If you suffer from anxiety and you have a choice of medication or meditation, you’ll be better off with the long-term positive effects of regular meditation than the dangerous side effects of daily medication. You will gradually learn how to quiet your mind instead of possibly harming your body with drugs.

Because I once suffered from chronic, sometimes debilitating anxiety, I decided, about twenty years ago, to learn transcendental meditation (TM). TM is a form of meditation introduced by Indian guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who taught the Beatles how to meditate in the 1960s. To learn TM, I attended small group classes and some individual classes for two weeks, with a few follow-up sessions as I needed them. I was given my own mantra to help me meditate. A mantra is a sound that is chosen by the teacher after he becomes familiar with your particular personality and needs. I was instructed to recite my mantra silently for twenty minutes twice a day. The purpose is to induce relaxation.

There are many different kinds of meditation, but TM has proven to be one of the most effective, based on many scientific studies. In a 1990 Stanford review of past studies on meditation and anxiety, for example, it was found that although different modalities all reduced anxiety (for example, progressive muscle and other relaxation techniques, TM, or other kinds of meditation), TM was the most effective technique, and its effectiveness increased with the passage of time.

A more recent study in 2006 found that TM is at least as good as biofeedback (thought-created progressive muscle relaxation), pranayama (yogic breathing), and mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness meditation focuses on awareness of, but detachment from, one’s thoughts.

The study concluded that meditation and other relaxation techniques led to better scores on tests for anxiety. As well, participants were able to deal more effectively with their jobs, social and family obligations, although it did not improve their sex lives or their sleep patterns. Interestingly, it was found that obsessive-compulsive disorder, a form of anxiety, responded well to mindfulness meditation.

People who suffer from anxiety often have a control issue, i.e., they’re afraid to let go or they actually fear the feeling of their body relaxing. Mindfulness meditation helps anxious people to relax and not attach to anxiety-creating thoughts while surrendering their control. Between periods of meditation, they learn to cultivate an awareness of their negative thoughts about themselves and the world around them and how these thoughts can produce uncomfortable symptoms, which can lead to a decrease in anxiety.

My own experience with TM made me a fan of meditation as a simple, drugless way to relax mind and body. Meditation has been around for a very long time, and there are as many types of meditation as there are books describing them. You may prefer a more physical form of meditation, like Hatha Yoga, T'ai Chi, karate or archery, to relieve anxiety. I consider taking a walk a form of meditation that reduces stress. Meditation doesn't always mean sitting quietly by yourself with your eyes closed.

One of my favorite books describing the different types of meditation is “How to Meditate: A Guide to Self-Discovery” by psychotherapist Lawrence LeShan. If you want to free yourself from the prison of anxiety, consider the amazing healing power of meditation.