| Domestic violence is taxing to the mind, body and | | | | meaningful to the academic ivy-league, I decided to |
| soul. What is the one thing you can do that will | | | | use Chicago police officers as my subjects. I thought |
| contribute to mending all three, while in and after an | | | | it would put my hypotheses up to a very rigorous |
| abusive relationship? Read on and see. | | | | test. Low and behold it did. And our results were |
| Tell me more about the "wakeful rest," asks my | | | | statistically significant. |
| proofreader. Well certainly, I think to myself. There is | | | | I tell you this story because after the very first |
| nothing I'd rather talk (write) about more. | | | | meditation, an officer said in awe, "I just had |
| What is the wakeful rest? Ahhh, that is the | | | | 'tranquility' for the first time!" |
| magic...the gold...the sweet spot, wherein the mind | | | | Since 1982, I have been teaching meditation to |
| and body mend. | | | | people of all walks of life in my clinical bio-behavioral, |
| But before I lose myself in this discussion, let's not | | | | psychotherapy practice and here's what I see: |
| lose site of your question. How is this relevant to me, | | | | - Symptom Reduction: less pain, reduced tension, |
| as a domestic abuse survivor? | | | | decreased anxiety and greater control of panic |
| To answer both of these questions, I want you to | | | | attacks. |
| know had I not been meditating over the years | | | | - Improved Physical Functioning: better sleep, less |
| during my own ordeal with family violence and the | | | | fatigue, more energy and far less reliance on relaxing |
| legal abuse syndrome, I may not have survived, nor | | | | agents. Increased vitality, energy and stamina. |
| would I have thrived as I do today. | | | | - Improved Mental Functioning: enhanced clarity of |
| If I had the privilege to indulge in only one healing | | | | thought, creativity, concentration and more optimistic |
| method, what would it be? Unequivocally, it would be | | | | perspective. |
| the practice of meditation...the road map to the | | | | - Enhanced Emotional Comfort: increased |
| wakeful rest. That is what it would be. | | | | self-confidence, greater self-esteem, calmness and |
| What happens to mind and body during and after | | | | well-being...and decreased irritability. |
| wakeful rest? | | | | - Better Social Interactions: decreased hostility, |
| This discussion is always best as an extension of | | | | greater ease and comfort in social situations, |
| one's personal experience simply because it is the | | | | improved communication. |
| application of words onto aspects of experience that | | | | - Behavior and Performance Enhancement: more |
| are actually beyond words. | | | | organized, increased productivity, greater efficiency |
| But that doesn't mean we can't talk and write about | | | | and enhanced effectiveness. |
| it: its mechanics, the process, its short term-effects | | | | These are some of the things I witnessed over the |
| and most importantly the long-term effects. Its | | | | years, not to mention the reversal, and in some |
| mechanics is a practical training discussion, the | | | | cases complete resolution, of chronic medical |
| process more of an existential-experiential, ethereal | | | | conditions for thousands of people. |
| conversation, and its effects is a concrete discussion. | | | | In closing, I can say wakeful rest is the "sweet spot," |
| Let's begin with the concrete. | | | | it's the healing medium and more. If you are suffering |
| In the 70's I did my doctoral dissertation on the | | | | from any physical, emotional, cognitive, social or |
| psychophysiology of meditation and its implications | | | | behavioral condition while in, or after, an abusive |
| for psychotherapy. I was studying at a very | | | | relationship, seek to find a way to bring wakeful rest |
| traditional school, Northwestern University. And so in | | | | into you life. |
| order to make my experimental research most | | | | |