When you are starting out, you may decide to set aside 5 minutes for your meditation session. This is plenty of time when you are beginning to meditate and in our hectic daily lives it may well be that this is the maximum amount of time that you feel you can devote to meditating. That’s fine. Whatever works for you is good – it’s much better to spend a few minutes a day meditating than to put it off completely. Over time, you will  want to increase the amount of time you spend in a meditative state, but that’s completely your choice.

If you can spare the time, your aim should be to have two 20 minute meditation sessions each day. Research has shown that spending this amount of time meditating leads to better health and can help reduce the stresses and strains of daily life. Your checklist for starting meditation:

• · Choose a meditation method from the chapters that follow.
• · Choose a time of day when you are unlikely to be disturbed.
• · Choose a place where you feel comfortable and can relax.

That’s all!

Performing selfless acts is noble, but it takes a toll we may not be aware of. There is nothing wrong with being selfish. While everyone seems to be concentrating on themselves, you are focusing on them.  The first step to a balanced life is to think about you and your needs. If you fall apart, you won’t be of any use to anyone.  Selfishness is not defined by an inability to help others; it is the means by which you regenerate yourself by focusing on your own needs.  Simple ordinary pleasures can make a world of difference in your life such as: a manicure, a day out with friends; a new outfit.

You’re mental and emotional state has more to do with the balance within than you realize.  Worry drains us; yet we can’t seem to control it.  We tolerate many things which essentially drain our energy, leaving us feeling empty and void of feeling. Sleepless nights ensue, and the cycle begins all over again the next day. Confront the problems head on; let the water out of the tank before it bursts open. Worry about the things you can control.

Protect your space from intruders who are intent on invading your thoughts and inner peace.  If someone is rude or makes a disparaging remark; walk away. If a situation arises creating angst, deal with it then let it go.  Don’t let it disrupt your life by claiming it as your own. You didn’t create it, nor are you responsible for it.  Try not to solve the ills of the world or place the burden on your shoulders.  Life is hard enough without placing unimportant needs ahead of your own.

A path well taken is one of integrity and honesty. Love yourself; look in the mirror every morning and acknowledge the unique person you are.  Empower yourself to accomplish your most intimate goals.  Acknowledge the kindness and good in you; you may be hard pressed to fine anyone who will. Conduct yourself with dignity and honor. Finally, take charge of your life; nurture it, reward it; and the balance within will reveal itself through the smile on your face, and the gleam in your eyes.

When these kinds of days occur, how do you normally react to the stress?  The methods you automatically turn to in an effort to help you deal with the increased anxiety levels is known as your stress reflex.

Just as your knee jerks when the doctor taps it, there are certain things you do when stress gets the best of you.  It may be that you head straight for the kitchen and drown your sorrows in a big bowl of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream.

Or maybe you snap at the first person who crosses paths with you.  Your stress reflex kicks in when the pot boils over.  We like to refer to it as the straw that broke the camel’s back, but what it actually means is – you’ve had enough!

When stress levels get to this point, it’s too late to react with your emotions intact.  You need to find ways of coping with stress as it builds, to diffuse the situation before it gets out of control.

Evaluate what your stress reflex is.  You may not have ever thought about it before, preferring instead to not think about anything when stress takes its toll and sends you into a flurry of coping mechanisms.

One you have a finger on the pulse of how you manage stress when it tips the scales, you’ll be able to steer clear of detrimental behaviors and find an outlet that is healthier for you when this type of anxiety seeps into your life.

Your stress reflex may depend on many factors, such as whether you’re male or female. Men and women tend to react differently to stress.  The benefit in pinpointing your stress reflex isn’t to turn off the anger switch forever.

In fact, getting mad to a certain degree can be healthy for you.  Instead, you want to prevent damaging reactions that can affect your personal health or endanger others, such as the case where road rage occurs because a bad driver cut you off after a stress-filled day at the office.

The next time you feel stress beginning to boil over, watch to see how you react to the situation.  Do you blow your lid like a pressure cooker, eat the entire contents of the kitchen, or get physically sick to your stomach?  Keep a journal and then find ways to react differently.

So what’s your stress reflex?

How Meditating Can Ease Anxiety

 The fast-paced, hectic world we live with an unhealthy amount of stress. Stress develops into, or manifests itself as, worries and fears, leading to feelings of anxiety. Have you fallen into this frustrating path?

 You can ease anxiety by understanding your worries and fears.  A natural way to ease anxiety is the use of meditation.

 Meditation is a basic technique that can get you in better touch with yourself. It relieves stress, relaxes your body, and calms your mind.

Starting Out With Meditation

 There are different ways you can approach a meditative practice. Start by picking a time everyday when you can calmly be alone without distractions. Begin your meditation by taking deep breaths and focusing only on each breath as it goes in and out.

 On a particularly stressful day, you might have more difficulty focusing on your breath. The thoughts of whatever is stressing you may keep getting in the way. When this happens, acknowledge the thought and then go back to concentrating on your breath. Eventually, you’ll feel your mind grow calm.

 As you calm your mind, begin purposefully taking notice of your thoughts. All you do is notice your thoughts, and then return your attention to your breath again. If any thoughts make you uncomfortable or tense, relax your muscles and then focus on your breath again.

 Try not to stress yourself out further by getting frustrated with the meditation process. As you continue to practice, it will get easier.

So what’s  your best stress free living tip?

How Yoga and Meditation Can Help You Balance Your Mind and Body

 Yoga and meditation are both great activities for bringing your mind and body into harmony with one another. They can keep you calm and centered and may even help shield you from disorders of the mind and body.

 Yoga and meditation can be practiced separately or together, although in order to fully get the benefits of a yoga practice, you’d technically be meditating while you’re centered on your yoga breathing.

Once you’ve begun yoga and meditation practices, you can continue to deepen them by practicing every day. Persistence pays off, especially in the beginning while you’re still forming this healthy habit.

 When you practice yoga and meditation consistently, you’ll feel the harmony forming between your mind and body. You’ll also look forward to your daily relaxation session that makes you feel so good! In the end, you’ll wonder how you could have ever waited so long to give them a try.

Controlling Breathing
 The first rapid relaxation routine involves   breathing in and out nine times in three  series of three breaths.

 In the first series of three breaths, inhale   deeply and, as you exhale slowly, say quietly  or think to yourself, “Calm body.” Repeat   three times.

 In the second series of three breaths, inhale   deeply and, as you exhale, say quietly or   think to yourself, “Calm mind.”

 In the final series of three breaths, inhale   deeply and, as you exhale, say (and do)   “Smile.”

Keep a Stress Diary

Committing to keeping a stress diary will help you gain clarity into when and how you react to stress.  This insight allows a better channel for your emotional and physical energy.

Record in your stress diary daily.  Even on the days you don’t feel stressed.  It will be good to be able to review those great feeling days and see what made them so great.  The stress diary gives you valuable insight helping you to manage your stress more effectively.

Date and time each entry. 

• What are you feeling right now?  What did you feel earlier in the day.  Pick words the accurately describe your emotions. 
• How did you handle the stressful situation? 
• Was there a better way to handle those stressful events? 

At the end of each week go back through your stress diary and analyze your stress pattern.  Are you experiencing more stress in the morning, or evening?  Does you work create more stress.  Whatever the answer by making a few adjustments you can proactively handle those day to day stressors.

Just as in other aspects of their life, teens can strengthen their self confidence skills. Some have  pretty tough situations to overcome, but in the end, everyone can benefit.

Here are some self confidence strategies that you can share with your teen:

1. Start small. You don’t want to expect too much too soon when it comes to making changes in your teen’s life. To say that they must become self confident overnight can prove to be a nearly impossible task, and it might just make your teen pull away from you emotionally.

• Instead, focus on just one small issue and build from there. They could work on standing up to one friend or finding the courage to speak up more in class.

2. Work on forgetting the past. Many times a teen will have self confidence issues because of certain past experiences. Work on those issues first and explain that the past doesn’t have to repeat itself. Tell your teen that, in life, you can’t get too hung up on past issues or you’ll be jeopardizing future opportunities.

3. Remind your teen that they’re not alone. Being a teen can be lonely; sometimes they’re tempted to pull away just because they start to feel uncomfortable talking about their issues.

• Keep an open dialogue with your teen and avoid judging them when they do open up.
• Remind them that you’ll always be there, as well as other family members and friends.

4. Give encouragement. Teens need lots of encouragement because, as they find themselves. Sometimes things work out perfectly for them, and other times they begin to struggle.

• Be there to provide that extra encouragement when they need to get over a hurdle.

5. Allow your teen to try something new. You can provide your teen with a great confidence builder by encouraging them to engage in new things. This gives them extra practice when it comes to confidence and it may help them become more grounded and social.

6. Provide rewards. Use rewards to congratulate your teen when they take a stride toward self confidence. If they take a big step forward, buy them a little something that they’ve been wanting or take them out to dinner at their favorite restaurant.

7.      Most importantly provide unconditional love. Unconditional love shows your teen that, even if they make a mistake, you’ll be there for them no matter what.

Remember that being there for your teen is the most important thing. Sometimes they’ll want to be alone and other times they’ll need your help. Either way, they’ll know that you’re always rooting

In fact, you can overcome these issues with a few simple techniques!

First, acknowledge that you must take time for yourself. Being all things to all people isn’t realistic, and neither is doing everything and solving all problems or concerns in one day. No one should expect that of you! If they do, you must recognize that it’s not healthy, and you must do what’s right and best for you. Your health and happiness could depend on it.

Ways to Calm Your Mind

Meditation and prayer are two of the biggest ways to calm a restless mind, but they aren’t the only things you can do. There are many other choices to help you feel better and live a stress-free life. You might also consider:

• Focusing on helping others
• Exercising
• Listening to music
• Using your mind for joyous pursuits that interest you
• Playing with children or pets

Everyone has different things they enjoy in life, and you should find yours and practice them when you start to feel stressed or your thoughts try to run away from you. Avoid letting your thoughts talk you out of your dreams. Your dreams are yours; embrace them!

Being busy is not the problem when it comes to your mind. Being busy with things that aggravate you and make you feel down is the problem. Instead of dwelling on things that upset you, deal with them, let them go, and move on to things that you enjoy. You can do this with your thoughts, just like you would with a physical task in the workplace or at home.

Lower Your Stress Levels Each Day

Stress begins in your mind as thoughts, but it can manifest itself physically. You may feel tense, anxious, uneasy, angry, or have aches and pains you can’t really find a cause for. If stress continues all the time and becomes chronic, your health could be compromised.

You can let stress go and feel good every day.

 Try these strategies to lower your stress:

1.  Focus on what matters to you. What’s important in your life? Be proactive about your goals and priorities. When you’re working toward something that you want, it makes you feel good about yourself and your future.

 

2. Find both physical and mental ways to release your stress. Releasing your stress every day keeps it from building up inside you. Make the conscious choice to start each day fresh, without the stress from the day before.What relaxes you? Music? Hobbies? Spending time with your family? Enjoy a healthy dose of relaxation every day.Get as much exercise as possible. Exercise refreshes your body with a surge of oxygen and releases endorphins, the “feel good” hormone. Even if there’s no time for an exercise session, take the stairs instead of the elevator, park far away from the building so you can walk, and play with your kids or pets.
3. Practice these strategies consistently. Work on releasing your stress every day, even on days when you don’t feel as much stress, so it won’t be a struggle when you really need it. When you’re feeling good, it’s natural to forget about letting stress go, but it’s important to avoid getting complacent.Keep practicing and improving, even when you feel great!

 Whichever techniques you choose to calm your mind and lower your levels of stress, ensure it’s the right fit for you and your lifestyle. Only you know what you really need and what makes you feel safe and at peace.

If you practice this peacefulness each day, it won’t be long before you start to feel calmer, even in situations where you would have previously been over the edge. Your thoughts will be clearer, instead of jumbled and racing. Physically, you’ll feel stronger, too, because your body will be free from the affliction of stress and anxiety.

You already know that relaxation helps your body re-energize, but sometimes you’re so busy and caught up in the moment that you just don’t have the time to unwind.

Well, fortunately there are simple ways to relax, even during your busiest days, that don’t require a lot of time or equipment.

Here are 3 Simple Relaxation Tips:

1 . When you’re in line at the grocery store: Instead of stressing out because there aren’t enough cashiers and every line has 5 people with heaping carts of groceries, use that time to relax your body by taking some deep breaths.

• Deep breathing helps increase the oxygen in your blood. Your blood then circulates that extra oxygen throughout your body helping your inner systems recharge.
• Taking five slow deep breaths will do the trick. The proper technique is to inhale and exhale deeply through your nose and out your mouth.
• Not only will deep breathing help you relax, it’ll help to clear your mind, reduce brain fog, and you’ll feel much more alert and ready to tackle the next project on your plate.
• Deep breathing can be done anywhere when you’re feeling stressed or just want to clear your mind.

2 .  When you’re at work: It’s often hard to find time to relax at work. You might even get in trouble if you’re caught “relaxing.” Oh the horror! However, there are some techniques you can do while you’re at work to help create a sense of calm that aren’t so obvious to others.

• If your job requires you to sit at a computer all day, make sure you get up and move around for a few minutes every hour. This helps circulate the blood throughout your body. Just moving the blood flow will make you feel more alert and focused.
• While sitting at your desk, roll your head around, from side to side and from front to back with your eyes closed. This technique helps to relieve neck tension, increasing blood flow to your brain, which is a natural and easy way to relax.
• If you’re on your feet all day, stretch out your back and sides by standing with your feet firm on the floor, shoulder width apart, and twist your upper body, including your head, slowly from side to side. This will loosen up your back muscles and spine, releasing tension throughout your body.
• During a break or lunchtime, go for a walk. Walking is a great way to clear your mind and your body will benefit from the extra exercise as well.

3.  When you’re rushing through a busy day: Take just a few moments to daydream and escape the busyness of reality.

• Daydreaming lets your imagination flow, causing instant relief from the stress of the real world.
• Think of a place or experience that makes you feel happy or calm. Imagine how it smells, how the air feels, and who’s around.
• After five minutes of a calming daydream you’ll feel relaxed, reenergized and ready to face the real world again.