{"id":4580,"date":"2020-11-20T16:51:09","date_gmt":"2020-11-20T16:51:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/?p=4580"},"modified":"2021-09-19T15:17:12","modified_gmt":"2021-09-19T15:17:12","slug":"best-meditation-for-stress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/best-meditation-for-stress\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Meditation for Stress (in My Experience)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

“Give me your passport,” demanded the leader of the rabble. I glanced warily at the group of Bolivian Campesinos holding cheap rifles, blocking our path. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then I looked at my recent Bolivian acquaintance, who nodded imperceptibly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roadblocks had emerged around Bolivia to protest America’s foreign policy in the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wouldn’t normally have dared travel, but was desperate to reach an old school friend’s impending wedding in Brazil. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I felt intimidated and not a little stressed, especially as two American travelling companions stood next to me (more on whether we made it later).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The anxiety trap<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Stress is all consuming, trapping us under a heavy weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can either arise in response to big events and perceived danger, as in the example above, or present as a chronic, ever-present affliction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whatever the trigger, the symptoms are often identical. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As if creating a constant background mind static isn’t enough, the feeling easily gathers strength and becomes a potent emotion, transmuting into physical symptoms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Muscular tension, shortness of breath and even chest pain can result in severe cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it’s a widespread issue, with a UK poll<\/a> in 2018 poll indicating that 74% of people had felt so stressed in the previous years that they had been overwhelmed or unable to cope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So how can we manage such a prevalent and debilitating phenomenon?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’ve found meditation to be among the best solutions, although as there are countless contemplative schools and approaches, perhaps that doesn’t narrow it down much. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So while your mileage may vary, I’ll venture to suggest the best meditation for stress, in my humble opinion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the best meditation for stress?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are two parts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first is walking meditation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personally, I’ve discovered that when I feel stressed, it’s a devouring beast which hijacks both my cognitive and physical function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s impossible to think or feel clearly under these conditions, making it necessary to change the paradigm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trying to manage our sympathetic flight or fight response while remaining physically inert is ineffective at best and at worst, can perpetuate the symptoms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, for me, movement is key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mind-body connection (via our breath<\/a>) is strong, a symbiotic relationship, where our psychological function can alter physical chemistry and vice versa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we want to change our brain and emotional response, therefore, we must first change our physical posture. Walking is a wonderful way to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we feel stressed, walking meditation allows us to get out of our heads and into our body, bypassing the pressure cooker of feeling to find a release valve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, initial research<\/a> into nature walks provides promising results, with a suggestion that it can help reduce cortisol levels (interestingly, sitting in nature provided similar benefits).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I walk, I simply use my normal mindfulness meditation routine<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Walking<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Firstly, I bring attention to my breath, observing inhalation and exhalation at my nostrils and\/or stomach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, I transition my awareness into my body, feeling how it moves through space. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you truly pay attention, it’s incredible to experience the interplay of all of your muscles and joints propelling you forwards, a feat of human nature we generally take for granted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Often I’ll focus in on the soles of my feet, enjoying the sensation of connecting with the ground in a fluid heel-toe gate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And finally, there’s the scenery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Open eye meditation is something I’m increasingly utilising, appreciating that what I see in my vision is really just an elaborate reconstruction in the space of consciousness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My walks usually last at least 30 minutes and I love getting into nature, doing my daily excursion by a nearby river and canal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Often you find that these types of mindful walks blow stress away like leaves in the wind, and although the benefits of meditation<\/a> might not be immediately obvious, with continued practice, you’ll slowly feel refreshed and rejuvenated, clear of mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stoic reflection<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In these moments, I often like to follow up with some Stoic meditation and reflection<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much of the stress we feel is due to perceived threats and external stimuli, factors which are often illusory and outside our control. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In these post-walk moments of clarity, I remind myself that nothing is either good or bad, but thinking makes it so. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, it’s not the situation we face that is stressful, but rather our reaction to that situation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And like all mental responses, it is malleable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’m completely in control of how I respond to any event, an empowering and ultimately liberating realisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The magic of mindfulness<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We can manage stress in two ways. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Firstly, rather than judging it as a negative symptom, we can perceive it to be a healthy, character-sculpting emotion, one that provides the opportunity to employ a growth mindset. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secondly, we can use it as a cue for meditation, thereby incorporating more mindfulness<\/a> into our lives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The choice is yours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P.S.<\/strong> Story resolution – After two-three days of solid walking and hitchhiking in the back of pickups out of the Amazon jungle, I made it to the wedding just in time! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, at the roadblock in question, the leader of the group only checked my passport and, seeing that I was from the UK, assumed my American travelling companions were also British. A lucky escape!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Give me your passport,” demanded the leader of the rabble. <\/p>\n

I glanced warily at the group of Bolivian Campesinos holding cheap rifles, blocking our path. <\/p>\n

Then I looked at my recent Bolivian acquaintance, who nodded imperceptibly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4583,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Best Meditation for Stress (in My Experience) | Bloomsoup<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Want to know the best meditation for stress? 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