The Joys of Meditation

Sometimes the stress of everything that's going on gets to be a bit too much. It becomes more than I can handle, and I need to find a way to get away from it all. Most of the time, though, that just isn't practical. I can't go on vacation and get away from all of my problems and stress.

Hmm... maybe I should keep this for the end of the month stress buster. But oh well...

So I'm trying to do meditation lately, just as a way to center myself and get rid of some of the frustration. My meditation is all about relaxing and finding some kind of place where I can start from a basic point of clarity. That gives me a chance to avoid the pitfalls of starting my day from a point where I'm already stressed out and I'm already frustrated. And meditation can help me deal with some of the anger and stress that accumulates throughout the day, as well.

My meditation isn't really identified toward anything more than calming myself. I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks, so staying calm is something that is incredibly important to me. So here's how I do it:

1. Get comfortable. Usually I sit cross-legged on my bed with my back against a bunch of pillows.
2. I tend to put on Enya. Her music is ridiculously calming and relaxing. Especially "Paint the Sky with Stars." That's my meditation music.
3. I close my eyes and breathe in and out, counting to three for each breath in and each breath out. 
4. In my mind, I focus my concentration on walking through a personal library. I find a comfortable spot and I relax for a few minutes. I always choose a library because that's where I'm most comfortable outside of my home. I love the smell of books and paper. It makes me happy.
5. Then I bring myself back to the world around me and start my day.

By that time, I'm usually much more relaxed that I started out feeling. And it makes me a much easier person to deal with during the day.