Anxiety and I have had a complicated relationship. For most of my life we’ve been on and off, but now it wants to get serious. Just the threat of conflict makes me feel uncomfortable so imagine how jittery the divisive, provocative stories that have taken over newspapers, social media, and cable TV have made me feel. Meditation offers a refuge from anxiety because it creates enough space in my head for worry to settle. It didn’t come easily to me, though. The first time I gave it a try, almost twenty-five years ago, I was so flooded with strong emotions that I ran out of the meditation center like it was on fire. As a newcomer I hadn’t yet learned how to leave those strong feelings alone so that the noise in my head could die down. Anxiety doesn’t overwhelm me anymore because I’ve learned how to deal with it. If I sense that worry is starting to take over I don’t sit down to meditate, I walk. Walking meditation is grounding when emotions run high, especially if coupled with appreciation practice.
My husband’s legs are long, and mine are not. When we hike together he…
