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Meditation for my cousin's anxiety
TheEccentric
Hampshire, UK Veteran
in Meditation
My cousin who is 17 has recently moved in with moved in with us and I have found that since the age of about 11 she has been suffering with severe anxiety and depression, it is like a constant worrying about her health and that she may die even when she knows there is really no reason why she would do. Also she has problems with self confidence and sleeping.
She has been seeing a counselor who has told her she should start meditating and she knows of my Buddhism and meditation practice so she has asked me about it but and I recommended breathing meditation for her but she said that she gets more anxious when focusing on her breath as it relates to her mortality and she doesn't want to do chanting. So what other Meditation could she do that would help with her problems any one? Thanks for reading.
She has been seeing a counselor who has told her she should start meditating and she knows of my Buddhism and meditation practice so she has asked me about it but and I recommended breathing meditation for her but she said that she gets more anxious when focusing on her breath as it relates to her mortality and she doesn't want to do chanting. So what other Meditation could she do that would help with her problems any one? Thanks for reading.
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Comments
KLINGON MEDITATION
DaHjaj SuvwI'e' jiH. tIgwIj Sa'angNIS. Iw bIQtIq jIjaH. " - Today I am a Warrior. I must show you my heart. I travel the river of blood.
Basically you sit quietly and contemplate these words:
'Today is a good day to die. But not today.'
Knowing how to meditate does not mean you can or should teach it. Most western Buddhist organizations have training programs for meditation instructors to make sure people are taught correct technique.
If anxiety is increasing, then the instruction is incorrect.
Is the counselor able to instruct the patient?
If her counselor has suggested she should start meditating then hopefully the counselor can also provide guidance on how she should go about this as part of her overall treatment plan.
Her asking about your practice doesn't necessarily mean that you need recommend any particular facet and nor does there seem to be a ready link between the counselor's recommendation and buddhism.
You are her family and in a sense a 'counsel' in her life but also an example and a support.
In that sense, there may be great benefit in you sharing your experiences (and in a sense capitalising on the opportunity to openly communicate) rather than looking per se to provide guidance or solve any particular problem.