How to Meditate Your Way From Panic to Peace

When I wrote a book proposal outlining my plan to heal from a panic disorder that had plagued me for decades, I did so partially to get out of a book tour that had taken me to 60 cities in three years. I was exhausted and anxious, tired and wired. And I thought I was the only person in the world who felt that way.

My plan worked. I learned how to meditate and process disturbing memories and emotions. I healed in ways I never could have imagined. I'm a monk in a minivan now, driving through the suburbs of New York with a peacefulness and clarity I could never have imagined I could access. Since my book was published, I've heard from people all over the country who understand the significance of my accomplishment. Their kindness has moved me deeply. I've made this slideshow to celebrate my happiness, thank them and encourage others.

Here are 10 tips for meditating your way from panic to peace:

For more by Priscilla Warner, click here.

For more on meditation, click here.

Priscilla Warner co-authored The New York Times bestseller "The Faith Club." Her new memoir, "Learning to Breathe -- My Yearlong Quest to Bring Calm to My Life", is published by Free Press. Follow her on twitter on facebook or on her website.

RATE IT!   |  

VOTE

Frightened

Enlightened

CURRENT TOP 5 PICK YOUR OWN TOP 5

USERS WHO VOTED

NEW! CREATE YOUR OWN SLIDESHOW

 

 

 

Follow Priscilla Warner on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PrisWarner

Comments

[annesmithson]

10:58 AM on 05/27/2012

I also carry a lot of stress and anxiety in my life and have been using guided meditation to help overcome it. I really enjoyed your tips and look forward to reading your book.

[Kathy Cutia]

04:50 PM on 05/09/2012

You know the saying 'we find what we need when we need it'? Thank you for this-I really need it right now!

[lick my feet]

01:48 PM on 05/01/2012

You can do this or Fight Club. its all good.

[GOODDOC1]

09:09 AM on 05/01/2012

Good luck with it. Priscilla. I wish there was a "Meditation for Dummies" course, because I can never seem to quiet my mind well enough. That may be because of PTSD. I would think meditation would help with that condition, but maybe not. What do you think? I'll look for your book on Kindle. It sounds interesting.

[lick my feet]

01:51 PM on 05/01/2012

LISTEN TO ME because im like super smart and stuff. for PTSD check out Peter Levine "Waking the Tiger" and "In an Unspoken Voice". His whole deal is called somatic experiencing, a treatment for ptsd and trauma based on how animals deal with trauma. Like, how animals deal with trauma is like how human beans should deal with trauma. you dig?

[Priscilla Warner]

06:10 PM on 05/01/2012

I agree! I found Somatic Experiencing to be a very powerful healing tool. I'm very grateful to Peter Levine for developing it, and to Francine Shapiro, who developed EMDR, another excellent therapy for dealing with trauma and PTSD. I write about both therapies in my book, and am passionate about sharing my experiences with them, since I was healed so profoundly.

[GOODDOC1]

02:50 AM on 05/02/2012

I'll see if I can order them from Amazon. I remember sitting patiently in a room with a cat that had been traumatized every day until she finally came up in my lap and would purr. (Kind of like the Fox in the Little Prince: "Tame me.".) If it could work with her, it could work for anyone! (I wish I could have adopted her, but I couldn't have a pet where I lived -- which is why I volunteered there. But she found a loving furrever home.)

[Priscilla Warner]

06:25 PM on 05/01/2012

I'd be honored to have you buy my book, Gooddoc1. I'd also love to suggest Belleruth Naparstek's powerful guided imagery CD, Healing Trauma: http://www.healthjourneys.com/product_detail.aspx?id=19 and her book, Invisible Heroes: Survivors of Trauma and How They Heal. (Belleruth has written here on Huffington Post, by the way.) There are so many effective therapies available, and so many different meditation techniques and teachers. (You might want to check out dharmaseed.org and sample some of them for free.) I wish you all the best in finding what works best for you.