By training the mind or accessing our inner powerhouse of consciousness, we can let go of our tensions, build internal energy and alleviate many health issues. What’s more, meditation can develop qualities like compassion, patience, and forgiveness, helping build communication skills, talent and overall contentment, and this can be done alone once the initial steps are understood.
Stuart Bold is one of the world’s leading and respected practitioners in meditation, psychoneuroimmunology, mindfulness, positive energy, energy work and Reiki. The former attorney and founder of SuperAger World talks about why meditation is for everyone. Bold, also who has worked as a Visiting Master for some of the world’s top destination spas, also discusses “how we think, and our intention is the foundation for health, wellbeing and happiness.”
How would you describe meditation?
To attempt a single answer or description for something that works in so many different ways and brings so many different benefits is a little challenging, there are many different descriptions. My personal focus, as a teacher and coach, is very much on a non-religious approach, to enhance health, wellbeing, happiness, cognitive function, work performance and quality of life. So, with that approach in mind, I would describe meditation, in practical terms, as a collection of techniques, methods and knowledge for focusing and training the mind. This then becomes a foundation for developing awareness and self-awareness that can, with practise, lead to the ability to engage with our lives (both internally and externally) in a different, more balanced, calmer and clearer way.
In terms of mindfulness, this is based on developing a way of ‘being’ where, with careful and ongoing attention, you choose to be fully present (in the moment) and fully aware of your internal processes (thoughts, emotions, sensations, feelings) and your external world (and how you interact with it) at that moment. At the same time, you choose to adopt an attitude of openness, kindness and curiosity to whatever each moment brings, without judgment.
With conscious awareness, you are choosing to pay full attention, moment by moment, to each of your thoughts, physical and mental sensations, emotions and feelings and external influences, as each occurs. With practise and time this allows you greater understanding and awareness about yourself, your thoughts and the emotions and actions that follow. It is this powerful combination of meditation and mindfulness that opens the door to an amazing new way of engaging with your world.
What’s the best way for beginners to start?
There is absolutely no doubt that the best and really the only way to successfully start is to learn from a good teacher, who can coach you and help you develop your learning in a genuinely experiential way. This is essential. Meditation is a truly incredible tool for life and enhances it in ways that absolutely nothing else does, so it makes sense to start right and to give yourself the best opportunity to learn and develop.
So what exactly is the role of a guru?
I personally prefer to stay away from the word ‘guru’ and simply prefer ‘teacher’. The role of a good teacher is to guide and to coach and help each person to find the way that is best for them, the techniques that are best for them and, as desired, to help each person develop their skills, abilities and awareness to their maximum human potential. My personal approach (as befits an ex-lawyer) is down to earth, practical, evidence-based and modern teaching, enabling clients to bring all of these amazing benefits into modern life.
Who can practise meditation?
Do you have to be a specific age or have certain health requirements? Meditation is for everyone and there is not one person who would not benefit from learning and practising meditation. I teach young children through to the elderly and it does not matter at what age you learn; you still reap the benefits. Meditation is unique in the massive range of proven health and wellbeing benefits it brings (there is literally nothing else that does this) and therefore it is highly suitable for all health conditions and also relevant for significantly improving existing good health.
How important is a person’s diet in order to get the best out of it?
Although a particular diet is not directly related to achieving the benefits from meditation and mindfulness, a diet can undoubtedly enhance a person’s engagement and appreciation of meditation. I work with many ‘high performing’ individuals around the world, such as CEOs and leading professionals and many do not have what we can call the most optimum of diets, yet we always manage to enhance a wide range of areas of their lives. In fact, I teach things like eating meditations (including for natural weight loss) and these generally lead to a much greater appreciation of food and hence diet.
You just mentioned eating meditations, so there must be lots of different styles of meditation.
There are many different styles of meditation practices. One thing I uniquely and personally specialise in is teaching my clients a variety of different techniques and styles. It is important to find what practice works best for each individual and then, once we have that, we work from there.
And what are the benefits of meditation, physically and spiritually?
The list of evidence-based benefits is truly immense and they extend to all areas of life, health and wellbeing (physical, mental and emotional). Just some include stress management, improved mental health, better sleep, greater energy and vitality, pain management, stronger immunity and general health, weight reduction, cardiac health (and lower blood pressure), anti-ageing and youth enhancement, significantly improved cognitive function and performance, greater happiness and improved relationships etc. Meditation can enhance every aspect of a person’s life.
How long can someone stay in a meditative state and what is the ideal time?
There is no ideal time really, when I teach people, we start with as little as just 20 minutes a day and that already starts to make a difference to my clients and their lives.
Is it possible to reach enlightenment and how do you define it?
I personally believe that is indeed possible. Many aspects of meditation, as learned and then introduced into one’s life, incorporate elements of ‘enlightenment’ and the state of being ‘awake’ and ‘present’ to your life, moment by moment.
Can you acquire knowledge or see the future, even your destiny?
Through meditation you absolutely acquire knowledge, starting crucially with self-awareness. I think that rather than seeing your future or your destiny, you are in fact in a uniquely strengthened position to better create your future and destiny, and most importantly, to be able to engage with each moment of your present in the best, most enlightened and enjoyable way.
You are also a Reiki healer. What is the relation between Reiki and meditation?
When I work with Reiki and work with energy healing, I work in a very meditative way, as a practitioner. Many of my clients, when receiving a Reiki treatment experience a state of very deep peace and calm and this to me seems to be one of the closest connections. The two combine superbly and if my clients choose, I will often bring the two together. Energy-based meditation is a great way to experience some of the peace that meditation can bring.
How much does scenery affect meditation time?
I endeavour to give people the skills to be able to bring meditation and mindfulness into their life with them, rather than going to a particular environment to achieve it. However, scenery and environment really help, particularly for those new to meditation.
