Walking Meditation

11:37 PM Elvira 0 Comments

I have a long history of suffering from anxiety and panic attacks. Anxiety has been something I have had to battle with since the age of 17. I can still vividly remember my first attack which happened in a crowded mall. The entire building felt like it was slowly starting to spin and I had sea legs. I grabbed onto a handrail terrified at what was happening. My heart was racing, the floor felt unsteady, and I was overtaken with panic and fear. I remember looking at my mother who seemed just as scared as I was. Though that first attack only lasted a few minutes, I had no idea what I was in store for.

As I grew older and spoke with doctors and counselors I learned that physically there was nothing wrong with me. Yes, I did suffer from heart palpitations but those palpitations only really came on during times of stress or worry. I underwent multiple cardiac evaluations and was told time and time again, "Your health is good, there is nothing wrong here." 



Finally while living in Hawaii I had found myself under tremendous stress and the attacks became more and more frequent. So much so, that I ended up in the emergency room convinced this time around my heart was truly to blame and that I must be suffering from some sort of cardiac issue. Once again they spent the day running me through a full gamut of tests. Toward the end of the evaluation a well respected cardiac surgeon came in to go over my results with me. He matter of factly informed me that yes, it was true I did have heart palpitations. I then stated to ask him question after question. "Was it dangerous?" No he said. "Was it something I would need medical treatment for?" No he said. My mind was racing and though his answers gave me some sense of relief I still didn’t understand what was happening with me. As tears ran down my face I can remember asking him, "What's wrong with me then?" He looked me square in my eyes and placed his warm hands on mine and as he gently squeezed them he said, "You need to learn how to manage your stress better, and you need to learn how to relax and stop worrying about everything so much." With that simple answer I finally realized that I was in charge of my own cure.



From that day on I started to make daily changes. I knew that I would never be anxiety free, but I also knew that there were ways I could help myself. I looked at my overall health and decided it was time to eliminate processed sugars from my diet. I then began to drink more water, and focused on eating more of a paleo style diet. I saw a counselor regularly who helped me navigate through high anxiety issues, and worked with me on understanding ways to recognize my triggers and create healthy coping skills in order to manage my stress and worry.

I started to exercise. I had always loved going to aerobic classes and participating in group exercise but I also knew that this too was often a trigger for my anxiety. So I looked at other options one of which was simply walking. I started to get up early in the morning and walk around my neighborhood. Some mornings these walks were amazing and invigorating, other mornings my mind would be filled with things I was worried about and the walks would do nothing but give me an opportunity to walk around with a mindful of worry. I knew the benefits of walking was something I wasn't willing to give up so I started to look at things I could listen to while I walked. This is where I came across walking meditation podcasts. On my I Phone I searched in the Podcast section for walking meditation. There was an over abundant amount of options to choose from. I listened to a few and narrowed down a list that I really liked and made these a regular part of my walks.



Walking meditation allows me to focus on my breathing, my mind, and my environment. Over time I have been able to redirect negative thinking, and focus on the moment. I began to look at my surroundings differently. Everything was so vibrant and majestic. Mother nature was in full bloom and I was finally starting to pay attention. My thoughts are now centered and focused on the now. The meditation also helps me focus on the things that I am grateful for and all the blessings in my life. The walks have transformed me. I would have never imagined that a walking meditation would be a tool that I so often turn to in order to cope and deal with my anxiety in a healthy manner. But it is. So get out there. Take a deep breath and look at the world around you. Focus on the trees, the clouds, and all the glory that surrounds you. And while you're at it, stop and smell the roses.



Tag: Wellness