by April Renee
Featured Contributor
You’ve heard of this before people. Meditation to relieve anxiety is not a new
concept and you should be aware of the notion.
I happen to be very familiar with the process myself and so you
can bet your ass I’m going to recommend it.
You don’t need me telling you what to do however - follow the research.
Carnegie Mellon University states that practicing mindfulness
meditation for 25 minutes per session for three consecutive days can alleviate
psychological stress. Accordingly, an
analysis of previous studies compiled in 2014 showed this type of meditation to
be “moderately” effective in battling depression, anxiety and pain.
It is otherwise noted that one of the best definitions of
mindfulness comes from Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress
Reduction. Kabat-Zinn said that
mindfulness is, “paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and
nonjudgmentally, to the unfolding of experience moment to moment.
“One of the most important benefits of mindfulness meditation
is the ability for us to more fully live our lives,” according to Janice L. Marturano, executive
director of the Institute For Mindful Leadership and the author of ‘Finding the Space to Lead: A Practical Guide
to Mindful Leadership.’ She further
states that “we become more skillful at noticing those times when we aren’t
present for our lives, and, more importantly, we know that we are able to
redirect our distracted mind.”
A good habit to get into is to pick a designated time every day
to meditate. This comes in many
varieties. Some people write, others do
yoga to incorporate exercise into their meditation, while still others practice
the typically assumed positions of quiet and solitude for a short (or long)
period of time.
It is important to find your ‘happy place’ and go there as
often as possible but meditation is something else entirely. Meditation is about solace and recognition of
self.
“It’s not necessarily about quieting the mind, because the
nature of the mind is to think, analyze and compartmentalize,” says Ashley
Turner, a California based yoga and meditation teacher. “It’s normal for our minds to be overactive,
so because you’re thinking and taking in the sounds around you doesn’t mean
that you’re doing meditation wrong. It
actually means you’re doing it right!
The goal is to create more focus.”
According to psychcentral.com - meditation also helps with
anxiety because it quiets the overactive brain.
“For someone with anxiety, it sometimes feels like their mind is like a
hamster on a wheel - constantly running, but not really getting anywhere,” says Tom Corboy, a Marriage and Family
Therapist and co-author of The Mindfulness
Workbook for OCD and also founder and executive director of the OCD Center
of Los Angeles.
He further mentions that we get anxious because we buy into our
thoughts and feelings. This becomes
overwhelming and yet our thoughts don’t warrant this undivided attention.
Meditation cultivates an attitude of nonjudgmental acceptance
according to Corboy. “The goal is not to
get to a place where your life is free of problems - that’s not possible - but
rather to develop the skill of accepting the existence of those problems
without overvaluing them.”
So what are you waiting for?
The time is right, and the right now is the time.
Be sure to check out my articles listed below related to the
dangers of Anxiety
Works Cited
Authors Bio: April Renee is a Freelance Writer and Enthusiast. She currently studies English and Humanities with a focus in Writing Communications. Her dedication to writing spans many years across topics of many interests. She is niched in:
-- Travel
-- Environmental and Agricultural/Gardening Fare
-- Health and Fitness
-- Arts/Humanities
-- Philosophies
-- Pets
-- Mortgage/Real Estate/Banking
April has a culturally diverse technique related to promotional marketing and consumer product sales/reviews, including website content and maintenance. She also has relative experience in advertising and website design pertaining to entrepreneurial startups.
Twitter - @Scarlet_Nathan