Anapanasati Meditation – Key to Stress Relief - Part I

Anapanasati Meditation – Key to Stress Relief - Part I

Modern life is creating stress and we all react the same way. We see the effects in our bodies, our pulses are increased, and we feel the tension in our muscles. The causes of stress in modern life emerge from the too many obligations we have to handle everyday to the modern way of negative thinking.

We have all experienced stress periods in our life. This is something normal. Indeed, in small levels stress can be constructive! When, however, is a problem?

Is this a period in your life that you have many outstanding obligations; Do you worry about the future? Do you experience problems at home or at work? Do you work a lot and you are not resting enough? Do you feel trapped in situations that you cannot change? If the answer is «yes», even for a single question, be careful because you may engage in the vicious cycle of stress, which weakens the immune system and is the cause of many psychological and physical disorders.

What causes stress in modern life?

Previously people lived a less intense live, following more closely their internal clock. In recent decades, however, the pace of life has accelerated dramatically and most of us experience our days as an emergency situation, which requires continuous action and no rest. And precisely because there is no time for rest and leisure, we move more and more away from ourselves and become more and more stressed. The main reasons that cause stress in modern life can are as follows:

Too many obligations
The chronic stress we are experiencing daily, like the stress caused by a bad marriage or a by a job that is too demanding, is causing health problems. It is clear and proven than when facing chronic stress, the autonomic nervous system is affected and thus causing stress. The stress in turns causes overwork, overwork causes exhaustion, exhaustion causes depletion, and depletion makes us collapse and also is the cause of various diseases. The first symptoms are relatively mild, chronic headaches and increased sensitivity to cold. As the stress cycle continues, health problems become increasingly serious in both physical and mental level. An estimated 90% of doctor visits are related to stress. Most of the common diseases are associated with a chronic form of the insomnia, depression, mental disorders, muscle pain, hair loss, diabetes, sexual dysfunction and cancer.

Negative thoughts

Sometimes the enemy is in our head. The way we talk to ourselves, although generally formed in childhood, it follows us throughout our lives and plays a significant role to all our experiences. If we are accustomed to think and speak negatively then this is a major source of stress. Fortunately, it is never too late to learn the power of positive thinking.

Poor skills to deal with conflicts

Conflicts with others are a part of life and we need to know how to properly handle them so that our relations become stronger and not a source of stress. And this does not mean that we must be aggressive towards others, or to let them treat us because we cannot say «no».

Pessimism

The pessimistic people see things worse than they are in reality and that prevents them from seeing the possible solutions and opportunities presented before them.

The taking of too many commitments

Everyone reacts differently to stress. Some withstand pressure more and others less. The taking of more responsibilities than someone can handle is a source of stress.

To reduce and manage stress, we need to make sure that our body and mind do not overtake more than they can withstand. This can be achieved by following a method of relaxation, known as Anapansati Meditation. What is happening in our bodies during meditation practice?

• The type A waves of the body are synchronized.
• It improves metabolism.
• The brain is oxygenized better.
• HDL (the «good» cholesterol) is increasing and LDL (the «bad») is reduced.
• Endorphins are produced (hormones of «goodwill»).
• Pressure falls to normal levels.

The details of Anapansati Meditation will be described in Part II of this article.

Contd to next ……….