These days its easy to stress out just about anywhere. The bank where the teller says your account is overdrawn, the dry cleaners that lost your best LBD, the gas station where you forgot to take the nozzle out of your car and drove with the hose…and that was just Monday.
Check out these simple ways to de-stress no matter where you are!
Office: The nest time you encounter a difficult person at work, practice Tonglen meditation for five minutes to keep yourself positive and balanced. To begin, imagine that the person’s negative energy was surrounding him/her like a thick cloud of smoke. Breathe in the smoke with a deep inhale, and mentally transform it into positive healing light at the center of your heart. As you exhale, send all of your positive energy back to the person and imagine it as a healing force.
Car: Breath awareness practices can be used to calm your mind when you’re commuting. If you find yourself stuck in traffic or stopped at a traffic light, let go of stress by mentally counting your exhales. Set an initial goal of counting a total of 21 exhales and build up to 108 with practice. When your mind wanders, refocus by drawing awareness back to your breath and begin to count again.
Home: Find a space where you can comfortably lie flat on your back with your arms and legs extended outward away from your sides. Close your eyes, inhale as deeply as you can and hold your breath. As you do this, squeeze all of the muscles in your body as hard as you can. Release all of the tension as you exhale and deeply relax for a few moments afterward. Repeat three times and relax for two or three minutes after the final repetition.
