De-stressing one breath at a time

Breathe in, breathe out.

It’s a simple act. You do it thousands of times every day, but breathing is also the core of Darlene Waters’ meditation practice.

Waters, a resident of The Narrows community in north Shelby County, has been teaching meditation for more than 20 years. She started simple — a few moments sitting cross-legged on the bed each morning — to make herself a more patient parent. This led to learning in classes and eventually teaching to share the benefits that meditation gave her to others.

“It definitely can bring a sense of calm, peace and clarity,” Waters said. “That is a very different place to go through life instead of constant knee-jerk reacting.”

Regular meditation has been shown to reduce stress levels and increase positive outlooks, and some studies have connected it to reduced symptoms of pain, depression, high blood pressure, heart disease and anxiety. Despite this, Waters said most people aren’t familiar with the practice.

“Life is crazy. We’re always being pulled in all these different directions,” Waters said. “So if you have a tool, most people would use it. They’re just not aware it exists.”

There are many styles of meditation, some using mantras, candles or music. In Waters’ classes at Lemon Tree Yoga in The Village at Lee Branch shopping center, she uses breathing to redirect her clients’ focus inside themselves. She describes herself as something of a “mechanic” as she leads the class, redirecting people’s thoughts and energy when they have difficulty focusing.

Some of Waters’ clients have been coming to her classes for 15 years.

“Teaching is the best way to learn. No question. My students have always and continue to be my best teachers,” Waters said. “It’s not about what you know. It’s about what you can help them with.”

First-time students often come in with hesitations or a lack of information. Waters said some confuse meditation with yoga or think they can completely achieve perfect inner focus or enlightenment in a week. She said the best way to approach meditation is as a mental trip to the gym, which takes time and effort just like a physical workout.

Some also worry that meditation is incompatible with their religious faith in some way. While meditation can be linked to praying or spiritual practices in many religions, Waters said that the practice at its most basic level is about relaxation and self-awareness, not a particular religion. 

“It is what you make of it,” she said.

For those who overcome those hesitations and begin taking meditation classes, Waters said at first they typically find it easier to meditate in the group rather than at home. When they make it a daily practice, the effects of meditation begin to show in their lives.

“After a couple months, they’ll come in and say, ‘You know I’ve been doing that as you suggested, and I didn’t have time the other day. I was rushed. And you know, my whole day was different. It was just off,’” Waters said.

These reactions mirror what Waters has seen in her own life: more compassion, less stress and the ability to calm herself in difficult situations.

“It’s my passion to be able to share it with others, to give them the skill that changed my life,” Waters said.

Waters also teaches classes at PH Balanced Fitness and Villager Yoga in Vestavia Hills, and she wants to start a basic meditation class for businesses looking to offer the service to employees. From community centers to schools and nursing homes, Waters said she’d like to see meditation in any place that people gather.

“Everyone can benefit,” she said. “There’s really nowhere I wouldn’t like to see it.”