How I Became a Huge Believer in Meditation

I have had periods in my life of extreme stress that resulted in scary physical symptoms. One of those times, my adrenalin was so pumped up that even after the period of stress was over, my body still felt horribly wired and my heart was pounding and erratic all the time with frightening palpitations. Through a wonderful psychologist that I went to see, I discovered the power of meditation. She created cassettes for me (yes, it was before the internet or CDs) and I listened to them every day, feeling myself relax and calm down more each time. At the end of a few weeks, my symptoms totally disappeared.

Being very busy in recent years, I did not do meditation much at all (shame on me—I should have known better). I started having feelings of anxiety, my breathing fast, my heart pounding and having palpitations, and difficulty sleeping. I didn’t even have any particular stress going on in my life. I realized that when the stress lets off, I become more aware of the symptoms of anxiety I had had all my life. A physician friend told me that I might have a serious heartbeat irregularity (A-fib). But I knew my body and knew that I had these symptoms before. Not wanting to have a bunch of medical tests (as in the past) or take any medication for these symptoms, I began a routine of listening to meditation every day, sometimes several times a day. I put on headphones and immersed myself in them. Within two days I could feel myself calming down and within a week or two, my heartbeat was back to normal and tension in my body was gone.

And then I noticed a surprising bonus—the migraine headaches and the vertigo that I had been plagued with for decades miraculously faded away and I rarely feel either one any more. Yea!! So I am sold on the value of meditation and I became certified as a Mindfulness Meditation Trainer. I can’t promise that you will have the same results, but it will add value to your life, no matter what.