The One-Minute Meditation

Living with Generalized Anxiety Disorder can be a constant struggle and a daily battle. The nagging feeling of angst and discontentment can flare up at any moment, leaving you battling with rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, and a red face that may give you away to your family or coworkers.

So, what do you do when Anxiety strikes? Enter: The One-Minute Meditation.

Meditation is loosely defined as any practice that refocuses the mind on a single point of focus. For most people, the word “meditation” conjures visions of sand blasted men with long beards sitting on cushions chanting “ommmm” while gazing blankly into the horizon. Believe it or not, mastering the art of meditation does not require full time study. You too can reclaim a calm mind with the one-minute meditation.

Here’s how it works:

First, sit down in a comfortable, but firm chair. Sit up tall with good posture. I find that my desk chair works nicely for this.

Close your eyes and take a deep breath in through your nose. When you get to the top of your breath, hold it for a couple of seconds, and then exhale slowly through your mouth.

Really focus on the pause at the top of your breath – there is a secret moment of peace there. For me, that moment feels like I am lifting off the ground and soaring through the sky. Others have described it to me as floating in the pool. This moment of peace is where the magic comes in. Once you find it, it becomes a moment that you always carry with you and one that you can tap into whenever you need.

Keep breathing slowly, in through your nose, hold for a moment, and out through your mouth. Do this for five to ten breaths and you will find yourself starting to return to a level of comfort and normality. If you can control your breath, you can control your whole body.

This technique seems simple, but it really works! Buddhist monks used this technique during the Vietnam War to stay calm as they walked onto the battlefields to help wounded soldiers. Scientific studies have also been done showing that this breathing technique can calm the mind and lower blood pressure.

Test it out for yourself. Take your blood pressure, try the one-minute meditation technique, and then take it again. Once you find your beat of peace, you will find that your blood pressure will lower. This is called biofeedback.