Meditation and Anxiety - How Meditation Can Help

In 2006 I shattered my left knee. It was put together using a great deal of metal and in 2007 I was scheduled to have it removed. In the pre-op checkup a problem occurred. My blood pressure was far too high. I was given ten minutes to get it under control or the surgery would be canceled.

Faced with this dilemma, I tried meditation for the first time in my life. It worked, my blood pressure went down to normal and I had a successful surgery and a lot less knee pain.

How to Use: Using meditation is fairly easy. It helps if you have a passage that relaxes you memorized. I used the 23rd Psalm because I had it memorized. I imagined myself on soft grass, listening to the quiet lapping of a pond or creek and being watched over for my safety. I used all of my senses, seeing the Shepherd, feeling the grass, hearing the creek and smelling the food.

Choosing a Passage: There are many soothing passages in the Bible, in poetry and in music. Each of us may be different. When you find one, memorize it to help in future times of anxiety. If you find it difficult or a daunting task, there are many web sites devoted to inspirational quotes. I use them frequently when writing because they help me stay focused.

Where to Use: Unless the cause for anxiety requires immediate occupation, anywhere. I was in a brightly lit doctor's office. I've helped our elder on many occasions when she was anxious about painful procedures. I've used it in the car when driving conditions were less than ideal (though not as the driver).

When I was younger I associated meditation with other religions. It took this experience for me to see that anyone from any faith (or a lack thereof) can use it.