Photo By Laurie Pearson | The Behavioral Health office aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, California,...... read more read more
New meditation classes will offer unprecedented benefits for military personnel and civilians aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, Calif., beginning in August.
“Meditation can be used for all sorts of things, but one of the key benefits is its calming effect,” said James Maher, Behavioral Health section head. “There are several strategies or methods for meditation that we intend to teach during the upcoming classes beginning in August, too. What may work for one person, may not work for another. So, the plan is to teach a variety of options.”
The goals will vary from person to person, as well. Whereas one person’s goal may be to quit smoking, another person’s goal may be to learn skills that will help them with anger management.
“Everyone can benefit from learning meditation skills,” Maher said. “Some of the classes will focus on deep breathing, others will focus on teaching mantras so that someone can use a phrase, or chant, or even just a single word, to interrupt their own thought processes.”
Once the undesirable thought process is interrupted, it is the process of recovering from that interrupted thought cycle to address a newer, healthier series of thoughts or actions, explained Maher.
“Some people may have tried meditation before and felt as though they failed, because they still have to deal with some of those negative or undesired thoughts that still may come up,” he said. “That’s perfectly normal though. Meditation isn’t a one-time, magic cure for anything. It’s the process of interrupting the cycle and refocusing on something else and recovering that is teaching the brain new patterns. The idea is that those new patterns will grow easier with time, patience and practice.”
He pointed out that most people spend a good portion of their lives developing patterns specific to them, whether in thoughts or behaviors. Those patterns can be like ruts in a dirt road for instance which, over time, become deeply engrained in the roadway.
“With this variety of new techniques we will be teaching, someone can use these tools to interrupt and develop new pathways in that road,” he said.
In addition to deep breathing, and meditation focused on a word or phrase, the meditation series of courses will include insights and techniques from other practitioners, as well. Dawn Dialon, Substance Abuse Program counselor will be teaching Mindfulness Meditation.
“It’s called ‘Simply Listening: Paying Attention to the Sounds Around You,’ and I read about it in the book ‘Sitting Together, Essential Skills for Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapy’ by Pollak, Pedulla & Siegel,” Dialon said. “I have used it with clients and it is especially helpful with anxious mood. I like using more mindfulness-based techniques in working with clients. Especially when working through issues of trauma. The authors talk about the importance of concentration or focused attention as the foundation of meditation saying that concentration is learning to steady and calm our minds in the present moment. Jon Kabat-Zinn called it the cornerstone of mindfulness.”
She points out that meditation is a good practice for many reasons not just in therapy. She clarified this by explaining that the practice of concentration is not the suppression of thoughts or feelings, as the act of suppression can actually strengthen their hold on the individual.
“Instead, the idea is to take note of what has captured our attention and then gently return to the object of concentration, without anger, self-loathing or judgement,” Dialon explained.
Another of the practitioners invited to work with attendees is Jesica Grow, Families OverComing Under Stress project coordinator. She will introduce participants to a FOCUS technique called Progressive Muscle Relaxation, as well as an imagery exercise. Both of these techniques allow for physical focus as well as visual stimuli, while the mindfulness approach can help to bring practitioners back to the present mentally and emotionally. All of the methods taught are intended to give attendees tools to help them cope with life stresses without having to rely on substances such as opioids, alcohol, or other chemicals.
“With the current opioid crisis going on in our country, a lot of medical practitioners are using alternatives to medication to treat everything from behavioral disorders, to even physical pain,” Maher said. “The Inland Empire Health Plan has set up a pain clinic in Victorville recently, which has the traditional medical options, but it also has behavioral health counseling, massage therapy, acupuncture, and meditation as alternative to traditional medicine. They must feel it is cost effective to use non-traditional ways to reduce pain. It must be working.”
The classes are scheduled to take place Mondays, at 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Behavioral Health offices located at building 17, beginning August 5. It will be a series of eight courses and everyone with base access is welcome to attend.
“These are beginner level classes and not associated with any religious practices,” Maher said. “Anyone can do this and find benefits in their own lives.”
If you would like to get more information about the meditation classes, or to reserve your spot, contact Behavioral Health at 760-577-6533.
| Date Taken: | 07.11.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 07.16.2019 13:14 |
| Story ID: | 331608 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 85 |
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