 Stress Less - Breathe More
I must start our by stating that I believe there is
good stress and bad stress. As in most things in life, there are
opposites: good and bad, yin and yang, light and dark"¦(you get the
idea). Let's start with the good kind and then work our way along the
continuum. When we put ourselves in situations where we challenge
our capabilities, whether it is competitive sports, public speaking, or
starting your own business, we are having an intimate experience with
good stress. Without these challenges, your life would remain stagnant,
albeit comfortable. If you are content to live life just below the the
surface, great; but maybe you just need a little encouragement or a
fresh perspective. Try replacing your fear with a heightened
sense of awareness. Look through eyes which are not placing judgements
on situations or people, and simply observe. Practice this relaxed
state of mind, and notice how your environment (and the people within
it) becomes more supportive. You could easily become adept at
coming up with reasons why you shouldn't face a challenge or make a
change, and the truth is sometimes your rational mind has a point. Just
be careful when your comfort zone gets too lived in--the more you take
roots there, the harder it is to get out. Taking an intelligent risk
when the timing is right can turn your life from ordinary to incredibly
fulfilling. In doing so, you've taken a very positive step toward
tackling that other kind of stress-the bad kind. I am sure most of you
are familiar with bad stress, the kind you can certainly live without.
Some examples of this bad stress might include: * you just got a phone call from your boss saying he wants to see you right away; he was not speaking with his "happy voice."
*
your dog just deposited a smelly package on your clean carpet, and you
are expecting the appraiser to inspect your home first thing in the
morning.
* you have a date tomorrow night with "the one," and
you just discovered the making of two massive eruptions--one the left
side of your nose, and one front and center on your chin. No
doubt, there are many more examples-some having to do with paying the
mortgage, and maybe some having to do with the upcoming 4-week visit
with your misunderstood, the glass is not only half-empty, it's dark
and cloudy, brother. Just thinking about these topics can cause your
mind to escalate out of control with worry and doubt about your
abilities, and extreme anticipation at the thought of your next gin and
tonic. Stop the madness, now! First thing you need to do is,
breathe; that's right, breathe. The idea is to focus on something other
than discursive thoughts. So, actually, you are not just breathing, you
are also FOCUSING on the breath coming in through your nose, filling
your diaphragm, and then releasing the breath out of your mouth. When
you blow this air out, try releasing whatever unpleasant thoughts you
have out with your breath. Just let it go, like lint you've pulled out
of the bottom of your purse; blow and release. When you breathe in
again (yes, keep breathing), picture pure positive energy coming in
through your nose, and filling your diaphragm. And this time when you
release the breath, picture that pure positive alive energy, drifting
out, bringing a loving essence to everything it touches. Like
with anything else in life, in order to get the benefits of some thing,
you really need to commit to it. One of the strongest ways to manifest
success (whatever that means to you), is to believe. Children offer
wonderful inspiration when it comes to belief. They use their
imagination in such a way that not only entertains, it creates a life
where the stresses of the material world do not affect them. Now
I know what you are thinking: "Yeah, that's great. But, I am an adult,
with adult responsibilities. I have to go to work, cook the food, and
clean up the dog poop!" Fair enough-however, this does not mean that
you, like the child, cannot use your imagination. Many new age books
these days like to use the word "visualize." I like to use the word
"imagination," because it has a connotation of a sense of fun. And,
adopting more fun in your life is essential to releasing the bad kind
of stress. Let's focus, now-we were talking about relieving bad
stress, right? Remember we were breathing? Good! Okay, so once you are
at the point where you are filling your body with that pure positive
energy, imagine the energy transforming every single cell in your body.
Like an internal massage, your organs will be touched with a renewed
energy. Try and really experience this sensation. Embellish it and
color it . Realize your creative energy, and let it work through you. This
whole imagining or visualizing process may not come naturally to some
of you. I understand, because I used to think life was pretty serious
business myself. And, the more I thought about how serious it was, it
seemed the more life kept throwing me serious stuff to prove I was
right. I used to watch other people-laughing, having a good time, and
think they were pretty frivolous. It wasn't long before my judgment
turned to envy. Then, finally, I started to think, "Maybe appearing a
little silly is not such a bad thing." The more I played with this
thought, the more I found myself smiling. Sometimes I even made myself
laugh out loud, because of something stupid I imagined myself doing. I
don't think the people who saw me smiling knew I was just having silly
thoughts; they actually thought I was being friendly-can you imagine?!
If you knew me back then, you would know that this would have been
quite a stretch. The funny thing is, when people started smiling back,
I actually did become pretty friendly. During this whole change
of attitude, I did continue breathing. No, I didn't forget. I guess the
point is, bad stuff is bound to happen. What I would lovingly like to
recommend is for you to take a few deep breaths before you react. The
situation you are faced with will become a whole lot more manageable if
you allow your imagination to take you to a positive place. And just as
if you were approaching an angry person on the street and you looked at
them straight on with a genuine smile, look at your undesirable
situation with the same positive energy. Nine times out of ten, that
angry person will be much less angry, and that difficult situation you
are facing will be much less daunting. Kim
McGinnis,Avenstar Enterprises Inc. I first came to LA as a professional
actress. After performing in numerous theatrical productions, I wrote
and performed in a one-woman show. I have also appeared in many
regional and national commercials.I am a free lance writer,
entrepreneur, and co-own two other businesses. My partner and I have a
marketing business which specializes in video production http://www.avenstar.com and we also have a business in which we sell an outdoor lighting effect, made to simulate real fireflies http://www.magicalfireflies.com When I have time I play tennis and practice yoga. Most recently I have co-founded and co-developed a new website: http://www.ourinnersource.com
Our mission is to help raise the consciousness of the planet. The site
also offers many unique gifts selected for the person who aspires to a
higher consciousness. I am very close to completing my first book with
my partner. The book will talk about many of the issues raised in our
website. Topics include: inspirarion, connecting, and giving. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kim_Mcginnis
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