Stress Management

Meditation

Meditation cultivates a calmness that eases anxious feelings and offers a sense of control. A study at the University of Massachusetts found that volunteers who took an eight-week meditation course were considerably less anxious afterward. People who are high-strung find that they are dramatically calmer with 20 minutes of meditation in the morning and another 20 minutes after dinner.

Sit quietly in a comfortable position and take a few deep, cleansing breaths to relax your muscles. Then choose a calming word or phrase. (Experts suggest either a word or short phrase with religious significance or the word one or om or peace.) Silently repeat the word or phrase for 20 minutes. As you find your thoughts straying, gently return your focus to your repeated word and continue to breathe deeply.

See Also:

Meditation for Stress Management

Relaxation Response for anxiety

Mind/Body Medicine for anxiety

Mind/Body Medicine for Stress Management

Meditation Infocenter in Holisticonline.com

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