Sage Advice

Books, Meditation

Meditation teaches you how to manage stress

Saints and sages from ancient times have said that as long as we seek happiness in the external world, we’re bound to experience extremes waves of high and low energies that can toss us about as if we we’re clinging to a raft on rough seas. Almost everyone in any kind of crisis goes into a state of stress and worry. When tension becomes part of a crisis, everything becomes worse. Even if our personal world contains many blessings, challenges such as our present pandemic can deplete our peace of mind, and like a thief in the night, steal our enjoyment of life.  The highest path we can take to overcome life’s miseries, the ancients claimed, is to journey within.  Meditation is the vehicle to take us there.

Through meditation we can gain greater mental balance and put our inward focus on seeing how we can best experience inner harmony. Importantly, it can help us calm our mind when it is in an anxious state, and help us develop our resources for coping with crises.  With calmness we can see how to take better take care of our self and loved ones. The following is a trustworthy mental practice to develop greater self-awareness and overcome the physical and emotional hazards of stress:

When you realize that you’re freaking out emotionally, wanting to scream because of an anxiety producing situation, or going into any other response that makes you unable to hold yourself together, do this:  Close your eyes (If possible, or leave them open, if it isn’t possible.) Then begin to watch, deepen, and consciously calm your breathing. Slowly scan your body starting with your toes and going toward the top of your head, and notice any physical tension that you feel anywhere in your body. Then as you exhale, let go of your tension as completely as you can. With your next inhalation, again notice whatever tension you still might be feeling, and release it with your next exhalation. Each time you exhale focus on letting go of more of your tension, or the tension in a different part of your body than that you released with your first breath. Continue in this same way until you free your body of tension as much as possible.

At the point when your feel most relaxed, you can give yourself permission to verbally chant a healing affirmation, such as,  “I’m accepting my situation, and feel myself becoming more centered and calm.” Or, “I’m feeling safe, secure and blessed to be me.”

This is also a good time to do a guided visualization or contemplative meditation. In Victor and my book, Matrix Meditations, we offer many practices to benefit inner harmony, inward balance, emotional and physical well-being, conflict resolution, and stress reduction. Decreasing your stress and living with less tension can most often help you cope better with the uncertainties of life.