Meditation: An Antidote to Anxiety
By Tim Blake (March 2008)
Why do it?
I won’t beat around the bush. Meditation is simply one of the most practical and effective methods in reducing one’s anxiety. Those who have suffered from anxiety and have given meditation a genuine go will often tell you with wide eyes in an almost disturbing manner how much they have regained their life through practicing regular meditation. You will learn to relax the body and mind to an extent most people are completely unfamiliar with – and over time you develop a much friendlier and healthier relationship with your thoughts. You come to see and understand how thoughts can contribute to stress and that it is possible to live a life with less anxiety, worry and concern. People also often discover a degree of tranquillity and mental clarity that they never imagined possible. Life often seems to flow more smoothly and difficulties become easier to manage.
Its benefits have been scientifically proven through extensive clinical research and medical evidence to the degree that it is now recommended by Psychiatrists and Psychologists as part of the standard treatment regime offered to patients suffering anxiety disorders. On a physiological level, meditation results in decreased blood pressure, better circulation, lower pulse and metabolic rates and less muscular tension. It also affects the immune system and alters the levels of various hormones in the body. It therefore has proven benefits in relieving the effects of insomnia, hypertension, migraines, fatigue, pain, digestive problems and chronic illness. If you’re not one for the cold hard facts, perhaps you can be convinced of its effectiveness through the knowledge that many celebrities now practice meditation regularly!
So why doesn’t everyone with anxiety meditate?
People either don’t attempt it for various reasons, or they try only half heartedly and then proclaim “1) I can’t do it, 2) my mind is always racing and I can’t control it”. 1) Scientific fact: everyone can do it, it is not like singing where you seem to have it or you don’t! But it does take time and effort to learn. 2) Of course your mind is racing, that is the very reason you are leaning meditation, to calm the mind. You are not trying to control your mind; that is impossible; you are learning to objectively observe it.
So, what is meditation?
There are a lot of misconceptions about meditation. You do not have to renounce the material world, shave your head, go to Tibet and sit in a cave for rest of your life. You can if you like, but really meditation is quite simply the ‘art of deliberately relaxing the body and calming the mind’. These are simple skills that anyone can learn, much as you would if you took up an instrument or sport or underwent any other sort of training. The skills are based on clear, verifiable principles and are surprisingly easy to do. During meditation you:
- learn how to calm yourself rapidly
- discover how to identify and let go of physical and mental stress
- learn to watch your thoughts and emotions objectively
- enjoy new found mental clarity and awareness
Meditation is also easy to adapt to your own needs. You can integrate it into the busiest of lifestyles and use it for all kinds of different purposes. At work, you could do a momentary ‘spot meditation’ to quickly de-stress. You could use it to heighten your enjoyment whilst walking or eating, or to prepare yourself for an exam or important meeting.
In brief, people meditate to:
relax, de-stress and better cope with anxiety
remain calm and balanced throughout the day
improve their health
cope better with pain and sadness
develop greater awareness
stimulate creative thinking
find happiness, beauty and meaning
To find out how to meditate try reading some books, searching the internet, listening to guided CD’s or attending classes in meditation.
Recommendations for further information and resources
Pauline McKinnon, Life Development Centre- www.stillnessmeditation.com
Melbourne meditation centre- www.melbournemeditationcentre.com.au
Meditation Society of Australia- www.meditation.org.au
New products available through ADAVIC
CD- A taste of meditation. Practical techniques to relax the body and calm the mind.
This wonderful CD put together by the Melbourne Mediation Centre, provides 6 guided meditations each of around 12 minutes duration. There are no rules, if you can walk, eat or sleep you can enjoy the benefits of these simple, practical techniques. It is perfect for people across the range of meditation experience, including first timers. So, grab a spare moment, make yourself comfortable and enjoy the ride.
Will be available through ADAVIC soon. Cost: $28.00
CD- How to meditate
(available through www.melbournemeditationcentre.com.au)
A complete meditation course on CD, this package includes comprehensive instructions on how to meditate, 12 Spot Meditations that you can use to de-stress in short bursts throughout the day, longer meditations designed to help you develop your technique, several tracks that lead to the development of awareness or 'insight', and explanations and meditations offering strategies on managing difficult thoughts, emotions and physical pain.
By Tim Blake (March 2008)
