Mediation techniques

[Nisk]

So I'm wondering if anyone has any meditation techniques they use to help relieve anxiety before, during and after being in an anxious state?

 

[AGXStarseed]

One of the meditations I use is a 'Guided' meditation called "White Light Protection" - which helps calm my emotions and puts me (usually) in a peaceful state of mind for a good while.
If you want to try it, I would recommend the 'Magical Colour Shower' guided meditation, as its very good for beginners to learn how to meditate. As a guided meditation, it uses a guiding voice to direct you and the calming music of a meditation.

A few pointers:
1. Make sure you listen to the meditation at a volume that is comfortable to you, so as not to hurt your ears.
2. Make sure you meditate in an area where you won't get distracted, such as your bedroom. (If need be, tell anyone who may interrupt you that you're going to be meditating for 10-15 minutes and so not to distract you).
3. Get into a comfortable position, either sitting or lying down.
4. Try and clear your mind as best as you can without thinking of anything else.
5. Play the Guided meditation and listen to it. It will give instructions for you to 'visualize/imagine' certain things. Don't get upset if you don't succeed in doing this the first time, as practice does make perfect.

Hope you enjoy doing it.

Also, here's an article I posted some time back that may be of interest to you: https://www.aspiescentral.com/threa...editation-to-regulate-intense-emotions.12081/

 

[On the Inside]

I meditate in the Vipassana tradition, although I no longer practice as diligently as I once did. Takes two hours a day which I simply don't have. But I have maintained 20-30 minutes most days with good results in anxiety levels, and just plain feeling better about myself and others.

The path is a bit of a commitment, the meditation practice is taught in 10 day silent retreats. ( I'm an Aspie, you mean I can't talk and no one can talk to me for 10 days? Sign me up!) I don't mean to proselytize, but here is the organizations link https://www.dhamma.org/en-US/index, they have centers and courses all over the world. I have a friend (I think he is definitely on the spectrum) who has taken yearly 30 or 45 day courses in India for some time now. I haven't sat a 10 day course in almost 15 years, but I occasionally sit one and three day courses with our local group.

There are many other mindfulness meditation practices out there, this one has particular appeal to me. Give one a try, it is bound to be beneficial. Good luck!

 

[Ylva]

I just focus directly on something.

 

[23andaspie]

I really like these weekly podcasts from UCLA. Plenty of different approaches that all centralize on the breath and mindfulness but often inclusive of other themes like loving kindness and equanimity. I have found them the most useful resource in establishing a daily habit, which is typically difficult and why many people conclude that that it "isn't for them".

I also have many many ebooks on mindfulness, even some specific to mindfulness for those on the spectrum (e.g. Mindful Living With Asperger's Syndrome: Everyday Mindfulness Practices to Help You Tune in to the Present Moment). I'd be more than happy to let you "borrow" an electronic copy for free, just shoot me a PM.

 

[Peeta]

I usually do some form of 'self invented' meditation. Aka, this felt natural to me and I have no idea if it belongs to any certain technique. When I go to sleep I have a lot of thoughts flying through my mind, I used to come up with random stories about my superheroes to distract me and relax, but that doesn't work anymore. Now I visualize a place that is really quiet or at least alone, where I can lie down and pretend there's no problems in the world. I had a hammock in the clouds once. A bed in a savannah field. I've currently settled in a crater with a lake in it and next to the lake is either a hammock or a bed depending on if I'm lying on my stomach or my back. Then I pretend to listen to the water in the lake or the wind blowing and I'll be out in a few minutes.

 

[Cosmophylla]

When I was living in Japan I would get home from work and take a hot, hot bath. Japanese style, so I would wash first, outside the bath, and scrub off all the stress of the day. Then I would ease into the bath slowly...sit with just my feet in at first, until my body temp had adjusted to the heat. Then I would get in and sit so the water was up to my neck (easy in a Japanese tub as they are really deep), submerged as possible, and deep breathe... For this I made up a kind of visualisation exercise that really helped me let go of the day's anxieties. I'll try to explain:

I would start by deep breathing in for four and out for six, or eight if I could. ( If you can pause for two before breathing out, that's even better. So in, two, three, four, pause, pause, out, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. (The idea behind the longer exhalation is to exhale any "stale" air at the bottom of your lungs, so to speak, and replace it with fresh oxygen to feed your brain and body. Not my idea.))

Once I had the breathing settled, eyes closed, and was focussing on that, this is what I did next: on the inward breath I would visualise pulling the black, toxic anxiety out of my limbs and into my chest. For example, I would start with my left leg, and I would visualise my hands reaching down through my leg (inside my body) to my foot and dragging all the stress upward (again inside my body) as though the stress were a black cloud that I could drag out of myself. With each mental movement I would drag the black cloud to my chest, and then on the outward breath I would visualise breathing the black cloud out. If I felt I hadn't quite emptied my left leg of stress, I would repeat the movement on that limb, then move on to my right leg. And then my arms, my head, my abdomen, shoulders, etc. Each time I would breathe in, dragging the stuff to my chest to be exhaled as a black cloud that floated away from me.

I don't have a bath tub now and boy I miss that ritual... But I still do the breathing exercise when I'm stressed or anxious and especially if I can't sleep.

When I was pregnant with my second child I was suffering terrible anxiety and I tried self hypnosis using CDs. Self hypnosis is just guided meditation under a different name, really. I also listened to affirmations on a daily basis (these were birthing affirmations) and they really helped me so much. (I can't recommend hypnobirthing enough if anyone's pregnant or planning to have kids!) But my point is that the regular listening to affirmations was really helpful... I think I read that you need to hear something 47 times for it to become part of your belief pattern... I can definitely attest to that... Repeated listening to the affirmations definitely changed my way of thinking. There are self hypnosis CDs and affirmations for anxiety out there and I think it's worth shopping around for something that sounds like you may enjoy it. I think that finding one that sounds right for you is important, too.

Hope this is helpful.

 

[Cosmophylla]

I've currently settled in a crater with a lake in it and next to the lake is either a hammock or a bed depending on if I'm lying on my stomach or my back. Then I pretend to listen to the water in the lake or the wind blowing and I'll be out in a few minutes.

I really like the idea of "listening" to the sounds... I've never tried that. I have tinnitus so I don't know if it will work, but I'm going to try it tonight! Usually I'm so tired I just fall asleep anyway... Kids!

 

[Cosmophylla]

I've been thinking about this topic since I wrote the above and I remembered a couple of other techniques to use in the moment; that is, when you are feeling anxious or having an anxiety attack.

First is a mindfulness exercise a counsellor taught me. I've found it elsewhere so I think it's fairly commonly recommended by professionals. The idea is to stop your thoughts from escalating by first looking around and counting five things you see. They can be any five things. Next, count five things you can hear. Then, five things you can feel/are touching. Then, smell, and finally taste... But taste is a bit hard unless you are already eating or drinking. Ideally by now your heart rate will have slowed and your breathing will have become slower and steadier. As well as using it when I was having panic attacks, I have used this technique when I've been really angry with my son and needed to calm myself. It works for me.

The second is something that can involve another person, a trusted friend or family member, but doesn't have to. This one is about releasing endorphins, the feel good chemicals. Certain types of soft touch are known to trigger endorphin release. We can use this to our advantage when in physical or emotional pain, when afraid, etc., but if you have sensory issues with touch this may not work for you. (When I was a child my arms were REALLY sensitive and light touch actually hurt...) So, with this technique you lie or sit down in a comfortable position and allow your trusted person to very lightly and gently stroke your forearm with the back of their fingers. While they are doing this you keep your eyes closed and focus on slow, deep breathing. Naturally you can do this to your own arm. The effect is the same... It's about the light touch. I used this technique when I was in hospital being administered a painful medication that made me feel as though I was on fire... My dad stroked my arm and it really helped. Give it a try.

One other thing that is great for anxiety and depression is going outside and being around plants. Just be with them. Look at the sky if you feel like it... I can put my pain in perspective by feeling how small I am in the cosmos. Plants are so healing. If you can, keep some plants in your room with you. They clean your air and relax your mind. Spider plant is easy to keep, as is the peace lily.