Anxiety, worry, and stress will not get us anywhere. As my favorite prayer book says, whether good or bad (because any extreme is quite stressful) "this too will pass." In the last two weeks, we shared with you dietary tips from Dr. Andrew Weil. Now, as it is truly timely, let me share with you his simple tips on how to manage stress.
• Sit up, with your back straight (eventually you’ll be able to do this exercise in any position).
• Place your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth and keep it there throughout the exercise.
• Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
• Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.
• Hold your breath for a count of seven.
• Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.
• Repeat this cycle three times for a total of four breaths.
He recommends doing this breathing exercise at least twice a day. It can be repeated more often than that but without increasing the number of repetitions each time to more than four breaths. He explains that this is because this breathing exercise is intense and doing more is not necessarily beneficial.
Dr. Weil attests that this exercise is a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system. "Unlike tranquilizing drugs, which are often effective when you first take them but lose their power over time, this exercise is subtle when you first try it but gains in power with repetition and practice," he vows.
"One of the reasons I recommend regular aerobic exercise is for its moderating effects on emotions. This is a long-term benefit, but exercise, both aerobic and nonaerobic, can also work in acute situations. If you feel angry or upset at other people, yourself, or the world in general, a brisk walk or run or a half hour of lifting weights will often put you back in a good mood," he explains.
Dr. Weil is partial to yoga as a non-aerobic exercise to complement brisk walking (or any other aerobic exercise of your choice). He claims that yoga is an excellent promoter of relaxation as well as a good form of body conditioning.
Combined with aromatherapy and soothing balms, a massage can be a very relaxing treat not only for knots in the muscles but even for all the senses.
However, Dr. Weil qualifies that like exercise, massage provides more of a temporary relief than a lasting change. "It is also limited in its application, since few of us are able to go to a massage therapist on a daily basis, and most of us need to practice relaxation skills every day," he explains.
Visualization and guided imagery are techniques that can help you keep your sanity and peace of mind in a fast-changing and difficult-to-fathom world. If you are the type who can easily close your eyes and imagine a serene setting like by the calm sea or a brook, then picture yourself in that place, taking in all the peace and quiet to soothe not only your body but also your mind and spirit.
If you are not imaginative enough, don’t fret because Dr. Weil makes it simple enough:
• Recall a scene from the past when you were supremely content, secure, and centered.
• Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and picture yourself back there. Try to make the image bright and clear and try to hear, feel, and smell the surroundings too. How long you focus on it is less important than how regularly you do it.
If you spend a few minutes every day practicing your visualization, you will reap greater benefits than if you spend an hour at it every so often. The best times for practice are the transition states between sleeping and waking. Just before falling asleep and just after waking up, try to concentrate on your peaceful image. At these times it passes more easily into your unconscious mind, where it can relax your nervous system and body.
He also clarifies that meditation’s goal is not just to stop all thoughts. That is not possible in the first place. "What you want to learn is to withdraw attention from the endless chains of associated thoughts that stream through the mind, putting attention instead on the object of meditation. Whenever you become aware that your attention has strayed to images, sensations, thoughts of dinner or whatever, gently bring it back to your chosen object. The tedious work of meditation is just this constant running after your attention and bringing it back," he explains.
Having personally tried this, I can say that the rewards are great but just like any discipline you should really devote time to it. Even Dr. Weil professes that if he fails to do his 30-minute meditation in the morning, he finds it hard to squeeze it in during the day. He is already too tired at night to practice it as well. That has also been my experience.
Almost all religion incorporates meditation and the repetition of words. This should not really be falsely identified with one religion or cult, Dr. Weil says. He believes that you can get the benefit out of mentally repeating "Peace, peace, peace, peace..." or "The sky is blue, the sky is blue..." or "Day by day in every way I am getting better and better." The use of a religious verse increases the calming power because of the association to one’s faith and belief system. This could be anything from "Abba" to "My Lord and My God" to "Hail Mary."
A calm peace envelops you when you acknowledge that a Supreme Being who loves you unconditionally is interested in the situation you find hopeless. And that whatever may be impossible to us, is always possible with Him.