Meditation refers to a state where your body and mind are consciously relaxed and focused.  Practitioners of this art report increased awareness, focus, and concentration, as well as a more positive outlook in life.

Meditation is most commonly associated with monks, mystics and other spiritual disciplines.  However, you don’t have to be a monk or mystic to enjoy its benefits.  And you don’t even have to be in a special place to practice it.  You could even try it in your own living room!

Although there are many different approaches to meditation, the fundamental principles remain the same.  The most important among these principles is that of removing obstructive, negative, and wandering thoughts and fantasies, and calming the mind with a deep sense of focus.  This clears the mind of debris and prepares it for a higher quality of activity.

The negative thoughts you have – those of noisy neighbors, bossy officemates, that parking ticket you got, and unwanted spam– are said to contribute to the ‘polluting’ of the mind, and shutting them out is allows for the ‘cleansing’ of the mind so that it may focus on deeper, more meaningful thoughts.

Some practitioners even shut out all sensory input – no sights, no sounds, and nothing to touch – and try to detach themselves from the commotion around them.  You may now focus on a deep, profound thought if this is your goal.  It may seem deafening at first, since we are all too accustomed to constantly hearing and seeing things, but as you continue this exercise you will find yourself becoming more aware of everything around you.

If you find the meditating positions you see on television threatening – those with impossibly arched backs, and painful-looking contortions – you need not worry.  The principle here is to be in a comfortable position conducive to concentration.  This may be while sitting cross-legged, standing, lying down, and even walking.

If the position allows you to relax and focus, then that would be a good starting point.  While sitting or standing, the back should be straight, but not tense or tight.  In other positions, the only no-no is slouching and falling asleep.

Loose, comfortable clothes help a lot in the process since tight fitting clothes have a tendency to choke you up and make you feel tense.

The place you perform meditation should have a soothing atmosphere.  It may be in your living room, or bedroom, or any place that you feel comfortable in.  You might want an exercise mat if you plan to take on the more challenging positions (if you feel more focused doing so, and if the contortionist in you is screaming for release).  You may want to have the place arranged so that it is soothing to your senses.

Silence helps most people relax and meditate, so you may want a quiet, isolated area far from the ringing of the phone or the humming of the washing machine.  Pleasing scents also help in that regard, so stocking up on aromatic candles isn’t such a bad idea either.

The monks you see on television making those monotonous sounds are actually performing their mantra.  This, in simple terms, is a short creed, a simple sound which, for these practitioners, holds a mystic value.

You do not need to perform such; however, it would pay to note that focusing on repeated actions such as breathing, and humming help the practitioner enter a higher state of consciousness.

The principle here is focus. You could also try focusing on a certain object or thought, or even, while keeping your eyes open, focus on a single sight.

One sample routine would be to – while in a meditative state – silently name every part of you body and focusing your consciousness on that part. While doing this you should be aware of any tension on any part of your body.  Mentally visualize releasing this tension.  It works wonders.

In all, meditation is a relatively risk-free practice and its benefits are well worth the effort (or non-effort – remember we’re relaxing).

Studies have shown that meditation does bring about beneficial physiologic effects to the body.  And there has been a growing consensus in the medical community to further study the effects of such.  So in the near future, who knows, that mystical, esoteric thing we call meditation might become a science itself!

Energy therapies such as healing touch, qi gong and reiki are low-risk, relatively inexpensive techniques that may help improve health and well-being, according to the July issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource.

Energy therapies are considered complementary and alternative health practices. Acupuncture is the best known, but others are gradually being integrated into health care practices in the United States.

Energy therapies come from many cultures and are based on ideas about natural energy fields. They aim to create a free flow of energy by clearing, balancing and stimulating the human energy system. Though energy therapies are not well understood or always embraced by traditional medical providers, proponents believe that a balanced energy system encourages wholeness — emotional, physical, mental and spiritual well-being.

Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource provides a synopsis of three energy therapies:

Healing touch: Also known as therapeutic touch, healing touch is meant to stimulate the body’s self-healing processes. Gentle touching moves energy from the practitioner to the recipient, strengthening and reorienting the recipient’s energy flow within and around the body. Some people find healing touch relaxing. There’s little evidence to suggest other health benefits.

Qi gong: The Chinese word “qi gong” combines the term “qi” (chee), which means life force or vital energy, and “gong” (kung), meaning accomplishment or skill. Qi gong has many forms and is a common health practice throughout China. Two of the most common forms are tai chi and kung fu. In general, qi gong combines rhythmic movements, breathing techniques and focused intentions. Some approaches increase energy while others are used to cleanse and heal the body.

Reiki: In a reiki session, the practitioner’s hands are positioned either on or a few inches above the recipient’s body. The goal is to raise the amount of “ki”, or life force energy, in and around the person. The reiki practitioner uses between 12 and 15 different hand positions, holding each one for several minutes until the flow of energy slows or stops.

Like healing touch, reiki can promote relaxation. One study suggests it may positively affect blood pressure and heart and respiration rates.

Because of a lack of research, it’s hard to say for certain that energy therapies are completely safe and work or don’t work. Still, for people drawn to these approaches, they may be worth a try.

Source: Mayo Clinic

“Stress is Life, and Life is Stress”

We are all living in stressful, uncertain times, but it may be a surprise to you that the body has only one response to stress and that is to produce stress hormones.

This is true whether:

• You are being chased down the road by a man with an axe
• You owe the bank GBP750,000 pounds with no means to pay
• You are just about to go out in front of an audience of 40,000 people to sing
• You don’t eat correctly to balance your blood sugar levels

There is no time like the present to protect yourself from the effects of stress that can be caused by modern living, especially in the current climate.

Mark Killick of MK Nutrition can help you to better understand your body’s nutritional needs and how a nutritious diet could help to alleviate some of the symptoms caused by unwanted stress.

Stress hormones (adrenaline and cortisol) are secreted when our blood sugar drops too low, in order to allow the body to release sugar into the bloodstream to fulfil our energy requirements. The effect of this stress hormone induced release is to send our blood sugar levels sky high, and subsequently the body releases insulin to help transport sugar out of the blood vessels and into our cells.

With increased stress and poor eating habits we can initiate a rollercoaster effect of falling and rising blood sugar levels throughout the day, with the subsequent release of hormones to deal with this situation.

This can lead us to become resistant to the effects of insulin, which in turn can lead to chronic degenerative diseases such as type II diabetes and heart disease.

Cortisol also promotes the storage of fat around the middle of the body, and unless we deal with the effects of stress, we can find it very difficult to lose that spare tyre!

MK Nutrition’s easy to follow nutritional programme can help you minimise hormonal release, enabling you to achieve and maintain ideal body composition, and reduce the risk of degenerative disease.

The Stress Cycle

Ongoing stress affects how the body produces hormones.

THE ALARM STAGE: The nervous system responds to stressors within seconds to shift the body into a fight or flight mode. Stress hormones are released from the adrenal glands to release sugar into the bloodstream.

THE RESISTANCE STAGE: Adaptation to sustained stress alters energy metabolism. Blood sugar levels are raised, muscle protein is broken down, and cortisol levels become elevated. The body becomes less sensitive to cortisol, and so more cortisol is produced. This leads to increases in insulin production, and we can become insulin resistant. More muscle protein is broken down and blood lipids increase, leading to fat accumulation around the middle. This can lead to increased cholesterol and blood pressure along with a tendency to obesity.

High cortisol levels suppress the immune system, which sets the stage for allergic responses, yeast overgrowth and chronic infections.

THE EXHAUSTION STAGE: The body’s ability to produce cortisol declines, leading to adrenal exhaustion. Excessive fatigue, reduced ability to concentrate, alcohol intolerance, headache, menstrual irregularities and low blood pressure are all symptoms of this stage. Too little cortisol allows the body to become inflamed. This stage promotes chronic inflammation, tissue damage and degenerative disease.

With nutritional intervention, and help with managing stress, you can achieve the RECOVERY STAGE, when your body is back in balance and you are able to cope well with the everyday things in life.

For more tips and advice visit the MK Nutrition’s website at http://www.mknutrition.co.uk