How a Short 3 Minute Meditation Can Ease Anxiety
The recent changes in our world with isolation, firings and working from home with kids, can cause us to feel an unhealthy amount of stress. This stress sometimes develops into or manifests itself as, worries and fears, leading to feelings of anxiety. Have you fallen into this frustrating path?
If so, it's comforting to know that you can ease feelings of anxiety by understanding your worries and fears and taking action to get to the root of them. One of the prime natural methods to easing anxiety is the use of meditation.
Meditation is a powerful self-help technique that can get you in better touch with yourself on many levels. Even a short period of meditation can relieve stress, relax your body, and calm your mind.
Getting to the Root of Your Anxiety
Anxiety is a scary thing because it's your body's reaction to a fearful situation, except anxiety can form when there's no perceived threat. You may even fall into a pattern where you're afraid of the fear itself, so you avoid situations that have brought out anxiety in the past.
However, you'll soon find that avoiding life does nothing to help you solve your challenges. You can enjoy much better results by releasing your feelings of anxiety. Participating in counseling or group therapy situations may help you understand these feelings ane let go of them but meditation and tapping are the two most powerful techniques I’ve found that you can do yourself with great results.
Starting Out With Meditation
There are many different ways you can approach a meditative practice. I recommend starting with a short simple exercise - meditation can change your energy in a short 3 minute practice. For most people starting out and even those who are more experienced, combining the techniques of deep breathing and repeating a mantra can make even a short meditation very stress relieving.
3 Minute Deep Breath and Mantra Meditation
Start by just picking a time everyday when you can calmly be alone for a few minutes without distractions. Set a timer for 3 to 5 minutes. Begin your meditation by sitting up in a chair (or on the floor if you are very flexible) with a straight spine and just noticing your breath. Begin to take deep breaths into the belly through the nose eventually filling the chest as you take in as much breath as your lungs can comfortable handle. Then hold brief and exhale through the mouth as if you were blowing out of a straw. Hold the breath out briefly and begin again with a deep breath into the belly. Keep your focus on the breath as it goes in and out, ignoring any other thoughts or feelings. Take six long slow deep breaths in this fashion and when you have finished sit still. Breath normally and internally repeat a “mantra” on the inhale and exhale. You can use any one-word phrase such as: Peace or Release or Relax. When the timer goes off, take a few moments to notice your relaxed state and then open your eyes and continue with your day.
On a particularly stressful day, you might have more difficulty focusing on your breath. The thoughts of whatever is stressing you may keep getting in the way. When this happens, acknowledge the thought and then go back to concentrating on your breath and your mantra. Eventually, you'll feel your mind grow calm.
As you calm your mind, begin purposefully taking notice of your thoughts. All you must do is notice them, and then return your attention to your breath and/or your mantra again. If any thoughts make you uncomfortable or tense, relax your muscles and then focus on your breath/mantra again.
Try not to stress yourself out further by getting frustrated with the meditation process. As you continue to practice, it will get easier, and you'll look forward to your relaxation sessions.
Maintaining Your Practice
This short simple meditation will help you become more fully aware of the present moment. As you get your short meditation practice up and running, you might want to determine that you will spend at least a portion of every day fully in the present where you're committed to not be burdened by past and future stress. With regular practice of this 3-5 minute basic meditation and your now moment commitment, you'll be able to expand the amounts of time that you stay in the present.
By continuing to fit in short meditation on a consistent basis, you'll begin to notice you are less stressed. You can discover a lot about your life by maintaining awareness of the present moment. You'll also notice the way your body reacts to stress and anxiety and can take measures to counteract it.
Why Not Add Tapping and Meditation Together?
Although a short period of meditating can go a long way toward easing your feelings of anxiety, sometimes your meditation practice alone may not be your complete solution. I am a HUGE fan of tapping as a way to reduce stress and anxiety. Put tapping and meditation together and you have an amazingly powerful way to change your state. There are many tapping videos (and meditation videos) on Youtube and tapping scripts around the web that can help you greatly.
With meditation either alone or with tapping you can make your feelings of anxiety become a faint memory of the past. Be proactive about creating a life free from fears or worries, and start meditating today so you can look forward to a bright future!
Joe Mitchell, is a High Performance Coach, who has logged over 35 years of in-depth study of personal and spiritual development. In his studies, he has done hundreds of self development courses, spiritual retreats and health related workshops. Coach Joe is a certified yoga teacher, meditation teacher, EFT Practitioner, NLP Practitioner and a graduate of three coaching academies. He was also a member of a religious order for 5 years. In 2016, after a 20 year career as a criminal and personal injury attorney, he decided to turn his heart's passion into a career as a Success Coach, Motivational Speaker and Trainer. For information on Coach Joe’s programs, high performance videos and to apply for a Free High Performance Session click the following link http://www.activateyourgreatness.com/free-session