Ohm.

How many of you are convinced there is no end in sight to the stress and deadlines and traffic and all the other things strewn on the railroad tracks? Time to MAD about stress.

When you are stressed, your thought patterns are in your right frontal cortex. (This is why lobotomies were common as a cure for PTSD and anxiety.) The right side of your brain is creatively trying to escape the stressors and artistically avoid conflict. It fails to consult the analytic left side on how to get organized for breaking activities down into smaller pieces for a more effective attack.

When you are stressed, your whole body gets in on the game, not just your brain. Your heart rate jumps up, your blood vessels constrict raising your blood pressure, your blood stream infuses with adrenaline which suppresses feel-good brain chemicals, your breathing rate increases to accommodate the increased heartbeat and other bodily functions…all this makes you tired faster.

Stop.

Oh, right. You are just going to quit stressing. Well, you can.

Want to trade all of the physical reactions above for even a handful of these?

  • Younger looking skin
  • Lower cholesterol
  • Lower blood pressure
  • Decreased anxiety
  • Less depression
  • Better sleep
  • Increased happiness
  • More peace
  • Improved memory
  • Steadier heartbeat
  • More creativity

Gather up all of your stress and squeeze it. Now, let’s try something different.

Move Away

First thing is to move that stress from your crowded right brain over to your filing system left brain where it will be broken into smaller pieces and put into compartments. How? Meditation or prayer. Go somewhere quiet(er) and be still.

By meditating, you are concentrating on one thing: Calm. The first step is to slow your breathing. When your breathing is down to six breaths per minute, your lungs and your heart are in the perfect biorhythm. You have just begun the path to better cardiovascular health.

File 13 is a great place for this.

While you were busy counting breaths, something fundamental happened. Your left brain filed away all those stressors under Worry about this some other time, like never. 

When you aligned your (now empty) brain with the cardiopulmonary rhythm, you set the stage for the right oxygen flow to your organs and your skin. The decreased blood pressure allows more blood to flow through the tiny blood vessels in your skin, making it more resilient (anti-aging). This oxygen-rich blood infusion is good for all of your organs which filter out toxins (anti-aging) like kidneys, liver and intestines (better digestion).

The vasodilation makes breathing easier and saturates your brain in oxygen, making it:

  • rest easier
  • think clearer
  • learn faster
  • retain more
  • send waves more coherently
  • stabilize moods better
  • decrease anxiety reactions
  • produce more feel good chemicals (happiness)

The longer you practice meditation, the greater your chances of shifting from being mired in stress to personal and spiritual growth. If you choose prayer, the greater the likelihood you will shift your stressors to your higher power.

Make a Difference

You do not need a book or a guru or a shaman to meditate or pray. You can do this all on your own.

1. Go to a quiet place.

This can be your bedroom. You can close the door to your office. Sit in your car. Go out into the backyard.

Turn off distractions like music, telephone, computer and television. Be quiet.

2. Be still.

Sit down. Lie down. Let your body be at rest and comfortable. No nervous twitching. No fidgeting. No looking around the room. Close your eyes to block out extra stimuli. Turn off the light if it helps reduce distractions.

3. Take deep breaths.

Slow your breath rate. Inhale to the count of four. Hold your breath to the count of seven. Exhale to the count of eight. Build up to the numbers until you are all the way there.

4. Meditate or pray.

Your mind is empty of everything except the number of your breaths. Let them autopilot and your mind reach out to the quiet. Let your mind go where it will, but stop shy of your stressors.

5. Record.

With a clear mind, journal what your insights are. Write your thoughts or draw what your mind’s eye created. Embrace your creativity.

6. Repeat.

Take time everyday to meditate or pray. It is just the medicine to heal a stressed mind and body.

MAD

You do make a difference. Give your brain and body the chance to be the most effective they can be by recharging what makes them work. When you are at your peak, you are making the most difference in your world, for yourself and everyone else.

With this list of benefits, you would be hard pressed to supply a reason not to meditate or pray.

~~~~~~~~~~


Do you meditate or pray? Where do you escape the stressors? Will you Make A Difference in your own life by dropping the stress? Have you ever been surprised by what you created when your mind was at rest after meditation or prayer?

(c) Red Dwyer 2012
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31 Comments

  1. Ohm, Ohm, Ohm, OHM…
    Yes I think that is definitely beginning to work and look how my skin has improved, well any kind of improvement for a Vampire is a good one you know 🙂 😉 Hey joking 🙂

    Yes I like this posting it offers a different lifestyle for everyone, which is always a positive move in this hectic world of do this, do that and of course the other… Well plenty of the other but we won’t even go there on that one in case we have any idiots calling in for a read, yes we all know who you are so instead of sending stealth-like e mails and ridiculously negative comments do us all a favour and naff off 🙂

    Ohm, Ohm, Ohm…
    Yes I am feeling much
    better already 🙂 lol

    Have a wonderful day today Red and remember, be as good as you want to be, I always am 🙂 😉 lol

    Androgoth XXx

    Reply
    • Today has been a wonderful day. I hope yours has been a calm one as well! 😉

      Reply
  2. Hi Red! 🙂

    I’ve used meditation for many years now and am happier because of it! 🙂

    The medication helps – I’m now addicted – but for the day-to-day stresses meditation really helps! 🙂

    Love and hugs!

    Prenin.
    prenin recently posted..Thursday – Medication and shopping dayMy Profile

    Reply
  3. All good coping skills but I think if the source of the stress is unrelenting another approach is necessary. Extract yourself from the stressor or the arena.

    Reply
  4. Loved this post Red, Im Destressed already.. Breathing Deeper and Deeper…
    Its something I do often, working as I do among those who can really stress you out in any given moment..
    Great advice given.. I hope your readers give it a try, for it really does Work.
    ~Hugs Sue xx
    Sue Dreamwalker recently posted..The Sun, Our life-Giver~The LightMy Profile

    Reply
    • I make a point to stop three or four times per day for a break of stretching and breathing. When I come back to my work, I am having to make notes or mind map the ideas, as they flow so freely then. Thank you for calling in on this one. You are definitely a terrific endorsement for this one. {HUGZ} Red. xxx

      Reply
  5. I do a lot of this. No ‘ohm’ for me thought. I use some biofeedback techniques I learned long ago along with prayer or Scripture meditation. It’s amazing the difference it makes. What used to take me 15 to 20 I can now achieve in a matter of seconds. I’m trying to teach my daughter how to do this. :). Be still and know. . . . Angie
    Angela Young recently posted..The English Language: Gotta Love it 2My Profile

    Reply
    • I am not a chanter…far too close to singing for my comfort. Be still is so important.

      Reply

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