Meditation for Anxiety: Stress Reduction and Emotional Balance

According to WHO, 4 % of the world’s population is currently living with anxiety. Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental disorders, with 301 million per cent worldwide. Anxiety is very common for everyone, those who suffer from anxiety disorders frequently experience extreme and overwhelming fear, panic and worry. Physical tension and other behavioural and cognitive signs usually accompany these feelings.

If left untreated, they can be very distressing, hard to manage, and long-lasting. Anxiety disorders are diagnosed when patients experience anxious thoughts for a prolonged period, and these thoughts start to affect their personal and professional lives. Despite the availability of therapy and professionals for anxiety disorders, only roughly one in four people receive medical assistance or professional assistance. The lack of medical aid is mainly due to a lack of education, economic insecurity, and taboos associated with mental illness. 

Therefore To control the symptoms of anxiety we can incorporate various meditative practices into our daily lives. Meditation is an important way we can learn to reduce stress and anxiety.

Over time, consistent practice might result in a gradual reduction of tension and anxiety. Meditation helps you have a better awareness of your feelings and clarity of thought, which improves your ability to deal effectively with emotions. As time passes, we find it easier to deal with challenging circumstances with a more composure state and clarity instead of having an anxiety attack.

Read More: 10 Meditation Techniques Everyone can (and should) Explore 

Research by Jon kabat Zinn 

Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979 gave us The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme which combines yoga and mindfulness meditation to treat chronic pain and reduce stress. His groundbreaking studies have continuously shown how beneficial MBSR is for participants’, anxiety levels, and the development of mindfulness skills.  Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn, a seminal work, provides useful insights and methods for applying mindfulness to manage stress, sickness, and life’s obstacles. It gives a comprehensive approach to dealing with anxiety. 

Meditation Techniques for Anxiety Patients 

• Guided Meditation: guided meditation as the name suggests provides a guided approach to meditation with the help of a teacher or professional. Guided Meditation is great for beginners because professionals will give them mixed meditation techniques that would be personalised for them. 
• Mindful meditation: This type of meditation inculcates a mindful attitude where we are conscious of the emotions we are experiencing, like fear and anxious thoughts. This practice helps us to understand the emotions and find their root causes.
• Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR): It is a method of relaxation that Edmund Jacobson created in the early 1900s. This technique is done by tightening and relaxing different muscle groups. Meditations that incorporate Progressive Muscle Relaxation help manage anxiety by increasing your awareness of physical sensations. This is often used by military personnel. 
• Tai-chi: Tai Chi, also known as Tai Chi Chuan, is a traditional Chinese martial art that combines gentle physical exercise, stretching, and mindfulness. It is often prescribed for its health benefits and meditative qualities rather than for combat. The slow, deliberate movements help calm the mind and reduce stress. 

Yoga: Yoga is a mind-body discipline that has its roots in ancient India. It incorporates physical poses, breathing techniques, meditation, and moral teachings. It seeks to advance mental acuity, spiritual well-being, and physical health. There are multiple types of yoga like Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Ashtanga yoga, Kundalini Yoga and restorative yoga. In particular, research finds that Restorative Yoga works well for anxiety management. 

• Zazen: Zen Buddhism incorporates seated meditation, also known as Zazen, as a fundamental practice. It focuses on developing good posture, breathing techniques, and a calm, concentrated mind. Buddhist monks use this technique to realize their spiritual existence, but nowadays people often call it zen meditation, focusing on the body and its functioning.
• Easy Breathing Techniques: here we must breathe via your nose, hold it for a short while, and then gently release it through your mouth. This technique helps us to relax, and pay attention to our breathing 

Read More: Helpful Breathing Techniques for Meditation

How meditation benefits anxiety patients 

• Boosts Resilience: Makes it easier to combat daily stressors and anxiety triggers.
• Enhances Self-Awareness: By helping individuals recognize and manage anxious thoughts and feelings more effectively.

• Promotes Relaxation: Meditation activates the body’s relaxation response, reducing muscle tension and lowering blood pressure.
• Improves Focus and Concentration: Regular meditation practice enhances attention span and increases the ability to stay focused on tasks.

• Balances Emotions: Meditation fosters emotional stability by helping individuals process and respond to emotions in a more balanced and mindful way.
• Reduces Stress Hormones: Meditation helps lower cortisol levels. Elevated cortisol can lead to heart disease, stroke, fatigue, and weight gain. Meditating helps combat mind-body dysfunction.
• Free and Accessible: Platforms like YouTube offer countless free meditation videos. Libraries often have books and CDs on meditation techniques. Some communities offer free or donation-based meditation sessions.

Read More: How Meditation Changes Your Brain

Meditation offers a holistic approach to managing anxiety by promoting relaxation, enhancing mindfulness, and improving emotional regulation. Although it is not a replacement for professional medical treatment, meditation can nevertheless be a valuable assistance for other professional therapists. By incorporating meditation into our daily routine we can reduce any mental illness and stress and reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression.