Stress Management Tip - Meditation
Meditation is a great way to manage and reduce stress. It is
widely known to have positive effect on the human body
physically, emotionally and psychologically. Meditation produces
a state of relaxation that benefits the heart, the brain, the
lungs and blood. It is even known to reduce the lactate level in
the blood which is directly related to feelings of anxiety,
tension and fatigue. The emotional and psychological
improvements include an increase in mental alertness, feeling
more alive, healthier, happier, and a general sense of well
being.
There are many types of mediation techniques that can be
employed. The easiest technique is to sit in a comfortable
chair, close your eyes, connect your tongue to your palette and
start abdominal breathing. With abdominal breathing you expand
your abdomen slightly when breathing in and contract your
abdomen slightly when breathing out.
While breathing, try to achieve single mindedness by emptying
your mind or just focusing on one thing only. There is a common
saying in martial arts and yoga disciplines that if the water is
turbulent, it is difficult to see what is under it...if the
water is calm, one can easily see what is under the water.
Similarly when the mind is calm and emotions are still, it is
possible to achieve a level of self realisation or illumination.
Because the mind literally has "a mind of its own", it can be
difficult to control the chaotic emotions and thoughts that go
on inside. It does actually take some discipline and practice to
focus and stop your mind from wandering from one unrelated
thought to another. A common method used to keep your mind
focused is by chanting a mantra such as "Om" or "Amen". By
chanting your mantra, you will find that the mind will not
wander so much. In certain traditions the use of a mantra
actually carry a deeper meaning, usually a single word or
expression, or even a complete prayer, which is considered to be
of great spiritual significance. In time you will find that your
mantra will be the trigger that puts you into the correct mental
state required for meditation. With as a little as 10 minutes of
regular meditation every day, it is possible to live a
progressively stress free existence without making dramatic
changes to your lifestyle.