Stress: Guilty As Charged

How To Defend Yourself

Do you ever find yourself feeling overwhelmed? Do you sometimes feel like you just have too much to think about? Does it make you tired, irritable, or even depressed? What can you do about it?

People rarely go to the doctor to say "I think I have stress," and yet the National Institutes of Health say that 80% of illnesses are caused by stress, directly or indirectly. Hormones, such as adrenalin, are released into your blood when you're stressed. This causes a rise in blood pressure, a faster heart and breathing rate, and faster conversion of glycogen into glucose. These are good things if you need to escape a charging grizzly bear, but when these effects are prolonged, the immune system is depressed, and your body suffers other negative changes.

Common effects of prolonged stress include fatigue, pain in the muscles and joints, headache, mental confusion, depression, anxiety, and irritability. Stress reactions cause your body to use too much energy, which can result in physical and mental weakness.

Managing Stress With Meditation

Years ago at Stanford University, an analysis of 146 meditation studies was done. The conclusion was that meditation not only was beneficial at the time of practice, but that it significantly reduced anxiety as a character trait. The studies focused on transcendental meditation, but it's probable most methods have similar results. (Reported in the Journal of Clinical Psychology 45: 957­974, 1989.)

The bottom line is that stress is a killer, and that meditation really can help you defend yourself. Traditional meditation may have the most beneficial effects, but maybe you're short on time, or uncertain about learning to meditate. In that case, there are two simple techniques you can learn in a few minutes, and start using today.

The first is a breathing meditation. Close your eyes, let the tension drain from your muscles, let go of your thoughts (to the extent possible), and breath deeply through your nose, paying attention to your breath. As thoughts or sensations arise, just acknowledge them and return your attention to your breath as it goes in and out. Do this for five or ten minutes.

To use the second technique, stop whatever you're doing when you feel stressed, and take three deep breaths. Watch yourself until you identify what is bothering you. Are you worried about something? Is there a letter you need to write? Maybe your neck is sore. Note everything you find.

Now deal with these stressors. Write the letter that's on your mind, take an aspirin, put things on tomorrow's list. If the best you can do is recognise there's nothing you can do right now - then do that. With practice, you'll get better at finding what's just below the surface of consciousness, irritating you. After you address these things, close your eyes, take three deep breaths, and you'll feel more relaxed and able to think clearly. Try it now.

Steve Gillman has meditated and studied meditation for over twenty years. You can visit his website, and subscribe to The Meditation Newsletter at: http://www.TheMeditationSite.com/newsletter. html

---

You Can Meditate Right Now

Why Should You Meditate?What if you could close your eyes, then open them a few minutes later and be relaxed, alert, and able to think clearly? Meditation... Read More

Enlightenment through Meditation

Helping the broadest range of people attain enlightenment through meditation is my lifelong preoccupation. I have more than 20 years of daily interaction with people helping them... Read More

A Hypnosis Cd - Getting the Most from Them

You should treat the use of a hypnosis cd just like you use a tool. In other words, any tool has the potential to do a great... Read More

Establishing A Daily Meditation Practice

It's important to establish a daily practice and then stick to it. This doesn't mean dedicating 12 hours a day to meditation, it just means creating a... Read More

Meditation Is A Dinner Party

Try Not To Force Things Too MuchOften, when meditating, we try too hard to force a certain state of mind that we think we should have. We... Read More

Herbal Teas

If you want to get hold of a particular tea and can't find it, then it is fine to use a combination tea, which contains the ingredient... Read More

An Algorithm to Remove ?Hurt? from Pain

The behavior of pain was enigmatic. Its responses were strange. It was only a pin prick, but the surrounding skin reddened and the child cried out in... Read More

Tips for Better Meditation

Meditation students often come to me and ask what they can do to improve their meditation. Success in meditation is not the result of any one single... Read More

Wireless Meditation: Top Five Tips For Wherever-Whenever Mindfulness

The problem with meditation is attachment.We get in the habit of needing our altar, favorite cushion, incense, CD, certain time of day, necessary length of time, or... Read More

How to Record Meditation Scripts to Audio Equipment

If you're someone who loves to meditate (or wants to start) and has loads of meditation CD's why not try something novel? Record your voice using meditation... Read More

Stress: Guilty As Charged

How To Defend YourselfDo you ever find yourself feeling overwhelmed? Do you sometimes feel like you just have too much to think about? Does it make you... Read More

Full Body Awareness

Now that you're comfortable working with your breath it's time to bring the rest of the body in. Continue breathing as I've outlined in my article on... Read More

Scientific Research on Transcendental Meditation (TM)

Scientific research has shown that the most beneficial meditation technique is Transcendental Meditation (TM). The striking reduction of stress and anxiety caused by TM are 3 times... Read More

Relax Into Health

I'd like to share a little secret about relaxation techniques for athletes (or health-minded people that workout) and anyone that wants to feel more focused, calm, healthy... Read More

Lighthearted Meditation: Playing With Mindfulness

I often meet people who say things like, "I've been working on mindfulness for over twenty years."My response is always this: "Oh, you poor thing! Have you... Read More

Understanding Meditation

It is impossible to overstate the importance of daily meditation. The benefits are enormous. They are: improved physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health; greater personal power, enhanced... Read More

Meditation: Time to Stop & Listen

As a co-active coach, one of the underlying principles that I subscribe to is that everyone has their own answers within. Most of what I do as... Read More

Meditate to Unlock Your Hidden Potential ? Part 1

Meditation is often misunderstood by those who do not practice it. Very often, I hear meditation referred to as, "altered states of consciousness." That sounds more like... Read More

How To Meditate Without Even Trying

I remember when I started trying to meditate. I would sit down, close my eyes, and try to be really calm (my definition of meditation at the... Read More

Meditation - Easy Tools for Success

Do you want to learn how to meditate? Have you tried to meditate but you keep falling asleep? Or you're not sure you are doing it right?... Read More

Meditate with Mindful Breathing

Breathing in, I calm my body. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment, I know this is a wonderful moment!Do you live a life of... Read More

A One Minute Meditation

Maybe learning to meditate intimidates you, and in any case it's tough to find the time for daily meditation. The solution to both problems is an easy... Read More

Relaxation Magic - Hypnosis, Meditation, Visualization

Hypnosis, meditation and visualization are three similar processes for accessing a creative area of the sub-conscious mind. Relaxation Magic lessons use a combination of all three therapies... Read More

Cultivate a Positive Mind-Set Through Meditation

You have the ability to create your own mind-set. Whether your attitude is positive or negative, is up to you. The ability to change your environment, circle... Read More

A Forty-Five-Second Meditation

Is Meditation Too Much Time And Trouble?If you haven't meditated before, you might think it's too much trouble to learn. If you do meditate, you know it... Read More

How To Meditate?

We are surrounded by negative forces like jealousy, hatred, fear, doubt, worry, despair, guilt, resentment, anger, pride hatred and anxiety. These are the dominating forces of the... Read More