Posts Tagged ‘anxiety’

Meditation Chairs

Monday, January 11th, 2010

Meditation chairs can enhance the experience of exploration by allowing you to sit in a comfortable and relaxed position during your relaxation session. If you have back problems or limited flexibility, the chair offers a comfortable alternative to sitting on the floor.

For those just beginning the practice of meditation, a sitting device can be an effective way of enhancing focus and concentration. There are different types of chairs available including meditation benches, ergonomically designed tilt chairs and inflatable cushions.

A meditation bench allows you to sit in alignment without putting undue pressure on your back. A tilt chair also supports your back while allowing you to remain in the optimum upright position. Many companies providing meditation supplies also manufacture portable meditation chairs, inflatable cushions and folding benches, so that you can meditate in any setting or environment. A portable chair is an excellent investment if you are continuously on the go.
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Meditation Basics: Counting breaths is not like counting sheep.

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

Meditation Basics: Counting breaths is not like counting sheep.

“Just close your eyes and count your breaths,” they say. How simple can it be? “Don’t think about anything else though. Just concentrate on your breathing.” Well, anyone who has tried this “simple” meditation knows that it just isn’t that easy.

There are many obstacles to this seemingly effortless task. Our minds tend to wander naturally. If we try to completely focus on anything for more than a few seconds, random thoughts take over. And breathing is boring; let’s face it. How can you concentrate on something so mundane when there are much more interesting things racing around in your head?

A typical session might go like this: I close my eyes, sit comfortably, and begin counting. Inhale one, inhale two, inhale… “Am I doing this right? I guess so, I’m already on… oh three.” Inhale four… “Now, am I supposed to start over at one or just keep going?” Inhale one, inhale two, inhale three, inhale four. “Wow, I’m really getting the hang of this. Oops.” Inhale one, inhale two… “Did I remember to pay the phone bill? I’m sure I did. I’m really good at staying on top of my bills. Not like Susan, she’s always… Darn, I did it again.” Inhale one, inhale two…

The good news is it does get better with practice. The bad news is it can still be a struggle for experienced meditators, especially during busy or turbulent periods in one’s life. Luckily, there is more good news. There are some specific things you can do to help you focus and reduce the frustration in your meditation practice. In this article, I would like to offer three tips to help you with your practice. They are: Observe don’t control, be compassionate, and enjoy yourself.
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Anxiety and Responsibility

Wednesday, December 16th, 2009

I am diagnosed as bipolar with severe depression/anxiety. At times, the anxiety is a very crippling thing. There are days that I can only handle doing one thing at a time. If you add going to the store, crowds of people, commotion, loud traffic or personal relationships, things become very hard to cope with.

One big thing I have been able to accomplish in the last few years is not taking it out on other people when I am so stressed out. It’s possible that I am able to refrain from doing that partly because I try to stay away from people as much as possible. Living by myself accomplishes most of that, but it’s still a special thing I have learned to do and it comes from an action that is called being responsible.

After I started receiving Veterans Administration Disability, it was very difficult managing my money. Well, I went through this for about four years. Then, I guess I got tired of it. It started appealing to me to be comfortable as opposed to spending money frivolously. This special newly acquired trait of being responsible soon spread over to other aspects of my life.
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Anxiety and Pregnancy

Friday, November 20th, 2009

Women and babies have been interrelated since the very beginning. It is a natural phenomenon and there is nothing unusual about it. All young women want to bear a child or in other words become a mother. These days even for a career woman the desire to give birth to a child and become a mother is bound to catch up and no other joy can ever replace the joy of becoming a mother in the hustle bustle of everyday life. There are several expectant mothers who suffer from severe stress and emotional turmoil and now the question arises that can pregnancy and the anxiety related to becoming a mother can bring her joy and contentment, equally?

The answer to this question varies from woman to woman. A part of the past life of the expecting mother is always to be brought to light especially when she is going to give birth to a new life.

What things might make it more stressful?

During pregnancy, a woman spends most of her time thinking and being drowned in her thoughts most of the times. The common thoughts during this time are will her new born be normal? will she fail as a mother? Will her baby have to go through the same problems as she had to go in her adolescence? etc etc.This is quite expected as this is a preparatory stage for the mother to love the baby who is growing inside her womb and also her body is preparing to adapt to the changes to meet the demand of the new life which is growing inside of her.

It is seen in most cases that the anxiety during pregnancy triggers stress in the woman. The other factors that might lead to rigorous stress during pregnancy are:
·A current miscarriage: This shakes the woman’s confidence and the woman tends to wonder whether she will ever experience the joy of becoming a mother and see her baby cry for the first time.
·A uncertain income during the pregnancy
·An inconsistent relationship with the baby’s father
·No emotional and moral support
·Unexpected and unwanted pregnancy that might mess up other plans of life.

It is very essential to be mentally stable during pregnancy and settle all the worries and doubts with her close friends, family members and doctors. It is not impossible to deal with anxiety and pregnancy. Like other crisis of life, pregnancy and anxiety can be very easily dealt with. The pregnant woman is the right person to determine what is best for her baby. No matter what all expecting mothers want to emerge as the best mother and would always want to do the best for the welfare of her child.
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