The power of meditation

Hello guys..

For many of us, relaxation means lying out in front of the television, posting on Tuetego? at the end of a stressful day or having a couple of glasses of wine ???

However this does little to reduce the damaging effects that emotional distress has on us both mentally and physically. The best way to effectively reduce emotional distress is to activate the body’s natural relaxation response. This can be achieved by practicing relaxation techniques that you enjoy such as deep breathing, meditation, visualisation, mindfulness, rhythmic exercise or yoga.

Emotional distress is a normal part of life, and at certain times throughout our lives we will all experience it. When we feel under pressure, a part of our brain sets off an alarm bell which triggers our “fight/flight” response of our nervous system making us ready to respond. Our blood is flooded with adrenaline and cortisol, which in turn increases our heart rate and blood pressure. This allows us to transport energy to our muscles quickly, which prepares our body to deal with danger quickly, either by running away – flight (anxiety) – or tackling the danger head on – fight (anger). This is sometimes referred to as the stress response.?

Our bodies evolved during a time when it was essential to react quickly to danger in order to survive. Short bursts of energy can be useful. A certain degree of pressure can be useful in improving our memory and enhancing our performance, for example in an important interview it could help us stay alert.?

However long-term distress can have a major impact on our mental and physical health, as it’s not giving the body and mind a chance to recover and so it begins to wear us down.?

Fortunately we can learn to combat these negatives effects on our well-being through some basic techniques.

Relaxation techniques help by bringing our bodies back into a calm balanced state by producing the relaxation response, a state of calmness which is the complete opposite to the fight/flight response.

The heightened state of alertness causes our bodies to work hard, which can be tiring. This can also affect our immune system.?

‪So... after all this reading, my advice for a healthier and happier life: meditate, exercise, eat real food, spend more time in nature and let go of what you can't control‬. ????

Everytime you feel you're stressed, tired, etc.. stop everything you're doing even for a minute, close your eyes and make deep breaths.☺

How to practice deep breathing ??

Sit comfortably with your back straight.

Breathe in through your nose.

Exhale through your mouth, pushing out as much air as you can while contracting your abdominal muscles.

Continue to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.