Nothing will have more of a positive impact on your well-being, alignment, athletic performance, metabolism and overall health than eliminating stress. Here are five simple ways you can lower stress and improve your overall health.
Meditation Mediation can have a profound impact on your wellbeing in a short period of time. If you aren’t getting enough sleep, you don’t have time to work out, or your work or life is stressing you out, meditating just 10-20 minutes a day can begin to shift almost anything that ails you. A simple place to start is to watch your breath and count your exhales to five, then start over. If you lose track, start over at one. Do this for 10-20 minutes.
Develop a Physical Practice We all know that working out is important, but what I’m suggesting is something different. Your connection to yourself will expand exponentially with a movement practice that is meditative. I usually suggest a practice like yoga, pilates, or movement that allows you to tune in to how it feels to move. If if something like yoga doesn’t do it for you, by all means, do exercise you love, but when you are working out, try taking out your headphones, tune into your breath, and notice how it feels, let go of any unnecessary tension and allow the movement to be as effortless as possible. Notice what this frees up for you.
Connect to Your Breath Breathing is our primary source of energy, so anything that gets you breathing, including good exercise, can be helpful. Some good ones for developing calm and balance are alternate nostril breathing (Nadi Shodena), and slow deep breathing. Both have been shown to increase heart rate variability (HRV), a marker of a healthy heart and autonomic nervous system. Alternate nostril breathing is also a great practice for balancing the left and right side of the body. To slow down your breath, a good place to start is a 6-8 second inhale, 2 second gentle hold, 6-8 second exhale, 2 second hold. Once you get the feel for it, there’s no need to count. Just keep it slow and relaxed with a pause at the end of the inhale and exhale.
Eat a Low Inflammation Diet Eat simply. Cut out anything greasy, processed or sweet. By avoiding sugar, greasy or fried foods, or foods with a lot of ingredients you may be able to decrease inflammation, pain and other imbalances.
Create a Plan and Stick to a Routine With the new year it’s a great time to create a routine that fits your schedule. How will you create the time and space to nourish your physical experience? Even if it’s just one thing a day find a time to do it regularly.