healingways
Simple Stress Busters Natural Ways to Slide into a State of Calmness
by Kathleen Barnes
Stockbridge. “We rarely eat mindfully,” comments Lord. “We’re usually gulping down our food while watching TV, ar- guing with the kids or reading a book.” She often leads a meditation in
which participants are allotted one small piece of chocolate that they must eat slowly and consciously. “Most people discover they have never really tasted their food,” she says. “They are pleas- antly surprised to discover that they feel satiated and satisfied on every level.” Lord’s teaching is supported by
W
e all encounter everyday stressors and usually find our own ways of defusing them.
However, when chronic stress remains unresolved, it extracts a toll on health that may range from heart disease and stroke to obesity, gastrointestinal problems and depression. Thankfully, Natural Awakenings has uncovered inviting ways to regularly de-stress that
naturally make us feel good. Here are some refreshing ideas for immediate rest and relaxation. Eat Mindfully. Chocolate can be an excellent antidote to stress-relat- ed binge eating, advises Dr. Susan Lord, an integrative physician in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, who leads mind-body medicine programs at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, in
Music Soothes the Soul
Dozens of studies from leading institutions like Brandeis University, in Waltham, Massachusetts, the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center, in Yonkers, New York, and Colorado State University, in Fort Collins, show that music can offset stress, relieve pain, lower blood pressure, improve immune function and support restful sleep. So play a tune or two of much-loved music and let the calming effects induce a state of relaxation.
According to research from the American Society of Hypertension, classical music, the blues and other soothing music work best because they cause the body to release endorphins and slow breathing rates. It’s better yet if our favorite music inspires stress-releasing body movement.
Source:
GreenMedInfo.com
a study from an Oregon Research Institute affiliate in Albuquerque, New Mexico, showing that people lost significant amounts of weight by eating slowly and mindfully. Accordingly, Kripalu has encouraged eating in silence for nearly 40 years, a practice Lord heartily recommends to her pa- tients for one meal a day. Walk a labyrinth. A meditative
walk on a labyrinth may be just what the doctor ordered, says physician Esther Sternberg, professor of medicine and research director at the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona, in Tucson. “A labyrinth dif- fers from a maze, which has high walls and many dead ends,” notes Sternberg. “Walking a maze is inevitably stressful; a labyrinth has the exact opposite effect. There is only one path in and one path out. You go to the middle, meditate and walk back out. It’s a perfectly calming walking meditation.” In physiological terms, Sternberg explains, the deep breathing induced by labyrinth walking activates the vagus nerve, which prompts relaxation. It does this by interrupting the brain’s stress response and halting the release of adrenaline and the stress hormone cortisol from the adrenal glands. Our ancestors built labyrinths as early as 4,000 BCE. They exist today in churches, healing centers and backyards all over the world. Finger labyrinths, even as simple as an outline printed on a piece of paper, also have proved to be effective relaxation tools, says Neal Harris, a licensed clinical professional counselor in Barrington, Illinois. His study confirming its relaxing effects was published in the Annals of Psychothera- py & Integrative Health. Shake (or laugh) it off. Anyone
natural awakenings February 2014 22
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