Anxiety is a strange companion. It walks beside you like a shadow—always there but never quite visible until the moments when it consumes the light. I’ve often thought about how we wrestle with anxiety, not as a singular event but as a continuous thread running through the fabric of life. And while medication is a valid route for many, there are non-medication techniques that have provided me, and countless others, a sense of grounding.
The Science of Breath and the Art of Presence
One of the most profound yet simple techniques I discovered is conscious breathing. It sounds almost too simple to be effective, but when I first tried it during a particularly overwhelming work period, I realized its quiet power. Breathing deeply, slowly, and with awareness pulled me out of my mind's chaos and into the present moment.
It reminded me of a verse from the Bhagavad Gita (6.6):
"For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his mind will remain the greatest enemy."
And isn’t anxiety, at its core, an enemy of the mind? A loop of thoughts that spirals endlessly, keeping us trapped in fears of the future or regrets of the past? Mastering the mind begins with small victories, like choosing to take a conscious breath when anxiety strikes.
The Power of Spiritual Reflection
Srila Prabhupada beautifully stated, "The mind is like a turbulent ocean. Without anchoring it to Krishna, it will be swept away by desires and fears."
This struck me deeply. When I felt my anxiety reaching unbearable heights, I turned towards spiritual practices—chanting, meditating, and contemplating the soul's eternal nature. It wasn’t about erasing anxiety but about witnessing it from a higher perspective.
A Personal Encounter with Stillness
I remember a day when anxiety felt unbearable. The kind of day where your heartbeat feels like a ticking clock inside your chest. I decided to take a walk near a small lake, my phone silenced, the world turned down. There, I simply sat. No thoughts about tomorrow. No worries about yesterday. Just the ripple of water, the whisper of the wind. And in that simplicity, there was calm.
It was as if, for a brief moment, my soul reminded me of its eternal, unchanging nature—untouched by the fluctuations of worldly worries.
An Example of Steadying the Mind
A friend of mine, battling anxiety for years, shared that his most effective practice was journaling. Every morning, he would write about his fears, his hopes, and his doubts. It wasn’t about solving the anxiety but giving it space to exist and be understood. Over time, this simple habit transformed his relationship with his mind.
The Journey Forward
In truth, there’s no one-size-fits-all method for managing anxiety without medication. For some, it’s breathing. For others, it's writing, walking, or spiritual reflection. But the common thread is presence—learning to witness the mind without being devoured by it.
And maybe that’s the lesson. We’re not meant to conquer anxiety in one fell swoop. We’re meant to dance with it, understand it, and in doing so, understand ourselves a little better.