To the Power of Om! The Benefits of Meditation for People with Anxiety
Evening readers,
This blog is dedicated to anyone who's stressed.
The Situation
It's 4:54 pm and I'm on the tube home. It's a funny thing the tube-the people you meet and the things you see. Probably the most noteable being the signs of stress...people continually checking their watches, constant checking of facebook and instagram or the sick and fed up faces that are awash down the whole carraige. No one talks to one another in the focus to get to their destination. Yes. This is London. The stress capital.
In contrast, I've just come home on the metro in the North East of England and I'm completely calm. Why? Well it's all down to a simple technique called meditation...
What is meditation?
Many people think that this means I'll be sitting on the metro floor, legs crossed in some sort of lotus position but this simply isn't true. In fact, there are many types of mediation. for example, I find it most beneficial to sit on one leg while sitting on a chair- don't ask why- it's just what's comfortable for me. But what about everyone else? would love to know your thoughts below please :D
Fun aside, meditation does have it's purposes.Firstly, it's an excellent alleviation for anxiety. A 2013 study suggested that activating your Anterior Cingulate Cortex (pictured below)
But what exactly is anxiety and how is is caused?
Quite simply, Anxiety is a cognitive state where your mind blows situations out of proportion. For example, you might walk through a shopping center and be absolutely convinced people are staring at you so you avoid busy and crowded places.
From a personal experience, meditation (combined with yoga which will be discussed in a blog soon!) helped me in becoming a much calmer and more logical person. (Discussion on logic coming soon too!)
while there are different types of meditation, neuroscientists have been studying the benefits of both mindfulness meditation, in which you focus on sustaining attention and guiding thoughts; and loving-kindness meditation, in which you focus on compassionate thoughts towards yourself and others. Both have been proven to be highly effective in reducing depression and anxiety. According to Psychology Today:
So, my next study will look into the value of mediation as an alleviation for anxiety and depression.
Happy Beautiful day everyone,
much love,
Staci Cooks
This blog is dedicated to anyone who's stressed.
The Situation
It's 4:54 pm and I'm on the tube home. It's a funny thing the tube-the people you meet and the things you see. Probably the most noteable being the signs of stress...people continually checking their watches, constant checking of facebook and instagram or the sick and fed up faces that are awash down the whole carraige. No one talks to one another in the focus to get to their destination. Yes. This is London. The stress capital.
In contrast, I've just come home on the metro in the North East of England and I'm completely calm. Why? Well it's all down to a simple technique called meditation...
What is meditation?
Many people think that this means I'll be sitting on the metro floor, legs crossed in some sort of lotus position but this simply isn't true. In fact, there are many types of mediation. for example, I find it most beneficial to sit on one leg while sitting on a chair- don't ask why- it's just what's comfortable for me. But what about everyone else? would love to know your thoughts below please :D
Fun aside, meditation does have it's purposes.Firstly, it's an excellent alleviation for anxiety. A 2013 study suggested that activating your Anterior Cingulate Cortex (pictured below)
will assist in making a more peaceful and quiet mind 'reducing anxiety symptoms by up to 39%'!
'Mindfulness is premised on sustaining attention in the present moment and controlling the way we react to daily thoughts and feelings,” Zeidan said. “Interestingly, the present findings reveal that the brain regions associated with meditation-related anxiety relief are remarkably consistent with the principles of being mindful' (Beck, 2013)
But what exactly is anxiety and how is is caused?
Quite simply, Anxiety is a cognitive state where your mind blows situations out of proportion. For example, you might walk through a shopping center and be absolutely convinced people are staring at you so you avoid busy and crowded places.
From a personal experience, meditation (combined with yoga which will be discussed in a blog soon!) helped me in becoming a much calmer and more logical person. (Discussion on logic coming soon too!)
while there are different types of meditation, neuroscientists have been studying the benefits of both mindfulness meditation, in which you focus on sustaining attention and guiding thoughts; and loving-kindness meditation, in which you focus on compassionate thoughts towards yourself and others. Both have been proven to be highly effective in reducing depression and anxiety. According to Psychology Today:
'You don’t need to become a Buddhist [or the Dalai Llama] to incorporate mindfulness training into your daily routine'
So, my next study will look into the value of mediation as an alleviation for anxiety and depression.
Happy Beautiful day everyone,
much love,
Staci Cooks
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