MOUNTAIN LIFE - Coast Mountains | Fall Winter 2018

years ago to cope with a busy mind and adrenal fatigue. “The calming effect of post-meditation is comparable to that feeling of dead silence out in the backcountry, with the fresh cold air on your face. They are both so serene… time stops for a few, and allows you to catch up.” Meditation is like brushing your teeth. It only takes a few minutes each day, but the positive effects add up over time. Likewise, cleaning your mind, keeping it fit and clear of clutter can help improve mental health over time. Keen to give it try? Both Girn and Schettini suggest the app Headspace. It’s based on science and offers a no-BS introduction to guided meditation. Meditation, mindfulness, finding the flow… call it what you want. Any amount of time spent deliberately doing nothing and focusing on your breath is going to be beneficial. 122 MLCM FALL/WINTER 2018 Girn is currently working toward his PhD in cognitive neuroscience at McGill University, and has performed significant research on the effects of meditation, including scanning patients’ brains while they meditate. “In extreme sports, people talk about getting sucked into the present moment—the flow state. When you are doing a formal sitting meditation, you tap into a similar state. When you practice mindfulness, you are better able to get into these states.” Slowing down is a challenge for many mountain people. Go, go and do, do is the norm. Meditation forces us to deliberately slow down, to intentionally sit still. And it’s been proven to help with athletic performance. Visualization techniques have been used by professional athletes for decades, from football players to dancers. “After a few weeks of consistent meditation, you are running at a calmer and more stable pace day to day,” says Helen Schettini, professional snowboarder and decade-long Whistler local who started meditating three DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE The list of health benefits attached to much of the pop culture meditation buzz seems almost absurd. From lowering blood pressure and increasing memory, to lengthening life expectancy and improving your sex life, meditation is too often touted as fix-all remedy. “A lot of the research is poorly controlled and not done to the same high standard as formal research,” warns cognitive neuroscientist Manesh Girn. Meditation is awesome, but be wary of the hype. Slowing down is a challenge for many mountain people. Go, go and do, do is the norm. Meditation forces us to deliberately slow down, to intentionally sit still. And it’s been proven to help with athletic performance. Studies show meditation helps your methods. Helen Schettini. PHIL TIFO