5 Simple Ways To Reduce Stress Through Meditation

Stress has a very powerful way of telling people that they are in danger. Many people tend to ignore the signs of stress but wait until it develops into something worse such as depression to do something about it. By applying simple meditation techniques everyday, people will not only reduce stress but also prevent stress to develop in the future.

What is meditation?

Meditation is the practice of being aware in the present moment. It does not matter if people are talking, eating, or cooking; if they are aware of their actions in the present moment, they are meditating. When people are successful at meditating they will develop mindfulness, a term which Buddhism uses when people are aware to only what is happening in the present moment.

Since the one thing that people will always be doing in the present moment is breathing, the Buddha taught that if people could stop and just focus on their breathing, they will experience a true sense of healing within themselves. When people breathe in deeply and out slowly, the process will help clear and calm people’s mind.

In order to really receive and experience the full benefit from breathing, people need to practice. It might seem easy to breathe in and out, but the benefit will not manifest right away. People always take for granted on how important their breathing is, but with mindful breathing; their stress will be reduced instantly.

What are ways to help people come back to their breathing? 

Mindfulness Bell

This bell is very powerful when it is invited correctly. It is like an instrument. In order for people to enjoy and receive the full benefits of the instrument, it has to be played well. It might seem easy to invite a bell, but inviting the bell in a way for people to enjoy and heal themselves is not so easy. It needs a lot of practice like playing an instrument well. The more you practice inviting the bell, the sound of the bell will produce a healing sound to alert people to come back to their breathing. In addition to the mindfulness bell, any ringing sound such as the telephone, door bell could be a reminder for people to come back to their breathing.

Red traffic lights and stop’s signs

Traffic lights and the stop signs are universal things. It does not matter where people go, they could come back to their breathing when they stop at a red traffic light or a stop’s sign before continue.

Anger, frustration, and tiredness

When these things develop, it is also another sign to tell people that they are in danger and need to stop. People will have a very difficult time acting in a positive way when anger, frustration, or tiredness arises. Not only will people have the opportunity to come back to their breathing, they have the chance to not do anything worse. Everyone knows that when anger manifests, no one will benefit from it.

Sitting meditation

The best way to practice breathing is through sitting meditation. People should try sitting for only one or two minutes the first few times. If people sit too long at the beginning, they will get overwhelmed because many thoughts will manifest. Since meditation is about focusing on the breathing, the more people stay focus on their in and out breaths, it will help block the thoughts. After people are comfortable, they can increase the sitting to 5 minutes. And then add on time as people feel more comfortable and advance.

Long hours of working

When people do or stare at something for a long period of time, their brain will get tier and it will not be as productive as before. It is very important for people to take breaks to let their brain rest and re-store it energy in order to be productive again. People should stop and focus on their breathing every hours with a few deep and slow breathes in and out. It might be a simple process, but it will help the brain to clam down.