Expert: Alex Wilding - 2/20/2010

Question
Dear Mr Wilding

first of all I would like to thank you for you're time second of all I do apologize for spelling mistakes that may occur and for the negative tone of this email.

My situation from my perspective is that the levels of anxiety in the body are to high, I have the shakes, nausea and lake of appetite and the body is growing weak.
Mediation is hard as pain and aches are experienced along side of the above symptoms of a mind disturbed by its observations.

Please if you have the time at all could you help selvage this deluded mind that feels helpless to help the suffering and only leads us to despair.

Thank you again for you're time and good work
best wishes
Katerina

Answer
Dear Katerina,
Well to start with, it does sound bad, to the extent that I would guess that although your mind is obviously playing a part, and although the standard Buddhist cliche sometimes is to say "oh, it's all in the mind", it sounds as if you have a more physical problem. Traditional Buddhism might say it's do do with your channels and winds, modern doctors might look more at chemistry.

I think it would be unlikely that you can get out of this by sheer mental exercise, although it would be important to work to keep your mind "on track" so to speak. But the state of our mind is closely involved with the state of our body. It is sometimes said that the mind rides the "winds" like a rider on a horse - yes, they are different, but they move together, and the thing will be disastrous if they aren't in some kind of harmony. I'd think you'd have a better chance of eventually meditating if you do everything you can to settle your body.

How? The obvious ways, if I may say so: a light but nutritious diet, not too much caffeine or alcohol, certainly no smoking, drink plenty of water or fruit juice, do lots of exercise but keep it very gentle - perhaps just walk for an hour or two a day. Perhaps a spell of gentle stretching exercises each day. Plenty of sleep, but if your sleep is disturbed at least make sure you get a full whack of resting in bed every night. Not too much garish TV or that sort of entertainment - if you want entertainment, try talking to a friend or listening to music, but perhaps the crisp energy of Handel or the vibrancy of Sarah Vaughn rather than rap or heavy metal.

Best of all, I'd recommend walks in the countryside again - are you near enough to the country? Although there are other options, of course. I used to spend quite a bit of time beside the canals in Birmingham, though they are a lot more glitzy now than they were in those days.

I hope this helps a bit, but if not I think you need to talk to someone you trust "in the flesh".

Best wishes
AW