Meditation and My Battle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Benefits?

A common thread that I've noticed while working with different methodologies is that meditation gives me a deeper understanding of my mind and body. While meditating, if only for a moment, I am forced to let everything else go and focus on something else, whether it be my breathing, any bodily tension or tightness, or simply to detach and let the world go on around you.

The great thing in my experience is that this effect carries over to my everyday life. When before, life seemed as if one thing after another was coming at me, after gaining a more deliberate thought process from meditating daily, I have developed a different state of being characterized by reduced stress while I am able to more thoroughly assess the world around me. I worry less about the implications of my mistakes and focus more on how I can move towards achieving a goal. I'm more positive about what I can do to succeed as opposed to what might happen if I fail. I am less anxious and less depressed and can more easily motivate myself to do things because I am no longer hindered by worry about my perceived inadequacies, all from 20 minutes per day of letting my mind rest.

How Do I Meditate?

As a diverse cultural practice, many different methodologies exist that can yield different effects. Here are just a few.

Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness meditation is characterized by a focus on the breath. Your mind may wander, but the aim here is to focus on your breathing. This is generally done to try to reduce anxiety and depression as well as a way to combat stress. Make sure your posture is good and you are in a comfortable position. Do not try to control your breathing exactly. Rather, keep your focus on the moment and feel the sensation of your breath. Acknowledge that other thoughts will appear without focusing on those thoughts. Let them pass by and focus on the moment.

Guided Visualization

As the name suggests, guided visualization is a type of meditation in which you are guided by someone else into visualizing something. Usually, this practice is directed at relaxing, finding inner peace, and relieving stress and anxiety.

Kundalini

Kundalini is one of the more metaphysical styles of meditation. This style is aimed at tapping into your dormant Kundalini energy in your spine. The aim is achieving what is called awakening which leads to enlightenment. Generally, the practice involves repeating mantras, different hand positions, and different breathing techniques aimed at releasing the Kundalini energy to achieve enlightenment dormant in the subconscious mind.

Zen Meditation

This type of meditation, aptly named, is from the Zen Buddhist tradition and is characterized by an attempt to let all negative thoughts wash over you. The aim is to develop a mind state in which things that may bother you now don't burden your mind so much anymore. Just find your center and let all of your trouble melt off of you.

It's a journey that requires a little bit of dedication and persistence to see the rewards, but in the end, it's well worth it. Taking a few minutes per day to center myself by employing some of these techniques has led to a great deal of personal growth over the years in my life and I hope your experience with it is nothing but positive should you choose to add some of these techniques to your stress-relief routine.