Stress and anxiety can be detrimental to our immune systems, cause cardiovascular damage, gastrointestinal problems such as ulcers, and prevent us from being our better selves. Research has shown that by practicing mindfulness meditation, you can create little space between you and whatever you are experiencing. As a result, you experience a reduction in your stress and anxiety symptoms. With regular practice, you can learn to differentiate between reacting with unawareness and reacting with mindfulness.

Today, there is no dearth of evidence to show that mindfulness meditation can help people cope with their stress and anxiety. Furthermore, it can help you let go of negativity, cope with pain, many chronic conditions associated with stress, and calm the mind and body. In other words, this 2000 years old practice has an impact on our overall health both physical and mental. 

What is Mindfulness Meditation?

Mindfulness meditation is a practice that originated from the Buddhist culture but is now used in psychological therapy. The main tenets of mindfulness meditation are not to ignore bad thoughts, a practice that can lead to a lot of mental suffering. But to stay open to the inner workings of the mind and acknowledge your thoughts and feelings without any judgment.

The practice involves staying with your feelings of discomfort, instead of escaping or analyzing them, or being overreactive by what’s going on around us. It involves awareness of mind and body along with breathing practice. So, when we practice mindfulness meditation, we try to bring our minds to the present moment using our breath as an anchor to what is really happening right here, right now. 

With mindfulness meditation, you gain an awareness of what you need and don’t need in life. You may not be able to change your situation or circumstances but you can certainly change your reaction to those situations. By practicing this ancient tradition you can learn to pay attention to your present experiences and accept them, which can make you a lot happier.

How can Mindfulness Meditation calm anxious feelings?

• According to some researches, practicing mindfulness meditation can decrease the grey matter called the amygdala in your brain, which is known for its role in stress. Mindfulness meditation can also affect the production of certain chemicals that alter your moods.
• The main idea behind mindful meditation is to learn to detach yourself from anxious thoughts. This is attained by understanding where the tension is in the body, your thoughts, and learning how to deal with difficult emotions and feelings. If you can learn to accept your worries and anxieties without allowing them to disturb you, all your distress will most likely disappear.
• Mindfulness meditation allows you to suspend judgment and learn to be kind and compassionate to yourself. Most importantly, you learn to stay comfortable with unpleasant experiences instead of struggling with them or avoiding them.
• It gives the practitioner a chance for self-reflection and to discover new ways to be in relationships with themselves.
• Mindfulness meditation in the morning can reduce morning anxiety. If practiced at night it can help you get a better night’s rest.
• It can activate those parts of the brain which are normally not used.
• This non-judgemental way of acknowledging and accepting whatever is happening around us bolsters our immune system, calms down our nervous system, and helps us make the right decisions in difficult and challenging times.
• Few minutes of practice can rejuvenate your mind, improve your health, well-being, and productivity.
• It can help you stop yourself from obsessive thinking.
• Studies show that practicing mindfulness meditation three to four times every week regularly can give great results and improve your mental health manifolds.

Three ways to practice mindfulness meditation

1. Concentration meditation

Here the focus is on an object, mainly your breath, but can also include the body. The practice brings positive feelings into the heart and can lower your blood pressure promoting relaxation. Concentration meditation can be done while sitting or laying down. 

 2. Mindful walking and mindful movement

These practices involve movements and bringing attention to both the mind and body. While walking mindfully you pay attention to the sensations of the body. When you walk, you swing your arms and try to connect to what is happening in the here and now. You notice what you see around, for example, people walking past, cars, etc, and other things you would expect to see around you. You become more aware of your surroundings, enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells with all your senses, thereby achieving psychological and physiological wellbeing. 

3. Mindfulness meditation with visualization

Research shows that meditating with visualization can augment self-awareness, decrease anxiety, and stress. The visualization technique can be helpful in stress relief and uplifting your mood. Visualization is done by focussing on colors, through guided imagery, bringing awareness to any physical pain, or stiffness in the body, and visualizing specific moments of achieving your goals.

How to combat anxiety using some simple steps?

If you want to practice mindfulness meditation within a particular tradition like the Buddhist, then you might want to connect with an instructor. Otherwise, you can also start doing it yourself following the simple steps.

1. Take a comfortable seat

Sit in a comfortable position either on a chair or the floor with your spine straight. Some people find it comfortable to sit on the floor with their legs crossed. Find a position that is comfortable for you so that you are not distracted by your body. If anytime you feel uncomfortable, you can change your position. Close your eyes and rest your hands on your lap.

2. Feel your breath

Focus on the different surrounding sounds you hear and try to identify them. After some time, shift your focus inward. Focus on your breath. Take 10 gentle breaths in and out. Bring your attention to the rise and fall of your belly as you breathe in and breathe out.

3. Focus on your body and thoughts

Now start paying attention to your bodily sensations, thoughts, and emotions. You will also get distracted by external sounds, that’s absolutely normal. Try to come back to your breath over and over again and remain calm without any expectation or judgment. If you experience any physical discomfort like tightness, dullness, or pain in any part of the body, avoid the urge to push them away. Just sit and pay attention.

4. Don’t wrestle with your thoughts

You might feel your mind wandering, jumping to the future, or back into the past but remain calm. Don’t block or eliminate thinking. Bring your awareness back to the present moment and continue to pay attention to your body especially your breath. You can also count your breaths to stay focused.

When you are new to the practice, you might feel a surge in the feelings of self-judgment and anxiety. You may start questioning yourself like – Am I doing this right? What should I do? So, instead of curbing these thoughts and feelings, acknowledge them, recognize them, and wait for them to pass. Over time you will learn to sit with negative and uncomfortable feelings, embrace them without responding to them.

5. Finish the practice

Open your eyes and observe how you feel. Do some gentle stretches and reflect on your practice for some time.

Tips to improve your practice

• Start with sessions of only a few minutes per week. Then gradually increase your time.
• Choose a peaceful place where you will not be distracted by your surroundings and other people.
• Wear light clothing and nothing heavy like any jewelry or any restricting clothing.
• If you are new to the practice try to sit for 10 to 15 minutes and gradually increase it to 20 to 30 minutes.
• You might have trouble observing your thoughts without judging and may find it hard to resist negative emotions from upsetting you as you try to relax. This is going to take some time and will eventually come with practice.
• After each session, ask yourself questions like – Were you able to observe your negative thoughts without judging them?, Did you feel relaxed after the practice? , Were you able to attain a focussed state of observation?
• Keep a track of your progress by recording it in a journal and notice if you feel any change in your anxiety issues.
• Don’t suppress your inner thoughts, recognize them, and wait for them to pass. This way you will learn to sit with uncomfortable thoughts without reacting to them and will experience calmness and inner peace.
• You can practice mindfulness meditation yourself by following the instructions given above. However, it will be more beneficial if you can find an instructor to help you with the practice.

The Takeaway

When you are starting out, the practice may seem weird and ineffective. But consistency is the key. Just a few minutes each day and you will definitely see a decrease in your stress and anxiety symptoms and move past the negative emotions. Besides, you can also try to include mindfulness into your everyday life such as while eating, walking, or going about your daily tasks.