On any given day, you can find all sorts of claims online and in magazines and newspapers, promising to rid you of all the stress in your body for a small fee (or sometimes a big one). Well, for the most part these claims are exaggerated, and any person claiming to offer stress busting advice for money shouldn't be trusted. There are a huge number of things you can do to relieve the stress in your life, and they don't come with a price tag attached. I'm going to go through some of these: what they are and how you can best utilise them in your life.
Meditation
First on my list is meditation. Do you meditate? If you answered no, then you most likely haven't heard about the extensive health benefits meditation brings, including stress relief. A simple breathing exercise lasting no more than 20 minutes can effectively release you from your stress and tension.
Firstly, attempt to get into the Buddha Vairochana position. This isn't essential, but it does help immensely with stress relief and relaxation. With your back straight, and your tongue touching the back of your upper teeth, tilt your head forward ever so slightly, keeping your eyes open.
Once you are comfortably in this position, simply allow your mind to become aware of anything that may be distracting you in your life. As you breathe out, imagine these distractions dispersing with your breath, out of your body in the form of smoke. As you breathe in, imagine everything that is good coming into your body. Repeat this breathing exercise twenty-one times.
Music
Something as simple as your favourite album, artist or track will help you to relieve stress. Make sure you're not listening to anything too loud or violent (heavy metal and hip hop may not be the best choices!) and make sure you're listening through your headphones. Get into a relaxing position in your home, turn off the television and other electronic devices (apart from your MP3 player) and relax.
Tea
There are all sorts of types of tea that have effective stress relieving properties. For tea to be most effective, though, you need to be in the right environment. At the end of the working day, take half an hour on your own sitting in your living room or lying on your bed with a mug of hot green tea. The theanine contained in green tea has a soothing effect on your central nervous system.
Yoga
As well as being a great way to stay in shape, certain yoga poses are brilliant for relieving stress.
- Salutation seal: Sitting comfortably with your legs crossed, bring your hands together in a praying motion to your heart chakra. Hold this pose for 3 minutes.
- Sukhasana: This pose (also known as easy pose) involves sitting cross legged and placing your hands on each knee, with your fingers relaxed and barely touching. This pose amplifies the state of serenity and tranquillity, whilst also eliminating anxiety.
No comments:
Post a Comment