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Meditation is a way of being, not a technique.

Meditation affects the body in exactly the opposite ways that stress does, restoring the body to a calm state, helping the body to repair itself, and preventing new damage due to the physical effects of stress.

Meditation is best thought of as a way of being, rather than a technique or a collection of techniques

We might say that meditation is really a way of being appropriate to the circumstances one finds oneself in, in any and every moment. If we are caught up in the preoccupations of our own mind, in that moment we cannot be present in an appropriate way or perhaps at all. We will bring an agenda of some kind to whatever we say or do or think, even if we don't know it.





How To Meditate

The word meditation is burdened with a lot of religious or spiritual padding in today's society. For the panic and anxiety sufferer, I believe, it's best to put those descriptions aside and just look at meditation as an exercise in learning to relax and to focus your thoughts. Here is how I meditate.

Difficulty          : Average

Time Required : 20 minutes

Here's How     :

1. Tell everyone in your household that you will be meditating/relaxing on a daily basis, and that means you will need to be undisturbed during those times. Unplug your phone if necessary.

2. Go to a quiet room, shut the door and sit comfortably. I sit on the floor with a pillow behind my back, leaning against the bed. I leave my legs outstretched (they go to sleep, otherwise), and I also listen to very soft music with guitar and nature sounds.

3. Close you eyes -- relax all your muscles.

4. Breathe naturally, but (important!) make sure that your tummy is rising first, as opposed to your chest.

5. Concentrate, lightly, on your breathing. Just feel your breath going in and out -- I follow it, in my mind, through my nose and out past my lips.

6. Every 3-4 breaths, my mind wanders, and I just look at those thoughts as if they were butterflies, and let them flutter away. Your thoughts will come continually. Don't fight them, just let them go, and don't let them have any meaning to you. Then, come back every time, to focusing on your breath.

7. Practice every day for 20 minutes -- at the same time of day, if possible.

Tips:

1. At first I hated this exercise -- was too keyed up to enjoy it.

Never wanted to STOP and do it. However, with practice I came to LOVE meditation and to look forward to that time of day when I meditate.

2. Why meditate?

 Because it teaches you to be able to fully relax. It teaches you to breath correctly. (One explaination, as described on HBO's PANIC!, is that panic sufferers do not breathe correctly when they are nervous. They breathe shallowly with their upper lungs only -- and this causes them to breathe their own carbon dioxide -- which, in turn, makes their body think they are beginning to suffocate -- thus, PANIC!)

3. Another important thing about meditation is that you begin to learn to focus your mind and ignore thoughts. As every panic sufferer understands, this is a very, very useful tool. To be able to relax and keep your attention where it should be could prevent a lot of panic attacks, eh?
 

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