If you’ve ever tried to push away anxiety or depression when they show up, you probably already know: Fighting these complex, difficult emotions usually doesn’t work. In fact, our resistance often makes the experience even more challenging.  In today’s practice, Ed Halliwell offers a guided visualization based on a foundational mindful question: What if you don’t try to push this experience away, but instead watch it as it plays out?  Ed Halliwell is a mindfulness teacher and writer, based in Sussex and London, UK. He is author of three books: , and (as co-author) and teaches courses and retreats to public groups, in organizations and to individuals, face-to-face and online via Skype. He is also an advisor to , which is supporting the Mindfulness All-Party Parliamentary Group to develop mindfulness-based policies for the UK. The transcription of this guided meditation will be online at Mindful.org next week.  Stay curious, stay inspired. Join our community by signing up for our free newsletter:  Show Notes Find more from Ed Halliwell . Go Deeper Anxiety, panic, and depression can sometimes feel like a vortex we’re sucked into that’s impossible to get out of. It’s important to understand that mindfulness and meditation aren’t cure-alls or instant fixes, and that they’re most effective when used in concert with other healing modalities. There are practices that can help us be with thoughts and feelings in a compassionate, non-judgmental way—and this open-hearted approach can often loosen the grip of difficult moments. If you’d like to explore more about how mindful practices can help improve mental well-being, check out these resources on Mindful.org:           ​​  For more practice, here are that you can try.  And more from Mindful here: Let us know what you thought of this episode of 12 Minute Meditation by leaving a review or by emailing .