Since stress seems to be one of the central themes to several modern illnesses we must ask ourselves the following question? What is the rush??? We are all going to the same place… Humans need not only a sense of purpose in life, but a sense of peace, security and order to deal with the challenges of every day life. The sense of urgency and the false deadlines that we impose upon ourselves is what gets our mind running on high gear and disconnects us with our true self.

The five most powerful tools in managing stress are:

A healthy diet
Exercise
Learning to say ‘NO’ – time management
Rejuvenation of your choice: ex: signing, dancing
Meditation

Meditation has been shown to rebalance the nervous system. With meditation, the over-stimulated life with attention directed outward becomes inwardly centered, focused and peaceful. Various meditation programs have documented significant improvement in many common illnesses with regular practice. This practice is so simple; it is right under our nose and does not cost anything.

Here are a few basic steps:

Sit comfortably in a chair, with your back erect, hands comfortably on your thighs, legs uncrossed and feet flat on the floor.

Breathe in slowly through your nostrils and into your abdomen. Feel your abdomen expanding on inhalation and going down on exhalation. If you need to put your hands on your abdomen to feel the movement at first, do it. Try to keep your breathing as normal as possible. If you notice that it is a bit fast, slow it down.

You will notice that thoughts keep coming up. Acknowledge them and let them go (or they will take you for a ride). Go back to the breath. If thoughts are still coming up too fast, focus on an ‘attitude of gratitude’ and keep going back to the breath. (It is the only thing that you own when you stop and think about it.) This is the practice of being in the moment. Repeat the cycle for five minutes, twice a day when beginning. Build your practice up to 20 minutes twice a day or whatever works for you. It gets easier with time and practice. It is better to have a practice of five minutes twice a day than one hour once a week.

Give it a try…you may like it.

For more information on meditation or other anti-stress techniques please contact us at:
CJM LeBlanc HealthWorks, Centreville Mall, 121-342 Main Street, Shediac, N.B. E4P 2E7, tel: (506)533-8885, fax: 532-8644,
e-mail: charlotteleb@rogers.com, web site: www.wellness-healthworks.com