In the past I’ve
mentioned the benefits of meditation to reduce the stress response. Meditation has been proven to reduce your
heart rate, breathing and blood pressure and help maximize oxygen to your
cells. Likewise, this simple habit can
lower cortisol levels from the adrenal glands and improve your immune
function. When you reduce the stress
response in the body, you effectively reduce your risk of every disease.
I think there is
a lot of mystique and misunderstanding involving this age-old relaxation
technique, but meditation involves simply sitting in a relaxed position and
clearing your mind. You do this by trying to quiet your thinking and focusing
just on your breathing or on nothing at all.
It’s best to have 10 to 20 distraction-free minutes every day for the
best results. If you can do this
effectively, you can receive noticeable benefits even in the first
session. It takes practice and some
people find it very difficult to get their mind quiet.
I was recently
taught a somewhat unusual procedure to help practice meditation and get many of
the same benefits. Try walking as slow
as you possibly can for 10 minutes. Use
a cross-crawl pattern meaning as you move your right foot forward, move your
left hand forward and vice-versa. This
movement has been proven to integrate the right and left sides of the brain and
has been used for people recovering from brain and spinal injuries. As you do this, try to walk slower and slower
and concentrate on nothing other than your walking. In addition to providing the benefits listed
above, this exercise will also help with coordination and balance
I must admit, I
was skeptical at first, but I have found this exercise beneficial and very easy
to do. Give it a try and let me know
what you experience.
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