Meditation and yoga are a great way to combat stress. If you haven’t tried meditation or yoga yet, it’s time. Be sure to grab Abiola’s self-love meditation album.
Yoga is a Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline, a part of which, including breath control, simple meditation, and the adoption of specific bodily postures, is widely practiced for health and relaxation. Meditation is a mindfulness discipline often partnered with yoga. The ultimate goal for the practice of each is to achieve peace of mind.
::::We also will be practicing mindfulness and meditating at the Eiffel Tower on the Goddess of Paris! Miracles and Manifesting Retreat. Learn more at GoddessOfParis.com
Using Meditation to Reduce Stress
If stress has you anxious, tense and worried meditation can help.
Spending even a few minutes in meditation can restore your calm and inner peace. The good thing about meditation is that anyone can practice it. It is simple and inexpensive. There is no need for special equipment. It can be practiced anywhere – while on a walk, riding a bus, waiting in a doctor’s office, during a business meeting.
There is no “right” way to meditate. But there are different things that can be done and you can choose what works for you.
Here are some simple ways you can begin to practice meditation:
Breathe deeply.
Focus all your attention on your breathing. Concentrate on feeling and listening as you inhale and exhale through your nostrils. Breathe deeply and slowly. When your attention wanders, gently return your focus to your breathing.
Walk and meditate.
Slow your walking pace so that you can focus on each movement of your legs or feet. Don’t think about a destination. Concentrate on your legs and feet, repeating action words in your mind such as “lifting,” “moving” and “placing” as you lift each foot, move your leg forward and place your foot on the ground.
Read and reflect.
Read a poem or sacred text and quietly reflect on the meaning.
Yoga to Keep Stress and Overwhelm Away
Yoga is the process of reversing the outward flow of energy so that the mind becomes the center of perception.
It is a spiritual practice that extends to the physical and, with practice, helps you keep your body and spirit energized with still, calm energy. This positive energy comes from a sense of well-being.
Many practices combine what we typically associate with yoga or meditation separately. There are techniques designed for breath control, physical poses and positions designed for body healing and balance, and deeper meditation and breathing study designed for spiritual growth.
Try This!
Here is an asana or pose you can do right now to relax and reduce overwhelm called Three Part Breath or Dirga Pranayama:
It is a simple breathing exercise that brings your awareness to the juicy and alive present moment — and calms your mind.
1. Sit or lie down in a comfortable position on the floor, in a chair, or on a bed.
2. Place one hand on your belly and one on your rib cage.
3. Close your eyes and breathe deeply, evenly and naturally.
4. Focus your awareness on the breath as it moves in and out of your body.
5. Feel the lift of your belly and the expansion of your ribs on your inhalations. Notice the slight compression of your ribs and the drop of your belly as you exhale.
6. Bring your bottom hand to your chest, just below your collarbone. Breathe all the way into this area and allow your chest to rise slightly; then exhale and let it go.
7. As you inhale, feel your belly lift, ribs expand, and chest lift. On your exhalations, notice how your chest drops, ribs contract, and belly lowers.
8. Release your arms and focus your mind on your breath for 5-10 minutes, inhaling and exhaling fully.
