Managing Fight-or-Flight Emotions with Meditation

Meditation can be a powerful tool in managing fight-or-flight emotions such as resentment or frustration. By adopting a proper meditation posture and focusing on a steady breathing sequence, we can shift our attention from overactive thinking to sensing, allowing our nervous system to calm down.

Deep, steady breaths help detoxify our bloodstream from the negative emotional chemicals produced by stress. As we expand our awareness of the space around us and focus on inhaling and exhaling, we engage the sensing part of our brain, allowing feelings of calm, peace, and connection to emerge naturally.

Beginning Meditation Outline

To begin the meditation, find a comfortable seated position with your spine straight.

Take a mental picture of the distance between you and the walls around you.

Relax your abdomen and breathe in for a count of three, lifting and contracting with the Kegel exercise.

Contract your abdomen and slowly exhale for a count of five. Repeat this breathing pattern, envisioning a cool cloud of steam that you inhale deeply into your belly and exhale, cleansing your body of negative energies.

As you continue to breathe in and out, imagine the air traveling along your spine and coiling up towards your belly button, slowly curling and cleansing.

With each exhale, visualize the air uncoiling from the bottom of your belly, removing stress hormones and chemicals from your body.

Practice this breathing sequence for at least 10 breaths, gently acknowledging any intrusive thoughts and returning your focus to your breath.

Towards the end of the meditation session, we can re-engage our frontal lobe by visualizing a supportive coach encouraging us and reminding us of our capabilities.

By intentionally evoking the positive emotions associated with this mental image, we can return to our daily lives feeling renewed and poised.

By incorporating meditation and mindful breathing techniques into our daily routines, we can effectively manage stress, reduce anxiety, and improve our overall emotional well-being.

Recommended Reading on Mediation:

1. Benson, H. (1975). The Relaxation Response. New York: William Morrow and Company.

2. Benson, H., & Proctor, W. (2010). Relaxation Revolution. New York: Scribner.

3. Neff, K. (2011). Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself. New York: William Morrow.

4. Sternberg, E. M. (2009). Healing Spaces: The Science of Place and Well-Being. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press.

5. Miller, R. (2015). The iRest Program for Healing PTSD: A Proven-Effective Approach to Using Yoga Nidra Meditation and Deep Relaxation Techniques to Overcome Trauma. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.

Citations :

1. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/12-benefits-of-meditation

2. https://www.gundersenhealth.org/health-wellness/live-happy/4-7-8-breathing-technique#:~:text=The%204%2D7%2D8%20breathing,negative%20long%2Dterm%20health%20effects.

3. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/breathing-to-reduce-stress#:~:text=Shallow%2C%20upper%20chest%20breathing%20is,a%20range%20of%20health%20benefits.

4. https://www.michiganmedicine.org/health-lab/easy-way-beat-stress-and-build-healthier-life

5. https://www.michiganmedicine.org/health-lab/easy-way-beat-stress-and-build-healthier-life#:~:text=Diaphragmatic%20breathing%20calms%20the%20nervous,stress%20hormones%20in%20the%20body.

6. https://www.forbes.com/health/mind/benefits-of-meditation/

7. https://www.meetreflect.com/blog/meditation-help-the-nervous-system/#:~:text=Meditation%20works%20by%20activating%20the,%2C%20stress%2C%20and%20depression%20symptoms.

8. https://www.mindful.org/one-week-of-mindfulness-meditation-may-help-you-process-your-emotions/#:~:text=Meditators%20Were%20Better%20at%20Emotion%20Processing&text=Where%20researchers%20did%20find%20improvement,a%20week%20of%20group%20practice.

9. https://lifehacker.com/how-to-calm-your-nerves-with-mental-rehearsal-and-get-1705202829

10. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/meditation/in-depth/meditation/art-20045858#:~:text=Meditation%20can%20give%20you%20a,centered%20and%20keep%20inner%20peace.

11. https://rightasrain.uwmedicine.org/mind/well-being/science-behind-meditation#:~:text=Meditation%20calms%20down%20your%20sympathetic%20nervous%20system&text=When%20you%20encounter%20a%20threat,allows%20you%20rest%20and%20relax.

12. https://www.npr.org/2010/12/06/131734718/just-breathe-body-has-a-built-in-stress-reliever

13. https://www.yogajournal.com/meditation/how-to-meditate/learn-listen-emotions/

14. https://chopra.com/articles/5-simple-tips-for-managing-your-emotions-through-meditation