Meditate Your Worries Away

What is Meditation?
Meditation is a state of deep physical relaxation combined with acute mental alertness. It's like taking a nap, but you don't fall asleep, you fall awake. There are many ways to achieve this state. Almost every religion incorporates meditative practices such as silent, repetitive praying or chanting. Other purely physiological techniques involve sitting and focusing on something that will hold your attention for 5 to 30 minutes; a progressive relaxation of your body's muscles, a word, calming music or an image. Observing your breath, which naturally tends to become slower and deeper as you relax, is a key part of many techniques.
The benefits of daily practice last far beyond the mere minutes you've spent in focus. Meditation is an instrumental path. Through practicing it, you recognise the possibility of relating to yourself and others in new ways. You might not think of yourself as a relaxed person. But once you taste that sweet sensation of head-to-toe peace during meditation, you discover how great it feels to not be so tense in your neck and shoulders. Additionally, you learn to tap into the exercise of taking a few slow, calming breaths when faced with a challenge, whether it be a potentially explosive situation at work, a crying child, a dreaded event or even physical pain.
Fringe Benefits
Besides relaxation, in meditation you cultivate the art of paying attention. After your formal practice, you feel a little more present with yourself all day. That presence, or mindfulness, can improve the quality of almost everything you do. Take your workout, for example. The next time you're on the treadmill, leave off the headphones and save the reading material for later. Instead of trying to ward off boredom or focusing on results, be present with what's going on in your body; your breath, the flexing of your muscles, the intensity of a stretch. Plus, paying attention might help prevent injury. Through meditation, you can even eat more healthfully. Turn off the television and savour the colours, odours and textures of your meal. If you aren't tense and are paying attention to your food, you'll enjoy it more and you may eat less compulsively. Aside from the beneficial effects on your health and body, meditation may even lead to improvements in the way you work.
Find Your Focus
Of course, to reap the benefits of meditation, you have to practice regularly. There are many reasons to think you can't meditate – you're too busy, too undisciplined, or distracted – but meditation is so diverse that there is a form of it for you. For instance, if you can barely sit still, you might enjoy a Buddhist meditation in which you walk slowly in a circle, counting your steps. If you prefer sound to silence, try playing a CD of environmental recordings, or chanting. Experiment until you find an approach you like, and adapt it to suit your personality. As with anything that's truly worth doing, you need to be motivated. You can't find time to practice meditation, you have to make it. Try going to bed a half-hour earlier so you can get up earlier to meditate, or close your office door and hold all calls for 15 minutes. Snatch short moments of informal meditation time during the day. While walking between appointments, taking a shower, or before falling asleep, take a few conscious breaths and savour the sensory pleasures of the moment. In its many forms, meditation is a pleasurable indulgence. Above all, it's about experiencing yourself.
How Meditation Does A Body Good
Meditation has been around for thousands of years, but it was only in this century that Western doctors discovered its many physiological benefits. In the 1960s, the Indian guru who popularised Transcendental Meditation, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, asked Harvard Medical School's Herbert Benson, M.D., to test followers. Benson's findings since conclude that meditation:
- Decreases respiratory rate, heart rate and elevated blood pressure, culminating in what Benson terms "the relaxation response." (Physiological effects were diametrically opposed to those of the body's fight-or-flight response.)
- Relieves muscle tension when combined with progressive relaxation.
- Causes stress hormones in the blood to drop.
- Boosts immunity.
- Is more restful than a nap – it causes oxygen consumption (a measure of how hard the body is working) to drop more than it does while you sleep.
Allergy Proof Your Home
When people start sniffling and sneezing, they assume they have a cold. But often they're actually allergic to dust mites, animal dander, or mold. Indoor allergies are associated with the development of asthma, so it's important to identify and treat them appropriately. To make your home a sniffle-free zone, you need to eliminate the allergens that have moved in. Try these five easy ways.
Build A Barrier
Dust mites are one of the most common allergens found in homes. These microscopic creatures live in beds, carpets, pillows, and upholstered furniture, feeding on our dead skin cells. But it's their droppings that some people are allergic to. Getting rid of dust mites completely is difficult, so you need to put a barrier between you and them. Cover your mattress, box spring, comforter, and pillows with special allergy cases. They're woven in such a way that the dust-mite droppings can't get through.
Wash In Hot Water
A new Korean study showed that washing linens in 140°F water killed nearly all dust mites, whereas warm (104°F) or cold (86°F) water eliminated only 10 per cent or less of them. For fabrics that can't tolerate hot water, use warm or cold, but you'll need three rinses to effectively remove the dust mites. And since strong scents can aggravate allergies, use a fragrance free detergent. Pop non machine-washable items-like a stuffed animal-into a zip-loc bag and leave in the freezer overnight. The lack of humidity kills mites.
Make A Clean Sweep
Vacuum all floors weekly, especially carpets, which are a reservoir of dust mites, mold, and animal dander. The HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air filter) vacuums trap particles and don't spew them back into the air. Also make sure your carpet cleaner contains tannic acid, a chemical that helps destroy dust mites.
Admire Nature From Afar
Tulips, daffodils, magnolias and hyacinths are beautiful signs of spring, but they're also sources of pollen and mold spores. If you take off your shoes each time you enter your house, you'll avoid tracking in any outdoor allergens.
Manage Your Pets
When your dogs or cats come in after spending time outside, wipe down their fur so they don't carry in mold or pollen. Plus, studies show that bathing pets at least twice a week can help decrease their dander.