Meditation and ms

[alsorenson]

I want try meditation to help me with my ms. There's so mch information that I don't know where to start and I don't know anyone that regularly meditates that I can talk to about it. Is mindfulness meditation a good place to start? Can I get started on my own? Are there pitfalls?

What are some good starting points?

Thank you

Al

[Loveducks]

Hi, I have started meditating and find it really helpful. One I recommend as I tried a few and I also have trouble visualising, is Boho Beautiful Meditation. It’s free and she does from 10 mins to 15 mins to start you off, I started with her 14 day meditation. She has a first thing in the morning before you get out of bed and a night time one which is good.

If you look on You Tube there are plenty of free ones and just see what works for you. This is going to sound a bit odd, but I have to like the voice as well, I turn it off and find another one that I can relax too. I have MS and difficult to treat asthma and I have found meditating a blessing, as I find it all flares up more when I’m stressed. I also during the day if I’m sitting in a peaceful place in the garden will meditate.

You can find ones also if you search meditation for pain, it really is a case of finding what works for you, but if m sure you will find it helpful once you start. Good luck and enjoy

[alsorenson in reply to Loveducks]

Thank you very much

[MSFlea]

I had a really hard time getting started meditating. I tried on my own, with some YouTube videos, but got nowhere. I finally tried HeadSpace, and it lets you try with different people leading the meditation, and you control the amount of time the meditation is. You start out with a basics course, and if you subscribe, there is a daily list of things you can do, which I really like. I started out with just 3 minutes at a time, and am up to 10 minutes, sometimes 15 (it's super easy to change the amount of time). I love doing a meditation before bed, it helps me sleep better. I have one saved that puts me to sleep every time!

I think there is a free trial, but I wanted to try it out for at least a month, so I did the free plus a month before deciding if I liked the app or not. If you would like to DM me, I'll tell you more about my experience with it, and what I've tried and how Headspace works, or what I liked about each different thing to I tried. I do think meditation helps, it really helps me to deal with stress. I have several meditations saved for anxiety and for stress, and for help with getting back to sleep.

Best of luck to you! 🧡

[alsorenson in reply to MSFlea]

Thank you very much

[AquaZumbaFan]

Hey Al,

I don’t know if you currently have a Fitbit, but on my app there are some free meditations. I have actually seen a physiological effect on my blood pressure when I take just a few minutes. Follow the mindfulness meditations. I would start with a super short one for maybe two minutes. I have worked my way up to listening to mindfulness before I go to sleep as well. I will have to get back with you as my daughter. Purchased a year of one of the apps super cheap… but I can’t remember which one she used.

[alsorenson in reply to AquaZumbaFan]

Thank you

[Mollyabigail in reply to AquaZumbaFan]

I had a Fit Bit years ago. Wore it every day for about 4 years, never lost a pound. 😎

[AquaZumbaFan in reply to Mollyabigail]

Well here’s the thing about wearing the Fitbit… I’ve had one for a number of years too although I’ve had to replace it a couple of times. I think it makes me more aware of how many steps I take in the day although obviously I’m not hitting 10,000 steps anymore.. I made my goal 5, 000 steps and I try hard to hit that at least a couple of times a week. Some days it is a huge push and it is not achievable but other days I’m able to do it. It just makes me more aware of moving.. During the pandemic, Fitbit let you have the premium package for free and I was able to take advantage of a lot of the meditation that I no longer have access to cause I’m not gonna pay for that.

[Mollyabigail in reply to AquaZumbaFan]

I was just being a wise acre, because I didn't work real hard to get to 10k every day. Who had time? And now that there is time - I can't. 😂 'Cest la vie!

[AquaZumbaFan in reply to Mollyabigail]

I know exactly what you mean! When I had the physical ability to do it… I did not always make it a priority. I think now if I actually did make it to 10,000 I probably wouldn’t be much good for the rest of the week! 😂 Let’s just make a pact that we will try our best to do what we can every day..🤗

[kdali]

Headspace app is great!

[Hjgarden]

I do meditation and it has changed my life!! I use an app called calm. But there are so many options out there! Just start with a few minutes and see! Good luck

[alsorenson in reply to Hjgarden]

Thank you

[AquaZumbaFan in reply to alsorenson]

The calm app is the one I was trying to think of that my daughter uses.. she really likes it..

[falalalala]

I've used meditation too relax o n occasion and it's nice!

You could go to Youtube, type in mindfulness meditation and just follow along.

There is a lot to choose from

[alsorenson in reply to falalalala]

Thanks

[Amore55]

I meditate most days and it has been a huge help to me. It helps me manage my pain and hopefully makes me a bit stronger mentally! I don’t use any apps, I just sit quietly (sometimes outside by myself in the woods). That is where I can get the most peace.

[alsorenson in reply to Amore55]

Thank-you

[Mollyabigail]

I did the Headspace app for a year & liked it. But now I just use YouTube for free. I hope you find the perfect meditations for you!

[alsorenson in reply to Mollyabigail]

good tip, thanks

[Lisa_Doggett]

Hi Al,

I'm glad you're asking about meditation!!

I am a lifestyle and family medicine physician -- and I've been living with MS for nearly 15 years. I now provide coaching and support to others with MS. I've found meditation to be a huge help to me personally and to some of my patients (helps w/ sleep, anxiety, dizziness, pain and more).

I'm pasting the contents of a handout I created for my patients about meditation, esp. mindfulness-based stress reduction. I hope this is helpful!

All the best,

Lisa Doggett, MD

lisadoggett.com

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction is a type of meditation therapy. It was originally designed for stress management, but it is increasingly used to help with many other conditions including chronic pain, depression, anxiety, and chronic illnesses.

Benefits of MBSR often include:

 Improved sleep

 Reduced stress, anxiety, and depression

 Improved overall well-being and self-care

 Increased self-compassion and self-awareness

 Improved concentration and focus

 Better emotional regulation

 Less pain

Mindfulness can be incorporated into everyday routines. A formal MBSR class isn’t always necessary, but it can be extremely helpful for those wanting to learn more from a certified instructor.

Here are some virtual programs you may want to consider:

mindfulnessandhealthinstitu...

professional.brown.edu/exec...

eastcoastmindfulness.com/

Meditation apps are also available. Here are some options:

insighttimer.com/

calm.com/

mobile.va.gov/app/mindfulne... - recommended by a patient who is in the military; app was developed by the VA and included mindfulness lessons and guided meditations

NY Times article - Wirecutter: The Best Meditation Apps:

nytimes.com/wirecutter/revi...

Other resources:

Sign up for free weekly mindful mantras from Can Do MS: cando-ms.org/mindful-moment...