SueBear Sews And Flows

I have been thinking quite a bit about worry lately. I have always been an anxious person and there are few times in my life I recall that weren't overshadowed by a worry I was experiencing. In my time here, I've tried prayer, antidepressants, therapy, and meditation to combat the anxiety that worry creates. To an extent, all of these methods have worked, but meditation has been my biggest relief. I credit ongoing therapy and my short time on antidepressants with creating the base building blocks of good mental health, but they weren't able to fully conquer and address the immediacy of panic attacks. Meditation and the breathing that informs and enhances a meditation practice has created so much mental and emotional space for me. (I will say here that I consider prayer to be a form of directed meditation.) Like many things in life, worry is a habit. I had carved a very deep metaphorical groove in my brain where worry lived. If I solved one reason to worry, without c...

I'd like to start a new occasional series called Monday Meditation. The goal is a short little reflection on how meditation has affected various areas of my life. I'd like to start with strained family relationships. There are portions of my family that experienced a rift a number of years ago. Slowly, those relationships have been healing.  For my part, I was kind of stuck in the middle and didn't really have the coping skills to deal with all the parties involved.  Since I started meditating in 2017, my perception of those relationships has changed. Because meditation gives me tools to help guide my thoughts and gentleness towards my thoughts, those same tools have helped me both become more understanding of my family and establish better boundaries.  I notice I'm better able to interact with these family members with patience and empathy. These relationships still have room for lots of positive growth, but I know I'll be ready for those changes...