Daily Meditation Techniques to De-Stress Your Life
Living a fast paced lifestyle often means splitting time between work and family leaving little time for the thought of meditation techniques. From the time the alarm goes off until the time the alarm is set at night, it is a constant on the go schedule. This type of lifestyle contributes greatly to stress. One of the leading ways to prevent or reduce that stress is relaxation and meditation. The trick is not necessarily in finding the time to meditate. The real trick is knowing what meditation techniques are available and if they will work with the hectic schedule you lead.
Tai Chi and Qigong Practice
Active meditation is something that not many people think about when they think of meditation. For someone who is exercise conscious, the meditative forms of Tai Chi and Quigong are ideal. These practices help to strengthen and clear the mind, while allowing the body to stretch and flow through a series of slow movements. A key element that appeals to many people who choose to practice this form of meditation is the time involved. These meditative techniques can take as a little as fifteen minutes and can be incorporated as the stretching portion of a pre-existing workout plan.
Prayer Meditation
Praying each day is a practice taken on by thousands of people. This quiet time of reflection can be a wonderful time to meditate and relax. Prior to, during, or following daily prayers simply take five or so minutes to clear the mind. Breath slowly and concentrate on the prayer and the intent of the prayer. Let the mind focus in on the the moment and exclude anything from that moment that is not rooted in the intent of the prayer. This simple step will make the prayer time more focused and allow the body to completely relax and remove stress for a few moments of the busy day.
Guided Meditation
When guided meditation is mentioned, many people have the image of a soft spoken flowing voice on a CD, asking the listener to breath in and out and think of the cosmos. The truth is, guided meditation can actually encompass several forms including running, walking and breathing techniques, and as a way to ease into normal sleep patterns. Guided meditation allows the person to focus on the guide and nothing else. The voice takes over and tunes out anything else around the listener. During this time, the listener can find themselves in a calming state with a renewed view of the world around them. The two leading forms of guided meditation are ones used for brisk walking or running exercises and those for help in falling asleep.
For every walk of life and schedule, there is a form of meditation that will fit within the constraints of the lifestyle. No matter how busy or strained the schedule is, there is always a way to sneak in a few moments of simple mind and body relaxation. Through DVD, CD, and self awareness exercise practices, people can find a way to remember that while spreading their time out across the day, they can also find some time towards enriching and calming themselves and their lives.
