Stress is a normal part of life and “good stress” can be a motivator. However, you never want to have stress take over your life so much that it starts to cause health problems.
Studies have shown that stress has terrible effects on your physical health so make sure to take time to engage in activities that will bring your stress level down.
It doesn’t have to be anything complicated or even take a significant amount of time to do. Doing simple things such as sitting quietly and just being aware of your heartbeat and breath for as little as ten minutes will have a calming effect.
Feeling too “punchy” to be calm? Try doing some kind of physical activity you find fun. Dance, play a sport, go for a run or walk. Physical play is a great way to combat stress.
Whether you feel the need to get calm or burn off some steam, the important thing is to just do it. Often when we’re feeling stressed, the last thing we want to do is engage in some of these activities. Try to do it anyway. You’ll feel much better afterwards and your future health depends on it!
Getting still may be one of the busiest activities you ever do. I know that sounds confusing, yet, although it appears counterintuitive, quieting your mind is a powerful way to discover what is inside. That way you can assess what’s working and what you would like to change.
Life can be hectic and stressful, when you’re doing everything that needs to be done.
Yet, so often, that very busyness can keep you from periodically checking in with yourself to make sure that the direction you are heading in continues to be where you want to go.
I’ve been surprised on many occasions when I gave myself the luxury of some still time, to realize that I had been barreling headlong down a road that really didn’t feel right, or that my desired destination had changed.
During my still and quiet time, answers were very forthcoming as I tuned in to my Inner Guidance. I was being still but busy!
It became very clear as to what I should continue to do and where I might want to course correct. If you want your “doing” to be aligned with your “being”, getting still is the answer!
Did you know that everything has consciousness? All relationships, the ones we have with people, animals and even nature, all have a consciousness. We really can choose to communicate with anything and when you do so, with an open mind, you may be surprised by who your teachers can be.
Opening up and allowing yourself to communicate with all that is may sound like a strange concept but let me take you through an exercise:
Think of a time when you just had a feeling when you were somewhere in nature. Maybe you were in the woods and the soft rustle of the trees nearly convinced you they were speaking to you. Or perhaps one peaceful day at the beach, you heard the sound of the ocean and realized it was trying to tell you something. By expanding your vision, you’ll see that everything around you has a “voice” and that sometimes, teachers come in the most surprising of forms.
Animals can definitely be wonderful and surprising teachers. Ask any animal lover and they will tell you that there is absolutely a consciousness between a human and its pet. One of my dear friends is a cat mama to three and she shares with me all the time how her cats just seem to know when she is feeling sad or stressed because they tend to give her extra attention. She’ll tell me how after experiencing some discouragement or frustration in her day, she’ll turn off her computer and notice the cats sitting on the floor of her office, staring up at her. As she walks out of her home office to her family room and sits on the couch, the cats immediately come over and sit next to her (or on her!) and just look at her with a kind of “sympathetic” look as she describes it. Now, that may not seem like such a big deal but when you take into consideration that this is not necessarily the normal behavior of the cats, it does seem kind of intuitive of the animals! There is a consciousness in all things and animals not only have it, they can sense the emotions and consciousness of humans.
There is a depth and richness to experiencing the consciousness of things but you do have to be open and bring yourself into the present and the now to fully experience this. Remember to just stay still for a moment, the next time you are someplace interesting or beautiful. What are you hearing, feeling or sensing? Open yourself to recapture that childlike innocence and sense of play to fully come alive in the moment.
Be conscious in your surroundings so you can experience the consciousness around you. Enjoy!
On the road in India, I send Holiday blessings to you and yours. We’ve traveled streets teeming with motorized vehicles of all shapes and sizes weaving chaotically in a fluid dance. Women in colorful saris walk gracefully or balance delicately on the back of motorcycles, and intermittent cattle, camels, sheep and pigs wander casually through the traffic. India is a rich sensory experience with her hot, spicy food, brilliant colors and fascinating people. I will write more about the powerful lessons I learned from the love and generosity of the Indian people in another blog.
I came here to attend the 5th annual World United Congress in Hyderabad led by my friend, Dr. Yugandhar, a brilliant visionary with a powerful message of unity for humanity… I am deeply touched and inspired by his vision of scientists, spiritual leaders, doctors, economists, environmentalists, educators and others working together for the betterment of the world, from a place of connectedness and consciousness, coordinating their efforts, and creating Enlightened Alliances.
I asked Dr. Yugandhar to speak about his work with transformation, which he describes as ‘changing the psychological and the emotional software’. As a general surgeon, a Spiritual Teacher and a pioneer in Transformational Medicine, he has developed a wholistic approach to healing that includes a powerful meditation technique focusing on the Hara in the abdomen. He divides medicine into four categories. The first is the conventional system, which includes surgery and allopathic medicine. the vibrational system with alternative therapies such as homeopathy and ayerveda, the third is therapeutic touch medicine, such as pranic healing, shiatsu, and reiki and the massage systems, the fourth is the system of transformational medicine, which includes meditation, past life therapy, rebirthing, human growth techniques, the awakening of “hara” consciousness, counseling and breath work.
In this video, Dr. Yugandhar shares with us his technique of abdominal breathing, which he calls hara breathing. I had initially thought this breath focused on the second chakra. It does not. Rather the focus is on the lower abdominal area, about 2 inches below the navel, which we refer to in Kundalini yoga as the navel point. As he points out, this is a natural breath for children, animals and yogis. When people are anxious, they breathe shallow breaths in their upper chest. The Hara breath calms the mind, releases stress, and expands awareness.
Dr. Yugandhar invites you to please join us at the 1st WORLD PARLIAMENT ON SPIRITUALITY scheduled on 17-21 Dec 2012. Visit: http://www.facebook.com/events/251273511600754/
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