Meditation for Anxiety
- Aug 1, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 2, 2021
Yoga and meditation introduce a purposeful way to stimulate moment by moment awareness as a way of being. By employing the benefits of mindfulness meditation, we alleviate the suffering associated with anxiety, depression and feelings of unworthiness. Guilt, shame and childhood trauma impact the psyche, surfacing in adulthood as defensive mechanisms. When confronted with stressful, life-changing circumstances, destructive habits emerge in negative behaviour patterns and self-sabotage. Self-doubt creates a limiting inferiority complex, preventing you from fulfilling your full potential.
Research has shown meditation is a powerful tool on the road to recovery. It enables you to utilise your 'post-traumatic wisdom' to live authentically from a compassionate heart space - It is more than sitting cross-legged in a darkened room. Neurologists such as Tania Singer have studied the effect of meditation on the brain, the body and quality of life. Groundbreaking research has found consistent daily mindfulness meditation alters the density of the brain. MRI scans on regular practitioners showed increased activity in the regions that govern short-term memory, decision-making, creativity, and compassion. It also radically improves your immune system, lowering stress-inducing adrenaline and cortisol levels. If you suffer from sleepless nights dedicating ten minutes a day to meditation aids insomnia. It also lowers your blood pressure and enables the body to produce longer telomeres delaying your cellular ageing process.
Creative visualisation for anxiety
The use of mental images or creative visualisation has a therapeutic effect on anxiety symptoms. If you continuously visualise a stress-inducing situation before it happens, you condition the brain to be less anxious. If you focus on generating feelings of calm, love and fulfilment, you will begin to embody these principles. Meditation will dramatically increase the positive experience of each moment in the day.
Mindfulness meditation brings awareness to the present moment by drawing attention to thoughts without a reactive response. Processing and releasing each thought enables you to detox negative emotions, creating an optimistic mindset. Taking 10-minutes a day to practice this meditation technique will bring a profound change to your life. You begin to notice that all of your thoughts are not true, alleviating the negative thought processes that cause anxiety.
The Technique
Place a blanket or yoga mat on the floor and lie down. If there is a light breeze, cover your body with a shawl, small blanket or throw. You can also choose to sit in your armchair if the floor is not accessible to you.
Get in a comfortable position and close your eyes, or softly gaze in the distance at nothing in particular. Deepen your breath, draw your focus to the parts of your back in contact with the surface beneath you.
Relax your scalp and your eyebrows, allowing your tongue to grow heavy. Open and close your mouth a few times, making wide circles. Close your mouth and relax your jaw, settling the space between your shoulders and lower back. Become aware of your breathing. Notice all four parts of the breath the inhale, the exhale and each space in between. Focus on each part of the breath as a separate unit.
Starting from the crown of your head, scan your body, turning your attention to any sensations. Breathe into any pain or tension, softly focusing awareness on each point. Let your breath naturally deepen until you feel a natural sense of calm. Inhale deeply into any painful spots and exhale tension, relaxing each muscle.
Bring your conscious attention to your thoughts, especially any that stir emotional distress. Take note of any oppressive patterns that emerge, releasing each thought without judging the emotion. Maintain an interest but do not allow the feelings to overwhelm you. Categorise each thought as positive, neutral or negative. Look at each one briefly without getting involved, give it a name and let it go.
Once you identify a pattern, write it in your notebook. Practice this often to recognise the difference between your thoughts and build a healthier mindset. To see consistent results practice this meditation often to develop your concentration.
Comments