Between being on the go with life, children and work and balancing personal time with the demands of everything else, it is no wonder that many people admit their lives are excessively stressful. The difference between the high powered executive that balances their work and home lives and seems to have it all figured out and the stay-at-home mom who is continually frazzled is their ability to manage stress. Stress management is considered one of the most important aspects of staying healthy, the best relaxation technique around – meditation.
Stress occurs for many reasons; the car breaks down, you are late for work, financial situations look bleak and at the end of the day, the house is a mess and the children are fighting. Stress can also be caused by the pressure for success or to maintain a certain level of living or accomplishments that we put on ourselves. Depression, rage, medical ailments and a general wearing down of the body have all been linked to stress by medical professionals. To some people, managing stress is impossible. However, the truth is that anyone looking to manage stress without expensive therapy treatments needs only to look within themselves.
Meditation is an ancient form of relaxation that offers the best stress relieving benefits for a person. Proper meditation can relax the mind, body and soul of a person while clearing clutter in the mind and decreasing the “weight” of stress. The human body has a natural relaxation response in certain situations, however many people are so focused on the root of their stress that it does not allow the body to find a happy place. Any person looking to increase energy and stay cool and collected during times of increased stress can turn to simple daily meditation and find success.
There is no wrong or right way to meditate. The basics of meditation include controlling your breathing and focusing on forgetting the world around you. It can be completed standing up, sitting down or laying down at any time or place. To start, find a comfortable position or location to sit or stand and close your eyes. One of the best aspects of meditation is that it teaches you to focus on yourself and tune out the world around you. Beginners should consider starting meditation in a quiet place. Next, calm yourself by taking deep breaths. Breathe in for three counts, hold for three counts and then release for three counts. Focus on your breathing as this is what meditation is about. While you are focused on the way you are breathing, the rest of the things on your mind will slowly disappear. As time progresses, a person will notice that their mind feels blank and there is a sense of calmness overall.
Learning the art of meditation is not an overnight process. It takes time and effort to control your breathing, slow your heart rate and clear your mind. Beginners should start the process and continue until they feel calm. That can be considered one session, which can be a few minutes or a few hours. It is common for people to meditate daily for twenty to thirty minutes to center themselves and distress. A short meditation session is all the human body needs to feel relaxed again and continue on with a busy day.
When the afternoon is dragging on and a person begins to feel tired, meditation can be used as a way to energize. Relaxation techniques allow the body to rejuvenate similar to the way a nap does. When the eyes are closed it eliminates one of the senses which in turn heighten the others. A person is able to teach themselves to tune out the noise around them and enter into an awake-“sleeping” state while meditating. Meditation is something that any person can learn to do to relax and distress and is the best technique for relaxation a person can do.