Guest Contributor – Ladd Everitt
When I think about it now, I realize I have been dealing with depression, anxiety, and anger since I was a teenager. People experience different physical symptoms, but for me it was daily tension in the pit of my stomach. I’ve done decades of therapy (on-and-off) and taken medication for the past 25 years. I’ve obtained benefit from both—but nothing like the benefit I’ve obtained in just months of meditating.
I started meditating daily in preparation for a visit to the Monroe Institute in Virginia in March of this year. I attended Monroe’s “Discovery” retreat to expand my consciousness. It turned out to be a life-changing week for me—a genuine spiritual awakening.
Today I am still meditating at least one hour per day and gaining substantial physical and psychological benefits. That tension in the pit of my stomach is more infrequent, and when it does come I can look at it in observation—treating it with love and patience until it gradually dissipates.
Don’t be afraid to try meditation! It is not a rigid art—it actively benefits from your imagination and creativity. Here a few tips to get you started:
1) Find your most comfortable position. The iconic view of meditation is of a person in lotus position, seated on the ground. But the truth is you can meditate sitting in a chair, laying down on a bed, or even standing up (if you’re hardcore). Find the position that is best for you to totally physically relax. It will feel wonderful to just let go.
2) Meditation is not the absence of thought! This is the most common misconception I hear. Yes, when you meditate to should try to clear your mind of any active thoughts or worries (like how you’re going to pay a bill). But no one can completely clear their mind. Even if you stop actively thinking, thoughts will randomly come into your head as you meditate. That’s OK. Just don’t hold onto them. Concentrate on relaxing and breathing. Visualize yourself in a special place that is safe and comfortable to you (I like to see myself being bathed in light). Don’t be afraid to use your imagination!
3) Breathe to your diaphragm or heart. If you’re feeling anxious, breathe slowly and deeply into your diaphragm until the feeling goes away. If you’re not feeling anxious, breathe into your heart. You are going to feel like you have Iron Man’s unibeam in no time, believe me!
4) Sound or no sound? You can’t get this one wrong. I meditate in silence, to music that moves me, to audio frequencies meant to expand consciousness developed by Monroe and others, and to the sound or rain/running water/wind. Mix it up and have fun!
5) Stillness is the antidote to anger. If you struggle with bouts of irrational anger like I do, meditation will make you a calmer person. You will still get angry, but you will be less likely to escalate and harm others.
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