At that time, a friend invited me to a yoga class. I vividly remember the first time I felt like I had a body during the class. Before that, I had a lot of it in my head, but this class made me realize that I could experience the space under my chin.
During that class, the instructor (who was a Buddhist meditation teacher) talked a lot about the mind and suffering. I had an epiphany in that class. For the first time, he realized that he had a choice in his thoughts. He didn’t have to believe everything that came to his mind. Instead, I could observe those thoughts and then do something else.In this awareness, I knew deep down that this class would change my life. , the next day, the day after that, and so on.
I studied under that same teacher and learned many practices that support my mental health and well-being.so it wasn’t my Anxiety and my Worry, it was just anxiety. I also learned a lot about impermanence and techniques that help tune the nervous system, such as breathing exercises.
I became more inclined to meditation — much of my own suffering involved my mind, so I gravitated toward meditation and wanted to make sense of it. I thought meditation was totally impossible for me. But my teacher kept assuring me that everyone’s mind is distracted, but if you really want to understand your own mind, you have to sit and observe. , I took my meditation practice seriously.
Buddhism was certainly a gateway for me, but it also led me to learn: Polyvagal Theory 1 and positive psychology. Ultimately, the intersection of science and spirituality gave me solace.
Within that first year, 85% of my symptoms were gone. The remaining 15% took longer. For example, if I drink too much coffee even now, anxiety starts to appear. But the difference is that I know how to relate to it in a very different way, and it’s not something I give in to.
