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Better Breathing Equals Less Stress
Stephen White
Meditation is one of the best, and quite natural, ways to
relieve stress. If you like, you can accompany this with breathing
techniques as well. This will help you to achieve a sense
of serenity but it can take quite a lot of time before you
are able to zone out easily.
1. Meditation
When meditating, it is generally best to find a nice quiet,
comfortable space to meditate. Buddhists use meditation to
reach a state of enlightenment and many Jewish prayers are
meditative in nature. Even many Christian religions utilize
forms of meditation, such as the use of rosary beads n Catholicism.
Meditation does not, Of course, have to be about a spiritual
or religious journey. Meditation is even used in professional
medical communities.
2. Natural Stress Relief
Meditation is natural stress relief at its best. There are
no strict rules regarding body positioning when meditating,
but most people who use meditation as a form of natural stress
relief prefer to do so in the lotus position. The lotus position
involves sitting with the legs crossed while keeping the back
straight and the shoulders level. Yet other practitioners
prefer to sit comfortably, but with the legs uncrossed. No
matter the general position chosen when using meditation for
natural stress relief, it is best to keep the spine straight
throughout the meditation process. This position encourages
circulation and makes it easier to breathe in the deep, slow
fashion that is often necessary for meditation.
3. Block Out Negative Thoughts
After finding a quiet place to perform meditation, and after
assuming a position that is comfortable, it is time to begin
this process of natural stress relief. Some people prefer
to remain quiet while meditating. Still others close their
eyes and hum or make other repetitive noises to help clear
their minds and to block out thoughts and outside noises.
4. Imaging Techniques
In fact, meditation is used often in hospitals with patients
suffering from chronic or terminal illness to reduce stress.
This is especially important because stress has been shown
to contribute to poor health. A 1999 report by neurophysiologist
Dr. James Austin from the University of Colorado stated that
meditation actually reprograms brain circuitry. His findings
were later confirmed using imaging techniques that view electrical
activity in the brain.
5. Breathing Techniques
If you plan on breathing easier, you will want to organize
your thoughts before you begin. One popular method is to focus
on each individual part of the body. Give your self permission
to relax until your entire body is relaxed. At the same time,
this method calls for taking a few deep breaths. These are
called cleansing breaths because they help clear the mind
and bring a little extra oxygen into the blood. The best masters
of meditation are able to hold their breath for several minutes
from strength of will alone.
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Article Source:
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