Mastering stress relief with meditation is about creating space within, where the everyday hustle dissolves. In order to manage stress, you may adopt some mindful practices that are easy to use throughout the day.

Managing stress nowadays has become a skill. This skill can be mastered with consistent practice in techniques focused on minimizing the condition of stress and calming the nervous system.

Stress Management

Stress is a body and mind reaction to prepare us to face a challenge or a difficult situation. The acute stress is a normal response, where, when the “threat” goes away, the body and mind functions come to normal again. On the other hand, there is also the chronic stress, which constitutes a very serious issue of this era. Chronic stress has been associated with various conditions, including cardiovascular problems, weakened immune function, and mental health disorders.

So, it is of great importance to learn and adopt techniques so as to manage stress and bring yourself back to a condition where balance and harmony are the basic components of your life.

Meditation for stress relief

A meditation practice that can be easily adopted on an everyday level is the Belly Breathing:

1. Bring yourself to a comfortable position, either seated or lying down. If you prefer to be seated, relax your palms on your thighs.
2. Take some slow and natural breaths through the nose.
3. Feel your breath and body in the space.
4. Feel your presence with all your senses.
5. Relax your face, every part of your face. Slowly, close your eyes.
6. Fill in the whole torso with air, gradually from the lower belly and lower back towards the upper chest and shoulderblades.
7. Release slowly as you exhale. Keep on with the Full Breath technique for 5 breaths.
8. Now, start focusing on the movement of the belly. Let your shoulders and chest become really loose.
9. Soft movement of the belly as you breathe in and out. Keep on with the Belly Breathing for 2-5 minutes.
10. 10.Finally, take a deep breath in as you expand the whole torso, from the belly and lower back to the upper chest and shoulderblades, and as you breathe out release through the mouth and relax the whole body. Start bringing awareness and movement to every part of your body.

Take a few moments to return to all of your senses and be aware of the space around you. If you feel it, you can write down any emotion or thought or image that came to your mind as you were concentrated in the breathing.

Meditation, like body exercise, needs practice in order to bring even more benefits into your life. Even in these 5-10 minutes practicing how to manage stress, the mind can find calmness and balance. So, it is in your hands to make this practice your everyday ritual and feel ready for the day!