing Meditation is and the science behind it.

Sunny Lamba: 7:25

So, without going into too much of science, I will quickly talk about the different brain waves. So the first one is the beta waves, which is when we are awake, our eyes are open, we are thinking, we are analyzing, problem solving, decision-making, basically doing our day-to-day tasks and processing information. The next one is the alpha state, which is the bridge between conscious and subconscious. This is when we are calm, we are relaxed, but we're not drowsy yet. We are alert, but we are not actively making decisions or problem solving or processing information. This is one of the states during meditation or when you're just breathing, relaxed breathing. The next one is the theta waves, which is between the sleep and Wake awake state, right before we fall asleep or when we wake up in the morning and right before we are fully alert. That state, and it is the one where we can really tap into our subconscious. This is also the state when we are daydreaming or when we are being very creative and we are in that flow state we're working on something, but something not problem solving, but something like Painting or singing or dancing, and we are really in that flow state. So creativity, daydreaming or almost drowsy state. So the next one is delta, which is deep sleep, and this is the one which allows us to access the unconscious mind. Hence, when we dream, the dreams are coming from our unconscious. And the last ones are the gamma waves, which are Really the ones that monks have. You are in a very, very high Consciousness state, so you are awake and you could be in gamma because you are in that high Conscious state or you have achieved that higher level of consciousness. That is the gamma wave. Now, how does meditation help us in transforming this? Science has a lot to do with it and the brain waves Most of our beliefs, whether negative or positive, are actually stored in our subconscious.

Sunny Lamba: 9:33

They come from either trauma or Someone saying something to us, or the way our parents treated us, or just observation from society at large. So basically, they come from our lived experience. When we want to change ourselves and we make a resolution or a goal and we say, okay, that's it, from tomorrow I'm going to exercise. That is our conscious brain thinking and we think that, yes, our conscious brain is saying it and we can do it, but the problem is that we make decisions or resolutions from our conscious brain, but the action comes from subconscious. We will not take action until our subconscious brain starts believing that, yes, we can exercise, or yes, I am a person who can be healthy and I am using exercise just as an example. It can be about anything you want to start a podcast, you want to start posting on Instagram about your business, or you want to start a business, or you want to apply for a position, higher position but you believe that you're not good enough for any of these things. Then you're not going to take action. You might make those goals again and again and again, but until and unless you change those beliefs, you're not going to take action.

Sunny Lamba: 10:51

So, while I am a big, big, big supporter of getting a coach for yourself who can help you see these patterns and beliefs, and then journaling, because journaling really helps you dig deep and find out where these beliefs are coming from but once you know all that, how do you reprogram them? I, as a coach, can, of course, help you change those beliefs, using right questions to figure out why am I like that and why is it not true? And then to really go into the subconscious, meditation is an amazing thing that you have Right with you. You can do it anytime. When you're meditating and you are in that theta state or alpha state which, as a meditation teacher, I teach my clients through breathing, you can get yourself calm down enough for your brain waves to get to those levels. And then, in that state, you set an intention what are you working on today? Which belief are you wanting to change? And you change that.

Sunny Lamba: 11:53

You first become aware of what the negative belief is. How is it impacting your life Because of that belief? How do you think, how do you behave, how do you feel, how do you act? All those things. And then you create this new version of you. In that state, you start visualizing yourself as a person with the opposite positive, empowering belief and you start thinking about it. The more you think about it, now your body gets used to this new belief system, these new positive feelings, these new emotions, and then you start thinking about it. The more and more you practice, the easier it becomes for you in your day to day, awake life to do those things and have this new belief system. This is how amazing meditation is.

Sunny Lamba: 12:43

One of the belief systems I recently worked on was that I am always overwhelmed, which I am. I'm always overwhelmed. So I started working on that and in my meditation I went to the place where okay. So when I'm overwhelmed, what do I do? How do I act? What thoughts do I have? How do I feel? How does it feel in my body? What emotions come up? Once I became aware of all that, then I started creating this new belief system and this new version of me who's always focused and is not overwhelmed, who sees a task and is able to break it down into smaller tasks so that she doesn't get overwhelmed. And I created this new version of me and thanks to that, I am getting so much more done in my day to day life because I'm not overwhelmed and I'm not in that freeze response which is one of the usual responses to trauma.

Sunny Lamba: 13:37

So what happens is, the more you practice meditation and your awareness goes back and forth to one particular area of your mind. It creates a new neural network, a new connection, basically creates a new path. It's like going hiking, and when you go hiking, you see this one path, because so many people have walked on that same path that now the grass doesn't grow there anymore and there is this permanent pathway. Similarly, your brain now creates this new pathway. The more awareness travels up and down this path, the stronger it becomes. So eventually a groove starts to form and this consistency and frequency of awareness on this path then also helps you when you are not meditating in your day to day life. The deeper the groove, the easier it is for awareness to stay on track. So right now your groove is really deep on the negative belief. But you can reprogram it, you can change it, you can start getting rid of that and start practicing in this new pathway and slowly this new pathway will become a deeper groove. This is how amazing meditation can be.

Sunny Lamba: 14:48

So for my science freaks, I hope this helps you understand meditation, because I read the science behind it. It made so much more sense to me. I was practicing it very consistently in the past, but now it became even more consistent and a longer meditation sessions for me, and that led me to become a certified meditation teacher, because when I saw how amazing it is and how transformative it can be, I had to take it to the next level. I hope all that science also motivated you to really take that time to start meditating. If you are already a meditator, that's amazing. Maybe you want to take it to the next level, and if you have never meditated before, maybe give it a try. So to help you with trying for meditation, I want to give you some tips. When I first started meditating, I had no idea what I was doing and it was hard. My mind was all over the place. I wanted to give up, and I did many times. I gave up and then started again because I really wanted to do it. So let me give you some tips to help you on your meditation.

Sunny Lamba: 15:58

If you are new to meditation, my first tip is don't be hard on yourself. Our brain has about 60,000 thoughts per day and its job is to constantly keep thinking. So when you sit for meditation, don't think that I can never do this, because my brain doesn't stop thinking. It doesn't work that way. Let your thoughts come, it's okay. Just be compassionate towards yourself. Observe those thoughts as a third person. Try to just keep coming back to something to focus on.

Sunny Lamba: 16:31

Now, what can you use to focus on? Number one is your breath. So every time your thoughts go away, whenever you remember. Maybe you'll be gone down that rabbit hole of thinking for 3 minutes, 5 minutes, but whenever you're like, oh yeah, I have to meditate, bring it back to your breath. Don't judge yourself. There's no judgment. If you go down that rabbit hole of thinking for 10 minutes, it's okay. You bring it back to the breath. You might get 10 seconds of focus on breath and then you might again go back into thinking. Or you might get one second of focus on the breath. Doesn't matter, it is practice. The reason it's called a practice is because you do it over and over and you get better at it. No judgments. If your thoughts go away, bring them back to the focus point. Your focal point can be your breath. It can be a mantra Maybe you want to say So-hum, which is I am, or any mantra.

Sunny Lamba: 17:25

You can say I am peace, I am peace, I am peace, I am calm, anything. Or it can be a guided meditation. There's tons of guided meditations you can find on YouTube. I recorded one for you. It is an inner calm and peace meditation so that you can download from the show notes. So just put your headphones on. Play a guided meditation. That's a really good way for beginners because you have someone guiding you and you can focus on their words. What else can you focus on is you can start from the top of your head and slowly take your awareness, your focus, to different parts of your body. That is another really good way to bring yourself into that alpha state. So there's many things you can focus on. Here are some more tips for you.

Sunny Lamba: 18:13

You have to start leaning towards a more structured lifestyle. When you have a routine, it becomes easier to start meditating or any habit at a certain time. So a structured lifestyle is really good for creating any habit, not just meditation. Having a routine, a set time every day, would be helpful, because then you know this is in my calendar, this is my time to meditate. It can be five minutes If you're a beginner. Start with five minutes. Maybe three times in a day you sit for five minutes, close your eyes, focus on your breath. That's it, and then slowly you can increase that time to 10 minutes, 20 minutes and however long you want it to be.

Sunny Lamba: 18:54

Another thing is to have a goal. If you just sit without a goal, your thoughts are going to be all over the place. So set an intention for yourself. Your intention can be something as simple as I'm going to try to focus on my breathing and have that awareness of my thoughts. Your intention can be today's meditation. I'm not going to judge myself. Your intention can be today I'm going to focus on my inner child. It can be any intention. Again, if you're a beginner, just make a small intention, like for today's meditation. I am going to keep focusing on my breath over and over.

Sunny Lamba: 19:32

When I first started meditating, I would always fall asleep and I even asked one of my coaches I'm like what do I do? I just keep falling asleep. And she asked me where do you meditate? I said in my bed. She's like well, no wonder you're falling asleep, because your brain is conditioned to sleep in that place. It's your sleep place, so of course you're going to fall asleep.

Sunny Lamba: 19:52

So something I have learned, and especially after Vipassana, is to have a dedicated meditation spot in your house. It can be, it can even be your couch in the living room, it can be maybe your guest bedroom or an extra chair or somewhere, but don't have it on your bed where you sleep, because you will fall asleep, but any other space. I have my own dedicated space for meditation and what I find is that that space now has this energy and whenever I'm feeling anxious or my thoughts are all over the place, I'm overwhelmed, I go and sit there for 10 minutes and just because it has that calm, peaceful energy, it helps me. So to have a nice place, a dedicated place in your house is really helpful. Here's another thing I have started doing is when my son is having a moment where he's just not able to regulate his emotions he's just mad or frustrated I tell him I'm like why don't you go sit at my meditation spot? It would help you calm down. So, instead of giving your kids a timeout, why don't you use the words? Why let's both go and sit at the meditation? And it will help both of you to calm down, both the parents and the child. So that's something that has helped me with having a specific place in the house.

Sunny Lamba: 21:56

My women's circle my monthly women's circle where we meet in person, we do some breath work, meditation and journaling is an event specifically towards meditation. I really want all of us to be able to reap the benefits of this amazing practice which is in our hands. We don't have to go anywhere for this. You don't need to sign up for a gym membership. You can do this anytime, anywhere, and I can guide you through that. If you attend my event, I can guide you through.

Sunny Lamba: 22:28

Guided meditations are another level, because there is a specific intention around them, and that's why I have these monthly events, and there's also because there's a community of women, a group of women who are together. We share stories as well. At the end, my March event is on March 24th Sunday at 10.30 am in Burlington, ontario. If you are in the GTA region, do reach out to me. I would love, love, love to guide you through this beautiful practice of meditation. Also in the show notes you will find a free guided meditation for you. Please take advantage of that, and if you have any questions, any comments or any suggestions about this podcast, please send me a message on Instagram. At Sunny_ Lamba and on that note, this is Sunny signing off. Until next time, keep loving yourselves and stay flauthentic.