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Writer's pictureLama Jigme Gyatso

The Ultimate Cure for Anxiety: Walking Meditation NOW

   


     What with sweaty palms, shortness of breath, and a racing heart; I think we can all agree that anxiety sucks. Although this survival mechanism has served our species well, at times it could do more harm than good. Neuroscience teaches us that the almond sized amygdala is the seat of both anxiety and aggression. And that the more trauma we endure the bigger and louder it gets. Fortunately evolution’s got our back!

 

        Every time we inhale our sympathetic nervous system (the seat of mindfulness) is wired to notice in a very special way: vulnerably, passively, viscerally, randomly, and fleetingly. But notice what? Mind’s antics of perception, emotion, intention, cognition, recollection, and imagination. This could be as easy as silently and mentally reciting the demonstrative pronoun “this” during each inhalation. Setting aside the rigidity of our medial prefrontal cortex’s concentration for the flexibility of our sympathetic nervous system’s awareness is the first step to transcending the tyranny of stress. But what’s the second step?

 

        Each time we exhale our parasympathetic nervous system has evolved to support both our physical relaxation as well as our mental release to such a degree that, that which we perceived during our previous inhalation could fleeting feel a trifle LESS solid, LESS permanent, and LESS defining. This could be as simple as silently and mentally reciting the one syllable verb “ease” during each exhalation.

 

        Coordinate these two recitations with brisk walking meditation every twelve hours or so and you could walk your way to greater health as well as peace. If you’re truly agitated merely walk around the block for twenty, or forty, or even sixty minuets. You’ll be surprised how well it takes the edge off.



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