Gabrielle Rothman

June 28, 2014

HLTH/CEHW 1240
Anxiety and Meditation

Meditation has been practiced for many years. It can be used for religious,
spiritual, or even therapeutic reasons. The word Meditation comes from two Latin words
one being meditari which means to think, dwell upon, or exercise the mind. The
second word is mederi which means to heal. There are many forms and types of
meditations which include body scans, mindful, or transcendental meditation. You can
sit or lay down for them or even stand with you r eyes open or closed. Now as we think
about meditation and how people practice it, lets think about why its used. I did some
research and found that one of the benefits of meditation is that it can help those who
suffer from anxiety.
Anxiety disorders can be characterized by constant worrying, nervousness,
fidgeting and symptoms of autonomic system hyperactivity. Autonomic system
hyperactivity can also be described as the fight or flight sensation. Those who have this
symptom can get sweaty palms, palpitations, dry mouth, and even light-headness when
anxiety builds. This topic is important to me because I suffer from Generalized Anxiety
Disorder and found it interesting that my choice to look into meditating could actually
help me even though it wasnt my intended reason. Meditation can be used to slow
down and even reduce the point in which the arousal state worsens anxiety symptoms.


One of the types of meditation that seems to be popular right now is
Transcendental meditation which also focusing the mind on an specific object to
develop a sense of calm. On a nonprofit organizations webpage for Transcendental
Meditation as well as on WebMD, it states that [it]may ease anxiety among people who
suffer from anxiety disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder. Now many may
not see meditation as an alternative practice to medications and therapy, but in essence
it is a form of therapy. Studies have shown that while meditating, hormones are
released into the brain and body that help process and relax the body. Also, evidence
suggests that meditation is preferred by more and more people rather than mainstream
approaches because of its focus on relapse prevention rather than just the symptoms
of anxiety like medications.
Now even though Transcendental meditation has been compared to other
medical treatments of anxiety, some refute its ability to help. This is because meditation
requires concentration and part of having an anxiety disorder can be fidgeting and in
ability to focus for long periods of time. In my experience with practicing meditation, Ive
had days where I cant seem to calm down enough to attempt to relax my body and
thoughts enough to be comfortable. My instructor says having your mind wander is very
normal, but having an anchor such as my breathing can help regain my focus. Im
fairly new to the world of meditation, but I believe the word concentration doesnt quite
give the practice of meditation the right light. In my class we are taught that to meditate
you need to mindful, which means allowing the mind to wonder and experience new
things that are happening around you, but being able to bring ones attention back to
focus.
As far as other benefits of meditation, there are signs that it can help with chronic
lower back pain, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and Type II diabetes.
Psychologically, if the mind is well balanced and taken care of the body can thrive and
be fully nourished. Our mind if fifty percent of our body and controls it so it only makes
sense that when your mind is happy, your body is also happy and whole. An
organization called LIVE STRONG states that with the systematic practice of
meditation your mind has a way to manage anxiety and can even decrease the
frequency and intensity anxiety attacks, even if you do not have anxiety disorders.
I found a quote from a book written by Amit Ray called Om Chanting and
Meditation. It goes If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in
the breath. This quote embodies what meditation hopes to accomplish for those that
suffer from anxiety. For me, if my mind wonders into the past or future, my anxiety
peaks and I find my mind worrying about what happened or what could happen. Instead
of worrying about the future or even past, staying in the present decreases ones
anxiety by two thirds.





Work Cited
Edenfield, Teresa, and Sy Saeed. "Abstract." National Center for Biotechnology Information.
U.S. National Library of Medicine, 23 Nov. 2012. Web. 28 June 2014.
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3500142/>.
Krisanaprakornkit T, Sriraj W, Piyavhatkul N, Laopaiboon M. Meditation therapy for anxiety
disorders. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD004998. DOI:
10.1002/14651858.CD004998.pub2 http://summaries.cochrane.org/CD004998/meditation-
therapy-for-anxiety-disorders#sthash.9XqwKgQ2.dpuf
"Meditation for Anxiety." - altMD.com Article. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 June 2014.
<http://www.altmd.com/Articles/Meditation-for-Anxiety>.
"Meditation Techniques for Anxiety." LIVESTRONG.COM. LIVESTRONG.COM, 2 May 2014.
Web. 28 June 2014. <http://www.livestrong.com/article/100678-meditation-techniques-anxiety>.
Ray, Amit. Om chanting and meditation: a way to health and happiness. Lexington, KY: Inner
Light Publishers, 2010. Print.
"Treating anxiety disorders with meditation & relaxation techniques - WebMD." WebMD.
WebMD, n.d. Web. 28 June 2014. <http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/20060203/best-
ways-to-ease-anxiety-disorders>.