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Relaxation Techniques

How to quickly (and easily) relax!

Most people have an innate ability to get very stressed, very quickly.  I hear a lot of complaints about the mornings, when people are thinking to themselves “Oh, I’ve got to do task A, B, C, and D, all before lunch!” It’s natural with the way we live to have these mental checklists which, more often than not, become overwhelming. But the real downside is that these checklists can severely inhibit our ability to have a happy productive day. So with all this already on your plate, how do overcome it, and quickly! I’ve got several options that I find to be beneficial to me. And the great thing is they are all flexible. If I feel like challenging myself with a more advanced yoga pose for a longer period of time I can. If I feel like doing just a few quick deep breathing techniques I can do that instead! It’s all about finding what’s right for you at that point in time.

I’ll cover a few different techniques.  Some may or may not be for you. However, I recommend at least trying them. You might surprise yourself and really feel inclined to pursue something you would have never thought you would enjoy.

I recently watched the movie Eat, Pray, Love.  And I really enjoyed it. I’m not referring to the cinematic quality, or the acting, or even the plot of the movie. But I enjoyed it because of the moral of the story, Finding yourself.  In finding yourself, you find your happiness. But that’s a much larger topic to tackle, and will have to wait for another day.  What I want to point out from the movie is some of the more relaxing aspects of living. Specifically, meditation.

Meditation.

I know there are a handful of people that sneer at the word meditation, as if it’s indicative of some sort of hocus pocus witch-doctor chanting to a higher power. The great thing about meditation is that it doesn’t have to carry any religious meaning. So everyone should at least give it a try. Isn’t it worth a few minutes of your time to see if you find any improvement? I think so.

Basic meditation can be very simple. More advanced meditation can take years to practice.  So I’m going to share just some basic steps to follow. If you find you enjoy it and want to pursue it further here is a little more information http://www.swamij.com/bia.htm .

1.       Find a quiet room at the time and place of your choosing.  

I like to do this in the morning. I find it really centers my thoughts and focus for the entire rest of the day. I also like a smaller room, that I can darken if need be. It helps me relax, as well as feel secure and comfortable. If you don’t like small spaces I don’t recommend this.  Dimming the lights can help, but isn’t necessary.

2.       Sit quietly, upright in a chair or on the floor.

It is important to stay upright. Often when people first try meditating they fall asleep (so set your alarm if you have to be somewhere!)  However staying upright can help you from falling asleep. Just be careful you don’t put yourself somewhere you could get hurt (say by falling out of the chair!) Maintaining an upright posture also helps stretch your spine and elongate those muscles, which feels great!

3.       Quiet your mind.

This is the hardest part. Meditation isn’t about thinking over all you need to get done. A lot of people think it’s about mentally sorting out your thoughts. That’s not really the case here. You actually want to “block” those thoughts from your mind. This is why people often stare at a candle flame, to let it sort of hypnotize them away from their immediate surroundings. You can also try focusing on your breathing. But you shouldn’t be thinking about picking up the dry cleaning or running to the bank. Your mind should be clear and relaxed. You want to literally push thoughts from your mind when they appear.

4.       Use a Mantra.

A mantra is a commonly repeated phrase or word. In this case using a word can help push out those unwanted thoughts until you are able to do it on your own. Using a mantra will help you learn to concentrate strictly on one point, until you are able to completely clear your mind. Om is a simple one word mantra that I recommend for starters. You simply repeat this mantra, focusing only on it. Push away any of those other unwanted thoughts. Using this mantra will help you develop your ability to direct your consciousness.

Meditation can be very accommodating to your schedule. It can be done practically anywhere (not while driving please!) and for any length of time. I do recommend spending at least 5 minutes on it, although you can go over an hour if you are really into it. It is also recommended to practice every day or two. You will get better at this over time! So keep it up.

Deep Breathing Exercises.

These are a great, quick, anywhere, anytime relaxation technique.  A quick caution however, larger than normal amounts of oxygen to the brain can cause dizziness, so until you are aware of how your body will respond please practice in a safe environment, again not while driving!

My techniques for deep breathing are a little different than some other guides that I’ve found out there.  But they work for me and are a little easier to accommodate, at least without looking too silly! 

1.       Sit or stand.

Make sure your posture is elongated. I can’t stress this enough! Whether you are sitting or standing concentrate on the point of your skull reaching high into the sky and your legs stretching down into the floor. You want to feel every muscle of your body elongating and growing in length.

2.       Exhale all existing stale air from your lungs.

Open your mouth and force all the air currently in your lungs out. That’s right, all of it. Keep exhaling until you don’t think you can anymore…then exhale some more.  You’ll feel your stomach and abs kind of tighten as you expel all this old oxygen.

3.       Breathe in a deep relaxing breath through your nose.

This will be easy. You’ll almost feel your lungs acting like a vacuum sucking in a large amount of air. Hold it in for a few seconds, and then exhale through your mouth. You should let all the muscles in your body relax on the exhale.

4.       Repeat

Repeat these deep breathing techniques. Concentrate while you’re breathing. Try to imagine that with each deep inhale you’re filling all the areas in your body with fresh clean air. Imagine with these deep breathes, that you’re letting the air stretch out your body, almost like a balloon.  And each additional exhale relaxes the body and the muscles even more. It’s a great feeling!

Relaxing Music

A quick easy way to relax can be as simple as going to your room, closing your eyes, and listening to relaxing music. I recommend mainly instrumental music. If you don’t already have a relaxation cd or playlist, you can use Pandora.com to set one up. Type in one of your favorite relaxing songs (for example Enya’s Caribbean Blue or Robert Mile’s Children) and it will create a list of similar songs based on your interests.  Spend some time just listening to these songs. Keep your eyes closed, relax, and breathe deeply. Try to get lost in the music and the moment, let go of all the stress and worry, and you’ll feel much better!

Yoga

I love yoga! And it really is an exercise, it will tire you out, but afterwards you will feel so amazing. I’ve talked to many people who do yoga, and we all agree, after getting in the swing of doing yoga you think “Oh, this is how normal feels, this is what just regular healthy is like, all the time I haven’t been doing yoga, I’ve just felt like crap!” So it’s true. Yoga will get you back to how your body should feel. It will reverse the effects of slouching over your computer desk, or being crammed in your car during your daily commute. It really will change how you feel overall.  And not only will your body feel great, but it can help you to relax. It will literally be helping to relax all those muscles that build tension.

As with all the relaxation techniques I’ve mentioned there are always health risks. I highly advise for starting yoga, you seek professional help. At least until you get the hang of it. Most health clubs offer a yoga class, or you can find yoga studios in your city. There are always very affordable classes offered and it’s worth it to make sure you understand what you’re doing before you overextend yourself! Don’t however, let my inability to teach you yoga discourage you from trying it. And you should try it more than once. It took me several times, of feeling rather foolish, before I started to really appreciate it and get the most from it.

If you want to try at home here are some good, relatively safe techniques you can practice. You can also find videos for free or for purchase. For example, I really enjoy Tony Horton’s yoga. It’s great for a good yoga sessions with an edge of a more extreme workout.  It can however be a little overwhelming at 90 minutes. His yoga X is part of the P90x workout, which is also quiet pricey. I recommend it for more advanced users who know they want to stick with it. Here is the link:
http://www.beachbody.com/text/products/programs/p90x/popup_parseb_030110/workouts_04.html

Now this is one of my favorites!

If you have a lot of neck tension or back pain I strongly recommend you take the time to try this video. It is long, at 57 minutes, but even just doing part of it can really help! And it encompasses a lot of the poses that you will become familiar with over time.  It is available for free on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiHIs7_iMl8

This is a quick instructional video on Sun Salutations: 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuvfHTaftLQ

From the same user, a quick 8 minute sequence:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Yrp9wBQGzo

Once you feel you’ve gotten some basic instruction and direction in yoga and the proper poses, you can visit the following link to learn how to make your own sequences. It has poses for beginners, intermediate, and advanced and can be a great tool to help you become more familiar with all the poses. Make sure to check out the rest of the site for great tips!

http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/sequence_builder

I hope you will consider trying one, if not all, of the above mentioned tips for relaxing. They really are my favorites and I have found them invaluable. Not only can they help clear your mind, but they also relax your body. Think of how hard it is to concentrate and to be productive when you have a headache. Your body feels the same way, you just don’t know it because you’ve always had a “body ache”. If you spend the time to relax the body, the muscles, and the mind, it will set you up for a much better day. You’ll feel better, be productive, and be more effective. All while feeling better! Why not give it a try. You deserve a little relaxation.

“The time to relax is when you don't have time for it.” -  Sidney J Harris

How to enjoy the simple things

Finding pleasure and joy in the little things:

A lot of people who don’t know me very well would use words like “simple” “ditzy” and maybe even “ignorant” to describe me and my youthful enjoyment of the world around me. People who know me better know that’s not the case. I actively chose to act this way toward my world. I can be as somber a person as any, but why would I WANT to do that?  Next time you find yourself in a bad mood why not ask a similar question. Why act like a Scrooge? What could possibly be so bad that you could no longer enjoy all the wonders of the world?

Recognizing you can find happiness anywhere:

When was the last time you spoke with someone who thinks like a child? A person who finds fascination in the clouds and the rain. Someone who sees the joy in discovering an overrun puddle. A puddle that has created a water current leading to a low spot, and now resembles a tiny river for ants. It’s an exciting feeling, finding that little miracle of nature and knowing that you were there to witness it, while others kept bundled up inside cursing about the bad weather.   To a child a storm is just as enjoyable as a sunny day.  Don’t you want to find enjoyment in all things? Don’t be selective, if something is beautiful acknowledge it, and enjoy it. Look for all the beauty you’ve typically missed out on and you’ll find it. Next time you get in your car look for the sunbeams that cut through the sky, if it rains imagine a tiny leprechaun at the end of the rainbow, if it snows build a damn snowman! And go get a carrot so he can have a nose!  Then take a picture J

Albert Einstein once said He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.  So wake up, and open your eyes, and let the beauty of life surround you. This is easy.

Taking part in the small things (aka-how to have fun):

Now before you can do this you’re going to have to cast aside that “grown up” attitude of disinterest.  Getting involved with all the world has to offer takes a little courage, and a lot of not caring what other people think of your silly-ness.  I refer back to my examples using children, because they seem to care less what we think about societal conventions, and focus on what simply makes them happy. If they enjoy glitter, you know it’s going to end up all over your carpet, and your walls, and their face! Children clearly have no qualms about expressing the things that bring them happiness, so why should we. If anything we are only adding to our own unhappiness by denying ourselves the simple joys.  So when you see your favorite color of glitter, and hear it calling your name, dive at it head first and just enjoy. I can guarantee anyone seeing you rolling around in glitter will enjoy it too!

The other day I saw a chalk drawing on a sidewalk that said “hopscotch ahead” with an arrow pointing in the designated direction. I was tickled pink to see this! I thought to myself oh that’s so fun, that someone would come out here and draw a game of hopscotch! It made me smile, and made others smile too! That enthusiasm was contagious.  Wouldn’t you have liked to be a part of it? True happiness is worth catching. And worth transmitting for that matter! 

So don’t be modest, happiness isn’t for the faint of heart.  Jumping around like a fool WILL make you smile. And probably make others laugh a little. But that’s ok, you’re radiating happiness and they are catching it. It’s a good thing! Don’t take the simple pleasures of life away from yourself. Try to be more open minded and a little more spontaneous, and you’ll find all sorts of things that are right up your alley! No matter how old you are, it's time to go play.

Always jump in the puddles!  Always skip alongside the flowers.  The only fights worth fighting are the pillow and food varieties.  -Terri Guillemets

How To Wake Up Happy Everyday

Waking up happy.

One of the hardest things to do every morning is often the simplest. Getting out of bed. Waking up in a good mood can greatly increase your enjoyment of the day. The trick is... How do you wake up feeling happy?

Before I rehash old time tested methods of preparing for a good night sleep keep in mind, often times the best solution is the easiest one. Have you looked at your attitude lately? It's probably not a good one if you're here reading this. But good news is, the answer is simple:

1. Check your attitude

If you're attitude is not up to par, it's ok! There's a great way for you to wake up happy anyway. All you have to do is lie to yourself! Yea...I said it, just lie. Say to yourself, "Oh I'm so excited the alarm just went off!" If you can trick your brain into believing you're glad you woke up, eventually you WILL be glad you woke up. Now normally I wouldn't advocate lying, especially to oneself. But the truth of the matter is you can wake up happy by telling yourself you are happy. It's that simple!

2. Prepare yourself for a good night of sleep.

This is also so simple to do, and easy to try. I recommend trying to stick with a similar bed-time every night. (Who knew you're parents were actually trying to help you out later in life with their persistent calling of lights out?) If you find you're not tired lay down anyway! Take a hot bath, drink a hot cup of tea (decaf!), read a book. All of these are very simple ways to help slow down your mind and prepare for bed.

3. Sleeping through the night.

Cutting out distractions is imperative for good sleep. That means kicking the animals of the bed and out of the room, turning off the tv, and pulling the shades. A little white noise can go a long way. It can help put anyone to sleep, and the consistency of it throughout the night will keep you sleeping. So that means turn on your ceiling fan or run an air purifier. You could even get one of those clock radio's that play ambient sounds to sleep to. If you have a smart phone, you can download free apps for white noise and sounds to sleep to. Find your favorite! Put it on every night. Routine is very important here. You should be going to sleep at the same time every night, and waking up at the same time everyday.

4. Waking up HAPPY!

Ok, here it is. Be GLAD to be awake! You've been given another day to discover life! Find something new to be pleased about. Even if that means going in to work to find the water cooler, that has been empty for days, has finally been refilled. I mean that's a good thing right? So act like it! Wake up in the morning ready to embrace whatever the day has to throw at you. Until you get yourself in the habit of waking up with this attitude, you might have to do a little encouraging to convince yourself you really do WANT to get out of bed. I mean after all it's pretty cozy in there. But don't sweat it, you've got another day.
If you still find you can't drag yourself out of the mindset, try waking up a little earlier. I know that is the exact opposite of what you want to hear, but just try it, it couldn't hurt. Do something you enjoy with that extra free time. A lot of times it's the dread of showering, dressing, then working that holds us back! Who wants to jump out of bed to jump into a cubicle? Yuck. So do something you enjoy in between. After getting dressed go for a longer car ride, take the scenic route. Surprise your family or friends with a home cooked breakfast. Do something for yourself. That will give you something to look forward to while you wash and get dressed, instead of spending the time thinking about how much you have to do. Yes, you have to wake up at a certain time to be at work on time, but you're not a slave to the man. No one said you can't get up a little earlier to do something for you! So wake up early, and do something you enjoy to break up the monotony of the morning routine.

So it all comes down to what works best for you. For me taking an extra car ride, sometimes stopping to get something yummy or a warm cup of coffee, helps get me out of the house with enthusiasm. Once I'm out it easy to be positive. Just keep in mind, you've got to put on a good attitude before anything else. All of these tips will work! But make sure you're mind is in the right place as well.



"Be pleasant until ten o'clock in the morning and the rest of the day will take care of itself."  ~Elbert Hubbard

Joyful Living

Welcome to Joyful Living!

My name is Lauryn and I can help you live a happier, simpler life. That means living more and spending less. Just remember, being happy is a choice. Before you start anything, make sure you're wearing the right attitude!
    
"The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything they have."