Distinctly Montana Magazine

H E A L T H Y, W E L L & F I T S P E C I A L S E C T I O N 55 garden and meditation space. The remarkable con- struction, begun in 2000 and still under construction, is the brainchild of Tibetan Buddhist organization Ewam International, which aims to "spread and cultivate spiritual awareness in the West through philosophical and psychological discussion, as well as medicine." What better place could there be to get mindful? But before I can do that, I have to reckon with a difficult ques- tion: what is meditation? And do I have to become Buddhist to practice it? That's a somewhat flippant question, I realize, but one which may still concern some who might otherwise be open to the experience. So I decide to ask Elaine Huang, owner of Embodiment of Free- dom, a small meditation and self-help practice that aims to "empower people to embody more freedom." Elaine discov- ered meditation in her mid-twenties and has found in the decades since that it has been a consistent and profoundly helpful experience to her—so much so that she has devoted her life to educating people about what she considers to be a revolu- tionary way to manage anxiety. Or perhaps not so revolutionary, since it's been around for thousands of years. As Elaine points out, "Neuroscience is now backing up what ho- listic traditions have known for thousands of years by validating the efficacy of the mental and physical benefits of meditation practices." She's right, too. Hundreds of studies have shown exact- ly that—there are myriad benefits to meditation, especial- ly for the anxious. And even the most critical studies are forced to admit that meditation shows beneficial effects. So my next question for Elaine is a practical one. Do I have to con- vert to Buddhism to meditate effectively? Will I have to wear one of those orange robes you see on lamas and monks? It turns out I won't have to. Unless I want to. "It can be entirely secular," she tells me. "You can do it just for the benefit of improving your sense of peace, reducing stress, helping to heal or alleviate stress-re- lated disorders. The emotional benefit has been known to lessen anxiety, improve depression." But, she is quick to point out, "Meditation alone is not enough. Meditation can be used as a way of spiritually bypass- ing issues that need to be addressed in therapy or counseling. You might feel good, but you're not really tending to the root of what's making you not feel good. You can't just say, 'I'm fine now.' You want to use meditation as a way to address emo- tional and physical suffering, not as a way to avoid it." Part of me is disappointed not to hear her proclaim meditation a cure-all pana- cea for the mind. That would have made it easier to dismiss. But thinking of meditation as a mov- ing target, a work-in-progress, or as a tool (potentially one of many) in our self-care toolbox casts the prac- tice in a different light. Without the mystical associations, I find I am much more willing to try. And so, after ask- ing Elaine for a very simple introductory meditation to start me off, I headed for the Garden of One Thousand Buddhas where, I hoped, I would achieve one-ness with the universe or, at least, a modicum of peace for an afternoon. But, before I went, I thought I'd better send an email to Namchak Khen Rinpoche Ngawang Gelek, one of the Tibetan Buddhist monks at the Garden. I asked him what he thought about Montana as a place to meditate, and he RENEE CARLSON The Dharma Center, Bozeman Elaine Huang ELAINE HUANG ELAINE HUANG

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