bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Meditation is widely seen as an effective way to reduce stress, focus your mind and manage symptoms of some health conditions, among other things.
All you have to do is sit quietly, close your eyes and be suffused with inner calm, right?
Well, not quite. Two experts explain how to get off to a good start, though, and why almost everyone can benefit from meditation and its cousin, mindfulness.
Meditation is an ancient practice of focusing one’s attention on the present moment to achieve a state of mental clarity, emotional calmness and physical relaxation. It has its roots in the religious and secular traditions of various cultures and has been practised for thousands of years.
Anyone can do it
While the theory of meditation is complex, basically anyone can learn how to practise it. All you need is “curiosity and interest in getting involved with it”, says Steffen Brandt, a psychotherapist and yoga and meditation instructor. Having a spiritual bent is not necessary.
A lot of people are familiar with active meditation – or meditation in motion – such as yoga. Like passive meditation, done sitting still, it cultivates mindfulness, a mental state that does not require meditation.
Modern mindfulness programmes are often secular in nature. A well-known example is mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). Developed by United States molecular biologist Jon Kabat-Zinn in the 1970s, it aims to manage stress, regulate emotions and enhance well-being.
Dr Martina Assmann, chairwoman of an association of mindfulness instructors in Germany, says meditation can simply mean consciously remaining in the present moment, “which anybody can learn within limits”.

Basically, anyone can benefit from meditation, Brandt says, as “it’s essentially a concentrative exercise”. You learn to regularly direct your mind towards something specific, such as your breathing or bodily sensations, which can lead to “greater relaxation, equanimity and inner calm”.
Studies show that mindfulness and meditation reduce stress, improve stress resilience and can have a positive effect on mood, depression and anxiety disorders.
Regarding the effects of mindfulness and meditation, Assmann says, “The good news is that you become more sensitive. The bad news is that you become more sensitive.” For example, food has a stronger taste, you feel the air on your skin, and joy and emotional attachment more distinctly. “But you also realise you have stupid thoughts sometimes, that you’re afraid in situations you thought you could easily manage,” she says.
Instructors often explain meditation as a means towards greater self-awareness, beginning with bodily sensations and extending to feelings and thoughts.
Have realistic expectations
The best way to approach meditation is with realistic expectations, Brandt says, adding that many people associate it with enlightenment.
“Then the exact opposite happens,” he says. “First, they find that a lot of brain noise or emotional chaos turns up, since the exercise acts as a mirror of one’s inner self.”
Touting meditation as a panacea is also problematic. “Some people have great expectations of its curative power,” Brandt says, adding that people use it in hope that they will be able to “relax incredibly well” or “meditate away” depression or an anxiety disorder. However, meditation cannot replace therapy.
Meditation and mindfulness can bring appreciable relief, though, mainly because they create distance. Assmann says it is a matter of “settling” in the present moment, of becoming more aware of it and not feeling compelled to react immediately to things.
She adds that, in stressful situations, you can step back and ask yourself, “What’s going on now? Are my life and limb in danger? No, it’s just an email!” This is how mindfulness helps reduce stress, “because you don’t have to scratch an itch right away, or leap to your feet as soon as it rings somewhere”.
Find a technique that suits you
How do you find a meditation technique that suits you? Holding still in the lotus position is difficult for many people at first. Brandt suggests that beginners try out different techniques. Free online meditation sessions can help you to get started, and many websites offer guided meditation.
“After all, you may well have no idea what ‘type’ you are, and might discover what it is you gravitate towards,” he says.
It helps to consider, for instance, whether the meditation should be active or passive, secular or with a certain religious or philosophical underpinning, with or without joss sticks or meditation music.
Brandt says it is important to decide on a technique at some point and stick with it, because the long-term goal is to truly enter into a meditative process.
In his experience, purely online meditation formats often provide too little support. “In many cases, there’s no one to whom you can pose questions that arise when your mind revs up in the stillness of meditation,” he says. This can be frustrating, and so a meditation course led by an instructor is a good alternative.
Assmann also recommends getting support from someone who is well versed in meditation and can cushion any irritation and answer questions.
Mindfulness, she emphasises, is an attitude that you can adopt, and whose effects on mind and body are well researched. What is also known, though, is that “what takes place isn’t lasting”. So if you stop practising it, a lot of what you have gained atrophies after a few weeks.

Lastingly reducing stress, therefore, requires continuity, through an established mindfulness routine in which you set aside a fixed amount of time each day, for example. Or practising mindfulness in everyday situations, such as consciously enjoying your morning coffee sans smartphone, or not looking at it on public transport but concentrating on your surroundings instead.
Brandt recommends incorporating meditation into your daily routine, at a set time in the morning or evening and in the right setting: a quiet place where you are undisturbed, your smartphone is turned off and your children are not around.


How new Hong Kong menopause support group aims to help women through difficult life stage

Feeling stressed? Let it out – literally – at Scream Clubs

Is the Hong Kong government’s plan an answer to obesity or an eating disorder risk?

5 of the best things to do in Hong Kong this weekend, March 20-22

Wellness

How to meditate? Find the type that suits you and don’t expect enlightenment, experts say

Meditation can make you calmer, but should be approached with realistic expectations, and with the technique that suits you, experts say. Photo: Kniel Synnatzschke/Westend61/dpa

Dr Martina Assmann, chairwoman of an association of mindfulness instructors in Germany, says mindfulness is an attitude you can adopt. Photo: mbct-hamburg.de  

Expert recommend incorporating meditation into your daily routine, at a set time in the morning or evening and in a quiet place where you are undisturbed. Photo: Shutterstock

How exercise helped a mother tackle serious knee pain and return to cane-free walking

Kavita Biswas could barely walk short distances before she started physiotherapy and resistance training to strengthen the muscles around her knee. Now the osteoarthritis sufferer can walk for up to 45 minutes at a time and manages her daily life independently. Photo: Kavita Biswas

By the time Biswas had reached her mid-forties, her knee had become so painful that simple daily activities were difficult. Sitting on the floor with her students was no longer possible. Photo: Kavita Biswas

When first diagnosed with a probable meniscus tear, Biswas found even short walks unbearable. Now she is able to cross this bridge near her home on her own. Photo: Kavita Biswas

Doctors confirmed that Biswas had knee ligament damage, but were hesitant to recommend a knee replacement because of her relatively young age. Photo: Shutterstock

How Buddhist meditation helped burned-out finance worker overcome stress and anxiety

Manoj Dias overcame his anxiety through Buddhist meditation and philosophy. Now, he helps others find mindfulness. Photo: Instagram/manojdias_ 

 Manoj Dias was trapped in what he calls “a wheel of suffering” while working in finance. Photo: The Upper House

Dias teaches a class in Los Angeles, California, in May. Photo: Instagram/manojdias_

Dias says Buddhist philosophy has guided him through pivotal life moments, such as the death of his mother. Photo: Upper House

Dias as a child with his mother. Born in Sri Lanka, Dias moved to Australia with his parents at the age of five. Photo: Instagram/manojdias_

Dias leads a class that combines yoga and breathwork with music and movement. Photo: Instagram/manojdias_

How a bipolar disorder sufferer used meditation and yoga to manage her mental health, and now helps others as a counsellor

Therapist Opal Li is pictured at Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park in Sheung Wan. 13JAN24  SCMP/Yik Yeung-man

Mental health counsellor Opal Li practises yoga in Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. Yoga and meditation help her manage her depression and bipolar disorder. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Li walks along the harbourfront at Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park in Sheung Wan. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Li says inversion poses like Sirsasana (head stand) provide emotional stability. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Li’s struggle with mental illness inspired her to understand the mind better. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Li takes part in the New Balance Half Marathon in Hong Kong in 2014.

Li’s sketch of Iyengar yoga founder B.K.S. Iyengar. Photo: Opal Li

Li practises yoga five times a week. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Li says breathing techniques help clear her thoughts and feel more sensitivity towards herself and others. Photo: Opal Li

Health benefits of quitting alcohol, from weight loss to slowing ageing

Jodi Clark, seen in January 2023 and this month,  who now runs online groups, challenges and retreats for women, has lost 38kg (84lb) since she stopped drinking more than 3 years ago. Photo: Jodi Clark

David Wilson, whose Instagram handle is @soberdave, quit alcohol more than seven years ago after nearly four decades of regular drinking. Now he is helping others who want to stop and improve their health. Photo: David Wilson

Wilson shares motivational nuggets and more on his Instagram account @soberdave. Photo: Instagram/soberdave

Jodi Clark in January 2023 (left) and in January 2026 (right). She has lost 38kg since she stopped drinking more than three years ago. Photo: Jodi Clark

Clark says she used to be a “middle-lane drinker”, someone who binged at the weekend but restricted drinking during the week. Photo: Jodi Clark

Millie Gooch, founder of the Sober Girl Society, is always keen to share tips on how to fully embrace sobriety.  Photo: Instagram/sobergirlsociety

Nurse practitioner Cynthia Thurlow has seen how alcohol can ruin lives. Photo: Cynthia Thurlow

David Nutt, professor of neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London, says alcohol “pickles your brain”. Photo: Imperial College London

Lifestyle

Health & Wellness

Health

Meditation can relieve stress and ease depression if approached correctly. Mindfulness instructors share how to start on the right path


Meditation can relieve stress and ease depression if approached correctly. Mindfulness instructors share how to start on the right path.


Meditation and how to find balance

Meditation & Mindfulness

Mental health

How to deal with anxiety and depression

How to meditate? Find the type that suits you and don’t expect enlightenment, experts say

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Meditation can relieve stress and ease depression if approached correctly. Mindfulness instructors share how to start on the right path

Anyone can do it

Meditation can relieve stress and ease depression if approached correctly. Mindfulness instructors share how to start on the right path