If you are just getting started on your journey of meditation and meditative practices, the chances are you have already had to leap a few hurdles, and have most probably fallen at a couple as well. Anyone who is willing to take meditation seriously and is hoping to feel the most positive effects of it has to come to terms with the undeniable fact that it isn’t necessarily easy. Of course, there are those lucky souls for whom meditation comes very naturally and who have been able to empty their minds and slip into a meditative state whenever they wanted for as long as they can remember – but these people are few and far between. Those new to meditation will find that it requires practice, exercises, patience and dedication. However, like all the best things in life, working for the bliss of meditation makes it all the more rewarding, and any regular practitioner of the meditative arts will happily confirm to you that it is completely worth the wait. That doesn’t mean to say that it isn’t frustrating or disheartening when you can’t get yourself to completely switch off and drift into a meditative state. In order to avoid problems when meditating, it is worth considering just why they happen.

Calming the busy mind

Firstly, remind yourself that you can meditate. Nobody on earth is completely incapable of doing so, and it is something which our minds and bodies actually want to do – we spend almost all day every day exhausting ourselves, and ignoring the fact that we crave some peace and detachment from our hectic lives. However, it is exactly these hectic lives and the busy spaces we inhabit, the stressful things which we have to do which cause the biggest problems whenever we wish to meditate. The fact that we spend almost all of every day juggling various thoughts, opinions, choices and tasks in our minds means that it is often very difficult indeed to really let go of such things, and we have become so accustomed to living in a state of high stress that our minds find it very difficult to release all this extra pressure and allow us to relax. Such things also cause a deep sense of attachment to the material world, something which really must be overcome should you want to achieve deep meditative relaxation and adopt a state of positive thinking.

Avoid distraction

One of the main reasons why we fail to meditate is due to the distractions which surround. Some of these distractions are obvious and easy to avoid – turning off your telephone and intercom greatly help – but other distractions are more subtle. Electronic frequencies in the air, difficult thoughts or worries, all these things can halt meditative practices and cause a lot of frustration. If you are struggling with these things, many experts would recommend investing in a decent pair of headphones and making use of meditative music. This music will wash over your body and mind, coax vivid visualizations from your unconscious and really help overcome any distractions. Just remember – you can meditate – maybe all you need to do is experiment a little more, alter some of your methods, and don’t give in to frustration!

About Jamila Gorman

Jarmila is a writer in the personal development niche with a strong – and ever-growing – desire to help people create their dream lives. She is a passionate student of the amazing abilities and potential of the human mind. From her lifelong love of athletics came an interest in finding out just what the words “limit” means; and how to get the mind past its whining to push on and do more. Years of ultra-cycling and an attitude of “bring it on, I can do this” have honed her ability to overcome self-imposed limitations in other areas of her life, a skill she now shares with a worldwide audience. Jarmila is a writer with a goal to inspire you to LIVE your life, on purpose, out loud and with a big smile on your face. You can find more of Jarmila’s articles on meditation at the Silva Method Life. When she is not writing, Jarmila is outside taking photographs, hiking the Colorado mountains or cycling to the far horizon. 

These days there is no shortage of people telling you just how they feel stress and anxiety on an almost daily basis . Life seems to have increased in pace considerably over the last decade and the perceived causes for this vary from mobile telecommunications, the boom in tablet computers and laptops, the recession and the internet.

It seems to have been accepted as a fact that stress is a real thing that comes from external sources. How often have you heard someone say “They’re putting me under a lot of stress at work” or “He always stresses me out when we meet each other”. 

What if I was to tell you that stress does not exist?

You might think I’m mad to say that in the face of so much evidence that stress is out there and exists but I’m being serious. 

Stress does not exist. Well, to be more accurate, it is not inflicted on you from an external source. The ‘stress’ you experience comes from inside you, inside your own mind. You imagine the stress and then allow yourself to experience it and then allow that experience to affect you physically and emotionally.

The proof that stress comes from within you can be seen in high intensity workplaces across the country. Think of stocks and shares traders as a real life example. In that kind of environment there are individuals who seen to revel in the intensity and pressure. They rise to the challenge and thrive. There can also be individuals who crumble. They feel overwhelmed, incapable of keeping up and stressed. Both individuals are doing the same job in the same place but one loves it and the other can’t handle the stress. 

The difference is not the job, it’s the individual and their perception of the job. The stress doesn’t come from the work, it comes from inside.

How can you reduce your experience of stress?

Changing your experience of stress can be as easy as ABCD. The first step is A which stands for Adversity. What is the adversity that you are facing? Write it down in a sentence using straight forward language. For example, “The adversity I am facing is that my boss is putting too much on my plate.”

B stands for belief. What is the belief you attach to the adversity? For example “I believe that the work situation is beyond what I can cope with.”

C stands for consequence. what is the consequence of your belief about the adversity? For example, “The consequence of my belief is that I am feeling stressed and and I’m not sleeping well.”

D stands for dispute. Dispute your belief. For example, “I’m not incapable of handling this because I have dealt with worse in the past.”

This technique can be great at getting a more accurate take on the situation that you are in and it can help you reduce the emotional of the situation which can lead to solutions being more easily identified.

A second technique that can help you beat stressful thoughts is to breathe properly. I know that you are probably thinking that you breathe already so how can you be getting it wrong?

Well the truth is that many people don’t breathe fully and deeply. People who are stressed are more likely to breathe shallow breaths from the tops of their lungs. This can lead to an increase in physical stress on the body which can contriblute to mental stress.

The process of breathing deeply is in itself relaxing. It oxygenates your blood which allows your brain to feel more focused and clear.

This technique has five steps. First is to sit somewhere comfortable where you won’t be disturbed and to close your eyes. Second, breathe in fully, fill your lungs to the top. Third is to breathe out fully. Fourth, on the breaths in imagine you are breathing in the word “calm”. Fifth, on the breaths out imagine that you are breathing out stresses, tensions and unwanted thoughts.

Practice these five steps for five minutes a day for two weeks and there is a great chance that you will be feeling better. This technique enables you to be more focused on the moment while you are in the moment. When in this frame of mind you are less able or inclined to think about the past or worry about the future.

By practising techniques like this you can help yourself to change those old thought patterns and shift into a new phase.

This article is written by Richard Hennessy from Focused Hypnosis the Sheffield hypnotherapy practice. Focused Hypnosis was established in 2008 and have helped hundreds of people to think, act and feel better about their lives.

As the cold days of winter are fast-approaching, your daily walks and everyday jogs are unfortunately drawing to a close, too. The trails you regularly ran will soon be covered in snow making it slippery and prone to accidents. By this change in season, your dose of everyday anxiety relief will be temporarily put on hold. However, there is a solution to this dilemma: yoga.

Yoga, a traditional Eastern practice over 5000 years ago, is a disciplined practice of controlled breathing, physical movement or postures, stretching, meditation and mental imagery. It is a popular fitness program in the West that helps bring together the mind, the body, and the spirit to reduce stress, manage anxiety and promote physical and mental well-being. With these combined benefits in one technique, a high payoff is involved.

If you are interested in learning this technique, here are 5 easy steps you can practice indoors to help you relax and refocus your energies.

1. Tadasana / Tadasana Samasthithi / Mountain Pose

a. On your bare feet, stand on a level and smooth surface. If you are a beginner, keep your feet 2 inches apart for a more stable and easier stance. But as you advance, keep your feet together and your heels in contact with the wall, which is the ideal pose.
b. Then stretch your arms at your side with your fingers together and pointing down and your palms facing your outer thighs. Stretch your neck up without tensing or straining the muscles.
c. Evenly, put your weight on your feet, toes and heels. Tighten your kneecaps to stretch the back of your knees. Keep your front thighs in and your buttocks tightened. Draw in your lower abdomen muscles and lift your chest up.
d. With your head erect, practice deep, even breaths focusing on these inhales and exhales. Keep this pose for as long as 30 to 60 seconds.

2. Tadasana Urdhva Hastasana / Upward Salute

a. Similar to Tadasana pose, stand on a level, smooth surface with your bare feet together and your arms on your side. As you exhale, bring these arms to shoulder level in front of you. Remember to keep your palms open and facing each other.
b. From shoulder level, bring your arms above your head, parallel to each other and perpendicular to the floor. While extending the arms, palms, and fingers upward, push both shoulder blades into your body.
c. Stretching both arms further up, feel the stretch of your muscles on the length of your body.

3. Uttanasana / Standing Forward Bend

a. From Tadasana, inhale and lift your arms over your head. As you exhale, lean your body forward from the hip joints.
b. With your knees straight, bring your palms and fingertips to the floor beside your feet while you push your heels tightly into the floor and raise your tail bone towards the ceiling. Then take your hands behind your legs and wrap them together. Keep this pose for 7 to 8 breaths.
c. From behind you, bring your hands in front and slowly push your torso upwards. Keep your head in a hanging position until your body is completely upright. Repeat the Uttanasana procedure 4 or 5 times.

4. Prasarita Padottanasana / Wide-Legged Forward Bend

a. Begin in a Tadasana pose with your hands on your hips. As you exhale, spread your feet 4 feet apart depending on your height and capability. Make sure your legs are parallel with each other, your toes pointing forward, and your back straight.
b. Then exhale and bend your torso forward and down to the floor. Take your hands off your hips and lower your palms flat on the floor with your fingers spread out.
c. Slowly place the crown of your head on the floor and between your palms. Pull your abdomen in and groin back. Remain in this pose for a minute.

5. Sukhasana / Easy Pose

a. To end your yoga practice, spend a full minute to control your breathing. To do this, sit in a seated position on a firm, stable ground or platform with your legs crossed, more like sitting on a Buddha-style position.
b. As you inhale, straighten your back and relax your shoulders. And as you exhale, slowly place your hands above your knees with your palms facing up. Pause.
c. Then inhale once more, but deeply this time. Take in air at a slow count of four and hold this breath for another four counts. Then slowly release this breath at a slow count of eight.

Yoga has been proven by many of its practitioners to effectively control anxiety and stress. This technique harmonizes the nervous system and the body making relaxation possible. Because of these benefits plus its being an indoor-type of exercise, yoga is a great alternative to jogging on a snowy or rainy day.

Ryan Rivera credits his recovery from anxiety to alternative and natural methods of treatment. He talks more about these at his website, www.calmclinic.com.