The benefits of Meditation to deal with stress and burnout was the topic at the Pattaya City Expats Club meeting on Wednesday, November 30. The guest speaker, Dr. Nena Nimit, M.D., has been meditating for over 15 years. In addition to being a child psychologist.
Dr. Nimit underwent a 3-month residential training and is a certified Mindfulness and Meditation Trainer. She helped to co-found and volunteer at a non-profit organization, the Meditation Center of Alabama, for over 10 years as well as helping to co-found the University of South Alabama Meditation and Mindfulness Club. She is also a Life Coach with the iRetreat group.
Dr. Nena began by explaining how she became more interested in meditation. During her undergraduate studies, she did not really know what she wanted to pursue. She became friends with those that were not a good influence. Her mother, who practiced meditation a little each day, encouraged her to go to Thailand and learn how it could help. She did, it did, and when she returned, she was more motivated in pursuing a degree in medicine which she obtained in the field of child psychology. Through this experience, she learned firsthand what meditation can do to help deal with stress and burnout.
Dr. Nena described three levels one may be in; Calm (a state of tranquility), Eustress (healthful, stimulating kind and level of stress), or Distress (strain, anxiety). She noted that distress is brought on by over engagement, while burnout is characterized by under engagement. When you are stressed, your emotions are overactive, but when you are burned out, they are blunt. Stress creates hyperactivity, but burnout leaves the individual feeling helpless and hopeless. Burnout is a loss of motivation and ideals.
Her talk focused on how meditation and mindfulness can be beneficial. She noted that mindfulness is paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally. To accomplish the reducing of stress, you need to understand how the brain works. You can train your mind to be more calm, clear away mental chatter, and see more clearly. Every problem in your life has a solution. You need to step back, do not focus solely on the problem.
To illustrate the benefits, Dr Nena, offered a guided practice for the audience to follow. Doing this for 5 minutes at the beginning and end of the day can be very helpful to reduce/remove stress from your life. She first suggested stretching, finding a comfortable position, and then letting your mind relax, clear the cares and worries from your mind which may take repetition – relax, clear, relax, clear – until you mind is clear and free.
In conclusion, Dr Nena invited everyone to attend iRetreat’s Road Show “Doing What Matters in Times of Stress”. It is free and will be held at on two dates at Pattaya’s Siam @ Siam Hotel from 9am to 11:30am. More information is available at https://iretreat.co/iretreat-road-show-in-pattaya/.
For more information about the PCEC, visit their website at https://pcec.club/. Dr Nena’s presentation, is available on the PCEC’s YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dWb75AYEbo. The guided practice begins at about the 26 minute mark.
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