Staying Centered During Stressful Times: How Meditation Can Help

Opening The Huffington Post to scenes of political confrontation, revolution, earthquakes and meltdowns, I watch with awe and compassion as our planet heaves and reels with transformation -- masses of people demanding reform, while others stagger from the terrifying impact of natural disaster.

Whether it's one's own world crashing down or others' lives falling apart, one feels vulnerable. Can strengthening our connection to the calm, unchanging depths of our being through meditation bring steadiness and resilience in the face of change?

As a meditation teacher, I find that people are often drawn to turning inward during periods of personal crisis, seeking to anchor themselves. It's not uncommon for someone to come and learn meditation after receiving a devastating medical diagnosis, while going through a divorce, after losing their job or when just feeling overwhelmed by life. Rather than numbing fears and anxieties with alcohol, drugs or something from outside themselves, it's encouraging that more and more people feel confident that the mind is powerful enough to provide strength and stability from within. (MORE)