Proposal to Use Meditation to Remediate Anxiety

I, probably like most Americans, have been bombarded by bad news about the American economy. In addition, I have been affected by a lay off and am in between positions. This kind of news has made me a bit anxious. I suspect I am not alone. According to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA) , 18.1 % of the U.S. Population, in has an anxiety disorder (I am thinking this may be a bit higher given the economic climate). As of 1999, this has cost the US more than U.S. more than $42 billion a year, almost one-third of the country's $148 billion total mental health bill. To get ourselves and our businesses rolling again, we need to deal with this anxiety issue. To remedy anxiety, we must practice and encourage others to practice Meditation. Meditation improves cognitive processing, health, and interpersonal relations.

I am working on a "meditation proposal" to complete project 3, in the Toastmasters Persuasive Speaking manual and also to benefit my fellow toastmasters. I will propose that audience members practice meditation and report results the following meeting. I will give this proposal on Monday, 2/16/09 at my local Toatmasters club.

In preparation for this speech, I have been scanning meditation sites for suggested practices and basic concepts. I have found 2 great websites.

The first is called Meditation Station: Presented by The American Meditation Society http://www.meditationsociety.com/index.html. The information is presented at different levels, from those beginning to meditate to those who are experts. There are links to over 108 techniques practiced around the world. This lets the user find and try different styles, in finding the best fit. Users can also link to meditation concepts, explaining how the processes support the whole, and to a list of resources, including a community message board. This site is set up to handle all levels of questions regarding meditation.

Another great site is the Meditation Center. http://www.meditationcenter.com/ . A meditation expert, Jim Malloy, created this well written site. Although the information in the site lacks multiple perspectives and authors, the site breaks down meditation into easy steps. The steps seem to be written at a 5th grade reading level and the instructions are clear. There are a several rooms providing users with specific types of meditation, e.g. Color Healing meditation. There is also some question and answer pages, where users write questions and Jim Malloy provides a response. Upon reading these question and answer pages, I felt connected with the questions asked and comfortable with the responses. Going to these pages felt like meeting up with familiar neighbors for a Saturday tea and discussing meditation. Jim has made meditation very accessible.

I will use these 2 sites in my proposal on Monday, to give audience members some options. I hope an increased understanding of meditation will give people peace.