Take 200 breaths and call me in the morning

Dear Mr. Dad: My 12-year old daughter has trouble focusing in school and always seems to be worried and on edge. Our pediatrician did a bunch of tests and says there’s nothing medically wrong with her. But he suggested that we try to get her to meditate. I’ve heard of Buddhist monks meditating but never kids. Have you heard of it? And do you think it’s worth doing?

Yes and yes. Honestly, I used to be a real meditation skeptic – and for good reason. People have attributed so many things to meditation that it was truly hard to believe. I mean, how could one simple activity possibly combat anxiety, stress and depression; cure insomnia and reduce the amount of sleep you need; make your brain bigger and boost your IQ; improve your memory and ability to focus; lower your dementia risk; increase your productivity at work and/or your grades in school; strengthen your immune system and reduce chronic pain; make you more creative; lower your blood pressure and your risk of having a heart attack or stroke; cure asthma; and more? Sounds just a little too good to be true, doesn’t it?

Don’t answer that. The truth is that hundreds of studies have found actual scientific evidence that backs up those and many other claims about meditation.

Once I got over my skepticism about meditation itself, I wanted to know exactly how and why it works. Using functional MRI (fMRI) technology (which measures blood flow in the brain during various activities), researchers have shown that meditating changes blood flow in the brain, increasing the parts that regulate memory and reducing the parts that govern stress and anxiety. Meditating influences blood flow in other parts of the body as well. When the blood vessels are more open, blood pressure goes down and so does the risk of stroke or heart attack. I could go on, but at the end of the day, the why isn’t as important as the undeniable fact that medication does work. As far as I can tell, there’s zero downside and a lot of potential upside.

OK, now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s move on to how to do it.

▪ Block out some time; 15-20 minutes at a stretch is good for adults. For kids, 5-10 minutes is plenty, especially when you’re just starting.

▪ Make it a family activity. Telling your daughter to do it on her own may make her feel singled out. Plus, there’s no reason why you and everyone else in the family shouldn’t enjoy the benefits.

▪ Find a quiet place. The fewer outside distractions (TV, radio, conversations, etc.), the better.

▪ Get comfortable. No elaborate yoga poses or levitation required. You can meditate sitting in a comfortable chair, lying down, walking, or even swimming (but not driving).

▪ Just do it. You’ll hear about Mindfulness, Zen, Transcendental and other types of meditation, most of which involve focusing on a word or phrase or object. But I suggest that you start by focusing on the easiest thing of all: your breath. Slowly count “one” for the first inhale, hold for two seconds, then exhale. Count “two” for the next set, and so on. Chances are that you won’t get to “three” before your mind starts heading off in 127 different directions. When that happens, resist the urge to criticize yourself for losing focus. This happens to everyone. Just observe that your mind has wandered, gently bring yourself back to your breathing and start counting again. Over time, you’ll find that you’re able to clear you mind of many of those distractions.

This story was originally published February 25, 2016 at 1:16 PM with the headline "Take 200 breaths and call me in the morning."