P erhaps y o u r personality. T ake
th e follow ing quiz to id en tify y o u r
p erso n a lity ty p e an d m e d ita tio n
so lu tio n s th a t w o rk w ell w ith it.
W h en I s it d ow n and close m y
ey es to m ed itate:
(a ) I beco m e drow sy an d fall asleep.
(b ) M y m in d races fro m m y to -d o list to
ch ild h o o d w oes.
(c)
M y b o d y tw itc h es o r m y back, jaw ,
a n d calves clench.
(d ) I b e ra te m y self fo r w astin g tim e.
(e)
I w o n d e r w hy I d o n ’t do th is m u ch
m o re often.
“M editation is
like learning to
W
play golf. You
practise until you
■
get better.”
I
, . , 1
—Elizabeth R Lombardo, PhD, a
US-based psychologist and physical
therapist.
I d on ’t th in k I can m ed itate
b ecau se:
(a ) I’d ra th e r nap.
(b ) I’ve trie d it an d failed.
(c)
M y bo d y w o n ’t calm dow n.
(d)
I’m to o sen sib le to c h a n t m a n tras.
(e)
W hile I’ve su c ce ed ed a t it,
I
ju s t
d o n ’t have th e tim e.
M y favo u rite fo rm o f ex ercise is:
(a ) R unning a n d w alking, w hich keep m e
u p rig h t an d active.
(b ) S w im m ing. I like to co m p ete w ith
th e p e rso n in th e n e x t lane.
(c)
Yoga in a h e a te d ro om . It keep s m e
m oving w hile w arm in g an d relaxing m y
m uscles sim ultaneously.
(d)
W h a te v er th e fitn e ss ex p e rts an d m y
d o c to r reco m m en d .
(e)
P ilates, ta i chi, an d yoga.
I
slow d o w n , tu rn inw ard, an d leave
invigorated.
I can ’t g et com fortab le in th e
lotu s p o sition (legs fo ld ed in
fro n t o f m e, h an d s re stin g on m y
k n ees) b ecau se:
(a ) M y m in d d rifts an d m y h e a d bobs.
(b ) M y neck, hips, an d lo w er back ache
fro m s ittin g to o m u ch a t th e co m p u ter.
(c)
M y h an d s tw itc h an d I have to re sist
p o p p in g m y knuckles.
(d)
L o tu s p osition? W h a t’s th a t?
(e)
I h av en ’t b e e n p rac tisin g m y
flexibility ex ercises enough.
E v e ry tim e I d arken th e lights
and close m y e y e s, I ask m yself:
(a ) W h ere did all th e tim e go?
(b ) Is so m eo n e try in g to b rea k in? D id I
h e a r a m o u se in th e attic?
(c)
Finally, so m e tim e to th in k . W h a t do
I n e e d a t th e g ro cery store?
(d)
T his is a w aste o f tim e an d a load o f
h o o ey th a t w o n ’t d o m uch good.
(e)
H ow m u ch tim e d o
I
have to
m ed itate?
IN TERPRETING YOUR SCORE
W h ich le tte r d id you m o st o fte n select
to an sw er th e questio n s? T h a t le tte r
re p re se n ts y o u r p erso n a lity ty p e o r
o b stacles to m ed itatio n .
If th e m ajo rity o f y o u r rep lies
w e re A:
Y ou’re seriously sleep-
deprived. W h e n yo u finally slow dow n
fo r m e d ita tio n , y o u ’re m o re likely to fall
asleep th a n m ed itate.
SOLUTIONS:
M ed itate early in th e day,
w hile se ate d in a chair. N ev er do it after
having an alcoholic d rin k o r a heavy
m eal. If yo u d o n o d off, d o n ’t chastise
yourself. “If y o u fall asleep w hile
m e d ita tin g , a t le a st y o u ’re relaxed,”
m e d ita tio n a u th o r S usan G ayle says.
O r try w alking m e d ita tio n . T he
m o v e m en t w ill k eep y o u alert. B reathe
deeply an d in cad en ce w ith y o u r steps.
F ocus o n n a tu re aro u n d you: tre e s
sw aying in th e b reeze, shadow s o n th e
pav em en t, o r th e feeling o f th e w arm
su n o n y o u r face.
If m ost o f y o u r a n sw ers w e re B:
Y ou live, b re a th e , w alk, a n d g e t angry
quickly. Y ou also are m o st likely a
p erfec tio n ist. Q u ietin g y o u r m in d an d
slow ing dow n are challenges fo r you.
SOLUTIONS:
P ractise, p ractise, p ractise
u n til yo u g et b e tte r.
T o clear y o u r m in d , o b serv e y o u r
th o u g h ts as a th ird p erso n , like a m ovie
y o u ’ve cre ate d , says A m it Sood, M D,
R esearch D irecto r fo r In teg rativ e
M edicine a t th e M ayo C linic in
M in n eso ta, US. “By d istan cin g yourself,
y o u b eco m e an objective o b server, an d
w ith tim e, y o u r m in d calm s.”
A lso, n o tic e y o u r e m o tio n s w ith o u t
feeling th e m . L et th e m go an d refocus
on y o u r b re a th . R epeating a m a n tra —
such as ‘o m ’ w ith each b re a th m ay help
you e m p ty y o u r m ind.
If m ost o f y o u r resp o n ses w e re C:
Y ou’re a fidgeter. I t’s h a rd fo r y o u r body
to b eco m e still, w h ich d istra c ts y o u fro m
y o u r m e d ita tio n .
