A time-honored technique that can help calm the mind and treat stress is meditation. The benefits derived therefrom can keep us focused on the present, while allowing the mind to extricate itself from the cluttered thoughts or memories of the past as well as concerns of the future. There are various techniques of meditation, most of which are categorized as concentration and mindfulness.
Concentration meditation is a mental exercise that focuses on a single sound, an object, or one’s breath, in order to bring about the consummation of total mental tranquility. You can do this by sitting or lying comfortably in a quiet place, detached from interruptions, while focusing attention on your breath, as you inhale through your nose for a count of three, then exhale through your mouth for a count of five. Your slow, deep, and regular breaths keep your mind in a state of awareness, accompanied by tranquility.
Mindfulness meditation is a technique that allows the mind to be totally aware, while there is no reaction to a variety of sensations, feelings and images. All you do is sit quietly and allow images of your surrounding to pass through your mind without getting involved with them, thereby attaining a calm state of mind.
Studies have shown that meditation helps control anxiety, elevates the immune system, as well as treat chronic pain.
There are other relaxation techniques, such as biofeedback, deep breathing, guided imagery, progressive relaxation and yoga, all of which can help reduce stress.
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