Meditation for Panic disorder

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Breathe in, Breathe Out Mindfulness meditation is the solace of my life, and shall be so until I die. While I depend on certain medications to stabilize my mood, I know, in the end, that I can return to the clear center of awareness and compassion, the peace that passes all understanding.

The heart of meditation is the breath. Breathe in. Breathe out. Pay attention to every aspect of your mind and body. Breathe in. Breathe out. Know that you are an integral part of the universe. Breathe in. Breathe out. Know that, to the universe, you are nothing beyond your breath. Breathe in. Breathe out. Know that, right now, your breathing is all there is to worry about.

I encourage you to read "Wherever You Go, There You Are", by John Kabat-Zinn. This was my first formal introduction to mindfulness meditation and yoga, and remains by my bedside. Kabat-Zinn wrote another excellent book, "Full Catastrophe Living", which provides a guided, step-by-step approach to mindfulness meditation for those suffering from physical and psychological illness. Kabat-Zinn's approach to healing through mindfulness meditation is employed by many health-care professionals, including mindfulness programs at Boston University and Duke University.

If you are experienced with mindfulness meditation, there is much to learn from the books of the American Zen Master Charlotte Joko Beck: "Everyday Zen: Love & Work" and "Nothing Special: Living Zen". The core text for American Zen remains Shunryu Suzuki's "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind".

Mindfulness meditation is the single most effective non-pharmaceutical treatment for anxiety and depression that I have found. I use it in conjunction with medication, and it works -- much as talk therapy works in synergy with medication.

What better way to gain control over overwhelming emotions than directly to observe and understand them?