Wholesome Resources for Mind-Body Mastery through Yoga, Meditation, Guided Imagery, Stress Relief, Wellness
Here are three proven yoga techniques to help with setting a worthwhile intention that will help you overcome frustrations, anxiety and fatigue. You will have clarity of mind, and be calm and courageous too.
They are the 1) Pratipaksha Bhavana meditation. 2) Kubera hand mudra. 3) Yoga Nidra, a deeply relaxing exercise that helps you make needed changes. Continue on for details and a handout for easy reference.
Here is a series of 9 yoga poses for a healthy heart (pdf) from the innovative work of Dean Ornish, MD.
For over 30 years, research has shown how comprehensive lifestyle changes can often halt, and even reverse, heart disease. Program components include a low fat diet, exercise, social support, and stress management (yoga, guided relaxation, breathing, meditation). Reversing Heart Disease, Love and Survival, and other books and articles by Ornish contain the details and data you’ll want to have about the lifestyle for a healthy heart. This yoga series was originally published in Yoga Journal (March 06).
LINK: 9 Yoga poses for a healthy heart (pdf)
A great resource for guided relaxation, breathing and meditation is Yoga Meditations: Timeless Mind-Body Practices for Awakening.
Julie Lusk has been interviewed on the following TV and radio shows throughout the years.
Does it sound appealing to you to have a little time all to yourself? Is some peace and quiet something you yearn for?
What if you were asked to sit still in a room by yourself for 6 to 15 minutes? Could you make it without your smartphone, tablet, a book, something to doodle on or listen to? As it turns out, this is really hard for most people.
In a study published in Science on hundreds of participants in a series of 11 experiments, over half the volunteers reported it as not enjoyable on a 9-point scale. It was hard to concentrate and their minds wandered. It was not fun at all. In fact, one experiment showed that 67% of men and 25% of women chose to give themselves a mild electrical shock instead of being quiet doing nothing. This was even after testing out the shock beforehand with most saying they would pay $5 instead of feeling the shock again. Click on the image for more info.
Really? A lot of folks would rather be shocked than have quiet time? No wonder it’s so hard for people when waiting in line, stuck in traffic, or lying awake at night. Is that why so many people avoid meditation even when knowing how beneficial it is? Does it mean that people don’t value ‘think time’ or daydreaming? Perhaps, so many people don’t like time for aimless thinking because they don’t know how to tame their mind or have forgotten how to be quiet or don’t value it. What are your thoughts on this?
Unstructured ‘think time’ happens throughout the day, doesn’t it. Is that why so many people grab their smartphone as soon as a free minute appears? This even happens while driving. Have you had the urge to check your texts, email or the weather at a stop light rather than look out the window or even listen to the music playing? You’re not ‘alone.’ According to this study, half of us don’t like having quiet “thinking time.”
So now what? I think it’s a good idea to learn how to get used to having free time again by learning some healthy mental habits. This would take the stinging frustration out of waiting, for example. It will even build up your brain power.
Share your thoughts with us in the comment section. I’m curious about what you have to say.
Here are some great ideas for when free time comes about accidentally or on purpose.
Are you planning a vacation? Good for you! It’s important to expand your horizons and take a break from day-to-day routines.
When you pack your bags to explore the beauties of your own country or to travel around the world, consider these keys to a happy journey. I wish I could give credit for these wise travel tips, but I don’t know who wrote them.
Travel lightly. You are not traveling for people to see you!
Travel slowly. Jet planes are for getting places not seeing places; take time to absorb the beauty and inspiration of a mountain or cathedral.
Travel expectantly. Every place you visit is like a surprise package to be opened. Untie the strings with an expectation of high adventure.
Travel hopefully. “To travel hopefully,” wrote Robert Louis Stevenson, “is better than to arrive.”
Travel humbly. Visit people and places with reverence and respect for their traditions and ways of life.
Travel courteously. Consideration for your fellow travelers and your hosts will smooth the way through the most difficult days.
Travel gratefully. Show appreciation for the many things that are being done by others for your enjoyment and comfort.
Travel with an open mind. Leave your prejudices at home. [Read more…]
