Meditation

1. Meditation • Meditation has been used throughout the world for many years. Whether it is used to get in touch with one’s self, clearing the mind, or getting into a certain state of mind, meditation is considered a helpful practice all around the world.

2. Aside with clearing the mind, it is also useful in reducing stress, anxiety, depression, headaches, pain, and high blood pressure. Meditation has been known to increase self control, memory, and self esteem. • In this module you will learn to use meditation exercises to bring awareness to your mind and body. This will help you lower stress, relax, and get a handle tinnitus.

3. Imagery • We all like beautiful scenery in one form or another. We all have a preference whether is a beach, the park, the night sky, or a cozy house. In this exercise we will use the imagery you choose to relax.

4. Do these exercises twice a day. Doing these exercises in the morning will help you become more alert and ready for the day. Doing them in the evening after work, will help you relax more.

5. Week 1, Day 1

6. Imagery Exercise • Take a few moments to prepare: • Change into comfortable clothes. • Turn on some soothing sounds, try to avoid silence. • Set up where you won’t be disturbed. A calm place • Sit in a chair. Your feet can be flat on the floor or propped up • To be comfortable, place hands on your lap or on the arms of the chair • Get comfortable • Close your eyes • Take some deep breaths • Choose a calming and peaceful place to imagine, this can be any place. • Example: Forest, a lake. Are you calm there? • Now that you have chosen a place, imagine the details. • What do you see in your imagined place? Smell? Hear? Feel? Or Taste? • Example: if in the kitchen, do you see the oven? Smell fresh coffee? Hear food sizzling? • Example: if you are in the forest do you see the trees? Feel the warmth of the sun? Hear the birds chirping? • If your tinnitus is loud, while you visualize your place, then try to incorporate the noise from you tinnitus as part of the place. • Example: imagine you tinnitus is a food sizzling, or the birds chirping. • Become one with this place. Imagine yourself here for 1 minute. • Let yourself become lost in that perfect, relaxing place. • Notice how great your body feels, how calm and at peace you are. You can return to this place anytime to relax. • For now you will leave this place, count back from 3 • 3: You will become aware of your surroundings. Think of what day it is and where you are • 2: Move your arms, legs and body. Turn your head from side to side • 1: Let your eyes open and rise slowly

7. Week 1, Day 3

8. Deep Breathing • Deep breathing is another way to relax. If you are focused on your breathing, you won’t be as focused on the tinnitus. This will help reduce tension and stress.

9. Deep Breathing Exercise • Take a few moments to prepare: • Change into comfortable clothes. • Sit in a chair. Your feet can be flat on the floor or propped up • To be comfortable, place hands on your lap or on the arms of the chair • Get comfortable • There is a special way to practice deep breathing • First, place one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest • Take a regular breath in and take notice which hand moves most. • The moving hand on your chest indicates that shallow breaths from your chest. • Now notice the breathing from your abdomen. Which hand moves the most? • The hand on your abdomen moves the most when you are taking deep breaths • Take more breaths like this. Become used to deep breathing • Can you hear the air move from your nose, to your chest, to your abdomen? • Close your eyes if comfortable. You may prefer to keep you eyes open, if you do, focus on an object. Preferably in front of you. • Breath in from your nose, inhale for 3 seconds. • Exhale slowly for 3 seconds. Notice your stomach contract. • Now, when you inhale, inhale for 3 seconds • Hold the breath 2 seconds • Then exhale from your mouth for 3 seconds • This is not a race. Take your time. • Practice this deep breathing for few of minutes

10. Week 1, Day 5OrWeek 2

11. This section will use meditation and self awareness. To help you relax and overcome tinnitus.

12. Mindfulness • Goal of Mindfulness: • Learn the skills of keeping sensation, emotions, and thoughts in moment-to-moment awareness without judgment. • Mindfulness based therapy has helped those living in chronic pain, tinnitus, arthritis, and anxiety. It can work for you too. • It is all about staying in the moment. This is different from other types of therapy because the goal is not to change thinking. The goal is acceptance, to be at peace.

13. Acceptance • Acceptance means doesn’t mean you have to like it. Acceptance means noticing and acknowledging what you experience. In this case, tinnitus. • You have a choice in how you react to the ringing. You will learn to separate the sensations of the sound from all the emotions about it. • Remember, the more you try to fight a problem, the more you are focused on it. Don’t avoid it. Accept the ringing. When you come to terms with it, you will stop focusing on it. I know this sounds strange, so here is an example you are familiar with.

14. Example • You and your friends are at a restaurant. While you are talking there are other noises around you: other people talking, people entering the restaurant, the clinking of forks and plates, music, kids laughing. When you and your friends are talking, you don’t notice these things. That is because these things aren’t important. You have already conditioned yourself to ignore them. • You have done this because you have acknowledged those noises, and determined they aren’t important. You can deal with tinnitus the same way. Acknowledge it and let it be.

15. Exercise: Mindful Breathing/Meditation • Now for the first exercise of Mindfulness Based Therapy.

16. Exercise: Mindful Breathing/Meditation • Sit in an upright, comfortable position. It can be in a chair or on the floor. Place your hands resting in your lap or at you sides. Keep your back straight. If eyes are open, use a soft gaze. • Take some time to really feel your breathing and other sensations in your body. Be aware of physical sensations like the feel of your body on the chair/floor, or the light gently hitting your face. Take this moment to experience your body.

17. Exercise: Mindful Breathing/Meditation • Now we will shift our awareness. Let your attention drift towards your abdomen. Notice as you breathe in… and out…in…and out. Notice as you take in air through your nose, and into your chest and belly. Notice the air flow, in and out…in and out. You don’t have to control it, just let it flow naturally.

18. Exercise: Mindful Breathing/Meditation • --- If you are unable to focus on your breathing because of a physical sensation (like discomfort) focus on it. Guide your attention to the discomfort and observe it. Without judgment, what does feel like? ...Observe, don’t fight it. Allow it to be there. • --- Along with the sensations, you might also have thoughts about them. When you are thinking “it’s getting worse”, notice that you are thinking these thoughts, and return to the present moment. Remember, they are just sensations, thoughts, and feelings. That’s all.

19. Exercise: Mindful Breathing/Meditation • Let your thoughts lay only of your breath. Breathing is the most natural thing in the world. You don’t have to control it, just let it flow. • As you are doing this your thoughts might wander. If you lose track and start to think about something else, that’s alright. Just notice that the mind has left the breath. Let it go, and bring your attention back to your breathing. Continue this for as long as you like. (Remember you are not trying to accomplish anything special with this exercise. Doing this exercise will help increase awareness and acceptance.)

20. Exercise: Mindful Breathing/Meditation • Just before opening your eyes, notice your body. Once again become aware of your body right now. Do you notice any changes? How do you feel?……And when you’re ready…gently open your eyes. • Once you practice this meditation, it can be used through out the day to relieve stress. (Average time: 5 minutes)

21. Exercise: Mindful Breathing/Meditation • This exercise can be challenging at first. If so, don’t get frustrated (making a judgment). That’s okay. Let it be challenging. As you become more mindful of your thoughts and feelings, you might feel more at ease. This will help you later on.

22. 4 Days Later

23. Meditation-Tinnitus Awareness • Now you will use the same techniques in mindfulness acceptance and breathing, to help overcome tinnitus. First, start to meditate. Be aware of your sensations. Be aware of what you hear, smell, see, and feel. Acknowledge it and just let it be.

24. Meditation-Tinnitus Awareness • Then you can do the same thing with tinnitus. Observe your thoughts and worries about tinnitus. You might think that you will never experience peace and quiet again. But these kinds of thoughts are what keep you focused on the tinnitus. • When this happens, confront your thoughts and worries about the noise. It is not taking over your life; it is only a part of you. Realize that it is just sound, like all the other sounds you have learned to tune out over the years. It can’t hurt you. • Over time your brain will learn to naturally ignore the tinnitus. Eventually it will fade into the background.