“You should definitely try meditation, girl.” My best friend advises.“Meditation, huh?” I reply. Even then, the pendulum of curiosity starts to swing. I ponder what life is like before meditation: as a young awkward middle schooler, whereexperiencing the everyday struggle of choosing between a chocolate chip cookie or a green Izie drink (at snack break) is a monumental crisis. However, not realizing the bigger issue is a big problem too: General Anxiety Disorder. As a young kiddo, my mind constantly races--even quicker than my speech pattern--that gloriously wins a Nascar Race. Also, the lack of sleep as a preteen--well, it makes the character from the movie Limitless look like a rookie. He might be been able to access 100 percent of his brain capacity, but my thoughts seem to fly by faster. I am completely unaware of how much I don’t see the real picture. So, fast forward nine years later. I live in an anxiety bubble most of my life: incessantly worrying about factors of life I can’t change, and how much I obsess and over-think the little things. Well, little things add up big; I start having panic attacks at the drop of hat. The triggers, I don’t know--the solution, I have no idea. All I know at this moment is: For a big portion of my life, I let anxiety rule every part of it. The moment I take off the involuntary blinders away from my eyes, I see the truth: there has to be a better way to live.

Meditation is sitting in a quiet room, and tuning out all the noise in your mind. The goal is to sit in silence, and experience relaxation. It’s not easy at first; once practice initiates, it’s a lifesaving activity. So, as a beginner at the time, I simply search “Guided Meditation” on Youtube. The channel that helps me the most is, TheHonestGuys. Their guidance during meditation aids to me feel like I don’t have to worry about guiding myself-- or worry that I am doing something wrong, or expecting too much. TheHonestGuys help the viewer control their breathing patterns, by describing beautiful visuals of imagery. Also, they give instructions on how to slow breathing patterns. In turn, this helps the listener to focus on the less chaotic aspects of life , and feel a sense of calm. A huge factor in meditation is exactly what I ask myself: What am I comfortable with? How can I make myself feel better? So, plop yourself on the floor; turn off the lights, and give some guidance a try. However, say you find that guided meditations aren’t for you. I’d recommend meditation music from sources like Pandora, or Spotify. On Pandora, try typing in: Calm Music, or Meditation Music. Artists like Liquid Mind really help uplift an anxiety-prone individual, like myself. The active decision of making meditation apart of your life already propels yourself forward in progress, toward a calmer state of well being. The more I start to meditate, the more I realize that my speech begins to slow down, and my anxious thoughts don’t run like the roadrunner anymore. I also felt like I have more control over my life. For the first time anxiety isn’t the winner, relaxation is.