Have you ever felt like your thoughts and emotions are in control, and you’re just along for the rollercoaster ride? On average, most people have approximately 60,000 to 80,000 thoughts a day. These thoughts are often random, benign, and fleeting and don’t cause too much disruption. However, other thoughts can have a significant impact, leading us to experience, stress, guilt, shame, and more unpleasant emotions. For some people, these thoughts can become so overwhelming and out of control that it develops into anxiety. Globally, over 301 million people suffer from some kind of anxiety disorder, which is characterized by excessive fear and worry. Did you know that overcoming anxiety is possible with meditation?
Katherine Stein, certified Yoga instructor and Meditation teacher, made her way to meditation in her own journey to managing stress and anxiety. Katherine states, “ It’s not a difficult thing to let our emotionally charged thoughts spiral into mini tornadoes that leave destruction and mayhem not only in your head, but with others around you.” While meditation wont change the world around you, it will help you take charge of what you can control: your mind. “You can learn to meditate, to create a mediation practice, that can cleanse the mind, divert negative thoughts from taking over, learn to take brief moments to just….release, and then change the trajectory of your thoughts and thus control the flow of thoughts as they come in and as they go out”, says Katherine.
Now, some of you may be thinking, “meditation isn’t for me” or “I couldn’t possibly just stop my thoughts like that”. There are many misconceptions about meditation, so let's clear some up. “Meditation isn’t “stopping” your thoughts, it's finding that present moment in between our thoughts, progressively quieting the fluctuations of the mind. Using your breath to relax and regulate the daily stressors we live with”, says Katherine. Meditation itself isn’t too difficult, but the real challenge, according to Katherine, is committing to regular and consistent practice of your meditation. Katherine states, “I started my daily meditation practice ten years ago. I meditate first thing in the morning after I take my dogs outside. Then they come in and join me. For me, this time is non-negotiable. This is my time to sit with my thoughts and get centered. I went from a classic “monkey mind” to now I can stay relatively calm regardless of what is going on around me.”
Meditation wont take all of your problems away, it won't make the difficult people in your life less difficult, or make your job less stressful, but it can make it easier to find your center and work through life’s challenges without getting bogged down in your thoughts, helping you to overcome anxiety. Whether you’re dealing with chronic pain, anxiety, stress, panic attacks, high blood pressure, etc., meditation can be a tool that helps to maintain your equilibrium, reduce stress, and divert your thoughts. Ready to start a meditation practice of your own, but need some help getting started? Join Katherine for a 3 part meditation workshop where you can: explore different meditations, learn how meditation can reduce pain in the body, center and calm yourself with breath, become less reactive and more responsive in times of stress, reduce physical “fight/flight” reactions, and more. Click here for more details and sign up, or give us a call if you have questions about how meditation can be a part of your healing journey.
