Simple Practice To Relieve Stress
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Are you experiencing stress in your life? Do you have something you are worried about or some pain you are feeling, be it with yourself or with others? Even in the best times of our lives we all deal with little concerns and anxieties along with unexpected events that seem to disrupt our peace and balance.
Meditation and yoga practices are an amazing way to maintain peace, become centered and gain stability from within. These simple exercises really provided rest, relaxation and are such a simple way to rejuvenate after a long day or during a more stressful time of life. If you can take a little time in the middle of the day, such as a lunch break, you will really find these exercises center you and help you let go of the things that you don’t really need to stress about so you can focus on what you really want in your life.
Start by doing a few stretching exercises, then clasp you hands together centering your hands at the center of your abdomen about one hand width away from you stomach. As you breath in raise you hands up toward your head, as you exhale push your hands down and push your energy down towards your abdomen. Do this several times as you relax, breath and get present to your surroundings.
Next, sit down either on the floor cross legged or on a chair with your feet flat on the ground. Place your hands palm up on your knees and start to breath in and out concentrating on your exhaling. Do this several times just concentrating on your breathing. Now, as you breath in think of something in your life that causes you pain or anxiety, breath in that pain and anxiety fully and breath out peace.
Now shift your focus to something that causes you pain or concern in a community in your life. This could be family, work, friends, any community in which you participate. Breath in the pain or concern with that community and breath out love, peace, and contribution. Now do this with your city, maybe traffic or laws you are concerned about being passed and finish with the planet. Breath in any anxiety, pain or concern and breath out peace, love and contribution.
When you are finished open you eyes and let yourself feel the peace and tranquility surrounding you.
These practices are very simple and can be done focusing on anything that causes you concern or unrest. They are wonderful to practice at night and vastly help with getting a more peaceful nights sleep. These excercises not only provide peace and rest, some studies show that one hour of meditation provides the equal to seven hours of sleep for your body. It creates a whole new definition to the idea of being “well rested”.
Stress: It’s Impact and Creating a Stress Free Environment
Filed Under Blog, Health, Life, Well Being | 2 Comments
Are you stressed? We live such hectic lives today, especially as women, we expect ourselves to have a high powered career, raise a family, be well educated, nurture our relationships, and keep our skin and bodies looking fit and beautiful. No wonder we can get stressed during the normal course of a day! Being stressed can actually become a habit and thereby be something you start to do without even noticing it. Ever ask yourself, why are my neck muscles so tight? Why am I exhausted? Stress effects us in many ways, it doesn’t only affect our muscles and mood, it actually affects how we eat and how our bodies heal.
When you are stressed there is a hormone called “cortisol” that is released in your body. Cortisol impacts your body in two main ways: first it prevents your skin from healing quickly by preventing cytokines, chemicals that bring white blood cells to a wound to help it heal, from doing their job. In addition to this cortisol also triggers cravings for high-fat and high-calorie foods, which if you’ve ever experienced wanting to eat a lot when you’re stressed, now you know why. Being stressed can also cause your heart rate to variate causing you to not be able to sleep deeply at night. No wonder you’re exhausted when you’re stressed!
Well, just as easily as you can make a habit of being stressed you can also make a habit of building a life that nurtures and relaxes you. It is important to surround yourself with things that remind you to relax, this reinforces the habit of relaxing rather than the habit of stressing. One way of doing this is by using scents as a type of aromatherapy treatment. When you are at home you can light candles with relaxing beautiful smells that remind you of things or places you love. At the office use an electric diffuser, these wonderful little gadgets just plug into the wall and disperse you favorite oil into the air around you. The Body Shop has an excellent selection of diffusers, they even have one for your car! When using aromatherapy scents that are very relaxing and stress relieving are lavender, jasmine, rose, and chamomile. But you don’t just have to use those, pick a scent that you love, maybe something that reminds you of your favorite vacation spot or your favorite flower.
When buying candles make sure that you buy candles that are made from high quality soy wax and high quality essential oils, remember, you breath in whatever you put in the air. Pacifica has an extensive and wonderful selection of soy candles made with high quality essentail oils.
Other stress relieving activities your can add into your life are practicing yoga, go to a spa or create your own, and eating foods high in antioxidants like white and green tea and fruits and vegetables that have a high color content, red and yellow peppers are a great choice!
The most effective stress relieving activity is actually all up to you, when you’re upset about something get in communication with someone about it. If you’re angry try giving up being angry, choose how you want your day to go and then if it starts to go a different way just stop, take a deep breath and realize that it’s just life. Right now you have one life that you are living, do you really want to spend it stressed over the little things? Or would you rather enjoy your life and spend it doing the things you love and with the people you care the most about?
Relax, chill! and enjoy the ride! For more about how stress affects you and stress relieving tips visit Skyn Iceland’s Solutions For Stressed Skin Center. They even have a test section to help you determine if you’re stressed and what might be stressing you out.
(Images Courtesy Pacifica, Ahava)
The Benefit of Coconut and a Healthy Lifestyle
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Coconut: There is a great article in this month’s Healing Lifestyles & Spa magazine on the benefits of Coconut: Coconut Dreams. Be sure to read about the Spa Bellagio’s Deep Coconut Surrender, the mere thought of it had me relaxed and contemplating hopping in the car for a random trip to Vegas.
Healthy Living: Speaking of Healing Lifestyles, have you checked out the new site healthy.lifestyle? Tai Chi Therapy, Juices that heal, herbs…this is the place to find your way to a healthy, fun, lifestyle with well-being at the center of every day.
(Image Courtesy Healing Lifestyles & Spas)
Self Magazine’s Recipe of the Week
Filed Under Blog, Health | 1 Comment
Looking for an amazing way to start your summer off healthy? Subscribe to Self Magazine’s Recipe of the week! Healthy, delicious recipes that will help you stay trim, fit, and satisfied all summer long. Just visit Self.com and in the little blue box for Mobile and Newsletter Signup select “Recipe of the Week”.
This week’s special? Organic Carrot soup with ginger essence…mmmm! This recipe will make your next farmer’s market trip extra special. Sign up now to check out this yummy treat!
(Image Courtesy Self.com)
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