Does your meditation session cause anxiety? You are not alone. Meditation, a spiritual practice renowned for its benefits on mental health and well-being, is not without its flaws and contraindications. Did you know: too much meditation can be a source of additional stress?
It is clear that the emergence of the pandemic and thus the accompanying containment measures have amplified stress and anxiety-related disorders. In such a context, meditation is a tool that can allow us to better manage our anxieties.
Praised on social networks, and widely recommended as a tool during the pandemic, including by Queen Elizabeth II in her televised speech about the Coronavirus on April 5, 2020, this practice can take several forms as needed. Among the various techniques, meditation based explicitly on the breath helps to refocus on oneself, the body scan is a relaxation exercise, ideal before bedtime, and Kundalini meditation is a ritual intended to awaken our mind through mantras, that is, phrases endowed with spiritual power. Many studies have highlighted the benefits of meditation: greater clairvoyance, better focus, reduced stress and anxiety.
But according to several studies, meditation can also have the opposite effect of the desired result. According to the scientific journal PLOS, a study of 1,232 regular meditators with at least two months of experience, shows that 25% of participants are more anxious and depressed after their meditation session. In the same article, another survey of 1,120 more experienced meditators found that 32% of participants experienced fear during or after the series of meditation. How is it that a practice known to promote relaxation can have such a negative impact?
Disorders of over-meditation
Willoughby Britton, a professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University, reveals several risks associated with over-mediating in a discussion on the “FitMind podcast” last year: panic attacks, fits heart conditions, and even the development of acute overwhelming awareness that can interfere with sleep. Exercises that are believed to help control emotions can also, in some extreme cases, interfere with the ability to experience real joy. According to another PLOS study carried out in 2017 and among 342 people, 8% had this experience.
Find a balance
These results do not call into question all that has been written that has been positive about meditation, and there is no question of giving up the practice. But just as the gym can cause injury, or too much caffeine can cause restlessness and sleeplessness, meditating for more than thirty minutes a day is not recommended. It is therefore necessary to practice in moderation.
If you are feeling anxious after a meditation session, the key is not necessarily to do more, but rather to get some fresh air, take a nice hot bath, or even express yourself. your anxieties in your diary. We are with you!
See also: 4 tested and approved meditation apps to stay zen
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