Meditation For Anxiety

Originally Published on YogaJournal

I started the physical practice of yoga as a way to stay in shape. But over time the work for me has become much more about the mechanics of the mind than of the body. My struggles are many, but one of my biggest is chronic anxiety. I’ve lived with it for most of my life. It is a condition that at times has left me paralyzed and almost completely nonfunctional. I tried therapy and drugs with little success. Meditation is what worked.

For more on Alex’s struggle with anxiety, read Patanjali Never Said Fancy Pose Are a Yoga Practice

The meditation I do is Buddhist Mindful Meditation. It was the first way to practice meditation that made sense to me. It wasn’t about clearing your thoughts away. It was about acknowledging that they exist but learning to ignore them. When I learned to ignore them, I could see how damaging and pointless most of what was up there was. It’s a long road and it takes effort, but that’s what it’s all about!

I do this meditation daily and for at least 20 minutes but oftentimes longer. That’s a lot to start, begin with 5 minutes daily. Commit to it and as it becomes a routine, add more time. It takes commitment and tremendous effort, but I promise, it’s worth it and it changed my life.

Meditation How-To

1. Position your body comfortably. 

There is no right or wrong: seated in a chair, on a cushion, or even lying down if you find that easier to hold still…….

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