Well December has come around and people are hustling and bustling everywhere as the Christmas Crunch commences.
This is the busiest and most stressful season of the year, what with presents to buy, parties to organize, food to cook, relatives to visit and if you're lucky it's not your year to host Christmas Dinner. Stress levels are mounting and sadly the number of suicides silently starts to rise. It is most important during this month to invest some time in centering yourself and finding your inner calm. Taking ten minutes a day out of that already overstuffed schedule to meditate in a quiet, peaceful environment can seem like just one more thing to do, but it is one more thing to do that can save your life.
It is a proven fact that daily meditation lowers blood pressure and stress levels which can lead to a healthier you, so why don't we make the time to do it??
Beginners to meditation find it very difficult to stay focused for more than a few minutes. I know I used to be exactly the same. I'd go for a guided meditation session and be following along in my mind to some beautiful and exotic spot and the next thing I knew I'd be planning my grocery list and meals for the week. It's not a wonder people give up and stop trying to do meditations. If this is something that is happening to you or has happened to you, take heart, meditation is an art that requires practice. The best thing to do is acknowledge that your mind has strayed off and gently bring yourself back into focus. Every time your mind wanders, aknowledge that you've wandered and bring yourself back. Don't beat yourself up over it. The more you practice the longer you will be able to hold your focus. As I said, when I first started I couldn't stay in the meditation for more than five or ten minutes, but now......I can hang in there for 45 mins. at least and I'm still practicing. I can tell you that I do meditate on a much more regular basis now and feel calm and centered because of it.
Meditation is something that you can do for yourself with little or no cost involved. You just need a quiet space where you will be undisturbed for ten or fifteen minutes (yes, you and your cell phone may have to be temporarily parted). Tell your family what you are doing and ask that they do not disturb you for those few precious moments. Explain that by allowing you to work on calming and centering yourself, you will be more prepared to deal with their needs or better still, invite them to meditate with you. If you're willing to invest a small amount of money, there are a lot of good quality CD's available from relaxing music and nature sounds to actual guided meditations.
Reiki is another "Stress Buster". Reiki, as well as being beneficial for a whole host of illnesses, is a "Super Stress Buster". Just as we now know that antioxidants are beneficial to keeping us in prime working order, Reiki can be your ultimate relaxation tool. Not only are you in a completely relaxed state of mind but your body is being infused with life force energy. A total recharge of the battery system if you will. After a Reiki Session you will feel an inner peace and a noticable calm.
So my holiday stress relief suggestions are to start and end your day (or at least one of the two) with a meditation and book a Reiki session to keep you stay calm yet energized as you tackle this busy season. The other shoppers in those long checkout lines will want to know what your secret is.
Happy stress free Holidays
Trish Sheridan
Reiki Master
This is the busiest and most stressful season of the year, what with presents to buy, parties to organize, food to cook, relatives to visit and if you're lucky it's not your year to host Christmas Dinner. Stress levels are mounting and sadly the number of suicides silently starts to rise. It is most important during this month to invest some time in centering yourself and finding your inner calm. Taking ten minutes a day out of that already overstuffed schedule to meditate in a quiet, peaceful environment can seem like just one more thing to do, but it is one more thing to do that can save your life.
It is a proven fact that daily meditation lowers blood pressure and stress levels which can lead to a healthier you, so why don't we make the time to do it??
Beginners to meditation find it very difficult to stay focused for more than a few minutes. I know I used to be exactly the same. I'd go for a guided meditation session and be following along in my mind to some beautiful and exotic spot and the next thing I knew I'd be planning my grocery list and meals for the week. It's not a wonder people give up and stop trying to do meditations. If this is something that is happening to you or has happened to you, take heart, meditation is an art that requires practice. The best thing to do is acknowledge that your mind has strayed off and gently bring yourself back into focus. Every time your mind wanders, aknowledge that you've wandered and bring yourself back. Don't beat yourself up over it. The more you practice the longer you will be able to hold your focus. As I said, when I first started I couldn't stay in the meditation for more than five or ten minutes, but now......I can hang in there for 45 mins. at least and I'm still practicing. I can tell you that I do meditate on a much more regular basis now and feel calm and centered because of it.
Meditation is something that you can do for yourself with little or no cost involved. You just need a quiet space where you will be undisturbed for ten or fifteen minutes (yes, you and your cell phone may have to be temporarily parted). Tell your family what you are doing and ask that they do not disturb you for those few precious moments. Explain that by allowing you to work on calming and centering yourself, you will be more prepared to deal with their needs or better still, invite them to meditate with you. If you're willing to invest a small amount of money, there are a lot of good quality CD's available from relaxing music and nature sounds to actual guided meditations.
Reiki is another "Stress Buster". Reiki, as well as being beneficial for a whole host of illnesses, is a "Super Stress Buster". Just as we now know that antioxidants are beneficial to keeping us in prime working order, Reiki can be your ultimate relaxation tool. Not only are you in a completely relaxed state of mind but your body is being infused with life force energy. A total recharge of the battery system if you will. After a Reiki Session you will feel an inner peace and a noticable calm.
So my holiday stress relief suggestions are to start and end your day (or at least one of the two) with a meditation and book a Reiki session to keep you stay calm yet energized as you tackle this busy season. The other shoppers in those long checkout lines will want to know what your secret is.
Happy stress free Holidays
Trish Sheridan
Reiki Master
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