Using Meditation to Fight Panic and Anxiety
Meditation is a term that’s used to describe a whole range of methods used to transform our everyday awareness. The goal is to help us learn more about our true nature and in the process we bring more stillness and harmony into our lives. When we feel this harmony, we’re less likely to suffer from pressure or panic. So meditation can help us deal with our stress and anxiety.
And while the tranquility meditation offers us is a powerful tool, it is also a tool that goes widely un-used. That’s because a lot of people are intimidated by meditation. They think it takes years of “monastery training.” Or they think you need to have a natural talent for it. But that’s not true of meditation at all.
Basically, meditation is extremely simple to begin. You don’t need a lot of time, and you don’t need much more than a quiet place to practice. Then, once you’ve gone through a short session or two, you’ll actually begin feeling the benefits. It’s actually pretty remarkable.
Now, to begin the learning process, I suggest some type of group class. It’s great to have an instructor to lead you when you’re just starting out. And it’s great to have some other classmates to share the experience with. The YWCA or the YMCA are great places to look for your first class. You can also try your local community college or night schools.
And don’t forget your library. You’ll find many titles about meditation at any well-stocked library. Books have the advantage of giving you great depth on the subject and they can also get you going rather fast. But their disadvantage is that they can only guide you so far and they can’t help you make corrections or changes.
DVDs and CDs can also get you started quickly. Most of them have guided sessions so they’re like attending an instructor-led class. This gives you a deeper experience and gives you more of a handle on how meditating “feels.” Also, each time you listen to a session, you tend to learn and experience something more.
When starting out with meditation, you typically learn one or more breathing meditations first. They’re relatively simple to do and they get you actually meditating fast. If you stick with it, you can move into more advanced meditations and you can stay in the meditative state for longer periods. How far you take it is really up to you. But you will feel the calming effects of meditation from your very first session.
The practice of meditation is a very old and studied art. It’s been around for 1,000’s of years because it yields real benefits. It’s a truly effective method for dealing with stress, anxiety, and even panic attacks. So I’d recommend that you give it a try. After all, it’s easy to do, doesn’t cost much, and it could mean a great difference in your life.
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