 |
|
|
De-stress and halt aging with mind/body meditation or yoga. You won't
miss the calming benefit of alcohol once you learn how to de-stress naturally,
using the relaxation response, meditation and deep breathing, yoga, or biofeedback.
You won't head straight for the refrigerator to stuff your face (and
emotions). You will look and feel younger, healthier, and happier
when you learn to de-stress. Confronted with life's stress, your body produces
adrenaline. The release of adrenaline is like sending a thousand messages
to various key parts of the body at once, resulting in a racing heart, increased
blood pressure, out-of-balance hormones, and a system on red alert. The
problem with high levels of stress is that this can weaken the body, reducing
the number of T-cells—the killer cells in our immune system that help
to ward off diseases. This effect happens immediately and can last for days.
Ongoing stress can also result in unresolved muscle tension, increased blood
pressure, rapid heartbeat, and general arousal—as we cannot get out
of "passing gear" (as opposed to normal or low gear).
 |
Eventually the tension, arousal, and tightness seem normal, and
we find ourselves more vulnerable to illness and poor self-care habits.
Chronic tension can lead to weight gain, skin problems, knotted muscles,
lower mobility, degenerative joint and spine problems, and sheer exhaustion. |
Meditation and deep breathing induce the relaxation response, which can
slow down your heart rate, reduce blood pressure, calm the feelings of anxiety
that you experience during chronic stress, bring your hormones into balance,
and much more. Although it's an involuntary action, breathing measures and
alters your psychological state, making a stressful moment accelerate or
diminish in intensity. Meditation and deep breathing affect appetite, aging,
emotions, hormones, sleep, and overall health every 24 hours. In the 24
Hour Turnaround, TLC 8, you learn how to change a highly charged moment
into a period of calm (I call it "relaxation on demand"), as you call upon
these mind/body exercises at will and protect your body from the ravages
of increased stress hormones today and every other day.
Heart Rate Bio-Feedback: The "Quick Fix" for
stress relief. Neuroscientists agree that the most effective way to
counteract stressful situations is to learn how to respond immediately—stop
stress in its tracks! It's much more difficult and time-consuming to reverse
tension than to deal with it and put it to rest. This is exactly the reason
why I recommend Heart Rate (HR) Biofeedback: it works spontaneously and
produces a 24-hour result. HR Biofeedback is a therapeutic practice that
uses your heart rate monitor to give you instant feedback during your stress
reduction training. HR Biofeedback teaches you how to "relax on demand."
If the thought of figuring out how to reduce stress tends to stress you
out because it sounds time consuming to learn to meditate or practice yoga,
get out your heart rate monitor, and I will teach you a proven technique
in five minutes. If you haven't gotten a heart rate monitor for your H.E.A.R.T
workouts, you now have TWO good reasons to order
one today.
Learning HR Biofeedback takes seven days, but the first session can produce
a 24-hour result. The first day takes 5 minutes; the last day takes only
one minute. The learning curve is zero, the cost is nothing, and everyone
in your household or office will benefit.
Days 1, 2, and 3 At Home
- Choose a time when you know you will not be interrupted, and turn
off the phone. Put on your monitor and observe your heart rate. Lie
down on the floor with something under your neck (a pillow or towel)
to relax the neck area and put your spine in a neutral position. You
might want a pillow under your knees as well, especially if you have
back problems.
- Rest the watch of your monitor where you can look at it occasionally.
I like to rest my hands on my chest with the watch in one hand.
- Continue by relaxing all the muscles in your face--around your eyes,
your jaw, and your forehead. Make sure your teeth are not touching.
Take the deepest breath you have ever taken and exhale. On that exhale
relax every muscle in your body.
- Continue to breath deeply and slowly. Check to see if you can feel
your shoulders, back, hips, and legs on floor. They should feel heavy.
- Observe your heart rate. As you begin to relax, your heart rate will
go down. Repeat steps 3 and 4. Every time you look at your heart rate,
it should be lower. If you get anxious or the number goes up, start
over. End the session after five minutes regardless of the outcome.
Days 4 and 5 At Home
- Choose a time when you know you will not be interrupted, and turn
off the phone. Put on your monitor, and observe your heart rate. Sit
in a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
- Rest your hands on your lap with your shoulders relaxed. Hold your
monitor watch where you can see it.
- Start by relaxing all the muscles in your face--around your eyes,
your jaw, and your forehead. Make sure your teeth are not touching.
Take the deepest breath you have ever taken and exhale. On that exhale
relax every muscle in your body.
- Continue to breathe deeply and slowly; scan your body and relax all
your muscles.
- Observe your heart rate. Repeat steps 3 and 4. Every time you look
at your heart rate, it should be lower. If you get anxious or the number
goes up, start over. End the session after three minutes.
Days 6 and 7 At Work or a Stressful Time of Day
- Choose a time when you know you will not be interrupted, and turn
off the phone. If you're not in an office or at home, go to a quiet
place or your car. Put on your monitor, and observe your heart rate.
Rest your arms on your desk or your lap with your monitor watch in front
of you. Your arms need to feel heavy in order to relax your neck.
- You should now be able to do your relaxation exercise in one minute
with your heart rate dropping after the first few exhales.
- Practice your biofeedback any time of the day that you feel stress
coming on. Eventually you will get so good at "relaxing on demand" that
you will not need to put your monitor on.
Yoga: Mind, Body and Mood Medicine. Yoga is holistic, integrating
the body, breath, and the mind. Some people use it for stretching purposes
only, while others prefer the more aerobic yoga positions to get a good
cardiovascular and stretching workout. Many use yoga for stress reduction.
It has been eighty years since health professionals in both India and the
West started investigating the therapeutic life change potential of yoga.
Thousands of research studies have shown that with the practice of yoga
you can learn to control your heart rate, brain wave patterns, blood pressure,
respiratory function, metabolic rate, skin resistance, body temperature,
and many other bodily functions.
There are many styles and methods of yoga to choose from. If you have never
done yoga, you are considered to be a beginner (Level 1). Start at the beginning.
Learn how to do each pose correctly. Take several classes from different
teachers and find a style that you like. Some are geared towards strength
and stamina; others toward relaxation.
| I do not recommend learning yoga from a book, although
there are some good books for people who already have yoga experience.
There are also many good tapes
and CD's available. I realize that there are only so many hours
in the day, and yoga can be time consuming to learn and practice.
Start with a 10-minute routine in the morning or evening hours. Stay
tuned for our Yoga Stretches for the Office being produced soon. |
 |
"Only the person who is relaxed can create, and to that mind ideas flow
like lightning." Cicero
|
|
|
|
"STRESSED" spelled backwards is "DESSERTS."
"Jay Williams has helped thousands of people turn
around their lifestyles through exercise, diet, and stress reduction--the
keys to successful, healthy aging. The 24-Hour Turnaround
details her program and conveys her energy, conviction, and passion
that have inspired so many of us to live better longer."
--Dr. Gary Small, director, UCLA Center on Aging, and author of THE
MEMORY BIBLE
The 24-Hour Payback
- Reduced heart rate
- Lower blood pressure
- Increase in anti-aging hormones
- Reduced levels of cortisol, a stress hormone
- Increased mood
- Decreased appetite
- Greater ability to focus
- Increased anti-aging oxygen to the cells
Hawaii Spa Vacation
#1 way to reduce stress is a spa vacation!
Come to Hawaii and learn:
- Qi Kong and Tai Chi with Kathy
- Meditation and yoga with Calley
- Inner Game of Golf with Darrin
- Heart Rate Biofeedback with Jay
- Healing Art with Candace
Yoga or Prozac?
44 billion dollars is spent annually on Prozac
and other antidepressants. Researchers tell us that these serotonin
re-uptake inhibitors can increase the amount of serotonin in our brains,
and we may feel better. But what affects the balance of serotonin
in the brain? You guessed it: stress. Inverted postures in Yoga have
been used for thousands of years to alter mood. I have prescribed
yoga to hundreds of my clients who are on Prozac for the following
reason: The inverted positions alter the blood flow. With the increased
blood flow to the brain comes the availability of glucose (carbs).
In the upside-down positions we produce our very own neurotransmitters,
which by the way, have no side effects. Both yoga and meditation can
be practiced to increase your own production of seratonin. FYI Forward
bending poses massage the organs in the neuro-endocrine axis alleviating
mood swings and insomnia associated with menopause and PMS.
Integrate Yoga and
H.E.A.R.T. exercise
After you finish your H.E.A.R.T workout, replace
your stretching with the Sun Salutation, a series of yoga postures
linked together as one fluid movement. (page 116 in the 24 Hour
Turnaround) The Sun Salutation includes a standing stretch for
your legs and upper body. End with a two-minute meditation, and your
inner and outer workout will be complete.
"Jay Williams combines all the elements of wellness
in The
24-Hour Turnaround. Read it if you want to reduce your biological
age, lose weight, lower your stress level, and live a more balanced
life."
--Deepak Chopra, M.D
Jay's recommendation
Yoga and meditation tapes and CDs.
|
|
|
