Returning to Oneself: Meditation as a Path to Regulating Emotions. When the Amygdala Hijacks Your Mind

We live in a fast-paced world. Between constant notifications, responsibilities, news, and a stream of thoughts, it’s easy to feel off-centre, as if something is pulling us forward and we don’t quite know how to stop. Amid this emotional whirlwind, meditation emerges not as a trend but as a deep necessity: the need to return to ourselves.

Meditation: Not Disconnection, but Deeper Connection

Meditation is often misunderstood as a way of escaping reality, but in truth, it’s the opposite. It invites us into a fuller connection with the present moment. Through meditation, we train our minds to observe without reacting, to remain grounded in the storm without being swept away.

In emotional terms, this is known as regulation—an essential inner resource in today's overstimulated world.

What Does It Mean to Regulate Emotions?

Emotional regulation doesn’t mean suppressing or avoiding feelings. It means:

• Recognizing what we feel

• Naming the emotion

• Allowing space for it—without letting it take control

When we’re overwhelmed by anger, sadness, or anxiety, it’s usually because something inside us feels threatened or overstimulated. That’s when our automatic responses kick in.

From a neuroscience perspective, we could say that the amygdala—the brain’s alarm system—“hijacks” our rational mind. This pushes us to react impulsively, from fear or habit, rather than conscious choice.

Meditation: An Antidote to Emotional Hijacking

Meditation helps reverse this hijacking. By focusing our attention—often on something as simple as the breath—we:

• Reactivate the frontal lobes, responsible for conscious decision-making

• Strengthen the anterior cingulate cortex, which helps moderate emotional intensity

Over time, regular practice reduces the amygdala’s reactivity, helping us feel more balanced and centered, even in challenging moments.

Tending to Ourselves So We Can Respond

Meditation gives us a pause. A chance to observe our inner world without judgment, and to choose how we want to respond. Instead of reacting on autopilot, we respond from awareness.

This is one of the most profound forms of emotional self-care.

Three Simple Acts That Can Change Everything

• Breathe

• Feel

• Observe

In a world that demands constant action, problem-solving, and quick understanding, these simple acts become revolutionary.

Meditation doesn’t eliminate emotions—it transforms our relationship with them. It helps us stop fighting ourselves and begin listening with compassion.

In Times of Storm, Anchor to the Present

Meditation is a return to home—an inner space where emotions can move without overwhelming us. A place where silence is not emptiness, but refuge.

And maybe, at the end of the day, true emotional regulation begins with allowing ourselves to fully inhabit who we are, with all we feel, held in a grounded, compassionate presence.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by your emotions or disconnected from yourself, meditation might be the gentle return your nervous system is craving. Not as a quick fix—but as a practice of remembering who you are beneath the noise.