Relaxation
Guided Imagery for Stress Relief and Well-Being
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Each issue is full of valuable
information and inspiration to help you release tension and find balance
in life.
Learn simple relaxation techniques
that support your well-being.
Let the practical wisdom of Joel
& Michelle Levey guide you on your inner journey of self-discovery.
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be glad you did."
Bryan
Brewer
Producer
Self-Guided.com
Seattle, WA USA
Relaxation Tips Information and Inspiration to Help You
Relieve Stress and Find Balance in Life Monday, June 30, 2003
Relaxation Tip of the Week
Focus & Simplify
"Practice consciously doing one thing at a time, keeping your mind focused on the
present. Do whatever you’re doing more slowly, more intentionally, and with more
awareness and respect."
(from Ten Strategies for
Mastering Stress, by Joel Levey and Michelle Levey)
Focusing and Quieting the Mind
by Bryan Brewer, Producer, Self-Guided.com
Do you ever have difficulty focusing and staying on track with a single task? It’s
a common experience in our hectic and fast-paced world these days.
Here’s a simple and effective antidote to that feeling of being mentally
scattered.
In their book Simple Meditation & Relaxation, Joel and Michelle Levey
suggest the following exercise:
Sit comfortably and take a
few minutes to relax. Rest your hands in your lap and quietly and gently smile to
yourself. Bring your attention to your breath and feel the sensation of the air flowing
out of your nostrils. Now, start to count each exhalation from one to ten. If you lose
count, return to one. If you are unable to reach ten, start again.
You can use this technique at any time during the day, even for a few minutes. The aim
is to bring your attention to a keen yet relaxed focus on what you are doing. Don’t
try too hard to concentrate; allow your mind to be alert and relaxed. Inevitably your mind
will wander, but whenever it does simply return to the next breath.
As Saint Francis de Sales once said, "If the heart wanders or is distracted, bring
it back to the point quite gently … and even if you did nothing during the whole of
your (of contemplation) bur bring your heart back, though it went away every time you
brought it back, your hour would be very well employed." With practice your
concentration will grow stronger and you will find it easier to keep your mind on whatever
you are doing.
Of course, you don’t need to spend an hour to focus and quiet your mind. Just a
few minutes here and there during the day will gradually improve your ability to
concentrate.
"Life's strict rule is this: You get more of what you focus on. Ignoring this, we
abandon our healthiest, concentrative energies and court emotional upheaval."
-– Marsha Sinetar, To Build the Life You Want, Create the Work You Love:
The Spiritual Dimension of Entrepreneuring
Featured Product
Simple
Meditation & Relaxation by Joel Levey & Michelle Levey A Simple Wisdom Book Foreword by Joan Borysenko, Ph.D.
