Managing stress

This morning I found an article entitled "Simple stress busters: 10 ways to take control and feel better fast." It will not surprise you to know that one of the ten ways listed is meditation. Here's what the article has to say about it:

Meditation is the process of learning how to focus one's awareness. Studies have linked meditation to lowered blood pressure, decreased heart and respiratory rate and increased blood flow -- all signs of relaxation. Mindful meditation, which involves focusing fully on what is happening in the present, "allows you to choose what you pay attention to, which is very powerful," says Dr. Howard Schubiner, director of the Mind-Body Medicine Center at St. John Providence Hospital in Southfield. "It helps you not be a prisoner to your thoughts. You feel it, you observe it, and then you choose how to respond." Theresa Randolph of Mount Clemens practices the techniques she learned during a recent meditation class.

"You feel balanced, you feel in control, you feel in charge," she says. "If you can accomplish that, sit down and only think about one thing, you don't feel like the whole world is controlling you. Sometimes you get running so much you lose track of yourself. Meditation gives you a chance to regroup."

Try to practice meditation daily, even if it's just for a few minutes. Focus on your breath, on a phrase or word repeated silently, or on a visualized image; when your mind wanders, gently bring it back to whatever you were focusing on and continue.

You might want to click through and check out the other stress busters. They're all good!