Re: anxiety - answer

ditto to previous post.

Meditation is a shift in consciousness. You listen/look more and do not spend the time solving and/or listing your problems. I usually find that ideas relating to things I want to know usually come into my mind during those times.

Try to choose something repetitive (I prefer music but poetry or a favorite passage from a book might work better for someone else) that you enjoy listening to (that does not necessarily put you to sleep). You can put together a selection of pieces and/or find one that helps you reach a relaxed state of attention and put it on repeat.

Sometimes I will pull out a book and open to a passage and read it or select of concept card at random and that will be a jumping off point for my meditation. I wear comfortable clothes -- nothing that pinches or pulls and (for me) nothing synthetic. Bare feet. I usually lie down flat. I try to make the mediation itself as randomly tao as possible. If my mind moves in a direction I did not expect -- I move with it. The only time I stop my mind is if it gets stuck in a rut and begins to churn something over in my head. Then I distract myself away from it and calm myself (which for me is deep slow breaths and stretching). I try to focus on a feeling of undifferentiated well being, think happy thoughts, try returning to my "jumping off point". If I cant do it -- I dont. There's always next time.

If you are serious about it -- you will keep trying. and who knows? your way might be donning some athletic shoes and going for a run or taking a walk or going swimming. You dont have to be still in your body to meditate. But if you choose an activity it has to be one you are very familiar with -- one you can "auto pilot" on -- we wldnt want you being so inattentive you run into traffic.

The hardest part for most people and yet a crucial step in meditating is to not allow your mind to keep re/cycling the kind of thought that keeps you in a state of tension. You have to be firm. Not now -- you must tell yourself. Later! (if need be). It takes a while to rewire the parts of your brain that gets stuck in these worry ruts or planning modes, but it is well worth the effort in the long run.

Motion helps relieve anxiety. Develop a stretch routine (w/some cardiovascular exercise mixed in if you want) to favorite pieces of music. Again -- you want to choose music that you can meld with -- something that fits you like a favorite blanket. Unless you plan on using your meditation for inner therapy -- dont pick songs that transport you to a place of conflict.

I have had little to no success with most meditation techniques. I pretty much abandoned them when I realized that I have spent a large amount of time in my life in meditation. I have been called daydreamer, space cadet, inattentive -- you get the picture. Eventually I worked out some of the above routines as I sought ways to calm myself (never mind about the meditation). However, I found that the two cld actually work in tandem -- for me anyway.

Hope this helps some.