How to use meditation in times of anxiety?

Meditation is a practice with many different variants that have been used since ancient times, especially in Eastern culture. The practice of prayer in Western culture could be considered analogous. It consists, in general terms, of withdrawing attention from certain stimuli and thoughts that cause us tension to concentrate it, either on breathing, on the repetition of phrases or words as a mantra, or being guided through visualizations.

The practices proposed by Mindfulness, which are not synonymous with meditation, have the objective of connecting with the present moment, redirecting attention to breathing whenever the mind begins to wander. The connection with the bodily sensations, with the sounds around, is important in this practice.

In transcendental meditation, for example, mantras are repeated to achieve a state of relaxation. Beyond the differences between the different practices, in this article, we are going to focus on the benefit that it can bring to anxiety symptoms, especially in times of crisis.

It is important, whatever the chosen practice, that it is practiced with some constancy. Because initially, it is difficult to get a quick relaxation.

Breathing techniques are already very powerful tools in themselves to reduce anxiety at specific times.

It is very important to gradually recognize how anxiety manifests itself subjectively. Manifestations vary from person to person. Recognizing the individual manifestation, how it begins to express itself, through what bodily symptoms, and what happens with thought is very important to be able to identify cycles and be able to intervene appropriately.

Very probably over time, we will be able to identify situations that trigger it and how it begins to show itself incipiently. At these times, intervening with small meditations or breathing exercises can be useful to reduce its intensity. 

Anxiety manifests itself involuntarily, and it is usually intensified if we react to it with fear or reluctance. Trying to make what we feel disappear from one moment to another will only make it stronger. In these cases, it is necessary to accept and raise awareness of what appears, and then see what we can do from there. Psychological therapies can help in this registration and awareness process.

Meditation can be a very powerful tool to kick-start when you spot signs of anxiety. I propose below a way to record anxiety and intervene through small moments of meditation.

When anxiety begins to manifest, you may notice that your breathing becomes labored, that it is difficult for you to breathe in, or you experience sweating or gastroenterological symptoms, among many others. When this happens, whenever possible, it is advisable to move away for a moment to a place with lesser external stimuli (low lights and shelter from disturbing noises) and carry out a brief meditation, it can be only 5 minutes, taking deep breaths, directed to the belly and concentrating attention on the entry and exit of the air.

Concentration on something specific is very important right now. There are those who recommend accompanying the breath with a gesture of the hand rising when inhaling and descending when exhaling, following the path with the eyes. Focusing attention on the tip of the nose is also a recommended technique. A mantra can also be repeated internally. In Kundalini Yoga, for example, the Sat-Nam mantra is used, Sat when inhaling, and Nam when exhaling.

Finding what particularly relaxes you is a path of exploration, but just introducing these pauses when detecting the appearance of symptoms can help reduce their intensity and slow down their development.

 

 

Thank You