Conquering Stress

Many writers will offer suggestions about how to manage stress. But wouldn’t it be preferable to conquer it altogether? Here are a dozen things to try to do just that.

Yoga, Tai-Chi and similar disciplines from Asia have been effective for centuries in helping to relieve stress. The physical techniques limber up the muscles and help focus the mind into relaxing thoughts.

Meditation has also been practiced, in Asia and elsewhere, for centuries. It’s easy to learn and has multiple benefits. Taking as little as a few minutes per day (though 15-20 is preferable) can go a long way toward relieving stress symptoms. The focus on any one thing helps move the mind away from the stressor. There is also evidence that, practiced properly, it can have numerous beneficial physical effects as well.

Deep breathing exercises can be a terrific first step toward getting stress symptoms under control. And lessening the symptoms is often a good first step toward curing the longer term problem. Try this: lie face down on the floor on a large towel, elbows bent with your hands flat on the floor. The backs of your hands should be under your chest. Now breath deeply, three or four times.

Dietary supplements can be helpful. The difficulty is that there are so many, and so many that are useless, that recommending specific ones is prone to error. Anything which helps elevate serotonin levels is likely to help. Beware those that promise miracle cures.

Some mild drugs, such as a sleeping aid can be useful on occasion. The risk is becoming dependent on them, not in the narcotic sense but simply as a crutch to avoid dealing with the underlying problem. But as part of a well-rounded program of stress relief they can be very beneficial. A proper sleep is essential to lowering stress.

Several newly popular (and some traditional) techniques have proved helpful for many. Aromatherapy, often combined with ‘mood music’ does actually work in a lot of cases. There’s little scientific evidence that aromatherapy has any sort of deep significance, but memories are often associated with certain smells. It can certainly do no harm.

The old phrase from Congreve: ‘Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast’ still has a place in contemporary society. While the effect shouldn’t be exaggerated, it’s nonetheless true that the right kind of music can help shift mood. Both because of its memory associations with pleasant events and for reasons not well understood, music can alter feelings.

Often a good massage, particularly in conjunction with relaxing music, can be an adjunct to a larger program of stress relief. One of the most common effects of stress is severe muscle tension, particularly in the neck, shoulders and calves. Massage helps solve this physically and it has psychological overtones of doing something good for oneself that contribute to the effect.

In extreme cases, psychotherapy may be called for. The variety of schools and techniques employed make recommending a therapist harder than choosing a good dietary supplement. Trusted friends can often be a good source to turn to in this arena.

               

At Last! A Scientifically Proven And Amazing Way To Loose Weight

By Marilyn Barker-Smith

Americans spend an estimated $30 billion a year on various types of diet programs and products, including diet foods, pills and drinks. You don’t need to add your hard earned cash to these statistics.

If you have ever eaten junk food or processed food and then wished you hadn’t because you felt tired and heavy or bloated; If you’ve ever tried fad diets or yo-yo diets only to pile the weight back on; If you have tried diet recipes and its cost you a fortune to buy the ingredients and endless time to cook; If you ever feel down about being overweight or obese; If you ever get fed up of being preached to about all the things you shouldn’t do, you’re simply fighting the flab rather than eliminating it naturally.

Overweight people increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and many other illnesses. Meditation and losing weight reduces the risk.

Using meditation to lose weight is definitely worth your consideration. So many people from all walks of life enjoy amazing and long-term results. By releasing stress through meditation people find they no longer have the need to comfort eat. One of the most powerful mind and body techniques involve combining visualization with meditation for weight loss. It has been proven over and over again that what you are imagining in the present moment will be what life grants you in the future.

Very often the mental picture that we have of ourselves when we focus on dieting conflicts with the end result that we really desire. Our mind is often filled with doubts and negative thoughts. Using meditation and visualization will erase these doubts and allow you to watch the new you reappear. Focus on the result that you truly desire and always remember “As a man thinketh so is he.”

If you don’t understand much about meditation and visualization, don’t worry, I will explain further on how you can learn simply through a free guided meditation course.

It has been scientifically proven that people who practice meditation have shown marked improvements in their mental and physical health. Clinical studies reveal that meditation helps lower blood pressure and respiratory rates, reduces anxiety and cures insomnia. It is because of these results that more and more doctors are recognizing the therapeutic benefits of meditation and are suggesting that their patients learn meditation. Many people use meditation to lose weight or cure addictive behaviors like smoking, alcohol and others learn meditation to alleviate many stress related illnesses. Some learn meditation to find inner peace and happiness, while others want to be more in touch with their spiritual self.

When you combine meditation with visualization, imagine the new you. Feel how your new body feels and see how good you look. See your beautiful or handsome image as you walk down the beach towards the sea in a fabulous swimsuit or pair of shorts. Feel the wind in your hair and the cool breeze on your body. Feel the spring in your step and the song in your heart as you give thanks for your healthy life. Feel the happiness bubbling inside as you see your family watching you with love and pride. Breathe deeply and feel ecstatic as the sea air fills your healthy lungs and body. Experience the confidence, total bliss and inner peace that encompass your whole body.

“Scientists study it. Doctors recommend it. Millions of Americans - many of whom don’t even own crystals - practice it every day. Why? Because meditation works…” Time Magazine

Marilyn Barker-Smith is the co-founder of Project Meditation. The site was created to allow everyone to experience the life changing benefits that meditation has to offer.

The Project-Meditation course was originally developed for four CD’s but has now been re-developed into a free meditation course, available for instant download.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marilyn_Barker-Smith

               

Meditation for Reducing Stress

By Richard Pettinger

Meditation is an ancient tradition which enables the practitioner to reduce stress and increase his-her sense of inner well being. Meditation works by reducing our attachment to our thoughts. By being able to switch off from our daily activities and thoughts we can reduce our stress levels and over time experience a sense of inner peace.

Stress occurs because we have many pressures on our time. These demands can come from; work, family, friends and financial pressures. We get stressed because we feel it is difficult to cope. As a consequence we can spend a lot of time thinking about our problems. However thinking about the magnitude and scale of our problems doesn’t help us to reduce our stress levels. In fact thinking can make the situation worse. We just feel confused and helpless about our myriad problems.

Meditation can help Reduce Stress in various ways.

1. In Meditation we make a concerted effort to remain only in the present instance. In meditation we are not thinking about the past or the future.

2. Meditation teaches us to control and reduce our thoughts. When we live in the mind and are constantly thinking, it is impossible to have real peace of mind. However through meditation we can elevate our consciousness beyond the realm of the thinking mind. By meditating on our heart we feel that we are not the slave of our thoughts.

3. Meditation with meditative music can be a very effective way of reducing our feelings of stress and worry. Meditative music embodies the qualities of meditation and inner peace. When we listen to the right kind of meditative music it is much easier to dive deep within and forget the problems of the world.

4. Meditation and Breathing. A significant aspect of meditation is that we focus very carefully on our breathing. We allow our breathing to become soft, natural and rhythmic. By focusing on our breath we can have very good meditation. Our breathing is very important for affecting our levels of stress. When our breathing slows down it helps the mind to calm down; our worries and anxieties soon leave.

Meditation can definitely help us to reduce our levels of stress. However to get the most benefit we need to practise regularly. If at first it seems difficult to control our thoughts, we need to persevere. We can also try meditating with music for meditation. Through repeated practise we can discover the very important art of reconnecting with our inner self. When we can do this stress will significantly reduce.

View: Music for Meditation and Relaxation

Richard is a meditation student of Sri Chinmoy. He contributes some articles to Radio Sri Chinmoy. www.radiosrichinmoy.org

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Pettinger