Meditation for anxiety relief is the best option for calming the nerves, rejuvenating the senses, and giving you a whole new perspective on life.
When anxiety overwhelms, it seems like it’s too late to save yourself from the ensuing panic attack. And maybe it is a bit harder to recover at that time. If only you could recognize the warnings of an impending attack, you could thwart the problem. Hey, there are anxiety triggers, but that’s another blog altogether… There is good news, however! Practicing meditation for anxiety is one way to promote anxiety relief. And it works!
Meditation techniques
Meditation doesn’t just include clearing your mind. There is so much more to this practice that makes it beneficial to the health – not only physically but mentally as well.
When it comes to dealing with anxiety, there are several techniques that provide relief and help you understand what you’re going through with your disorder.
Here are a few tactics to practice during meditation for anxiety relief.
Visualization
The practice of visualization is simple. The idea is to see yourself in a peaceful environment surrounded by tranquil sounds. You can visualize yourself on the beach, in the forest or on top of a mountain. As long as the environment is soothing, then you have found a place that calms your nerves and relieves the anxiety.
Here’s how to embark upon the visualization process:
- Close your eyes and imagine being in a peaceful environment. Make sure the details of your environment are vivid and realistic.
- Imagine the natural sounds which surround you and let these sounds caress your ears.
- Imagine the scents that could be present in the environment and enjoy the way they travel into your physical sense receptors.
- Reach out and feel the earth, the air, the water, or the foliage. Let each sensation bring more reality to your imagination.
- You can even open your mouth and attempt to taste the visualized flavors of the air.
During your visualization, you will notice your worries drifting away. This is the reason why you chose to do this experiment, and it worked!
Self-Massage
You don’t have to visit a masseuse to enjoy a nice massage. You can actually take part in self-massage to alleviate stress. After all, massage therapy is part of meditative therapy.
If anxiety is rearing its ugly head, then take time to give yourself a quick massage, at the desk, in your car, or even while lying in bed trying to sleep.
Here are a few basic steps in the process:
- The muscles in the back of the neck show the first signs of tension. You can alleviate this tension by kneading the area with your knuckles or gently pinching these muscles between your fingers.
- After this, you can start massaging your face. Use the tips of your fingers to rub circles around your nose, between your eyes, and past your temples. Since tension usually rests upon the face, this will help loosen those vibes and push them away.
- Massage various parts of the body, in the same way, alternating light strokes with deep tissue molding.
Body Scan
This type of meditation may seem strange, but it works wonders. The way it works is by mindfulness – it’s about being aware of each part of the body and how it feels.
If there’s a pain in the right foot, then being mindful and concentrating on this pain will help the mind-body connection work toward healing this pain.
Here’s how to conduct this type of meditation for anxiety relief:
- The first step is to lay on your back in a comfortable and quiet area. After you are still, start to concentrate on your breathing and then regulate the speed and depth of your breathing.
- Now start with your feet. Think about your feet, do they hurt and where is the pain? Concentrate on the pain and then move on.
- At each body part, as done by a scanner, think deeply about the body part, visualizing its parts and then on any pain that may be present. After acknowledging the pain, move on.
- Continue this process from your toes to the top of your head. When you’re done, you will notice that you are calm and the anxiety is gone.
Yoga or Tai Chi
Yoga and Tai Chi both target breathing exercises paired with stationary and slow-motion techniques. They are beneficial for anxiety because of the concentrated effort that’s needed to perform the exercises effectively.
After all, if postures and positions aren’t carried through correctly, you can sustain injury. Make sure, when attempting either Yoga or Tai Chi, you consult a professional or take classes. This is the safest way to enjoy the practice and reduce stress.
Mediative breathing techniques
There are several breathing techniques used to reduce stress and calm anxiety symptoms. These breathing techniques range from beginner to advanced. Here are a few examples:
- Sama Vritti-Equal breathing (beginner)
This technique is so simple that a child could do it. It’s extremely effective for those who suffer from insomnia. First, you inhale and count to four and then exhale and count to four.
This motion helps you concentrate on breathing instead of all your problems, and thus, helps you fall to sleep.
- Nadi Shadhanna-Alternate nostril breathing (intermediate)
This practice is performed just how it sounds. You literally inhale and exhale one nostril at a time. First, you hold your thumb over your right nostril and take deep breaths. Then you continue with the other side. Keep breathing in this way until you feel energized.
Some say this technique works much like having a cup of coffee. Imagine that!
Anxiety’s worst nightmare
Isn’t it nice to know that you can use meditation for anxiety? I know, it might seem like I’m providing a simple answer to a monster of an illness, but that’s not the case. What I strive to do is simply provide another option and alternative to medicating anxiety.
Please take the time to try some of these techniques or join a Yoga class. It never hurts to try something new. You never know, it just might be the key to finding peace during the storm. Be blessed!
References:
