Meditation
When you are anxious, tense or worried your mind feels bombarded
with lots of negative thoughts. It can be difficult to concentrate on your work
or to focus on making day-to-day decisions. If you remain in an anxious state
and keep believing your negative thoughts, the anxiety only gets worse. One
approach to reducing anxiety holistically is to include a daily practice of
meditation in your routine. Meditation can help reduce anxiety by teaching you
to be the watcher of your thoughts so that you become aware of when you are
starting to think or feel anxious. By learning to become more present to your
inner world of thoughts, you gain more control over your mind and can choose to
think neutral or positive thoughts. Learning to integrate a meditation practice
into your daily routine can help preempt an anxiety attack by helping you to
stay focused on the present. Simple techniques such as progressive relaxation,
watching the breath, repeating a positive phrase, focusing on the good in your
life are meditative practices that help wire your brain to be more resilient.
Many research studies confirm the benefits of a meditation
practice for those who tend to be anxious and/or depressed. There are lots of
ways to meditate and it is easy to learn. Some of the clinicians at Healing
Circles integrate mindfulness practices into their work with clients. Pam
McDonald, LCSW-C offers a 30-day meditation coaching program to support clients
in getting started on a meditation practice that fits their needs. The coaching
series and an ongoing drop-in meditation group are offered regularly at Healing
Circles.
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