In this teaching, Yogananda goes beyond generic advice about relaxation. He explains the actual mechanics of nervousness, how it arises in the body and mind, what sustains it, and why willpower alone is often insufficient to overcome it. Then he offers specific, tested methods for restoring the nervous system to its natural state of equilibrium. His approach is compassionate, practical, and rooted in a deep understanding of the relationship between body, mind, and spirit.

If you have struggled with anxiety or restlessness, this teaching speaks directly to your experience and offers a genuine path forward.

In This Video

• The physiological and psychological roots of chronic nervousness
• Why common strategies for managing anxiety often fail to address the deeper cause
• How meditation directly heals the nervous system by redirecting life energy
• Yogananda’s specific breathing and concentration techniques for calming the mind
• The role of faith and positive thinking in supporting the healing process

Key Teachings

“Calmness is the ideal state in which we should receive all life’s experiences. The calm person is the truly strong person.”
– Paramahansa Yogananda

Yogananda challenged the assumption that nervousness and intensity are signs of being alive. The person who maintains deep inner calm in the face of challenge is not passive but profoundly powerful. Calmness allows you to perceive situations clearly, respond wisely, and conserve the energy that nervousness wastes. It is not the absence of feeling but the presence of a centered awareness from which all feeling can flow appropriately.

“When you are calm, you are plugged in to the infinite source of power. When you are nervous, you have disconnected yourself.”
– Paramahansa Yogananda

This image captures the essence of Yogananda’s approach. Nervousness is not just uncomfortable. It is energetically costly. It disconnects you from the deeper wellspring of vitality and intelligence that is always available to you. Meditation reconnects you. It reverses the flow of energy that nervousness scatters outward and draws it back to the center, where it can be used for healing, for clarity, and for creative action.

Questions & Answers

Can meditation really help with clinical anxiety?

Yogananda believed that meditation could help with all forms of nervousness, including what we now call anxiety disorders. He was not dismissive of medical approaches, and he would not have discouraged anyone from seeking professional help. But he was confident that meditation addresses the root of the problem (the restless, scattered state of the mind) in a way that no external remedy can fully replicate. Many practitioners have found that meditation, combined with other appropriate care, produces results far beyond what either approach achieves alone.

How quickly can meditation reduce nervousness?

Some relief can be felt almost immediately, even a single session of slow, deep breathing and mental concentration can lower the heart rate and quiet the mind. Deeper and more lasting results, however, require regular practice over weeks and months. Yogananda encouraged patience and consistency. The nervous system did not become agitated overnight, and it does not fully heal overnight. But with daily meditation, the improvement is steady and cumulative.

What specific meditation technique did Yogananda recommend for nervousness?

Yogananda taught several techniques, but one of his most accessible recommendations for nervousness is the practice of slow, rhythmic breathing combined with mental concentration at the point between the eyebrows. Inhale slowly and deeply, hold the breath gently, and exhale even more slowly. With each breath cycle, consciously release tension from the body and redirect your attention inward. This simple practice, done for even five to ten minutes, can produce a noticeable shift in your state.

Is nervousness always a bad thing?

Yogananda acknowledged that a certain degree of alertness and responsiveness is healthy and necessary. The problem arises when the nervous system is chronically overactivated, when the body and mind remain in a state of heightened tension even when there is no immediate threat. This chronic nervousness is what Yogananda was addressing, and it is this pattern that meditation is uniquely equipped to heal.

Practice

Find a comfortable, quiet place to sit. Close your eyes and begin to observe your breathing without trying to change it. After a minute, begin to lengthen your exhale, breathe in for a count of four, and breathe out for a count of eight. As you exhale, consciously release tension from your shoulders, your jaw, your hands. After five cycles of this extended breathing, let your breath return to its natural rhythm and bring your attention to the space between your eyebrows. Rest it there gently. If a worried thought arises, do not fight it, simply note it and return your attention to that still point. Continue for ten minutes. When you finish, sit quietly for another minute before opening your eyes. Practice this every day, preferably at the same time, and notice how your baseline level of nervousness begins to decrease over the course of a week or two.