As a Personal Development Life Coach and Life Balance Expert, I am often asked "In this fast paced world we live in, what can I do for stress management? How can I consistently unwind, relax, revitalize my energy and bring more harmony into my life?"
Although there are many ways to reduce stress, renew your energy and bring peace into your life, I always recommend beginning with the most reliable way to bring lasting balance into your life. It's a method I wholeheartedly recommend from my personal experience which anyone can use to get maximum stress relief and make the shift towards living a harmonious, balanced lifestyle.
Start By Making You Your First Priority
The first step towards reducing stress and anxiety in your life begins with making a choice. It's up to you (and no one else) to decide to live a stress free, happy, abundant and healthy lifestyle.
The noted French author François de La Rochefoucauld said "When we are unable to find tranquility within ourselves, it is useless to seek it elsewhere."
In other words, tranquility comes from within you, not from the world which surrounds you! You can decided today, right this instant, that from now on you will live a stress free life full of balance and happiness. Once you do, the rest is easy.
Next, Implement the Surefire Way to Lasting Life Balance
Now that you have made a decision to live a happier, more abundant and stress free life, you'll need to take action on a daily basis to make it a reality.
The time-honored technique I teach people to find "the tranquility that lies within" is to learn a simple systematic skill where first they relax their body, then their mind, and then connect to their "inner-self".
Just as your heart beats at a frequency (on average 60 beats per minute), your brain has a measurable frequency which it operates at. The difference is the brain's frequency is much faster therefore it is measured in beats per second (not per minute), which is more commonly referred to as "cycles per second". An Electroencephalograph (EEG) is the device used to measure and record the frequency of the brain.
In the conscious state of mind, where you are right now, the brain's typical frequency is about 20 cycles per second, however if your brain is operating at any frequency above 14 cycles per second, you are considered to be in the awake conscious state of mind.
When you go to sleep, your brain frequency slows all the way down to 4 cycles per second, or less, and you reach a complete state of unconsciousness.
So the goal with our relaxation technique is to get the body to unwind and the brain frequency to slow down somewhere in between the fully conscious state of mind (which is over 14 cycles per second) and the fully unconscious state of mind (which is below 4 cycles per second).
There are two distinct semi-conscious states of mind located between consciousness and unconscious. The first is the Alpha State where your brain frequency is between 7 and 14 cycles per second. This is a place of amazing relaxation where you are very much aware of your surroundings yet the attention of your focus is within.
At this state, the stress and anxiety of the world melts away into nothingness and you connect to your true "inner-self", or as I like to refer to it, your "Higher Intelligence".
The second state is known as the Theta State. Here your brain frequency has slowed between 4 and 7 cycles per second. Theta is a very deep place of semi-conscious relaxation which invokes your body's natural rejuvenation process. It is the perfect place to raise your energy level, bring harmony into your life and revitalize your wellbeing.
The most simple, best and easiest way to reach the Alpha and/or Theta state of mind, and enjoy instant relaxation, is through the process of meditation.
Meditation and Guided Meditation
There are many different types of meditation and many different ways to go about reaching the beautiful state of relaxation which lies in between being fully awake and completely asleep.
Self meditation can be as simple as finding a quiet place to sit in a comfortable chair, closing your eyes, focusing on your breathing and counting each inhale and exhale as you allow all your thoughts to slip away.
The goal with any meditation is to focus your attention on just one thing; in the example above it would the counting of each inhale and exhale.
Guided meditation provides another means to reach the Alpha and Theta states of mind and is an excellent way for beginners to learn what it "feels like" to reach the meditative state.
A guided meditation is a scripted process which takes you through relaxing your body first, and then your mind, so you may ultimately reach the Alpha state. Guided meditations are typically led by a certified instructor in person, or through an audio recording.
Additionally, you can learn how to become self-sufficient in your meditation practice through meditation instruction. This will teach you how to meditate on your own without the need of a teacher or recording.
Meditation Helps the Body
In addition to reliving anxiety, reducing stress and bringing about a peaceful state of relaxation, extensive scientific research from Harvard Medical School, the Brain Imaging Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has repeatedly shown us the wonderful physical effects meditation has on the body.
A regular practice of meditation thickens and enhances areas of the brain which improves our memory and make us more alert, it shows clear signs of significantly lowering blood pressure and has been shown to reduce the amount of fatty deposits in arteries, just to name a few.
As well as the wonderful things we see through the scientific community, there are countless numbers of life changing events, healings and manifestations which frequently occur to people who meditate on a regular basis.
Meditation is proving to be the surefire way to live and better, healthier, more abundant and balanced way of life.
Isn't it time for you to take the first step towards bringing more peace, relaxation and happiness into your life?
Life Balance Expert and Personal Development Coach Ed McDonough is also a certified Dynamic Meditation Instructor. His Life Balance Meditation CD Series uses a unique approach to relax the body, brain and mind while raising the quality of one's life through positive affirmations at the meditative state of mind. For more information visit: Life Balance Meditation