Physical Techniques: Deep Breathing, Progressive Muscular Relaxation & The Relaxation Response

Introduction:
This tool introduces three useful physical relaxation techniques that can help you reduce muscle tension and manage the effects of the fight-or-flight response on your body. This is particularly important if you need to think clearly and perform precisely when you are under pressure.

Deep Breathing:
Deep breathing is a simple but very effective method of relaxation. It is a core component of everything from the "take ten deep breaths" approach to calming someone down, right through to yoga relaxation and meditation. It works well in conjunction with other relaxation techniques such as Progressive Muscular Relaxation, relaxation imagery and meditation to reduce stress.
To use the technique, take a number of deep breaths and relax your body further with each breath. That's all there is to it!


Progressive Muscular Relaxation (PMR):
Progressive Muscular Relaxation is useful for relaxing your body when your muscles are tense. The idea behind PMR is that you tense up a group of muscles so that they are as tightly contracted as possible. Hold them in a state of extreme tension for a few seconds. Then, relax the muscles to their previous state. Finally, consciously relax the muscles even further so that you are as relaxed as possible.
By tensing your muscles first, you will probably find that you are able to relax your muscles more than would be the case if you tried to relax your muscles directly.

Experiment with PMR by forming a fist, and clenching your hand as tight as you can for a few seconds. Then relax your hand to its previous tension, and then consciously relax it again so that it is as loose as possible. You should feel deep relaxation in your hand muscles.

For maximum relaxation you can use PMR in conjunction with breathing techniques and imagery.


The “Relaxation Response”:
We mentioned “The Relaxation Response” in our article on Meditation. In a series of experiments into various popular meditation techniques, Dr. Benson established that these techniques had a very real effect on reducing stress and controlling the fight-or-flight response. Direct effects included deep relaxation, slowed heartbeat and breathing, reduced oxygen consumption and increased skin resistance.

This is something that you can do for yourself by following these steps:

• Sit quietly and comfortably.
• Close your eyes.
• Start by relaxing the muscles of your feet and work up your body relaxing muscles.
• Focus your attention on your breathing.
• Breathe in deeply and then let your breath out. Count your breaths, and say the number of the breath as you let it out (this gives you something to do with your mind, helping you to avoid distraction).
• Do this for ten or twenty minutes.

An even more potent alternative approach is to follow these steps, but to use relaxation imagery instead of counting breaths in step 5.
Summary:
“Deep Breathing,” “Progressive Muscular Relaxation,” and the steps leading to the “Relaxation Response” are three good techniques that can help you to relax your body and manage the symptoms of the fight-or-flight response.

These are particularly helpful for handling nerves prior to an important performance, and for calming down when you are highly stressed.

http://www.mindtools.com/stress/RelaxationTechniques/PhysicalTechniques.htm

5 Easy Ways To Get Happy

Pursuing your dreams can have its challenges and sometimes be very emotional. However, it's important to stay focused on your goals and put your mind on the positive to fuel your drive to achieve. Guard your thoughts and emotions by intentionally taking action to keep your spirits high. In my office, we have a saying, "If anything can go well, it will!" Expect good things to happen for you and you'll see that more good will come your way! Below are five quick ways to help you the next time you're feeling down and out. Dig yourself out of the dumps with these proven strategies to a happier life.

1. Meditate 15 to 20 minutes every day. 

Meditation can be a life-changing force in your life. The act of solitude can solve many problems. For example, when I was going through a rough divorce in my 20s, I would rise early and escape to my sweet spot where I just cleanse my mind of negative thoughts and visualize a happy future.

2. Guard what you listen to. 

Surround yourself with positive people, have positive conversations and take a break from negative news. To protect your positive mind and atmosphere, refuse to say, hear or agree with any negative words, especially about your life, day or personal economy.

Instead, flip the switch and replace all negative expressions with positive ones. Say statements that create joy in your life. I challenged my clients to take a positivity challenge. For 30 days, speak positive about every situation. They used my personal positivity calendar to chart their progress. You can create your own by recording at least one positive thing that happens each day for 30 days. This challenge will shift your perspective and help you keep a watch on your words while charting a path to a much happier life.


3. Use goal cards.

If you focus on what's possible, your passion to accomplish goals will increase dramatically. Goal cards make this process very simple. Studies show people who review and visualize their written goals are more apt to manifest what they see. There's no better feeling of happiness than to achieve something that you really desire in your life.

4. Eat energy-producing foods. 

Eat lots of proteins and greens and drink water daily. When you feel healthy and alert, your confidence level goes up and makes you a much happier person.

Unhealthy eating and a sedentary lifestyle can have a negative affect on your mood. When you upgrade your body image by eating better and working out, you will immediately begin to upgrade your outlook and feel better about yourself.


5. Surround yourself with things that give you a happy outlook. 

Pictures of fond family memories, artwork, quotes, a happy screensaver on your computer or even fresh flowers. Often, I have my clients create happiness sticky notes where they write messages to affirm their goals, or simple words of encouragement like, "You can do it!" "You're loved!" "You're beautiful!" I tell them to post it to their computer, stick it on a desk or vision board so they can see it often.

Hold on to happiness
Take 10 minutes each morning to see yourself in a happy situation.Be grateful
Look for something to be happy about
Keep a happiness journal

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stacia-pierce/happiness-tips_b_3750932.html

How Yoga Can Help Cure Thyroid Imbalance

Hypothyroidism is a condition that can impact anything from your weight to your fertility. What’s unfortunate is that a large chunk of the population has been diagnosed with under-active thyroid (hypothyroidism) and yet there’s few options out there for treatment aside for taking medication. What many people don’t know is that yoga can have quite the impact on the way your thyroid performs. Here’s how yoga can help to improve thyroid imbalance.


Shoulder stand

Also known as Sarvangasana pose, this is the most recommended posture for hypothyroidism. Not only does this position stimulate the thyroid gland to function properly due to the pressure effect, but it also helps stimulate a variety of other glands in the head region, such as pituitary and pineal glands, which also have an additional way of controlling the functioning of the thyroid gland.
Bow pose

This pose is known to stimulate the glands in your neck and throat and it’s also a great movement for strengthening and stretching your thighs, groin, belly, chest, spine and shoulders. To perform the bow pose, lie on your stomach with your arms at your sides. Bend your legs and grab your ankles with your hands. Then inhale and lift you feet away from your hips while also bringing your thighs off the mat. By doing this pose, you should have your head and upper torso pulled off the floor for 20 to 30 seconds.
Fish pose

The fish pose requires you to lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. As you inhale, lift your pelvis slightly off the floor and slide your hands underneath your butt. Then tuck your elbows and forearms close against your body and place your elbows on the mat. Inhale and arch your back to lift your torso off the floor. This pose helps to stretch and stimulate the glands in the neck and throat.
Camel pose

This stretch works the entire front of your body, including the important areas for your thyroid including your neck and throat. A backbend like pose, this is known to help stimulate the glands in your neck especially. To do this stretch, kneel on your mat so your knees are directly under your hips. Then arch your back and plant your hands on your feet. Push your tailbone a little more forward and let your head fall back with no strain.
Child pose

The pose known as child pose is a great position for relaxation and increased energy. The pose itself stretches your knees and lower back, and is a great pose to help blood flow to the brain. To do this pose, kneel down and rest your butt on your heels. Stretch your arms over and reach them forward.

http://www.hivehealthmedia.com/how-yoga-can-help-cure-thyroid-imbalance/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-yoga-can-help-cure-thyroid-imbalance&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook

The Meditation Method That Might Save Your Memory

If someone told you that memory loss caused by Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia could be reversed without drugs, in less than 15 minutes a day, would you believe them?
Although it sounds like the opening pitch of an annoying infomercial, research has been able to pinpoint a specific kind of meditation that seems to bestow special memory-boosting benefits on dutiful practitioners: Kirtan Kriya.

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania conducted a study that found that individuals with memory problems saw an improvement in their overall cognition after practicing Kirtan Kriya meditation once a day, for eight weeks.

The study was small (involving only 15 participants) but the findings were definitive—people with memory loss performed better on cognitive tests after incorporating Kirtan Kriya into their lives.

While the benefits of meditation are no secret to the millions of people who practice the ancient form of centering one’s thoughts, these results add further credibility to the ever-growing body of scientific evidence backing up what yogis have known about meditation for millennia.

According to the Mayo Clinic, some other advantages of adopting any form of meditation practice include: reduced stress levels, increased awareness and the ability to be able to concentrate more on the present. Science has also pointed to meditation as a way to manage or prevent certain health conditions including cancer, depression, high blood pressure, problems with sleep, asthma, anxiety and heart disease.

While the link between meditation and these conditions is far from definitive, it’s hard to deny that the practice has value that science is just beginning to understand.

A Kirtan Kriya sample practice
Kirtan Kriya meditation is a principle component of the Kundalini form of yoga. Kundalini yoga aims to enhance the physical energy and mental awareness of each practitioner by unleashing the power of the universal consciousness that resides within each person.


Here are the basic elements of a Kirtan Kriya meditation practice:

1. Take a seat: You can sit on the floor or in a chair, anywhere you feel most relaxed. Try to sit up as straight as you comfortably can. Place your hand on your knees, palms facing up.
2. Practice breathing: Practice slowly inhaling all the way down into your belly, and then, gradually exhaling fully.
3. Start to chant: Kirtan Kriya meditation incorporates a specific syllabic chant—sa (birth), ta (life), na (death), ma (rebirth). Together they form a mantra that proponents of Kundalini yoga say helps practitioners tap into their spiritual center. There are also hand movements that coordinate with each aspect of the Kirtan Kriya mantra. On “sa,” touch your index fingers to your thumbs. On “ta,” touch your middle fingers to your thumbs. On “na,” touch your ring fingers to your thumb. On “ma,” touch your pinky fingers to your thumbs. Each of these gestures is called a “mudra,” a symbolic movement meant to facilitate the flow of energy throughout the body.
4. Repeat: Kirtan Kriya meditation practices may last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. The typical practice is about 11-12 minutes long and involves cycling through several different ways of chanting the sa, ta, na, ma mantra; sometimes in a loud voice, sometimes in a whisper and sometimes silently, in your head. If you’re new to Kirtan Kriya, try this as a sample meditation: Chant aloud for two minutes, softly for two minutes, silently for three minutes, softly for two minutes and aloud for two minutes. You can play around with the times, but the important concept to keep consistent is the cycle—aloud, soft, silent, soft, aloud.
5. End with an affirmation: While it isn’t necessary, some practitioners suggest concluding a Kirtan Kriya meditation session by placing your palms together in front of your heart and proclaiming the mantra, “Sat nam,” as a verbal acknowledgement of the sacred truth that lies within you.

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-meditation-method-that-might-save-your-memory.html

21 One-Minute Weight Loss Tricks

If you've ever tried to lose weight (and who hasn't), you've got to be mindful of whose advice you take. Your colleague says you need to cut out carbs. Your gym buddy knows the secret is to stop eating after 7 p.m. Your Facebook friend swears she’ll be in swimsuit shape by March if she only eats once a day. Your husband, well, he sneezes and the weight seems to fall off.

But do any of these tips really work? To help you shed those extra pounds—and keep them off—without starving yourself, ditching your social life, or eating only at odd times of the day, we talked to experienced nutritionists for real-world advice you can actually live with, day in and day out. We'll tell you how to focus on the delicious foods you can add to your diet, why you should be eating more often (yes!), the fat loss benefits of more sleep, and how even taking a few deep breaths can put you on a successful path to weight loss.

Here, the 25 best diet tips of all time. Say buh-bye to hunger and hello skinny jeans.


1. Never get too hungry - plan meals and snacks in advance

2. Be honest about your daily calorie allowance 

3. Eat right post-workout

4. Use the red, orange and green rule - By focusing on these foods, you'll be sure to get some produce on your plate and won't have space on your plate for higher-calorie fare.

5. Eat one less bite - Doing this at every meal could save about 75 calories a day which equates to nearly an 8-pound weight loss in one year!

6. Be a heavy drinker - Of Water! 

7. Kick the salt habit - Salt can also make you feel hungrier and thirstier.

8. Spice up your food - Adding hot spices to your meals can help curb hunger.

9. Don't think diet soda will help you lose weight

10. Focus on nutrient balance instead of calorie counting

11. Plate food away from where you're eating - By keeping food within eyesight as you are eating, you may find yourself reaching for a second helping even if you really aren't hungry. 

12. Keep a food record - tracking your mood and appetite can be helpful and insightful into learning about your eating patterns as well!

13. Start with soup - People who ate a low-calorie vegetable soup before a meal consumed 20% fewer calories at the meal, according to research from Penn State University.

14. Take your time - It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to send a message to your brain that you have eaten enough and are satisfied. 

15. Outsmart your hunger hormone - Our bodies secrete a hormone called ghrelin, which controls hunger and drives our appetite. Ghrelin will also spike if we're deprived of carbs, so it's important to give our bodies and brains the carb fuel they need. When we skip meals or avoid carbs, we're inviting ghrelin to spike, which increases and makes us feel emotionally hungry. It makes us crave sugar and can derail even the healthiest eating routine.

16. Dine anytime - It's a myth that you'll gain weight as a direct result of eating after 7 p.m. You should eat 70% of your calories before dinnertime and 30% at dinner, whatever time that may be. Just give yourself at least 90 minutes to end your meal before you plan to go to sleep. You need at least 90 minutes to digest so you can sleep comfortably. 

17. Set a date with your kitchen - when it comes to weight loss we need to devote 80% of our efforts to nutrition and 20% to exercise.

18. Breathe away cravings - Deep breaths of that kind take you out of your immersion in momentary stress, oxygenate your brain and tissues, and they help to reduce stress hormones. 

19. Eat before a party or event - Have a light snack before you go to an event so you don’t arrive ravenous.

20. Be adventurous with chopsticks - they can act as a reminder to slow down, savor and chew consciously which may help you realize you’re fuller sooner than you thought you’d be and then wind up eating less!

21. Wear fitted clothing - The elastic waistband is the dieter's fashion enemy number one. When you wear clothes that fit well and make you feel good, you have awareness gauges that give you clear signals to help you put on the brakes as you fill up. 

22. Celebrate healthy talk - Instead of using words like "fat," say "fit"; change "can't" to "can"; "weak" to "strong"; "unhealthy" to "healthy." It takes practice but it can start to rewire how you think about your health and weight goals.

23. Eat breakfast without fail Shoot for a minimum of 250 calories and aim to get a serving of protein in so you’ll feel fuller longer.

24. Take 10 minutes to eat a treat

25. Sleep away weight gain - Scientists asked participants to sleep about 10 hours a night for two days, followed by five nights of sleep restriction and four nights of recovery. After the 11 days, the sleep-deprived group gained almost 3 pounds, compared with a well-rested control group.

http://www.prevention.com/25-best-diet-tips-all-time?cm_mmc=Yahoo_Blog-_-PVN_Shine-_-21%20One%20Minute%20Weight%20Loss%20Tricks-_-25%20Best%20Diet%20Tips%20Of%20All%20Time

The Habits That Make You Happy

So what habits make you happy? Try doing these on a daily basis, and see if you get the what results you get:

1. List Three Good Things. [My wife] and I started a daily evening ritual, at about 7pm each day, where we take a moment to tell each other three good things about our day. We didn’t invent this, but it serves as at least one time in your day when you focus on what you’re grateful for. This can create a mental habit of gratitude that you can use other times in your day, when you’re focused on the things you don’t like or have — when you feel this, think about something you do have, that you love. Find a way to be grateful, and you’re happier.
2. Help Someone. When we focus on ourselves, and the woeful state of our lives, we are self-centered. This shrinks the world to one little place with one little unhappy person. But what if we can expand that worldview, and expand our heart to include at least one other person? Maybe even a few others? Then we see that others are suffering too, even if that just means they’re stressed out. Then we can reach out, and do something to reduce their stress, put a smile on their face, make their lives easier. Help at least one person each day, and you’ll find your entire perspective shifted.
3. Meditate. It affects everything else. Meditate for just two minutes a day, and you’ll create a habit that will allow you to notice your thoughts throughout the rest of the day, that will help you to be more present (unhappiness comes from not being present), that will help you notice the source of anxiety and distraction. That’s a lot that can be accomplished in two minutes! Sit every morning when you wake, and just notice your body, and then your breath. Notice when your mind wanders, and gently return to your breath. You become the watcher of your mind, and you’ll learn some useful things, I promise.
4. Exercise. Everyone knows you should exercise, so I’m not going to belabor this point. But it really does make you happier, both in the moment of exercise (I’m exerting myself, I’m alive!) and throughout the rest of the day. Exercise lightly, if you’re not in the habit yet, and just for a few minutes a day to start out. Who doesn't have a few minutes a day? If you don’t, you need to loosen up your schedule a bit.

There are a number of other habits that also help: mindful eating, drinking tea, doing yoga, socializing with others. But these incorporate meditation (they’re more active forms of meditation), and exercise, and helping others, and gratitude (if you’re doing it right). So I wanted to list the most basic habits, and then you can expand to other areas.

How do you form these habits? One at a time, starting as small as possible, with some social accountability. Set these habits in motion. You’ll notice yourself becoming more present, more grateful, more other-focused. The shift that results is nothing short of a miracle.

http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2013/07/how-to-make-happiness-a-habit/

Mood Boosters

Next time you need a pick-me-up, try one of these simple happiness-enhancing tricks

1. Practice the healing breath 
Before bed or when you feel tense, try focusing on your breath, and breathe deeply and slowly. Try this simple breathing exercise: Sit comfortably, with your hands resting on your belly button. Take a deep breath in for a count of 3, feeling your belly expand beneath your hands. Hold for 5 seconds, and then exhale for 7 seconds, compressing your belly button toward your spine. 

2. Drink more herbal tea 
“These teas are delicious, have no calories, and offer tremendous healing properties,” says Tieraona Low Dog, MD, a Prevention advisory board member and the author of Life Is Your Best Medicine. She likes tea with ginseng for an afternoon pick-me-up, peppermint to help with digestion, and chamomile to relax before bed. 

3. Unplug
We’re far too habituated to texting and e-mailing constantly,” says Dr. Low Dog. “There’s a reason almost every religion has a day of rest.” People who resist the trend are less stressed and more productive—and have healthier heart rates. Dr. Low Dog’s prescription: Commit one day a week to staying offline.

4. Get a massage 
Regular rubdowns can help relieve stress, curb anxiety and depression, ease muscle pain, and even control blood pressure, according to the Mayo Clinic. Massage relaxes the fight-or-flight stress response, slowing heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and alleviating anxiety. 

http://discover.rodales.com/health-and-fitness/how-to-be-happy?cid=synd_Care2_KeystoaHealthyBrain_MariasBlog_howtobehappy

The 3 Keys To A Healthy Brain

We all have those moments–a forgotten appointment, a name we can’t recall, a word that’s on the tip of our tongue. For the most part, these incidents don’t worry us. However, as we age, they seem to increase in significance. We wonder if we’re losing our edge. With Alzheimer’s disease and dementia constantly in the news, we can find ourselves falling prey to a climate of fear that plays on our worst anxieties about losing our cognitive capacities.

Luckily, there are a number of steps we can take to preserve our mental sharpness. Like any other organ, the brain responds to input. Not just mental and emotional input, but diet and exercise, as well. Many of the strategies we adopt to maintain overall health also support the brain. We can keep that mental acuity, and it only takes a few simple brain-friendly habits.

For a healthy brain, stock up on foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish, flaxseed, raw nuts and seeds.

1: Brain-Friendly Food and Supplements
One of the brain’s biggest enemies is oxidative stress from excess free radicals, which are generated by toxins, exercise, illness, stress, and normal metabolic processes, among other factors. Like a lunchroom bully, free radicals (atoms or molecules that are short one electron) take what they need from other atoms. As levels of free radicals increase, one theft leads to another, creating a cascade of inflammatory chain reactions that can damage cells down to their DNA.

Antioxidants can help block this cycle, which is why we hear so much about these super nutrients, and there is a wide variety of sources–foods, herbs, and supplements–to choose from. Blueberries are a rich source and have been shown to protect neurons from oxidative stress. Other good antioxidant food choices are beans, cranberries, artichokes, prunes, and raspberries. Herbs and spices like sage, rosemary, ginger, and turmeric are chock-ull of antioxidant compounds to protect the brain and support numerous other areas of health, as well.

Stock up on foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish, flaxseed, raw nuts and seeds, and grass-fed beef. While omega-3s are more often touted for their heart-health benefits, they are crucial to brain health, too. A study published in the journal Neurology found that people deficient in omega-3s had smaller brains and did more poorly in cognitive tests. The researchers asserted that omega-3s reduce signs of aging in the brain.

Vitamin E has also been associated with improved cognitive health. In addition, one study indicated it can help patients recover after a stroke. Vitamin E is also a potent antioxidant. Be sure to look for the natural form called d-alpha tocopherol, often found with a blend of mixed tocopherols. Avoid dl-alpha tocopherol, a form that is synthetic and not well absorbed.

As noted, oxidation can play a big role in damaging neurons, leading to cognitive decline. One of the most potent antioxidant supplements is a botanical called honokiol. Derived from magnolia bark, honokiol is 1,000 times more powerful as an antioxidant than vitamin E and has been shown protect the brain in numerous ways. Because its molecules are so small, honokiol taken orally is very easily absorbed, and even has the unique ability to pass through the blood/brain barrier. This allows honokiol to exert it effects directly on brain tissue. Honokiol is shown to improve mood, influencing GABA and other neurotransmitters that help mediate both anxiety and depression. It also is shown to aid in stroke damage and protect against the amyloid plaque associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

Another supplement that benefits brain health is curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric. In a recent study from the Salk Institute, a drug derived from curcumin reversed Alzheimer’s disease in mice. This is not an isolated study. Other research has shown that curcumin influences neuron creation and enhances memory.

2: Exercise
Multiple studies have shown a close relationship between exercise and improved brain function. One project found that women over 65 who walked 30 minutes a day slowed their cognitive decline. When measuring mental acuity, the researchers found that the people who exercised appeared several years younger than those in the control group, who did not exercise at all.

Another study comparing activity levels and brain health looked at people over age 70. The more active group was significantly less likely to develop cognitive problems. The study also helped clarify the types of activities that promote cognitive health. In addition to “normal” exercise, the researchers found that simple actions, such as standing up and walking around the room, were also beneficial.

Other research has shown that exercise can actually increase brain size. One study used MRIs to compare brain sizes in people who exercised with those who did not. The group of exercisers did significantly better. Maintaining a larger brain is important because one of the side effects of aging is reduced brain volume, which may be implicated in cognitive decline.

Scientists at UCLA found that meditation increases a process called cortical gyrification, which helps us retrieve memories, form decisions, and focus.

3: Meditation
The calming effects of meditation are well documented. However, some research has shown that the practice actually changes brain architecture. Scientists at UCLA found that meditation increases the folding in the cerebral cortex, a process called cortical gyrification, which improves the brain’s ability to process information. Specifically, increased gyrification helps us retrieve memories, form decisions, and focus.

To me, the most striking aspect of these recommendations is their applicability to overall health. Diet, appropriate supplements, exercise, and meditation also benefit heart health, and they can reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome–plus, they simply make us feel better. In the big picture, good practices support health at all levels, forming a foundation for mind-body wellness, longevity, and vitality.

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-3-keys-to-a-healthy-brain.html