The Power of Meditation: How Mental Health Begins in the Body

By Kez Stuk, Founder of The In Between Co 

Kez Stuk

How Meditation Changed My Life 

Meditation is something incredibly close to my heart, not because I was naturally good at it, but because I wasn’t. For most of my life, my mind was loud, busy and always active. I simply couldn’t switch off, relax and I genuinely believed meditation just wasn’t for me. If you’re reading this and thinking that is me, I promise, I get it. And I just want to say first, there is nothing wrong with having an active and rich mind, in fact, I love mine. 

What I realised was that I struggled to slow down and relax, living in perpetual fight or flight and high levels of arousal and stress. It’s something that I hear all the time and not just from those in high-stress jobs, I find this extends much more broadly to most of us living in this modern world. And I just want you to know, there is nothing wrong with you if you are resonating with this. We live in a society that pedestals productivity, where slowing down is a revolutionary act. Truthfully, most of the time I didn’t even realise how stressed I was because I was always on the go, barely slowed down and lived off caffeine. Naturally, this caused a number of physical health issues, autoimmune diseases, anxiety and chronic stress. And, I learned this the hard way through years of ignoring my body’s signals until the migraines, autoimmune flares, anxiety and exhaustion became impossible to ignore. 

So, I feel it is my moral duty to share how things changed for me, in the hope that it may help you too. Coming from someone who ‘couldn’t’ meditate to the person that hasn’t gone a day without it in the last 18 months, I have a bit to say on this topic. The real turning point was when I stopped trying to silence my thoughts and instead learned to meet my body where it was, with curiosity and love. 

Let’s bust some common myths: meditation is not the absence of thought, although we are very much conditioned to believe that it is. It’s not sitting in silence for hours on end with no thoughts (although it can be). To me, meditation is presence. Anything that brings you into your body with intention, which could be as simple as walking, creating, breathing chanting, sauna, movement, dancing, yoga, writing, even driving! These can all become meditative practices when done with awareness and intention. 

The Research: Your Mental Health is Your Physical Health 

During my Holistic Health Coach Training with the Institute of Integrative Nutrition (IIN), I was blessed to learn from Ellen Vora MD. a Holistic Psychiatrist, Acupuncturist and Yoga Teacher, who completely reframes the conversation around mental health. Her work ties in so beautifully with the power of meditation. Let me explain. 

For decades, the dominant narrative has been that anxiety and depression stem from neurotransmitter imbalances in the brain. Ellen discovered through her clinical work and research that; mental health is deeply rooted in the physical body. Inflammation, chronic stress, poor sleep, nutrient depletion, all create signals in the physical body that tell the brain: “I am not safe”. This ‘downstream’ effect results in the body generating inflammation. Our immune system tries to protect us by releasing cytokines (chemical messengers that alert the brain to potential danger). The brain doesn’t know why the signal is there, it just reacts. This can show up as: anxiety, low mood, overwhelm, irritability, difficulty concentrating etc.

What is so empowering about this reframe from Ellen is that it shows us that we have complete autonomy as to the lifestyle changes we can adopt to reduce inflammation in the physical body. Consequently, reducing inflammation supports mental clarity, emotional stability, nervous system regulation, and a more grounded sense of self. 

This is where meditation comes in as a powerful downstream practice to regulate the nervous system, reducing inflammation in the body and communicating to the brain: “we are safe”. And we can’t ignore the benefits of contrast therapy, another impactful tool to help the nervous system reset from the stressors of daily living, and become more adaptable and resilient. 

As always, let’s not forget the basic lifestyle factors that can also profoundly impact our mental and physical health, including: 

● Environment: Feeling safe, grounded and contained in the spaces we inhabit.

● Sleep: 7–9 hours of quality rest for repair and recalibration. 

● Sunlight: Regulating circadian rhythms and boosting mood. 

● Nutrition: Stabilising blood sugar and reducing inflammation. 

● Movement: Supporting lymphatic flow and emotional release. 

How Meditation Lowers Inflammation and Chronic Stress 

Meditation helps shift the brain from an active Beta/Gamma brain wave state into calmer Alpha/Theta states. The latter are associated with deep relaxation, emotional processing and nervous system recalibration. 

What I noticed personally, and what I witness with a lot of clients, is that if you have had a stressful day, or even a busy day, our bodies are heightened with cortisol and it’s very challenging to drop into a meditative state. 

My biggest piece of advice here is to prepare the body to enter into a meditative state because we can only enter into these relaxed brain waves when our nervous system feels safe. It’s like telling a zebra to calm down after it has been attacked by a lion. I mean, that’s wildly illogical. Just like the zebra, our bodies are biologically designed to protect us and ensure survival at all costs (even if that means living in a perpetual state of heightened stress). 

Infrared Sauna at Recovery Lab Mornington

This is where somatic practices are so incredibly helpful to discharge tension from the body before attempting to meditate. For instance, shaking, movement, breathwork, journaling etc. 

And it’s also why meditation pairs so beautifully with a sauna. 

Recalibrating the Nervous System Through Meditation and Sauna 

Heat therapy naturally relaxes our muscles, increases blood flow and signals to the body that “we are safe”. This creates beautiful conditions for meditation. It allows deeper presence, easier access to Alpha/Theta brainwave states, enhanced emotional release and nervous system recalibration. 

If you are someone who loves a sauna, meditating in the sauna is incredibly effective for both mental and physical wellbeing. You may also like to bring in your headphones and listen to binaural beats or a guided meditation, this provides a nice focal point for the brain to drop into Alpha/Theta states.

NuCalm at Recovery Lab Mornington

I recently tried NuCalm® at Recovery Lab Mornington before going into a sauna and safe to say, I floated out of the Lab. My partner also joined to do recovery in the compression boots and took one look at me and said: “are you in another world?” I definitely was. NuCalm® essentially combines all my top tips (below) for helping you drop into Alpha/Theta states through binaural beats, a safe environment, a weighted blanket and an eye mask. If you’re someone who needs some extra support to get into your body and out of the monkey mind, you may like to give NuCalm® a try (and couple this with a sauna to experience a deep state of tranquility). 

My Top Tips for Starting a Meditation Practice 

1. Let go of the ‘rules’: There is no right or wrong way to meditate. Only what feels good for you and your body. Set an intention to commit to 5 minutes a day for a week and see what shifts

2. Set up a supportive environment: A space where you feel safe and won’t be interrupted. Bypassing the conscious mind requires us to feel safe in our body. You may like to use noise-cancelling headphones, an eye mask, and a calming scent to enhance your experience.

3. Choose a style that feels good for you: Sound bowls, binaural beats (these alternate beats between your left ear and right ear to promote coherence between the left and right hemispheres of the brain), guided meditations, incorporating breathwork, silence or movement. Try different methods and follow what your body responds well to. 

4. Release stress first: If your mind is racing, try shaking, moving, journaling or breathwork to release the excess energy from your body before meditating. 

5. Start with the breath: Try a 4s inhale, 7s hold, 8s exhale through the nose. If thoughts arise (which they will!), greet them with compassion and let them pass like clouds in the sky. 6. Build gradually: Increase from 5 minutes to 7 minutes from 7 minutes to 10 minutes and so on. The key is seeing how your body responds. Longer doesn’t necessarily mean better.

7. Try meditation in the sauna: Bring your headphones in and let the heat soften your body while you go inward. Targeting both the physical and mental body. 

Finally, remember: there are no rules! Think about how you can approach your meditation practice from a place of curiosity and compassion, making your own rules and rhythm as you go along. 

I am excited for this journey you are going to embark on as you explore what feels good for your unique composition. If you have any questions, please reach out. I would love to hear from you. 

Kez is a former Corporate Lawyer turned Holistic Health, Life, Business and Intuitive Coach. Kez specialises in guiding those who are in seasons of transition, the space she calls ‘The In Between’. You can find Kez on instagram at @theinbetween_co, ways to connect on her website, or listen to her on The In Between Podcast