Introduction To Meditation
Thank you for joining me today on the discussion between meditation and tinnitus. Does meditation actually help with tinnitus? Today we will find out more on this interesting topic.
We all at some point in our lives have seen people sitting in lotus poses doing meditation. Their eyes are closed with relaxed breathing, some starting off with a hmmm sound and then they fall into a deep silence.
What is meditation? Is it a practice that is reserved only for some. Do I have to wear certain clothing or robes first to do a meditation? Is meditation difficult? Does it work, and if so what are the benefits of meditation? Lastly, can meditation help me with my tinnitus?
I will try my best to answer these questions here. In addition, I will give you some tools that you can use should you want to start doing meditation.
My goal at the end of you reading this article is to for you to see meditation through a different and unique perspective. Hopefully, it will seem less a foreign topic to yourselves as before. Who knows, it may even get some of you to start doing this practice right away!!!!
Ready, great lets dive right in!!!
What is Meditation?
Meditation is simply the process that involves stilling your mind and allowing for greater self-awareness.
Many people meditate by sitting or resting quietly, often with their eyes closed or also in an active way. An example here, is Yoga for instance. Sometimes you will even find people meditating using chanting beads. In addition, people may repeat phrases or mantras, to help them keep focus whilst meditating.
Buddhist Monks use meditation in their daily activities and are able to train their mind to be present within the “now” moment. In this way, less attention is given to either the past or the future, regarding worries, concerns or fears. This explains why they appear so calm and composed. This is the ultimate goal for us to reach when we’re in a meditative session.
Before I get into talking about the benefits of meditation, I would like to clear up certain misconceptions surrounding meditation.
- Meditation requires of you to follow a certain religion: Though it has origins within Buddhist or Hindu Philosphy, it does not require of you to follow any religion of any kind.
- Meditation is difficult : it is not reseserved for only Holy men or saints. It is easy and anyone can learn how to do it. It is the practice of just focusing on your breathing and being more aware of your senses at that point in time.
- Meditation is time consuming: Taking into account, our hectic lifestyle, a lot of people are put off by the notion that mediation requires of you to give away a lot of your time. Just setting aside 20minutes or less a day is sufficient enough. In fact, below I have included a meditation that is just 9minutes long!!
- Meditation takes years to receive its full benefits: As soon as your first session, you will find immediate benefit from meditation. The best part is that these benefits last longer and beyond the meditation time.
- Meditation is about clearing of all your thoughts :There are around 60 000 thoughts going through our mind daily! To try to clear these thoughts alone will create stress and anxiety. Meditation helps you to control the amount of attention that you give to these thoughts. Even if after a meditation you felt that only thoughts were running throughout the session, let it be known that you will still receive the full benefits that meditation offers.
The Amazing Benefits of Meditation
“In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.” By Dr Deepak Chopra,
The quote above from Dr Deepak Chopra summarises the main purpose derived from meditation. The peace and tranquillity achieved amidst all the storm and stresses that we are faced with on a daily basis.
Dr Chopra has written over 6o books to date ,including countless bestsellers such as Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Unconditional Life, Perfect Health, Quantum Healing and Return of the Rishi. He is the founder of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing In California, and has worked with, and featured on the Oprah Winfrey show as a guest speaker.
His groundbreaking lectures and books blend philosophy and physics, the practical and the spiritual Eastern wisdom along with cutting-edge Western science yielding amazing results.
One of his philosophies is that he believes that meditation has the ability to heal the body as well as to reverse the biological effects of aging.
Meditation is also said to have helped with depression, anxiety and blood pressure.
For those of you who are sceptical,apart from Dr Deepak Chopra voting for meditation, there is scientific research that has been done to back-up the various benefits that meditation offers. They are as follows :
Increase Pain Threshold : According to the source Time magazine, research was carried out at the University of Montreal, amongst 26 subjects. 13 of which were the control, in other words did not do any meditation and 13 who did Zen meditation. All subjects were exposed to the same pain source. The fMRI( functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging ) result showed that though the test group received the same pain signals as the control, they reported to feeling LESS pain sensations.
Improved Cognitive Function: A study was conducted at the Emory Univesity to investigate the relationship between cognitive function and the brain networking system. It was reported according to the study that the individuals who had done more meditation, showed greater nerve networking within the attention regions of the brain. So meditation helps to improve cognitive functions such as, maintining attention and preventing distraction of the mind.
Remember, I talked about the Monks, being razor-sharp in their focus…
Mindfulness Meditation helps with Depression : This meditation therapy is focused on harnessing the “attentiveness,” within individuals.This simply means training people in being in the “here” and ” now”
By practicing mindfulness, the person’s attention is deliberately brought to the present moment and accepts whatever any of the senses ( sight, feel, touch or hear,) is experiencing at that time.Mindfulness is very similar to traditional meditation in that it involves relaxation, deep breathing and focusing on the rise and fall of the chest and stomach during this breathing.
This makes you feel more alive and energetic as opposed to always being in “automatic” mode. Just briefly, a study was carried out among 400 students in a school environment between the ages of 13 and 20. As usual this study, had a control and test group.The test group received the mindfulness meditation training, whilst the control group received no training at all. Here are the results of that study
- Before Mindfulness Training both the test group(21%) and the control group(24%) showed smiliar percentages of incidences of depression.
- After Mindfulness Training, the incidents of depression were lower, test group(17%) and control group(27%).
- 6 months later the results were stabilized, showing test group (16%) and control group(31%)
Mindfulness Meditation Helps with Panic Disorder: A study that was published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, showed positive results of a group of individuals that were diagnosed with generalized anxiety. After them undergoing the mindfulness training, the symptoms of panic and anxiety disorders were found to have been reduced.
Mediatation also helps with
- Improving information processing and decision making,
- Improves mental agility
- Helps in the management of Attention Deficit Hyperacitivity Disorder.(ADHD)
- Enhances Creativity.
Does meditation help with Tinnitus?
So you probably wondering, okay Roopesh this is nice and wonderful to know,but, what about meditation and tinnitus?Can meditation help with our ringing in the ears or not?
As mentioned previously, tinnitus is the perception of noises by the brain ranging from ringing, whistling, roaring or humming sounds. The noise varies in intensity from person to person and is often more pronounced when a person is in a quiet environment. Hence, the need for maskers such as noises of the fan, fridges or nature sounds prove useful in tinnitus.
The symptoms causes the sufferer to undergo certain levels of stress and anxiety. In fact, sometimes tinnitus sufferers may find it so bad that it interferes with living a normal life, see my article , Is tinnitus Dangerous?
The mindfulness technique of meditation is been employed for use in tinnitus sufferers. Instead of using “maskers,” or avoiding to listen to the ringing, mindfulness meditation trains the person to deliberately listen to the tinnitus noises.
The person confronts the worries, anxiety and thoughts that the tinnitus brings forth. Yes, initially it does cause the person to feel more anxious but mindfulness teaches them how to deal with tinnitus in a different way.
It encourages people to face these sounds with an attitude of acceptance, friendliness and calmness making them seem less foreign and threatening.
I remember in one of my TRT(Tinnitus Retraining Therapy) sessions, my audiologist told me, “to listen to the noises and see it in a different light. Instead of seeing it as a negative sound, train your brain to accept it, as a positive sound.” The brain will then deal differently over time and not isolate it or make it that “big of a deal.”
She was actually touching on mindfulness. To ‘catch’ the thoughts before they go spiralling out of control and allowing me to have greater sense of control over my experience with tinnitus.
Is Mindfulness Meditation for every Tinnitus sufferer?
Minfulness mediation may not be for everyone. It is a technique that takes time, practice and commitment. It is certainly not a cure for tinnitus, but gives people practical ways of dealing with the distress associated with tinnitus.
This technique will help to combat the fears that people have, that tinnitus will ruin their lives.Studies have shown that this technique causes changes within the brain.It increases the part of activity of the brain associated with positive emotion.
According to a study conducted by the British Tinnitus Association, people have shown some positive experience from doing Mindfulness.
“The mindfulness course I attended for tinnitus gave me many practical and effective ways of alleviating my distress. It has improved my well-being and my everyday life. It has proved to be a positive and lasting gift – and I know many of the people on the course feel the same.”
Give Mindfulness Meditation a GO!!!
I think that now I have talked quite a bit. It’s time to give you guys a break.
Would you like to give mindfulness mediation a try. Look I know that you got stuff to do and the truth is there will always be stuff to do.
Our lives are fast paced and crazy that sometimes we need to give ourselves that ‘time-out,’ We need to thank our minds and bodies for working so hard and what better way than to rest it with a meditation.
You have seen the marvellous benefits that meditation has to offer. What have you got to lose? Its Free!! Actually not really. The price you will pay here, will be 9minutes of your time. That’s all.
Just some tips before I leave you for a while.
In order to reap the full benefits of mediation, like anything else in life, you’ve got to
- Be committed: Try to schedule a routine, and make time for yourself. You are very important and need to honour yourself. You deserve time for yourself.
- Be Forgiving: Don’t be militant in your approach. If you miss a couple of days, forgive yourself and MOVE ON.
- Be Passionate: Do it because it fills you up with some excitement and joy. Don’t do it for the sake of doing it.
- Be Open to your Thoughts : Initially it’s hard to focus on the present moment. Let thoughts come and go as they please. Focus on your breathing and let the journey unfold. Over time you will get used to it.
- Have Fun : Its a process, enjoy it and pat your self on the back once you are done.
Conclusion
I would like to end by offering you other forms of meditative practices that I personally find beneficial for my tinnitus.
I love to escape and walk into nature, and take hikes and get my dose of the best that Mother Nature has to offer.. Check out my article, Nature’s Touch,and how it helps the ringing in my ears
I find coloring in, relaxing and meditative. It takes me away from the stresses of the world and I find myself immersed into a world of creativity and calmness. The best part, the time flies and you don’t even feel it. Read more, in Is coloring good for Tinnitus?
Yoga without doubt is something that I can’t live without. After time you find yourself doing amazing postures that you never thought you could ever do and it becomes easier to focus on your breathing. It is uplifting for mind, body and soul and it leaves you feeling like a million bucks.
⇒For more information, visit ” Yoga and Tinnitus, a good match-up or not?⇐
Sheww!!! You have survived this post. Hope you found some value in reading here today.
I can’t thank you enough for spending your precious time here. You are amazing !!!!
Thanks and let me know your thoughts on meditation and tinnitus.
Kind Regards and Take Care
Roopesh
Hi Roopesh,
I’ve read your article with great interest – thank you. I don’t have tinnitus but as I get older, my hearing is getting difficult. Because it’s getting difficult I tend to lose concentration. Most notably myself, when I talk to someone face to face, if I can hear people talking behind me, I just totally lose concentration. So probably meditation will help???
Also it was interesting to know that the meditation will increase your pain threshold. It was VERY interesting in fact. I’m so intolerant to tiny little physical pains in daily life, such as touching hot dinner plates. I thought meditation may help too.
The problem I have when I try to meditate is that, again I lose concentration while meditating. Almost as if I just pretend to be meditating and my mind is elsewhere. I guess I need some discipline & practice?
Thanks again for the great article.
Ray
Hi Ray
Meditation is definitely worthwhile and can help in overall well-being and mantaining of good health.
I don’t think you should be so hard on yourself especiall when you find your mind getting drifted away.Its normal and it’s fine.
Overtime, you will get used to doing mindfulness meditation.The important point to take home here, is to not give up and start somewhere.
Remember, whether you do 10minutes or 20minutes, you giving your body, rest and relaxation and upliftment that will do you a world of good.
So, just relax, have fun and trust the process.
Let me know how it goes.
Kind Regards
Roopesh
Hi Roopesh, thanks for your advice, I’ll try to relax and enjoy / have fun with meditation as you suggested, and I’ll let you know.
Thanks again,
Hi Ray
It’s a pleasure.
And please let me know if there is anything that you need help with.
Just contact me and I will do my best to help wherever I can.
Kind Regards
Roopesh
Roopesh,
Very informative article. I learnt from your article regarding about meditation. Many yrs ago, I was in IIM in Calcutta where we have to practise meditation on a daily basis. Definitely, it helps to silence your mind and keep you focus.Hopefully, there are people (who suffer from tinnitus) who can testify about the results they receive from practising meditation. Good sharing. Thanks.
Hi Stanley
Glad to hear that you have benefitted from this article.
Also it’s great to hear that after having tried out the meditation, whilst you were in India, that you found benefit from it.
It’s is certainl a practice, that requires very little effort, but offers so much of benefit.
Yes, I too trust and hope that other tinnitus sufferers, like myself would also see the benefits that meditation gas to offer.
See you around.
Everything of the best.
Kind Regards
Roopesh
Wow, I really have never appreciated what meditation is all about, what its benefits are and just what you have to do to get to a sate of full meditation to make the most of it. I have friends who swear by it but I’ve not personally tried it. I am intreagued I must say. As for tinnitus, I have a relative who suffers from it and it really is not not to see let alone having to deal with it if it was me.
A great blog I must say, well done.
Hi There
I am glad that you liked this post.
As I mentioned, meditation is not that hard to do. So, if you got time give it a go, you may even be pleasantly surprised.
Please let your relative have a visit to this site.
There is lots of information here that he might find helpful when it comes to dealing with his tinnitus. Alternatively, if he wants to just chat or share something, he is more than welcome to contact me.
Take Care
Roopesh
Hi,
I really enjoyed reading the post. I can only imagine what people suffering from tinnitus must go through and just how “annoying” and “life-distracting” it can be. And I definitely am a huge fan of meditation for any aspect of life! 🙂
I do have a couple recommendations though. The title of your post is “Does Meditation and Tinnitus go hand in hand?” I don’t think you need the whole passage about “What is meditation?” Or maybe briefly describe it. Then dive right into the main content about meditation and Tinnitus. That’s what I was expecting to learn sooner than I did. That was the more interesting part, because most people have a “general idea” of what meditation is.
Also, I love how you provided your preferred meditation techniques and video, etc…
And I would lose the tag at the end about “surviving this post!” That makes me think that you yourself had to “survive” it as well. Doesn’t sound confident.
-Otherwise, keep up the good work!
Hi Baldo
Thank you very much for your comment.
Yes, having tinnitus can be challenging.
Besides the techniques such as meditation for instance, I find that having support is essential when you are dealing with tinnitus. Having people just to talk to and share with them your frustrations, or anger or sadness helped a lot.
Thanks for visiting.
All the best to you.
Roopesh
This article is great in that it is very thorough. Your breakdown and explanation of meditation is great.
I have been meditating for many years and I have seen many benefits to it and continue to realize more benefits constantly.
I love how you explain that meditation isn’t necessarily completely silencing all thoughts. For most people that’s impossible.
A lot of people get frustrated because they can’t seem to silence their skipping thoughts which creates even more anxiety. This is the number one reason why people give up on meditation.
It’s important for people to know that it’s ok to have thoughts while you meditate and this article explains that perfectly.
Nice job.
Hi Victor
Thank you for the compliments, it really means a lot to me.
I am glad to see that you have being practicing meditation for awhile now and are experiencing the valuable benefits that it has to offer.
I totally agree with you on the misconception that some people have regarding meditation. Thinking that is it difficult, as it involves clearing of the mind and ‘silencing all thoughts,’ This is another reason as to why I have written this article, to get people to realize that meditation is indeed easy and effortless to do.
Thanks for visiting, hope to you again.
Everything of the best.
Regards
Roopesh
You got me interested in the subject and after doing further research I was amazed to learn that over 50 million people suffer from tinnitus. Does the ringing must get louder with time?
I agree with you that we live in a work where we usually don’t stop to try to keep up with our hectic lives.It is important that we give ourselves a ‘time-out” to thank our minds and bodies for working so hard and what better way than to do it with your recommendation: MEDITATION. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Juan
Glad to have got you more interested on the topic of tinnitus.
One of the aggravating factors of tinnitus is stress. At least, this is my experience. I find that under pressure and stressful conditions, the ringing or humming noises tend to get louder.
Yes, meditation is really awesome and does a world of wonder to our mind, body and soul. I wish that more people would try this out, not just those who are tinnitus sufferers only.
Thanks for visiting.
Please come again.
Regards
Roopesh
Hey Roopesh,
I’m quite curious about the pain threshold part. Will we feel more pain or will we reduce it? This is a very controversial subject and I’m quite interested in learning the right answer.
Some people say that pain is good while others say that its important because it makes you feel alive. What is your opinion on this if you don’t mind me asking? I for one hate the feeling of pain because there’s something inside me that I want to kill.
Hi Riaz
The meditation helps to ‘reduce’ pain sensations. If I can be more specific, your tendency to feel the pain, will be less as opposed to someone who has not done any meditation at all.Does this make sense?
The second part is a little hard for me to answer.I personally do not like feeling pain. However, if I do not feel a certain degree of pain, I will at least know what it feels like to be exposed to the ‘thing’ that caused the pain.Furthermore, I would not have learnt the lesson of staying away from the ‘thing,’ had I not experienced pain sensations. So yes, exposure to pain is essential in this sense.
Please let me know if you are satisfied with my answers.If not, I do my best to rephrase
Regards
Roopesh
Meditation is the best, something I get great benefits out of yet need to do more of. Why is it that the things that we enjoy and make us feel good i.e. exercise, meditation get put off until last, or not at all? Well that’s my struggle anyway. Thank you so much for the informative article, Roopesh, I really enjoyed it and you’ve inspired me to get back in touch with the moment. Have a safe and happy New Year! All the best!
Hey Stacey
You are most welcome.
I could not agree with you anymore.Meditation is awesome. I like to call it food for the ‘mind,body and soul.’
Good question, it baffles me too that we put off doing things that we love to do, only till at theend.
I guess for 2016, we going to change that mindset.We will give the important things first priority before anything else.
Wishing you a safe and Happy New Year too.
Best Wishes
Roopesh
Thank you, Roopesh, for clearing up some of the common misconceptions about meditation because I certainly thought some of them. It was interesting to me that it can help ADHD as several students I have had have been diagnosed with such and I may have to try some form whenever anxiety hits. I had never heard of tinnitus, but now that I have read this, I wonder if I’ve ever had it mildly. Might have to check into that. Thanks again.
Hi Nathan
I am glad to have helped in making this subject more clearer for you.
It would certainly be an option to allow the students to give meditation a go.I would be interested to learn on the outcome.
Regarding tinnitus, almost everyone gets it at some stage.The difference lies within the intensity of the tinnitus which people suffer from.
It may not affect some people at all, whilst others find that it turns their whole life upside down.
Thank you for stopping by.
Regards
Roopesh
This is one of the most interesting articles I’ve read! I love how you connect the dots between tinnitus and meditation. I have been a follower of Buddhism for many years and when I started meditation, my life improved dramatically! I did not have tinnitus but I did have anxiety and acne. Once I learned to let go and accept myself, these things actually went away! It was amazing. I have no doubt that meditation could help with tinnitus!
Hi Phillip
Thank you for the compliment.
I tried to show fellow tinnitus sufferers out there, that meditation can certainly help to reduce the intensity of tinnitus.I use it and I find it works.
Good to know that you followed Buddhism and thatmeditation offered you great benefits especially with your acne and anxiety.
I think as you said, it’s about been open minded and letting go and trusting the process.
Thanks for stopping by.
Roopesh
What a great point of view. Never new it would go hand in hand. And im really into this topic since im a physiotherapist. This way I keep on learning new things. Thanks for this. Im definitely into the whole mindfulness so this benefits me greatly. Also for my patients. Cheers and keep it up
Hi Maurice
Glad that this article offered you some insight.
It is truly amazing what meditation can do for one. I literally can feel and see the difference after doing it on a regular basis and it is certainly something that I recommend that everybody should do.
The best part is that it cost very little, just some of your time.
Thanks for swinging by.
Regards
Roopesh
Hi Roopesh and thanks for giving such a comprehensive and informative post on meditation and tinnitus. I have suffered from tinnitus for quite a few years now and find it can be very intrusive especially when trying to sleep. Luckily, I now sleep well because of magnesium supplementation. Even so, sometimes it takes me a long time to dose off and I often listen to a recording of rain and thunder which I find very relaxing. There’s nothing like nature to help you relax.
My greatest friend is a buddhist and he is the calmest and most even tempered and gentle person I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. He has given me tips on meditating and I have tried but don’t seem to have the knack. I do clear my mind but something unwanted always seems to creep in there.
Reading this post has now inspired me to try again and not stress about all the thoughts that are crowding my mind.
I have come to terms with my tinnitus, knowing that it will probably be with me for life, it is part of me. I only wish it did not interfer with my hearing though. One of my tinnitus sounds is bell-like which drowns out the local church bells on a Sunday. I find that quite funny! Great post. Ches
Hi Ches
Thank you very much for sharing.
It is interesting to hear that magnesium supplementation has helped you to dose off at night.I am going to give this a go.
I also listen to nature sound CDs, but agree with you that nothing beats the sounds of real nature.This is why I love to escape on hikes and trails.So, fresh and calming.I wish, I could do it everyday.
Meditating is amazing to say the least. Your friend is definitely on the right track.Give this another go, you will not be sorry.
I know those tinnitussounds only too well.
As you said, make peace with it and move on.
Lovely to chat with you.
All the best.
Roopesh
Wow, this is really awesome information. I never would’ve thought that there was a correlation between meditation and tinnitus. My mother suffers from this condition and I will surely relay the information to her. She will be very appreciative.
Thank you so much for the insight. Please keep the great information coming. You rock!!
Hi There
Thanks for the compliment.
Sorry to hear about your mum. Please let her stop by here. She may find something that can help her.
Glad to have being of service.
Take Care
Roopesh
Hi Roopesh,
I like how you cleared up the misconceptions first before diving into your article. I think these are misconceptions that a great many people still have about meditation.
I practice meditation in a Buddhist context and I could see how meditating with tinnitus can be difficult at first. I think the increased silence could make it seem worse at first, so this would be something that would be good to discuss with a doctor.
Hi Ian
Thanks for your comment.
Absolutely, I agree with you completely. It would be best to chat with your doctor before giving this a go.
I personally find that meditation gives me similar results like escaping out into nature. A sense of calm and relaxation. Yes, the tinnitus is still there, however I find a peace, something that as crazy as it sounds allows me to accept the ringing and go on with my life.
I hope that this makes some sense.
Thanks and Take Care
Roopesh
Great post and very interesting. I suffer from tinnitus and I definitely think meditation makes a huge difference. Also, I find my tinnitus is worse when I have drunk alcohol or had too much coffee or generally have not eaten very well. But I do find that stress plays one of the biggest roles and therefore meditation is one of my go to tools. Sometimes the ringing bothers me, other times it doesn’t, but one this for sure is sometimes it is worse than other times. I also practice yoga and qigong, and generally try to get out side most days and go for a brisk walk. It all helps!
Hi Liz
Thank you for your comment. Glad that you found it interesting. I can tell you that those things that you have mentioned, affects my tinnitus more or less in a similar fashion.
The only part is the caffeine part, which I find has no affect on the intensity of my tinnitus. Stress, without a doubt is certainly an aggravator.
Looks like the relaxation therapies are working for you. Keep it up. If there is anything that I can help with, please let me know.
Regards
Roopesh