Meditation ways!

Here are some ways to make meditation less of a chore and more like a fun, doable thing for you.

1. Try the 100 breaths technique:-

This is a highly complex meditation technique!

I take 100 breaths. I count them. I try not to think about anything else.

Yup. It’s revolutionary. And it also really works for me. It gives my brain something to do (wee! counting!) while the rest of me is just hanging out, inadvertently meditating.

The lesson here is this: There are so many ways you can meditate. Explore them to find a way that’s really easy for you, and just do that.

2. Take a meditation nap:-

Be careful. This one is complex. Oh yes—it’s the love child of a meditation and a nap.

Lie down on a bed, couch, or sun lounge, or pile your (empty) bath with pillows and blankets.

Close your eyes and do nothing. Maybe you’ll fall asleep. Maybe you’ll have Zen inspiration. Maybe you’ll just happily float along. Either way, it will be sublime.

My favorite meditation nap consists of a sun lounge, a blanket, an afternoon, and my ipod filled with lovely music. If Zen master meditation retreats consisted of this kind of meditating, I could totally do them!

The lessons here is: Meditation should be enjoyable. We only consistently do things we actually like doing!

3. Use the alarm clock meditation:-

If 100 breaths isn’t going to cut it for you, set a timer for five minutes. Then meditate until the timer goes off. This way, you don’t have to wonder about how long it’s been, or how much longer you should meditate for. It’s like meditation on cruise-drive.

The lesson here is: Make your meditation as cruise-drivey as possible.

4. Get comfortable;-

I started looking at things that annoyed me about meditation, the stuff that held me back from doing it. And one of the annoying things was this: I don’t like being uncomfortable.

I don’t think anyone does. And sitting cross-legged in lotus with a straight back and poised mudra fingers doesn’t spell comfortable to me. It spells pins and needles, sore butt, and achy back.

Maybe when I’m a woo-woo yoga guru master it won’t, but for right now, I’m not, and it does. So for me, it’s an exercise in getting comfy without falling asleep.

What this looks like for me is sitting in a comfy armchair inside, lying on a sun lounge on the back deck, or leaning against a wall outside. What comfy looks like to you might be totally different.

The lesson here is: Meditating isn’t an exercise in feeling uncomfortable. It’s a place of rest, stillness and comfort. So get comfy.

5. Start small:-

When I really, really need to meditate and I don’t feel like I have time, I make a little pact with myself. I say to myself, “Okay, we so don’t have to meditate for any pain-in-the-butt time at all. Let’s just do ten breaths.”

And my logical brain says:

“Ten breaths? You think I have time for ten breaths of meditation? Are you kidding me! I have stuff to do lady! We’re not on retreat you hippy!”

And I say, “Oh. I know you’re really busy. I really feel like I need this. You and me. Besides, it’s only for ten breaths.”

Logical brain: “Fine. But only ten. And I’m counting.”

And then we do our ten breaths and it’s nice. And we either stop there because we feel like we’ve refreshed just enough, or we keep going for another ten or twenty because it just feels so good.

The lesson here is: Start small. Everyone has time for 10 breaths. See what happens. It’s a little way of moving around resistances.

6. Make it a reward:-

Meditation should be fun and easy, and it should feel good for you, not excruciatingly boring or painful. Work out the thing about meditation that makes it really, really useful for you. Not “I should meditate because everyone says so.” Not even an “I should meditate.”

Find a way that makes you think, “I want to meditate.”

Here’s the meditation pay-off for me:

Whenever I take 100 breaths, it’s kind of boring for the first half. But after that, it feels like nirvana. I don’t know if it’s a rush of oxygen to the head or just because I finally relax then, but whatever it is, the second half is good.

And it makes the beginning so very, very worth it. My little reward is the second-half release.

The lesson here is: Find your personal treat from meditating. And keep remembering it. Use it as a reward for getting yourself there.

7. Use help when you need it:-

When I need extra help in meditating, I use CDs. They’re like my own little personal guides into sweet-calm-space.

Try out different CDs, guides, and meditation techniques, and see what works for you. And what works for you, make that the golden wisdom in your life.

The lesson here is: Don’t think you have to go it alone. Everything’s easier with a little support.

8. And most of all…

Remember that the reason you aren’t meditating right now is not because you are lazy. It’s because you haven’t yet found a way to meditate for you that is fun, easy, and comfortable for you. Find the way that does, and then it’s much, much easier.

Remove the annoying parts from meditating. Try out all the different ways you can to make it as lovely an experience as possible.

Healthy Ways to Deal with Worry.

It is important to recognize that uncertainty is a natural part of life. You cannot know with absolute certainty what is going to happen next. When you release your attachment to control, it’s easier to breathe.

Some people deal with anxiety by drinking, overeating, and turning to other bad habits. However, none of these are real solutions for worrying. The best approach is to learn how to deal with your anxiety in healthy ways.

1. Work it off.

Although exercise may not actually solve the issues that are causing you to feel anxious, engaging yourself in activity takes your mind off things.  You become clearer after taking a break.

2. Address your fears.

Instead of suppressing your anxiety, it is important to face your fears head on. Ask yourself what is truly causing your anxiety. You may even find that your worries are mostly False Evidence Appearing Real.

3. Meditate.

Meditation helps your mind with needed breaks from all that clutter.  The practice also helps you with greater focus.  You find yourself experiencing increased clarity and less likely to worry over unnecessary things.

4. Stay hydrated.

Did you know that dehydration has been linked to depression? Just about every person has heard that it is important to drink enough water, but most people do not realize that their mental health actually improves when they are hydrated.

5. Change your perspective.

Energy flows where you focus your attention. Understand that you can choose to focus on positive rather than negative thoughts.  In fact, as you become more positive, you’ll be better able to create more positive outcomes.

6. Relax.

It’s hard not to feel bombarded living in modern times. You probably spend your days in a constant state of flux. Your heart beats a lot faster as a result. So set aside time to relax. You’ll find that your feelings of anxiety subside.

7. Seek help.

You may find yourself feeling worse and worse if you are unable to stop yourself from incessant worrying.  It may be a good idea to seek counseling or to talk to someone who can help. Anxiety is very common. There is nothing to feel ashamed about when you approach for help.

The best way find relief from constant worrying is to learn to let go. Worrying does not bring you any closer to solving problems. In fact, it only makes it more difficult to find clarity.

Make a commitment to reducing your anxiety levels today. It starts with a simple choice.

Healing Depression by Taking Care of Your Mind, Body, and Spirit

MIND

• Saying positive affirmations three times a day (morning, mid-day, and at night)—such as “I love and accept myself,” “I am at peace in my life,” “I deserve to be happy,” “I feel good physically, mentally, and emotionally”—dispels the negative chatter.

• Focusing on the solution of what’s bothering you is highly effective, instead of fixating on the problem.

Worrying only increases stress-levels.

• Reaching out to friends and/or a professional offers support.

BODY

Practicing yoga or any form of exercise increases your energy.

• Eating a balanced diet with lots of greens, reducing processed sugars, and drinking lots of water is not only healthier for your body, it also nourishes the mind. In the book The Ultra Mind, author Mark Hyman correlates how “junk” food can affect our moods and diseases such as depression.

• Sleeping is important, ideally eight hours. You’ll feel refreshed and a lot less prone to making poor.

SPIRIT

• Acknowledging your emotions instead of burying them with alcohol, sex, food, etc is much more responsible, because you’re 100% in charge of your own happiness.

• Finding at least five things to be grateful for shifts the focus from what you perceive as missing in your life.

• Forgiving others and most of all yourself is necessary in order to let go and move on.

• Praying, journaling, and meditating increases inner calm.

• Listening to your intuition can save you from needless suffering.

The key is consistency and repetition in order to create healthier habits. I know that life can get in the way and some days it can be challenging to cope.

By no means am I advocating against the use of antidepressants. But I’ve always believed in the mind-body-spirit connection, and I don’t think antidepressants are the sole source to dealing with a mental illness.

Breath Healing!

Breath! 

"The rhythm of your breath is the key of knowledge and cleanses all that is unclean" –

Breath is the essence of life – Physiologically we know breath as that which provides oxygen to the lungs which in turn oxygenates the blood. However, we can literally buy oxygen, available in numerous forms off the shelf. Widely obtainable are oxygenated water, oxygenated powders, oxygenated tablets and capsules, all designed with the intent to enhance our general well being by lessening the onslaught of pollution that is threatening to engulf all life forms.
The general belief is that these products are a marginal substitute for poor breathing patterns which result in increasingly poor mental, physical and emotional health, and spiritual death.
This method of breathing is not easily accomplished, as we have become conditioned to breathe through our noses and into our lungs for many generations. Limitation has become the order of the day and the memory now lies very deep in our tissues. Our entire body/mind function expresses this. However, we know that whatever we place in our mouths connects with our tummies, so when we breathe from our mouths into our bellies, body and mind can function as one.
No scalpel can lengthen muscles or straighten a bone, but breath can and does.
"At the heart of each of us, whatever our imperfections, there exists a silent pulse of perfect rhythm, a complex wave of forms and resonances, which is absolutely individual and unique and yet which connects us to everything in the universe. The act of getting in touch with this place can transform our personal experience and in some way alter the world around us.

5 Ways to Slow Down And Enjoy Life!

Most of us have wished for a simpler life at some stage or other. No surprise really, given how hectic our tech-fueled, multi-tasking lives can be and the speed at which everything seems to happen these days.

When I set off to become a Buddhist monk back in the day, I was definitely searching for a simpler way of life. Sure, in retrospect, perhaps it was a little drastic, and you'll be relieved to know that's certainly not what I'm recommending here. But there were some really useful lessons that relate just as much to here and now as they did to there and then.

One monastery I lived in took simplicity to a whole new level. It was entirely dedicated to the practice of meditation. There was little or no reading and no discussion of any philosophy or psychology -- it was all about the practice itself, sitting with the mind without distraction. There was no TV, no internet, no games, no phones and no visitors. The only thing on the agenda was meditation, 24/7, 365 days a year.

To some that will sound like heaven; to others, perhaps more like a terrifying nightmare. But there is no question that once we strip away all of the noise and activity of everyday life, the mind appears in a whole new way. As a direct consequence, our perspective shifts and our experience of life appears in a whole new way.

In some respects, it doesn't matter whether we meditate for 10 minutes or one hour, for one week or one year—the principle is the same: to put down the baggage from our past, to let go of our anxieties and fear of the future, and instead to be present with the extraordinary beauty and simplicity of the present moment. It doesn't require a change of life, just a change of mind.

Here are my top five tips for rediscovering simplicity in your life:

Treat yourself to some silence.

Silence can mean different things to different people. The early hours of the morning, the serenity of the countryside, the few moments after you turn off the motor of your car, or even the simplicity of a clean and tidy room. Do your best to seek out this kind of silence, at least once a day. You deserve it.

Do one thing at a time.

Contrary to popular belief, only about 2.5 percent of people have the ability to effectively focus on more than one task at a time. So for the other 97.5 percent of us,multi-tasking makes things harder, not easier. Give yourself a break -- one complete thing is plenty to be focusing on at a time.

Quit trying so hard.

That might sound like an astonishing suggestion, but one of the things that we learn from meditation is that exerting effort, particularly to try to force the mind to do anything, is often counterproductive. Try to take a relaxed approach. Think of an athlete or a performer, whom you love -- do they make it look easy? It's that level of relaxed effort that you're looking for.

Remember the blue sky.

When you get in a plane and rise above the clouds, you see that incredible bright panorama of blue sky. The mind is no different; thoughts are like clouds, and although they may build up and even look stormy, the blue sky is there all along. Just remembering this is enough to help you get a little more clarity.

Learn how to meditate.

Regular readers maybe saw this one coming, but I would recommend starting a meditation practice by downloading the Headspace app and starting our beginner's course, Take10. It's free to download and only takes 10 minutes a day. And best of all, unlike the monastery, you get to keep your phone.

Reduce Stress and Stop Anxiety!

Like a monster from under the bed, stress /or anxiety is stealing the peaceful night time Zzzzzs of nearly 70 million Americans.  

Anxiety may also be sabotaging your confidence, turning your stomach into knots, and impacting your general well being. Learn how to squash the uncomfortable consequences of stress and anxiety with these 5 tips.

1. Remember: This Too Shall Pass:-

The first step to overcoming such negative feelings is to recognize that you are experiencing a very common emotional state most commonly identified as anxiety. Although it's uncomfortable, the negative feelings WILL PASS. Fighting the anxiety can make it stronger. Paradoxically, accepting that you are feeling anxious helps activate the body's natural relaxation response.

2. Learn How to Self-Sooth:-

Imagine walking down a nature path only to be greeted by a snarling grizzly bear -- or worse, your boss demanding that report. When we are faced with an anxiety-inducing situation, our body's sympathetic nervous system automatically triggers physiological changes. Our breathing quickens, adrenaline is secreted, and our heart begins to race. This natural survival mechanism -- called the fight or flight response -- is intended to help us to escape a true, life threatening emergency. However, when the threat is imagined (e.g., I'm going to bomb this presentation and everyone will know I'm a fraud, the fight/flight response is unnecessary and very uncomfortable.

Self soothing techniques that reduce the stress response:

• Diaphragmatic Breathing

One of the most effective ways to activate the relaxation response is by decreasing the heart rate. Since we can't voluntarily alter our pulse, more tangible measures are needed. Luckily, a rapid heart rate can be lowered with deep breathing techniques. The most commonly utilized strategy is breathing by contracting the diaphragm, a horizontal muscle in the chest located just above the stomach cavity.

Positive Self-talk:-

If a small child told you he was nervous about going to school the next day, what would you say? Unless you're an abusive lunatic, phrases like "you're such a dumb little kid" or "you should be nervous because no one will like you" would never leave your mouth. This is because we intuitively know how to help others combat stress sometimes better than ourselves. To increase emotional comfort, it's imperative to practice reassuring and realistic self-talk. When anxious, practice self-talk phrases such as:

"This feeling will pass."

 "I will get through this."

 "I am safe right now."

 "I am feeling anxious now, but I have the power make myself calm."

 "I can feel my heart rate slowing down." 

Muscle Relaxation:- 

Stress causes our muscles to tighten and become tense. To increase a relaxed state and physical comfort, tighten and release muscles beginning with the largest muscle group.Progressive muscle relaxation excercise apply.

3. Check Your Diet:-

What we eat and drink largely impacts our emotional state. Foods most associated with exacerbating anxiety are ones containing caffeine and alcohol. Even consumed in small amounts, studies have found that the stimulating effects of caffeine can cause anxiety, trigger panic attacks, and increase feelings of nervousness and irritability. Caffeine -- commonly found in coffee, colas, tea, and chocolate -- also causes physical symptoms such as trembling and shaking. Abruptly eliminating caffeine from the diet can lead to withdrawal symptoms, such as headaches, restlessness, and irritability so it's important to decrease caffeine consumption gradually. Similarly, although alcohol is often consumed to "take the edge off" it dehydrates the body and ultimately increases anxiety.

4. Get Moving:-

Most of us know that exercise is good for our physical health. For the past few decades, research has suggested that exercise is even more effective than medication.Maintaining a regular (healthy, non-obsessive) exercise routine has been proven to reduce stress, improve mood, enhance self-esteem, and increase energy levels. During exercise, the body releases chemicals called endorphins which interact with receptors in the brain to causing euphoric feelings and reduction in physical pain.

5. Get More Sleep:-

Nearly everyone feels a little crabby after a rough night's sleep. Disrupted sleep is common in many emotional disorders and it's difficult to know which started first -- stress or poor sleep. A study from the University of Pennsylvania  showed that losing just a few hours of sleep increases feelings of stress, anger, sadness, and exhaustion.

Best Health Tips Ever!

We've done the legwork for you and here they are: the 45 best health tips. Make that 46 - taking the time to read this tops the list.

1:- Cool off without a beer. Don’t eat carbohydrates for at least an hour after exercise. This will force your body to break down body fat, rather than using the food you ingest. Stick to fruit and fluids during that hour, but avoid beer.

2:- ‘Okay, now do 100 of those’. Instead of flailing away at gym, enlist the help – even temporarily – of a personal trainer. Make sure you learn to breathe properly and to do the exercises the right way. You’ll get more of a workout while spending less time at the gym.

3:-Stop fuming. Don’t smoke and if you smoke already, do everything in your power to quit. Don’t buy into that my-granny-smoked-and-lived-to-be-90 crud – not even the tobacco giants believe it. Apart from the well-known risks of heart disease and cancer, orthopaedic  surgeons have found that smoking accelerates bone density loss and constricts blood flow. So you could live to be a 90-year-old amputee who smells of stale tobacco smoke. Unsexy.

4:- Ask about Mad Aunt Edith. Find out your family history. You need to know if there are any inherited diseases prowling your gene pool. According to the Mayo Clinic, USA, finding out what your grandparents died of can provide useful – even lifesaving – information about what’s in store for you. And be candid, not coy: 25% of the children of alcoholics become alcoholics themselves.

5:- Do self-checks. Do regular self-examinations of your breasts. Most partners are more than happy to help, not just because breast cancer is the most common cancer among SA women. The best time to examine your breasts is in the week after your period.

6:-My smear campaign. Have a pap smear once a year. Not on our list of favourite things, but it’s vital. Cervical cancer kills 200 000 women a year and it’s the most prevalent form of cancer among black women, affecting more than 30 percent.

But the chances of survival are nearly 100 percent if it’s detected early. Be particularly careful if you became sexually active at an early age, have had multiple sex partners or smoke.

7:- Understand hormones. Recent research suggests that short-term (less than five years) use of HRT is not associated with an increase in the risk of breast cancer, but that using it for more than ten years might be. Breast cancer is detected earlier in women using HRT, as they are more alert to the disease than other women. 
8:- Beat the sneezes. There are more than 240 allergens, some rare and others very common. If you’re a sneezer due to pollen: close your car’s windows while driving, rather switch on the internal fan (drawing in air from the outside), and avoid being outdoors between 5am and 10 am when pollen counts are at their highest; stick to holidays in areas with low pollen counts, such as the seaside and stay away from freshly cut grass.

9:-Doggone. If you’re allergic to your cat, dog, budgie or pet piglet, stop suffering the ravages of animal dander: Install an air filter in your home.

Keep your pet outside as much as possible and brush him outside of the home to remove loose hair and other allergens. Better yet, ask someone else to do so.

10:- Asthma-friendly sports. Swimming is the most asthma-friendly sport of all, but cycling, canoeing, fishing, sailing and walking are also good, according to the experts.

Asthma need not hinder peak performance in sport. 1% of the US Olympic team were asthmatics – and between them they won 41 medals.

11:-Deep heat. Sun rays can burn even through thick glass, and under water. Up to 35% of UVB rays and 85% of UVA rays penetrate thick glass, while 50% of UVB rays and 75% of UVA rays penetrate a meter of water and wet cotton clothing.

Which means you’ll need sunscreen while driving your car on holiday, and water resistant block if you’re swimming.

12:- Fragrant ageing. Stay away from perfumed or flavoured suntan lotions which smell of coconut oil or orange if you want your skin to stay young. These lotions contain psoralen, which speeds up the ageing process. Rather use a fake-tan lotion. Avoid sun beds, which are as bad as the sun itself.

13:- Sunscreen can be a smokescreen. Sunscreen is unlikely to stop you from being sunburned, or to reduce your risk of developing skin cancer. That’s because most people don’t apply it properly, and stay in the sun too long.

The solution? Slather on sunscreen daily and reapply it often, especially if you’ve been in the water. How much? At least enough to fill a shot glass.

14:- Laugh and cry. Having a good sob is reputed to be good for you. So is laughter, which has been shown to help heal bodies, as well as broken hearts. Studies in Japan indicate that laughter boosts the immune system and helps the body shake off allergic reactions.

39. It ain’t over till it’s over. End relationships that no longer work for you, as you could be spending time in a dead end. Rather head for more meaningful things. You could be missing opportunities while you’re stuck in a meaningless rut, trying to breathe life into something that is long gone.

15:- Strong people go for help. Ask for assistance. Gnashing your teeth in the dark will not get you extra brownie points. It is a sign of strength to ask for assistance and people will respect you for it. If there is a relationship problem, the one who refuses to go for help is usually the one with whom the problem lies to begin with.

16:- Save steamy scenes for the bedroom. Showering or bathing in water that’s too hot will dry out your skin and cause it to age prematurely. Warm water is much better.

Apply moisturiser while your skin is still damp – it’ll be absorbed more easily. Adding a little olive oil to your bath with help keep your skin moisturised too.

17:- Here’s the rub. Improve your circulation and help your lymph glands to drain by the way you towel off. Helping your lymph glands function can help prevent them becoming infected.

When drying off your limbs and torso, brush towards the groin on your legs and towards the armpits on your upper body. You can do the same during gentle massage with your partner.

18:- Sugar-coated. More than three million South Africans suffer from type 2 diabetes, and the incidence is increasing – with new patients getting younger. New studies show this type of diabetes is often part of a metabolic syndrome (X Syndrome), which includes high blood pressure and other risk factors for heart disease.

More than 80% of type 2 diabetics die of heart disease, so make sure you control your glucose levels, and watch your blood pressure and cholesterol counts.

18:-Relax, it’s only sex. Stress and sex make bad bedfellows, it seems. A US survey showed that stress, kids and work are main factors to dampen libido. With the advent of technology that allows us to work from home, the lines between our jobs and our personal lives have become blurred.

People work longer hours, commutes are longer and work pervades all aspects of our lives, including our sexual relationships. Put nooky and intimacy on the agenda, just like everything else.

19:Good night, sweetheart. Rest heals the body and has been shown to lessen the risk of heart trouble and psychological problems.