Meditation

Everyday ways to practice meditation
Here are some ways you can practice meditation on your own, whenever you choose. Take a few minutes or as much time as you like.

Breathe deeply. This technique is good for beginners because breathing is a natural function. Focus all attention on your breathing. Concentrate on feeling and listening as you inhale and exhale through your nostrils. Breathe deeply and slowly. When you feel your attention wander,
gently return your focus to your breathing.

Scan your body. When using this technique, focus attention on different parts of your body. Become aware of your body's various sensations, whether that's pain, tension, warmth or relaxation. Combine body scanning with breathing exercises and imagine breathing heat or relaxation into and out of different parts of your body.

Repeat a sacred name or phrase. A mantra is the name of a sacred deity or a sacred phrase that you repeat silently or aloud. You can create your own mantra. Mantras are the building blocks of transcendental meditation. Examples of religious mantras include a Jesus prayer in the Christian tradition, the holy name of God in Judaism, or the Om mantra of Hinduism, Buddhism and other Eastern religions.

Walking meditation. Combining a walk with meditation is an efficient and healthy way to relax. You can use this technique anywhere you're walking - in a tranquil forest, on a city sidewalk or at the mall. When you use this method, slow down the pace of walking so that you can focus on each movement of your legs or feet. Don't focus on a particular destination. Concentrate on your legs and feet, repeating action words in your mind such as lifting, moving and placing as you lift each foot, move your leg forward and place your foot on the ground.

Engage in prayer. Prayer is the best known and most widely practiced example of meditation. Spoken and written prayers are found in most faith traditions. You can pray using your own words or read prayers written by others. Check the self-help or 12-step-recovery section of your local bookstore for examples. Talk with your rabbi, priest, pastor or other spiritual leader about resources.

Read or listen and take time to reflect. Many people report that they benefit from reading poems or sacred texts silently or aloud, and taking a few moments to quietly reflect on the meaning that the words bring to mind. You can listen to sacred music, spoken words or any music you find relaxing or inspiring. You may want to write your reflections in a journal or discuss them with a friend or spiritual leader.

Focus your love and gratitude. In this type of meditation, you focus your attention on a sacred object or being, weaving feelings of love and gratitude into your thoughts. You can also close your eyes and use your imagination or gaze at representations of the object.

Stress & Anxiety

Stress can come from any situation or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or anxious. What is stressful to one person is not necessarily stressful to another.

Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension or fear. The source of this uneasiness is not always known or recognized, which can add to the distress you feel.

Stress is a normal part of life. In small quantities, stress is good -- it can motivate you and help you be more productive. However, too much stress, or a strong response to stress, is harmful. It can set you up for general poor health as well as specific physical or psychological illnesses like infection, heart disease, or depression. Persistent and unrelenting stress often leads to anxiety and unhealthy behaviors like overeating and abuse of alcohol or drugs.

Emotional states like grief or depression and health conditions like an overactive thyroid, low blood sugar, or heart attack can also cause stress.

Anxiety is often accompanied by physical symptoms, including:
· Twitching or trembling
· Muscle tension, headaches
· Sweating
· Dry mouth, difficulty swallowing
· Abdominal pain (may be the only symptom of stress, especially in a child)

Sometimes other symptoms accompany anxiety:
· Dizziness
· Rapid or irregular heart rate
· Rapid breathing
· Diarrhea or frequent need to urinate
· Fatigue
· Irritability, including loss of your temper
· Sleeping difficulties and nightmares
· Decreased concentration
· Sexual problems

Anxiety disorders are a group of psychiatric conditions that involve excessive anxiety. They include generalized anxiety disorder, specific phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and social phobia.

Certain drugs, both recreational and medicinal, can lead to symptoms of anxiety due to either side effects or withdrawal from the drug. Such drugs include caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, cold remedies, decongestants, bronchodilators for asthma, tricyclic antidepressants, cocaine, amphetamines, diet pills, ADHD medications, and thyroid medications.

A poor diet -- for example, low levels of vitamin B12 -- can also contribute to stress or anxiety. Performance anxiety is related to specific situations, like taking a test or making a presentation in public. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops after a traumatic event like war, physical or sexual assault, or a natural disaster. People with generalized anxiety disorder experience almost constant worry or anxiety about many things on more than half of all days for 6 months. Panic disorder or panic attacks involve sudden and unexplained fear, rapid breathing, and increased heartbeat.

In very rare cases, a tumor of the adrenal gland (pheochromocytoma) may be the cause of anxiety. The symptoms are caused by an overproduction of hormones responsible for the feelings of anxiety.

The most effective solution is to find and address the source of your stress or anxiety. Unfortunately, this is not always possible. A first step is to take an inventory of what you think might be making you "stress out":
· What do you worry about most?
· Is something constantly on your mind?
· Does anything in particular make you sad or depressed?
· Keep a diary of the experiences and thoughts that seem to be related to your anxiety. Are your thoughts adding to your anxiety in these situations?

Then, find someone you trust (friend, family member, neighbor, clergy) who will listen to you. Often, just talking to a friend or loved one is all that is needed to relieve anxiety. Most communities also have support groups and hotlines that can help. Social workers, psychologists, and other mental health professionals may be needed for therapy and medication.

Also, find healthy ways to cope with stress. For example:
· Eat a well-balanced, healthy diet. Don't overeat.
· Get enough sleep.
· Exercise regularly.
· Limit caffeine and alcohol.
· Don't use nicotine, cocaine, or other recreational drugs.
· Learn and practice relaxation techniques like guided imagery, progressive muscle relaxation, yoga, tai chi, or meditation. Try biofeedback, using a certified professional to get you started.
· Take breaks from work. Make sure to balance fun activities with your responsibilities. Spend time with people you enjoy.

· Find self-help books at your local library or bookstore.

Your doctor can help you determine if your anxiety would be best evaluated and treated by a mental health care professional.

Call 911 if:
· You have crushing chest pain, especially with shortness of breath, dizziness, or sweating. A heart attack can cause feelings of anxiety.
· You have thoughts of suicide.
· You have dizziness, rapid breathing, or racing heartbeat for the first time or it is worse than usual.

Call your health care provider if:
· You are unable to work or function properly at home because of anxiety.
· You do not know the source or cause of your anxiety.
· You have a sudden feeling of panic.
· You have an uncontrollable fear -- for example, of getting infected and sick if you are out, or a fear of heights.
· You repeat an action over and over again, like constantly washing your hands.
· You have an intolerance to heat, weight loss despite a good appetite, lump or swelling in the front of your neck, or protruding eyes. Your thyroid may be overactive.
· Your anxiety is elicited by the memory of a traumatic event.
· You have tried self care for several weeks without success or you feel that your anxiety will not resolve without professional help.

Ask your pharmacist or health care provider if any prescription or over-the-counter drugs you are taking can cause anxiety as a side effect. Do not stop taking any prescribed medicines without your provider's instructions.

Your doctor will take a medical history and perform a physical examination, paying close attention to your pulse, blood pressure, and respiratory rate.
To help better understand your anxiety, stress, or tension, your doctor may ask the following:
· When did your feelings of stress, tension, or anxiety begin? Do you attribute the feelings to anything in particular like an event in your life or a circumstance that scares you?
· Do you have physical symptoms along with your feelings of anxiety? What are they?
· Does anything make your anxiety better?
· Does anything make your anxiety worse?
· What medications are you taking?

Diagnostic tests may include blood tests (CBC, thyroid function tests) as well as an electrocardiogram (ECG).

If the anxiety is not accompanied by any worrisome physical signs and symptoms, a referral to a mental health care professional may be recommended for appropriate treatment.

Psychotherapy such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to significantly decrease anxiety. In some cases, medications such as benzodiazepines or antidepressants may be appropriate.

Stress: Unhealthy response to the pressures of life

Today's news includes round-the-clock coverage of natural and man-made disasters. Earthquakes and floods. Wars and terrorist attacks. Just 10 minutes of watching the news can make your stress level soar which is what the news is designed to do. That's why all the commercials on the news are for drugs that will help you get over the symptons that are caused by stress.

Compounding matters, you've got a big presentation in an hour, and you've hardly had a chance to prepare. Urgent e-mails keep popping onto your display screen, each one sending a stab of anxiety through your chest. your phone is ringing off the hook. As you frantically scribble notes for the presentation, your heart races, your palms sweat and your head pounds. you are stressed out and you don't have to be. Being stressed over the matter only makes the matter worse. Get control.

Physical reactions you experience when you're stressed are no accident. The human body developed these defense mechanisms to deal with the threat of predators and aggressors. But modern life is full of new threats. Your body's well-adapted defenses against physical dangers may not be as effective at dealing with the stress you feel while managing a huge workload, making ends meet, or taking care of an ill parent or child.

Instead of protecting you, your body's response to stress, if constantly activated, may make you more vulnerable to life-threatening health problems.

What is the stress response?
Stress response, often referred to as the "fight-or-flight" reaction, is your body's rapid and automatic switch into "high gear." It's easy to imagine how this reaction helps you deal with a physical threat. You need the energy, speed, concentration and agility either to protect yourself or to run as fast as possible.

When you encounter such a threat, the hypothalamus, a tiny region at the base of your brain, sets off an alarm system in your body. Through a combination of nerve and hormonal signals, this system prompts your adrenal glands, situated atop your kidneys, to release a surge of hormones - the most abundant being adrenaline and cortisol.

Adrenaline increases your heart rate, elevates your blood pressure and boosts energy supplies. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, increases sugars (glucose) in the bloodstream, enhances the brain's use of glucose and increases the availability of substances that repair tissues.
Cortisol also curbs functions that would be nonessential or detrimental in a fight-or-flight situation. It alters immune system responses and suppresses the digestive system, the reproductive system and growth processes.

The complex alarm system also communicates with regions of the brain that control mood, motivation and fear.

Stress response working overtime
The stress-response system is self-regulating. It decreases hormone levels and enables your body to return to normal once a crisis has passed. As levels of the hormones in your bloodstream decline, your heart rate and blood pressure return to normal, and other systems resume their regular activities.

But physical threats aren't the only events that trigger the stress response. Psychological "threats" - such as the stress associated with work, interpersonal relationships, major life changes, illness or the death of a loved one - can set off the same alarm system. The less control you have over these potentially stress-inducing events and the more uncertainty they create, the more likely you are to feel stressed. Even the typical day-to-day demands of living can contribute to your body's stress response.

Also, many of our modern stressful circumstances, unlike most physical threats, tend to be prolonged. Consequently, you may be running on the fight-or-flight reaction longer than it's intended to operate. What's good for your body in a short-term crisis can be very harmful over long periods.

The long-term activation of the stress-response system - and the subsequent overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones - can disrupt almost all your body's processes, increasing your risk of obesity, insomnia, digestive problems, heart disease, depression, memory impairment, physical illnesses and other complications.

Digestive system
It's common to have a stomachache or diarrhea when you're stressed. This happens because stress hormones slow the release of stomach acid and the emptying of the stomach. The same hormones also stimulate the colon, which speeds the passage of its contents. Chronic hormone-induced changes can increase your appetite and put you at risk of weight gain. That's why we have more fat people in America than any other country. We're stressed out more than any other country. Our government is a large source of this stress.

Immune system
Your immune system is a complex balancing act between components that operate as an all-purpose emergency crew and more specialized components that deal with specific disease agents. The immune system, like the hormone system, evolved so that it could quickly deal with physical threats. Indeed, cortisol is one factor that prompts the system to reprioritize its tasks.
These shifting priorities are essential for priming the immune system to respond quickly to injuries, like creating inflammation around a bite or puncture wound, but these changes are not beneficial in the long run. When you experience chronic stress, some features of your immune system may remain suppressed, making you susceptible to infections. Other features of the immune system may be permitted to run unchecked, increasing your risk of autoimmune diseases, in which your immune system attacks your body's own healthy cells.

Stress may also worsen the symptoms of an autoimmune disease. For example, stress can trigger lupus flare-ups.

Nervous system
Certain byproducts of cortisol act as sedatives, which can contribute to an overall feeling of depression. If your fight-or-flight response never shuts off, the stress hormones may contribute to persistent and severe depression, as well as feelings of anxiety, helplessness and impending doom.

Such stress-induced depression often results in sleep disturbances, loss of sex drive and loss of appetite. It also may make you more vulnerable to developing certain personality or behavioral disorders.

Studies also suggest that chronic activation of stress hormones may alter the operation and structure of brain cells that are critical for memory formation and function.
Cardiovascular system

Chronic activation of stress hormones can raise your heart rate and increase your blood pressure and blood lipid (cholesterol and triglyceride) levels. These are risk factors for both heart disease and stroke.

Cortisol levels also appear to play a role in the accumulation of abdominal fat, which gives some people an "apple" shape. People with apple body shapes have a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes than do people with "pear" body shapes, in which weight is more concentrated in the hips.

Other systems
Stress worsens many skin conditions - such as psoriasis, eczema, hives and acne - and can trigger asthma attacks.

Individual reactions to stress
Your reaction to a potentially stressful event is different from anyone else's. Some people are naturally laid-back about almost everything, while others react strongly at the slightest hint of stress - but most fall somewhere between those extremes.

Genetic variations may partly explain the differences. The genes that control the stress response keep most people on a fairly even keel, only occasionally priming the body for fight or flight. Overactive or underactive stress responses may stem from slight differences in these genes.
Life experiences may increase your sensitivity to stress as well. Strong stress reactions sometimes can be traced to early environmental factors. People who were exposed to extremely stressful events as children, such as neglect or abuse, tend to be particularly vulnerable to stress as adults.

Managing stress
Stressful events are a fact of life, but you can take steps to manage the impact these events have on you. You can learn to identify what stresses you out, how to take control of some stress-inducing circumstances, and how to take care of yourself physically and emotionally when you face events you can't control.

These strategies can include exercise, relaxation techniques, healthy nutritional choices, social support networks, professional psychotherapy and, of course, a good laugh. The payoff of managing stress is peace of mind and - perhaps - a longer, healthier life.

BC is a stress management expert and Humor Therapist. he speaks to corporations, Chambers of Commerce, Small Businesses and conferences Nationwide. His website is http://www.worldwidebc.com/

Stress Is Unhealthy

Stress: Unhealthy response to the pressures of lifeDate updated: September 12, 2006 Content provided by MayoClinic.com

Today's news includes round-the-clock coverage of natural and man-made disasters. Earthquakes and floods. Wars and terrorist attacks. Just 10 minutes of watching the news can make your stress level soar.

Compounding matters, you've got a big presentation in an hour, and you've hardly had a chance to prepare. Urgent e-mails keep popping onto your display screen, each one sending a stab of anxiety through your chest. As you frantically scribble notes for the presentation, your heart races, your palms sweat and your head pounds.

Physical reactions you experience when you're stressed are no accident. The human body developed these defense mechanisms to deal with the threat of predators and aggressors. But modern life is full of new threats. Your body's well-adapted defenses against physical dangers may not be as effective at dealing with the stress you feel while managing a huge workload, making ends meet, or taking care of an ill parent or child.

Instead of protecting you, your body's response to stress, if constantly activated, may make you more vulnerable to life-threatening health problems.

What is the stress response?
Stress response, often referred to as the "fight-or-flight" reaction, is your body's rapid and automatic switch into "high gear." It's easy to imagine how this reaction helps you deal with a physical threat. You need the energy, speed, concentration and agility either to protect yourself or to run as fast as possible.

When you encounter such a threat, the hypothalamus, a tiny region at the base of your brain, sets off an alarm system in your body. Through a combination of nerve and hormonal signals, this system prompts your adrenal glands, situated atop your kidneys, to release a surge of hormones - the most abundant being adrenaline and cortisol.

Adrenaline increases your heart rate, elevates your blood pressure and boosts energy supplies. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, increases sugars (glucose) in the bloodstream, enhances the brain's use of glucose and increases the availability of substances that repair tissues.
Cortisol also curbs functions that would be nonessential or detrimental in a fight-or-flight situation. It alters immune system responses and suppresses the digestive system, the reproductive system and growth processes.

The complex alarm system also communicates with regions of the brain that control mood, motivation and fear.

Stress response working overtime
The stress-response system is self-regulating. It decreases hormone levels and enables your body to return to normal once a crisis has passed. As levels of the hormones in your bloodstream decline, your heart rate and blood pressure return to normal, and other systems resume their regular activities.

But physical threats aren't the only events that trigger the stress response. Psychological "threats" - such as the stress associated with work, interpersonal relationships, major life changes, illness or the death of a loved one - can set off the same alarm system. The less control you have over these potentially stress-inducing events and the more uncertainty they create, the more likely you are to feel stressed. Even the typical day-to-day demands of living can contribute to your body's stress response.

Also, many of our modern stressful circumstances, unlike most physical threats, tend to be prolonged. Consequently, you may be running on the fight-or-flight reaction longer than it's intended to operate. What's good for your body in a short-term crisis can be very harmful over long periods.

The long-term activation of the stress-response system - and the subsequent overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones - can disrupt almost all your body's processes, increasing your risk of obesity, insomnia, digestive problems, heart disease, depression, memory impairment, physical illnesses and other complications.

Digestive system
It's common to have a stomachache or diarrhea when you're stressed. This happens because stress hormones slow the release of stomach acid and the emptying of the stomach. The same hormones also stimulate the colon, which speeds the passage of its contents. Chronic hormone-induced changes can increase your appetite and put you at risk of weight gain.

Immune system
Your immune system is a complex balancing act between components that operate as an all-purpose emergency crew and more specialized components that deal with specific disease agents. The immune system, like the hormone system, evolved so that it could quickly deal with physical threats. Indeed, cortisol is one factor that prompts the system to reprioritize its tasks.
These shifting priorities are essential for priming the immune system to respond quickly to injuries, like creating inflammation around a bite or puncture wound, but these changes are not beneficial in the long run. When you experience chronic stress, some features of your immune system may remain suppressed, making you susceptible to infections. Other features of the immune system may be permitted to run unchecked, increasing your risk of autoimmune diseases, in which your immune system attacks your body's own healthy cells.

Stress may also worsen the symptoms of an autoimmune disease. For example, stress can trigger lupus flare-ups.

Nervous system
Certain byproducts of cortisol act as sedatives, which can contribute to an overall feeling of depression. If your fight-or-flight response never shuts off, the stress hormones may contribute to persistent and severe depression, as well as feelings of anxiety, helplessness and impending doom.

Such stress-induced depression often results in sleep disturbances, loss of sex drive and loss of appetite. It also may make you more vulnerable to developing certain personality or behavioral disorders.

Studies also suggest that chronic activation of stress hormones may alter the operation and structure of brain cells that are critical for memory formation and function.
Cardiovascular system

Chronic activation of stress hormones can raise your heart rate and increase your blood pressure and blood lipid (cholesterol and triglyceride) levels. These are risk factors for both heart disease and stroke.

Cortisol levels also appear to play a role in the accumulation of abdominal fat, which gives some people an "apple" shape. People with apple body shapes have a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes than do people with "pear" body shapes, in which weight is more concentrated in the hips.

Other systems
Stress worsens many skin conditions - such as psoriasis, eczema, hives and acne - and can trigger asthma attacks.

Individual reactions to stress
Your reaction to a potentially stressful event is different from anyone else's. Some people are naturally laid-back about almost everything, while others react strongly at the slightest hint of stress - but most fall somewhere between those extremes.

Genetic variations may partly explain the differences. The genes that control the stress response keep most people on a fairly even keel, only occasionally priming the body for fight or flight. Overactive or underactive stress responses may stem from slight differences in these genes.
Life experiences may increase your sensitivity to stress as well. Strong stress reactions sometimes can be traced to early environmental factors. People who were exposed to extremely stressful events as children, such as neglect or abuse, tend to be particularly vulnerable to stress as adults.
Managing stress
Stressful events are a fact of life, but you can take steps to manage the impact these events have on you. You can learn to identify what stresses you out, how to take control of some stress-inducing circumstances, and how to take care of yourself physically and emotionally when you face events you can't control.
These strategies can include exercise, relaxation techniques, healthy nutritional choices, social support networks and professional psychotherapy. The payoff of managing stress is peace of mind and - perhaps - a longer, healthier life.

One Of The Main Causes Of Stress

One of the main causes of stress is a place just North of Virginia called Capitol Hill. They do things that make us stressed out.

They don't get stressed because there is nothing to stress them out. They make the rules, they ride to work in linousines, they eat for free, we pay for it. They take trips and play golf because lobbyists pay for it if they vote in their favor and they usually do.

Their children will never have to pay for the wrong they've done to our country because they're politicians and their children get special treatment. That's why you've never heard of a politician's son going to Iraq. They don't have to.

It's a shame that we sit back and let this happen. But as long as we do, there will always be extreme stress in America.

We're practically in a recession and we're paying our politicians to let it happen. They're not doing a good job, so why should we pay them anything? I'll bet if we passed a law that says they onlly get paid if they do a good job, they'll start making changes and we'll see less stress in out lives.

BC is a stress management expert. His website is http://www.worldwidebc.com/

How To Deal With Stress

The next time you get stressed out over something, stop and ask yourself, "What am I gaining from being stressed out over this?" Train yourself to do this and every time you're stressed out, whether it's traffic, the boss, the kids, whatever, ask yourself this and then change the way you're looking at the problem.

Remember, stress will only make the problem worse, not better. And it will take years off your life. You don't want that do you?

Remember, too, that stress is the number one cause of death in America today. You don't have to be one of them. Don't become a stastic. Laugh and live longer.

Have a good life.

To book a stress seminar or humor therapy with B.c. go to http://www.worldwidebc.com/

Laughter Is Good For You

Laughter does to the soul what jogging does to the body. It's great exercise for the soul. If you laugh at least fifteen minutes a day, you will definately live a healthier, happier and longer life. And you will see life a lot differently than those who don't.

I don't know if you have noticed or not but we are negative by default. we expect everything to go wrong, and when we expect it, guess what, it happens.

How many times have you woke up, looked out the window and said to yourself, "Oh God, another day."? That's the negative way to face the day and if you face it negatively you will never accomplish anything and no one will want to be around you because you bring them down too.

They're already negavite enough. they woke up with the same attitude that you did. They don't need your negative attitude to bring them down more. they need something positive. Why can't you be the positivity that they need?

Tomorrow morning, wake up, look out the window and say to yourself, "Thank God it's another day." Try it and see how much better your day will go.

Think of all the positive things about your life. You have a home, you have a car, you have a wonderful family, you have your health, you have a beautiful sunset at the end of the day, you have everything you need to be a positive person.

Don't think negative, think positive and you will see a great chanbge in your life. just remember these two things,
1. Laugh at the little stuff and
2. everything is little stuff.

Here's to your health.

B.C. is a professional speaker and author of Stress Management 101 His website is www.worldwidebc.com You can order his products from there.