meditation for anxiety

[jen48446]

I recently decided to increase the length of time I meditate to help me adjust to our move, etc...seemed that I was more tensed up & wasn't sure what else to do!

I almost doubled the amount of time I meditate, morning & night. The first part I do deep, cleansing breaths until the next part of the CD that I listen to. The second part is I sit there and enjoy the music & if my mind wanders I replace the thoughts with positive ones.

it's been almost a month since I started this & am really feeling the benefits of it, what a difference!!!

I haven't been as tired either it's been nice:-)

:angel::smile tee:cat:

[izazen]

Yes, meditation has greatly helped my anxiety. I have a mantra and use it as a centering device plus I coordinate my breathing with the words.

First word, abdomen area rises, exhale. 7th word inhale again, then exhale.

Very rhythmic and relaxing.

[musiclover]

I read a lot of Jon Kabat-Zin's stuff.He is a doctor who started some famous stress center. He teaches mindfulness meditation. There are some videos on Oprah's spirit site where she interviews him. Great stuff.

[Bojana]

I am so bad with sticking to meditation, I start and do it for few days then stop then feel bad about it and start again and...I so know and feel I need to really get into meditation to help me with my mood and depression and being so stressed over IC. I just didnt find out yet what would be best way for me. I do affirmations.

I am waiting to get Jon Kabat-Zin's stuff from library. Hopefully there is something I can use for me.

Well done to sticking with meditation!!!!!:smile tee

[bluetou]

That is wonderful, I am so glad you are reaping benefits from you meditation practice.
I teach Yoga and also do a lot of mediation, and it has been my strong Yoga and Meditation practice that has brought me closer to my healing.

Peace
Blue
:pray:

[musiclover]

That's so great that you ordered Jon Kabat-Zin's books from the library. I'm sure it will help you within lots of areas of your life, to heal your body and to remain centered. Here, follow this link and click on the Part 1 and Part 2 videos. This is where Oprah interviews him for her XM radio station.

http://www.oprah.com/article/spirit/inspiration/pkgoprahssoulserieswebcast/20080707_oaf_oss_jkabatzinn

[Strawberry310]

im really glad to hear people have benefited from meditation. i tried starting it two different times but only lasting a few days because never got any benefit from it, but now i hear it takes 30 days to see a benefit so i think i will start it up again.
thanks!

[jen48446]

yes it takes time!!! initially I couldn't sit still for probably 2 weeks while I meditated and only did it for like 3-5 minutes, you gotta do it gradually, it took me probably 3 weeks before I felt comfortable with the deep breathing too, when we lived in Michigan I went to a Meditation Self Healing Center & the owner told me everything I experienced was normal & that is what he teaches @ the Basic Meditation classes, I was too embarrased to come there until I could sit still for the most part, I wish I hadn't waited but what is done is done.

I've been meditating for over 2 years, the first 1 & 1/2 years it was once daily then I increased it to twice daily in April, that is when I started going to the Meditation center, I'm finally starting to be able to go deeper into it since I increased the length of time, before I didn't experience that unless I was @ the center.

I remember the first few times I did it @ night I slept like a baby!!! I started doing it @ night because my mind didn't wanna shut off no matter what I tried. When I took Celexa last year I stopped for a couple of months then I kicked myself in the butt & started it back up again, I noticed a difference!

Now that we've relocated things are starting to settle down a bit thank goodness! I love feeling so much @ peace when I meditate I've never experienced anything like it.

:angel::smile tee:cat:

[jen48446]

how do you do the Chantra thing? I've heard about that but don't know how to go about doing it, any books or websites?

:angel::smile tee:cat:

[jen48446]

I want to learn Yoga too, a good friend of mine speaks very highly of Yoga. I'm having issues finding somewhere relatively close to take a class to learn it.

Any dvd's that anyone knows of that I can learn from?

:angel::smile tee:cat:

[Glenda2]

May I ask this Question ???

How does listening to a Cd tape eliminate your problems ?

I know nothing about this , and am curious.

I have heard people go to CBT classes for their problems so they can talk with the doctor , but it is not like the doctor can wave a wand over your head and eliminate the situation.

Most times medication is required.

Can some one explain the benefits from this stuff.

If I thought "meditation" or a "CBT" doctor could get rid of my pain I'd of gone along time ago. I don't see how this helps. (sorry*)

[jen48446]

I haven't experienced pain, I've been a knotted up "worry wart" most of my life & with meditation you heal in time.

if you'd like you can PM me with your e-mail address or cell so we can text message one another that may help you understand it more...?

we're all different that is very important to remember too:smile tee

:angel::cat:

[musiclover]

I don't usually use a CD or guided meditation anymore. But I did in the beginning. Once you learn how to meditate, your goal is to live in the moment, with moment-to-moment, non-judgmental awareness. And you practice this during your meditation. I do mindfulness meditation, and it's not about zoning out or anything, but it's more about living in full awareness of your present moment. So you begin to learn by focusing on your breath when you're first beginning. Studies show that daily meditation reduces stress and inflammation within the body. I wouldn't say it has eliminated my IC, but if I do it daily, I do feel like the inflammation decreases and makes the symptoms more tolerable.

[Jereme]

Mediation is an excellent coping skill. Kabat-Zinn has some excellent books and he also has some meditation practice CDs that you can buy from his web site practice. I have all of his Cds and rotate them. I spend at least a half hour practicing meditation every day. Mindfulness isn't something that youc an grasp without practice. Practicing mindfulness is important to me. It definitely helps me stay focused on the present moment and be much more open and accepting of all life brings including the pleasant and unpleasant. Kabatt-Zinn does indicate that self compasion is essential to living with a chronic disease. Remember that life contains both good and bad, the ying and yang. It's our judgements and thoughts that create much of our suffering. With practice you can learn to be with unpleasant sensations and experiences in a nonjudgemental and accepting way. It lessens the suffering and helps purify the spirit. IC has been a tough ride for me, but it has made me a much better person.

[bluetou]

That was beautiful....thank you for sharing.

I am a Hatha Kripalu Yoga instructor and reading your post was just so beautifully expressed I had to comment....

Peace
Blue
:pray:

Mediation is an excellent coping skill. Kabat-Zinn has some excellent books and he also has some meditation practice CDs that you can buy from his web site practice. I have all of his Cds and rotate them. I spend at least a half hour practicing meditation every day. Mindfulness isn't something that youc an grasp without practice. Practicing mindfulness is important to me. It definitely helps me stay focused on the present moment and be much more open and accepting of all life brings including the pleasant and unpleasant. Kabatt-Zinn does indicate that self compasion is essential to living with a chronic disease. Remember that life contains both good and bad, the ying and yang. It's our judgements and thoughts that create much of our suffering. With practice you can learn to be with unpleasant sensations and experiences in a nonjudgemental and accepting way. It lessens the suffering and helps purify the spirit. IC has been a tough ride for me, but it has made me a much better person.

[TanyaW]

Thank you for this thread, I am very interested in meditation and yoga. I think the stress of the holidays puts me in more pain.

[Jereme]

Hey Glenda2. Neither CBT nor Mindfulness meditation are to eliminate symptoms. CBT can help change your beliefs and thoughts about your condition. Catastrophic thinking is common in those who suffer with chronic pain. Thoughts like, "this will never get better", "This is torture", "Why Me", "I can't take this any more." These are all common but irrational beliefs related to chonic pain conditions. In fact there are many studies that show that anxiety definitely makes pain conditions worse. There are also many examples of those in wars being shot, yet they are happy to be lifted out of the situation with a chopper since they know they are alive. The pain doesn't register due to the mental state. The mind is a powerful thing.

Mindfulness also will not eliminate pain. However, with practice you can relate to it in a more open and accepting way. There are meditations where you can sit with unpleasant sensations and observe them without judgment. Really feel what you are feeling and really observe the sensation. Is it constant, does it change. What is the shape? What is the character of the symptoms? IT's not easy but the more you do this the more open and accepting you can become with unpleasant sensations and thoughts. Actually when you can recognize and accept the thoughts about the pain suffering will decrease. Pain does not equal suffering. Pain plus our resistence to it is what causes the suffering. Give up the resistance and the suffering goes away whether or not the pain changes at all. Life is full of good and bad, the ying and the yang. We must embrace the full catastrophe and dance with it. I read a chronic pain patient state, you can't wait till the storm is over, you need to learn to dance in the rain. Mindfulness and CBT can teach coping skills to do just that. To learn to live inspire of what ever your situation.