One of the most prevalent things to hamper quality of life for many people is anxiety. While anxiety can be a normal response to stress, chronic stress can lead to chronic anxiety, an ever present agitation. It’s very difficult to be happy, settled, or present when you’re agitated.
Much of the research on treating anxiety is funded by the pharmaceutical industry, which then dominates the information available to doctors on treatment. That’s the simple effect of funding. But drugs are rarely a good solution for chronic issues due to side-effects and dependencies. You don’t want to add another layer to the struggle.
Chronic anxiety has become so prevalent that it has become widely seen as normal. We adapt to it. We see it as part of who we are. We expect the health and other life problems that will result from chronic agitation. If there is a moment where the anxiety pauses, it’s a revelation.
The best thing I’ve seen for anxiety – and this is backed up by lots of research – is effortless meditation. This settles both mind and body. It gives the body the chance to resolve the energetic debris that is causing anxiety. It treats the source of the issue rather than trying to mask the symptoms or mute the cause.
This type of meditation is easy. In fact, a child of around 4 can learn it. It works immediately.
The bulk of the related research is based on Transcendental Meditation (TM), so I’ll be linking to those resources. It’s the most widely available and best researched meditation. As it’s my own practice, I’m also very familiar with it. Some meditation groups point to TM research to support their own practice but it’s useful to recognize that not all meditations bring the same results. Variations in technique create different results and a different experience of the unfolding.
To illustrate how good TM is at processing stress, its been found to be the most effective (and cost-effective) for treating PTSD – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, super-stress created by major unresolved traumas.
Further, it is a drug-free way to treat ADHD – Attention Deficit Disorder, another condition essentially caused by unresolved stress. (diet and other factors may also be players) The physiology is too agitated to settle and focus.
Stress is a normal part of life. But we need effective ways to neutralize it. This means clearing the unresolved energetic “noise” and fog. Meditation also brings you the direct experience of a stable inner core, unmoved by the vagaries of life. A still centre. This means creating a more resilient physiology that can more easily adapt. Greater resilience means less stress and thus less debris in the first place.
Further, some life skills can certainly help. Like how to approach problems or better ways of understanding your relationship with the world.
Quality of life is available if we know where to look.
Davidya
Last Updated on April 27, 2018 by
And of course, the real benefit of a good meditation is unfolding enlightenment. A bonus for those seeking to feel or sleep better.