Thursday, August 22, 2013

Don't harsh my zen

I have been under a crap-ton of stress over the past week.  Not just mentally but physically my body is still re-adjusting to my inserts which means it's reworking my whole gait so I'm like Forrest and his magic shoes.

Knowing how my body reacts to stress gives me an advantage but sometimes I don't act upon stress relievers to center myself until I'm already feeling the effects. (ie- dizziness, headaches and yeah, I'm gonna go there...stress trots)  I used to make fun of granola hocus pocus as a teenager but then when stuff like Enya (affiliate link) or Pure Moods (affiliate link) got popular, I discovered stuff like that actually helped me to relax.

In this chaos that has become my week, I found myself searching out binaural beats videos to help bring my heart rate down and relax me.  I've also found a few good meditation videos like this 15 minute one by Deepak Chopra.  I've always loved that kind of "out of body" feeling you get when you have ambient music and focus on just being still.  You don't realize how much your jaw is clenched, your shoulders are tense or your brow is furrowed until you concentrate on relaxing every muscle in the body.  It definitely helps me and helps to take the edge off when I feel like I'm going to go into a twitching heap of madness because people are stupid.

Do you meditate or have stress reducing techniques?  Let's help each other zen out!

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22 comments:

  1. I think I've done that Deepak Chopra one! Good stuff! I hope some of your stress goes away soon. Stress isn't good for anything, especially not healing and weight loss. :( Hang in there!

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    1. Isn't that one good!? I mean it's really just quick direction from him in the beginning but when I close my eyes and just listen to that music and focus on my breath, it does a lot to relieve my tension!

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  2. I have noticed you playing the relaxing sounds and binaural beats. Doing that yoga we did yesterday was very stress-relieving and I had no idea how stressed out I was until I focused on breathing so intensely. It is amazing what just a simple act of being mindful of your own breath can do for your well being.

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    1. I had to with everything going on this week and it does help me in the moment...until the next person irks me. LOL I knew I needed yoga and with the lack of sleep you've been getting I figured you needed it too. ;)

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  3. I took a stress management class in college because I needed one more credit. Going in I kind of had a lousy attitude towards it, but it was an incredibly stressful time in my life (bad relationship, working almost full time and almost done with college, etc.) and I had a tiny glimmer of hope that it would help. Surprisingly, it really did help. Some of it was hokey, but I learned some great techniques that totally helped. Funny that I'd forgotten until you mentioned it today because I'm always a nervous wreck the night before school starts so I totally could have used it last night.

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    1. Well hopefully you can remember some of those techniques to get you through the first week of school! Welcome back, teach! ;)

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  4. I totally dig a good meditation session, and being mindful of my body is one of those things I'm still working on doing automatically. It's amazing how just reading your blog made me unlock my jaw and relax my shoulders! I wish mindfulness came more easily, but it's nice to know that even in the most hectic of moments, I do have control over my body and can use it to help calm my mind. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Isn't that funny? You can read something like that and do a muscle check and be like "crap, I AM tensed up!" without even realizing it! That's why when we're doing yoga now and the instructor says to "soften" your face or elbows, etc you don't realize how much you were grimacing!

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  5. I don't meditate, but I sure need to start.

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    1. Start with the Deepak Chopra one. A free 15 minute guide to relaxation. I'm about to click over myself!

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  6. I find that right before bed is when I need something to relax me the most. The rest of the day I don't really notice until I'm lying in bed and can't think of anything else than what's stressing me. I downloaded a couple of guided meditation apps for my iphone. Those help a lot.

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  7. I am way too high-strung for meditation. I practically vibrate when I try to sit still because I just can't stand it. I think I need ADD drugs, then after that I can tackle the whole meditation thing. :)

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    1. My problem is I would laugh and we did a little at the end of yoga last night but I had to get over it. YOU of all people need to take those few minutes to slow down with all you have going on! ;)

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  8. I remember when I was in the Education program, they mentioned that we should listen to classical music while studying, as the underlying beat, was that of your heart rate. It would calm your heart down and provide you with a sound to break the silence that wouldn't have you bouncing your toe along too.

    That's what I do when I'm stressed. Turn on some classical music and close my eyes. Ahhhh, zen. :)

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    1. I used to listen to classical music with my grandma in the car when I was a kid and I took that love all through my life. On of my favorites is "Air" by Bach (aka "Air on the G String" which was written in our wedding program and the Mr would call it "Fart." I REALLY wish I'd caught that before printing those out!

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  9. The post above from Kiersten made me giggle, not to make fun, I just had a boyfriend when I was younger who was like that. It was really amazing.

    Usually when I am stressed I pray, it's like meditating, but with answers. I'll get real quiet, let my body relax and just start talking to God. For me it takes the guess work out of that "What the heck am I gonna do" feeling. I like listening to soothing music too. Right now I have Matthew Adams, No More Anything playing. And when I feel tense, when my back gets in a knot, I'll do plenty of stretch sessions.

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  10. Every morning I listen to the I Am Wishes Fulfilled Meditation CD by Wayne Dyer. It is the best 42 minutes of my day.
    I also gave up watching the news about 2 years ago and that has made a huge difference in my peace of mind.

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    1. Will have to check that out!

      We have the news on but the second any violence comes on, click! The news is the WORST way to start your day. Matter of fact, I'm throwing on the Looney Tunes DVD sitting up there!

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  11. I'm so sorry you're stressed. I have issues with anxiety, and at times it feels crippling. It also makes me want to eat everything in sight. I hate it. I have a CD with celtic flutes and waterfall sounds that I like to listen to sometimes. It helps me feel calm.

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  12. I happen to be a huge Enya fan as well as Yanni for that exact reason...calming music for the heart. I never cared what anybody thought about it either. I just listened to Enya earlier this week and plan on putting the Yanni one in the car for my commute home. I'm glad you found some meditations that have helped to relax you.

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