Tips for anxiety while meditating?

[dragoneyes]

I really want to dive into the meditation world more so than I already have. I'm a newbie but i've realized what essentially really holds me back is anxiety of letting go too much during meditation. The minute I slip away from my world and feel myself getting into a deep meditative state, i freak out.
The only place I can get to is just a deep relaxation and feeling slightly disconnected but never further.
I read so many stories of amazing meditations and really getting lost/experiencing out of body things, I just don't think I can ever let go enough to get there.

How did you overcome this or is this a common problem? I really would like to get over it because I think meditation is amazing and just what I need right now.

[8thsinner]

I am finding it quite difficult to meditate myself but for different reasons.
What has helped me get sort of back on course, are a lot of kyanite exposure, binaural beats and short breathing exercises as often as I can. I mean like 10-15 minutes.

But it will come to you when you are ready, there is no point in rushing it or forcing it. I would suggest Take a back step from trying to hard and enjoy other things that raise your vibrations so that the next time you try you are in a better position to advance further.

[Gem]

Originally Posted by dragoneyes

I really want to dive into the meditation world more so than I already have. I'm a newbie but i've realized what essentially really holds me back is anxiety of letting go too much during meditation. The minute I slip away from my world and feel myself getting into a deep meditative state, i freak out.
The only place I can get to is just a deep relaxation and feeling slightly disconnected but never further.
I read so many stories of amazing meditations and really getting lost/experiencing out of body things, I just don't think I can ever let go enough to get there.

How did you overcome this or is this a common problem? I really would like to get over it because I think meditation is amazing and just what I need right now.

Yea... It can be a different experience that one is not accustomed to at all, so it may be surprising or scary when at that point of letting it go where it's kinda all or nothing - in a way.

[Tobi]

I agree with what Gem said. It can be a bit of an unusual sense at first, especially the 'letting go' feeling.
Maybe just do shorter meditations until you get accustomed to how things will feel?
A bit like diving into a pool. Some like to dive right in, and some like to go in gradually, getting used to the water first bit by bit.

Have you considered a moving meditation? Everyone is different but I found that when i had a similar problem that some sort of repetitive movement was helpful. I wasn't experiencing anxiety so much as just not being able to quiet my mind. It's as though choosing a motion that is simple and doesn't take away TOO much of the focus offers enough mundane focus to balance things out....if that makes sense.

[anthony c]

Another thing that might help if you try being in your body during meditation.

Try to spread your awareness all over your body and then you will get out of your mind.

Hope it help.
Good luck

PS with practice and never quitting you will get there anyway. Just be patient the anxiety will go as you get use to deeper states and you will go even deeper.
Its just a matter of time

[Shivani Devi]

Originally Posted by dragoneyes

I really want to dive into the meditation world more so than I already have. I'm a newbie but i've realized what essentially really holds me back is anxiety of letting go too much during meditation. The minute I slip away from my world and feel myself getting into a deep meditative state, i freak out.
The only place I can get to is just a deep relaxation and feeling slightly disconnected but never further.
I read so many stories of amazing meditations and really getting lost/experiencing out of body things, I just don't think I can ever let go enough to get there.

How did you overcome this or is this a common problem? I really would like to get over it because I think meditation is amazing and just what I need right now.

Hello there, I hope I can help out and set your troubled mind at ease.

Don't think of meditation as a 'scary thing'. It's only scary if you let your fear, interfere...interfear, I call it.

Meditation is just a really nice personal headspace to be in and you'll be no 'different' to who you were before, you'll be better and be able to view things like bad emotional circumstances with a lot more emotional control and personal detachment.

Yes, you read about these people having 'amazing light shows' during meditation and while they may be 'scary' at first, when you 'get there' about half a dozen times you can start to just observe them and watch them all pass by too, using that same process of detaching your thoughts from this level of conscious awareness.

There's a very simple term for this process: "Respond, don't react". Just watch your thoughts pass by and breathe deeply into your abdomen.

After a while of experiencing all these 'mystical light shows' and 'out of body experiences' and 'Anahata Sounds' and 'rising Kundalini' and 'God' and anything else that 'gets in the way', one eventually reaches a very special place..just keep asking 'is that all there is?" until you can't anymore.

Buddha did not say "If you see me along 'the Way, kill me' without good reason imho.

[Shivani Devi]

Think of it as an 'adventure' or a 'game' and you can always 'click home' or 'exit program' at any time you want. That choice is always there as being a condition of our very human existence.

Although when you're caught up in a deep spiritual trance, it's hard to just 'let go' of that...in my case there's no way I would ever want that to happen. I just like it too much. The stakes are just way too high now.

In any case, over and above all, I love and trust the 'God of my own understanding' to the very core of my 'inner being' (Antahkarana) and I know that He has a reason behind whatever fate befalls me. I have to just trust and surrender - but never 'give in'. lol

The feeling is like that of wonderment like a small child seeing a puppy or a pretty butterfly combined with a kind presence all around, like a friend holding your hand. It's just innocence, wonderment, amazement, and above all love, like a sense that you've always known that something like that exists for you to 'be here'.

I'm not preaching to you or forcing you to take my path or any path whatsoever - that is up to the individual to decide for themselves when they are ready.

I don't want you to think I am 'advertising anything' or 'selling anything'...it's all free as the very air we breathe (and a lot less polluted). :)

All I want is to wish you the best of luck and peace.