Whether it’s kids crying, bills, work or traffic, we all seem to have stress, no matter what we do! The stressors raise your body’s production of cortisol and adrenaline, which lowers your immune response, making you more susceptible to illness. Try this simple 10-minute technique of me-time:

Clear Your Mind And Meditate
If you’re an early riser, schedule your meditation for dawn. ‘An early session will bring calm to the rest of your day,’ says Plettenberg Bay-based Leela Verity from Sat Chit Anand, an interfaith spiritual retreat centre. ‘An evening session will clear the mind and help you sleep better.’

Learn To Let Go
Forget any preconceived notions you have about meditation. ‘Let go of your mind’s attempt to understand or intellectualise the experience,’ says Brian Bergman, a Cape Town yoga and meditation expert.

Control Your Fidgets
Find a comfortable seated position, keep your spine straight and your shoulders soft. You can close your eyes if you want. Focus your awareness on your breathing for 10 minutes, feeling your belly rise gently on your in-breath and fall on the out-breath. Whenever you find yourself thinking or getting distracted, simply come back to your breathing.

Practice Makes Perfect
Once you’re able to focus your breath, you’ll start to experience the benefits. Your mind learns to stop wandering, which is calming, peaceful – and healing. Soon you’ll carry the centred awareness gained from mediation into the rest of your daily activities, making everything more satisfying.

Words: Dailyfix
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