Best Types of Meditation for the Elderly
October 28, 2020
Meditation treatments have been making their way into traditional medicine for thousands of years. There have been many studies that show meditation is very beneficial when it comes to treating someone who is sick, injured, or depressed. Generally speaking, there are three types of meditation used for treating the elderly. Keep reading on to find out more about each of these meditation practices.
Focused-Attention
Focused-attention meditation is one of the more common types of meditation. During this type of meditation, the practitioner teaches the patient how to focus on something like a mantra, object, or their breath. This type of focus can help your elderly loved one calm their mind and soothe their soul. It also can teach them how to bring their focus back when it strays from the moment. However, it can often be difficult for some people to keep their minds focused on a particular subject, even for a short period of time. This is why as a home care provider or family caregiver, you will need to remind the elderly person you are caring for to be patient. With practice, they will be able to reap the rewards of focused-attention meditation.
Open-Monitoring
Open-monitoring meditation helps a person notice their awareness and learn how to watch it. For instance, when a person is trying to focus on a particular object their thoughts might drift to what they have planned for the day. This type of meditation will teach your elderly loved one how to take notice of their thoughts. It will help them to learn how to dismiss these thoughts while they are trying to focus. Many elderly people enjoy this type of meditation and benefit from it. Just remember, everyone is different. Your elderly loved one might want to engage in a few different types of meditation practices to find one that suits them.
Compassion
Compassion meditation uses techniques from the other forms of meditation. It teaches a person how to enhance their love for every part of themselves. It will also show your elderly loved one how to send their love out into the world. Love and kindness are two of the keys to happiness. Many people can benefit from this type of meditation. You and home care providers can help your elderly loved one to learn this form of meditation, as well.
Conclusion
There are many types of meditation that can help an elderly person both mentally and physically. However, it is important as a home care provider or family caregiver, to encourage the elderly person you are caring for to speak with their doctor before starting any kind of meditation treatment. Most doctors will be more than happy to discuss meditation as a treatment method for an elderly person.
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Sources
https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation-in-depth