FOR one hour a week, every Sunday, Cushendun woman Eva Templeton is able to set aside the strain and pain that comes with having a long term, debilitating health condition, thanks to the power of meditation.
The 33-year-old former nurse and paramedic was diagnosed in October 2019 with ME and POTS syndrome (Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) – a condition that affects circulation – three years on from the onset of her symptoms.
Unable to work as a result of the illness and overwhelmed by such intense fatigue that even a trip to her ensuite bathrooms proves exhausting, Eva often feels stressed and frustrated at her body's inability to function how it used to. And when she is stressed, her condition worsens – something she discovered to her detriment during lockdown earlier this year, when she was isolated from her support network.
When a fellow member of the Hope 4 ME and Fibro NI charity, based in Newry, suggested she give online meditation sessions a try, Eva signed up. The Zoom sessions are delivered every Sunday by yoga and meditation teacher Connor Schelling-Tisza, a former tennis pro from Co Down. And according to Eva, that one hour of meditation has made a huge difference to her life; helping her to relax and providing her with the necessary tools to practise it herself when she feels under stress.
“What I've found, since doing the meditation classes with Connor, is that Sundays tend to be better days,” says Eva. “I've learned how to connect with my body and how to bring my mind back from always worrying. For that hour, my mind is not racing. My body and mind are one and I feel completely relaxed.
“There's a lot of anxiety and frustration when your body refuses to work properly. Sometimes I'm so fatigued, making it to my ensuite feels like climbing Mount Everest.
“It's not that the meditation takes the fatigue away but when you feel blissed out, like I do every time I do Connor's meditation, I tend to feel happier and have a bit more energy. That Sunday class sets me up for the rest of the day.
“When I feel relaxed, I don't have the pain I normally have to deal with. My mind slows down completely. Meditation has also taught me how to pace myself and how to accept my new life and limitations.
“It's a much-needed break from the reality of having a condition as debilitating as ME and of course, having the support of the group was invaluable during lockdown, when I was cut off from my family. I couldn't recommend meditation highly enough.”
Saintfield woman Andrea Quigg is another attendee of Connor's online guided meditation. The 59-year-old former hairdresser was diagnosed with fibromyalgia six years ago and joined the charity Hope's support group when the constant pain she was in forced her to give up work.
The meditation has been a lifeline, she says, and when she misses a session, she notices that her condition worsens.
“I wasn't able to attend a few online classes and I really felt the difference,” she says. “I find it hard to switch off, but for that hour, I'm totally relaxed.
“Right from the first session with Connor, I felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. It's hard to explain but he has such a lovely, soothing way with him and helps me to focus on my breathing and slow my mind down.”
Andrea says that when she's feeling stressed or in pain, she imagines Connor's voice telling her to calm down and breathe.
“I'm not so uptight then and when there's a big difference in my mood and I'm relaxed, the pain level drops. It doesn't rid me of pain completely, but it certainly helps.”
Omagh-born Gary Campion, who now lives in Belfast, is the press officer for Hope and introduced Connor to the group after meeting at the gym.
Gary developed ME following an equestrian accident and subsequent physical trauma. Surgery on his injured foot was put off due to Covid 19. He says the condition leaves him "tired but wired". Often fatigued, he too finds it difficult to switch off his racing mind. Graded exercise therapy made him worse and he can no longer run, a pastime he misses.
But after trying one of Connor's online meditation classes, he immediately felt its benefit and asked him would he take a regular session for the group.
“Meditation helps me to silence my brain and chill out,” he says. “Connor does different types of meditation including a tapping one to open energy flows, but the people with fibromyalgia struggled with that one as they are so sensitive to even light touch.
“For many of the group, lockdown made their symptoms worse but having that time with Connor to zone out and relax really helped.
"The first session was watched by maybe three of us but the feedback was so good that we have up to 20 members joining in now.
“Connor has one of those voices which is almost hypnotic and so calming. Guided breathing can help produce energy in the body which is a huge thing for people with ME. And if you really get into it, you can get to the point where you actually feel the blood pumping round your body. It's almost euphoric.”
Connor qualified as a yoga and guided meditation coach after practising both disciplines for years. The 30-year-old, who is also an actor and model and is currently working as an assistant director on Nicole Kidman's new drama The Northman, saw how much meditation helped Gary so was happy to help other local ME and fibromyalgia sufferers.
What Connor noticed was that meditation had a more profound effect on people with lower energy and regular energy crashes. On a surface level, slower breathing techniques helped them relax, observe and acknowledge background noise and intrusive thoughts and let them go, releasing tensions in their bodies in the process. As the group members fell into a deeper meditative state, they began to feel less pain, cope with stress better and enjoy more restful sleep.
“Holding tension causes blockages in the body. As we release those blockages through breathing techniques, we can fill the body with energy so it can rest, heal, recover and eventually thrive,” explains Connor.
“No matter how many times your mind wanders and gets away from that stillness, you can bring it back. Don't judge yourself for having those thoughts, sensations in your body or really bad pain. Observe them, start to breathe slowly and allow yourself to untangle so you have the space to let those thoughts and feelings pass.
“To have racing thoughts during meditation is very natural. Instead of pushing them away, notice them, breathe through them and repeat the process over and over again. The moment you try and suppress something, it'll just pop back up.”
Connor says he's delighted with the positive results and responses he's had to his online meditation classes and that anyone is capable of getting into that desired meditative state.
“Relaxation and breathing techniques aren't just helpful for good physical health but mental as well,” he says. “It's great to see the impact it's having on people with ME and fibromyalgia and it's nice to be making a difference in their lives.”
