Regular relaxation is essential for a long stress free life and personal effectiveness.
Here are some techniques suggested by Brian Tracy for relaxing physically that are used by the most successful and highest paid people in America:
Qigong (chee-gung), an ancient Chinese system of slow-motion exercise that concentrates on flowing movements and breathes meditation is widely used as an effective stress management technique.
Qi means " life, force, energy", and gong means "work, a skill of practice".
Qigong releases the flow of Qi energy throughout the body. When this energy becomes blocked you become ill, our state of inner homeostasis and balance is destroyed.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, qigong wards off illness. And stress is well known to danger harmful to your health. In fact 75-90 % of all physician visits are for stress-related ailments.
Thoroughly in the tranquil state that comes with Qi gong practice, the mind and body of the person begin to rest. And like other practices that bring mind and body together, qigong is widely used to counteract and reduce the stress - person becomes calmer and more positive in the attitude for own self and others, and improves the health in general.
Her beautiful, ethereal voice over the gentle orchestration makes Enya a favorite for stress reduction. The calm pace of the music, with romantic and pastoral themes, is perfect for someone wanting soothing music for more active listening, rather than mere ambiance. Fill up a bubble bath and throw on some Enya, and the day’s stress will seem like a distant memory.
This is a great mix of soothing, but energizing music that's perfect for stress relief! The synthesized instrumentation gives it an eastern feel that’s perfect for yoga practice. Light some candles, burn some incense, and feel the tension leave your body!
For soothing tension, this is one of the best albums I’ve heard. The songs are beautifully played on the piano with orchestral backup, no vocals. You can use the music to add some soothing color to your drive to work, transforming your commute into a special experience and making road rage a thing of the past. These songs have a calming, contemplative, uplifting quality that’s great for stress reduction.
Monkey Business by The Black-Eyed Peas
I know, it’s not your typical relaxation music. But this high-energy hip-hop mix transforms the task of cleaning into a fun, high-energy activity more akin to a party than a chore. Feel the tension leaving your body while you create a more nurturing environment to come home to, both worthy stress-management goals. What I love about these tunes is that their subtle nuances mixed with a high-energy beat make them seem to get better with repeated listenings.
Studies show that listening to classical music while eating causes people to eat less, savor their food more, digest more easily and attain other health benefits. Vivaldi’s Four Seasons is one of my very favorites to savor over dinner.
Meditation is one of the great stress management techniques because it carries many varied benefits. However, more than a few people have found it to be challenging at first.
Walking meditation provides the benefits of meditation combined with the benefits of exercise, and has the bonus benefit of being easy to learn, thereby making walking meditation a great technique for those new to meditation.
It's optimal to do this for 30 minutes, several times per week, but if you only have 10 minutes, or even 5, that's better than no practice at all. Walking meditation can be useful even in small doses.
Recommended book
The Long Road Turns to Joy: A Guide to Walking Meditation
For those who struggle with sitting still for meditation, this simple book offers a wonderful alternative: walking meditation. Practical techniques guide the reader to using this most ordinary of daily activities to deepen one’s mindful awareness of the present moment, increase relaxation and concentration, and reduce stress.
Related Article:
Throughout the day, when we experience stress, our bodies automatically react in ways that prepare us to stress fight or flight reaction.
In some cases of extreme danger, this physical response is helpful. However, a prolonged state of such agitation can cause physical damage to every part of the body and health.
Meditation affects the body in exactly the opposite ways that stress does, restoring the body to a calm state, helping the body to repair itself, and preventing new damage due to the physical effects of stress.
The benefits of meditation
Meditation
Try walking meditation or chocolate meditation as an alternatives.
Meditation is wonderful in that it’s free, always available, and amazingly effective in short-term stress reduction and long-term health. Benefits can be felt in just one session. An experienced teacher isn’t necessary; you can learn to meditate in minutes.
It does take some practice, however, and some people find it difficult to "get it" in the beginning. It also requires a little patience. However, the time and effort it takes to learn and practice is well worth it in terms of the benefits meditation provides.
Recommended resources on Amazon.com
Guided Meditation for Stress Reduction
You can find useful:
Meditation Timer Digital Alarm Clock (Bamboo) E-Tone
Related Article on Meditation.
Inese Millere