10. Nourish Your Spirit
Have
you ever known someone who, even when faced with insurmountable
obstacles, pain, trauma, tragedy, or loss, continues to be happy? Such
people have nurtured and nourished their spiritual sides, either through
effort or because it comes naturally. Sure, some people don’t buy into
the idea that people have a spiritual side or a soul. It’s all chemical,
they say. Others prefer to say it’s all related, all intertwined like a
dramatic and intricate web. The bottom line? If you manage your stress
with the whole you in sight, you’ll manage stress fully, effectively,
and in a way that really works for your unique self.
11. Give Your Mind Positive Images to Focus On
Imagery
meditation and visualization are meditations that use your imagination
to make positive changes in your thinking. The purpose of imagery
meditation is to imagine yourself in a different place (the beach, the
mountains, Paris) or circumstance to effect instant relaxation.
Visualization is a technique for imagining something you want (a
different job, the love of your life) or a change you would like to see
in yourself (to be less reactive to stress, more self-confident,
perfectly organized). Imagining and visualizing have two separate
effects:
1. Instant stress relief because of the positive feeling you associate with what you are visualizing
2. Life changes because continually visualizing something can help to bring those changes about in your life
Even
if your imagination is a little rusty, you can practice imagery
meditation and visualization. It’s fun! Whatever you use them for, these
imagination generators are powerful stress management techniques, both
in the short and the long term.
12. How to Practice Imagery Meditation
Get
comfortable, either sitting or lying down. Close your eyes. Take a few
deep, relaxed breaths, then form a picture in your mind. Maybe it is the
place you wish you could be right now, a place you visited in the past
and loved, or a place you invent. What does the place look like? What do
you see around you? What colors, what textures? Notice everything about
the place you are visualizing.
Then,
imagine touching things around you—sand, water, grass, trees, great art
or architecture, your favorite person. Listen. What do you hear in this
place? Next, think about what you smell. Focus on each of your senses
and explore the place you’ve created or remembered in your mind. Stay
here as long as you like, but for at least five minutes. Then, slowly,
let the images fade away and open your eyes.
13. How to Practice Visualization
Get
comfortable, either sitting or lying down. Close your eyes. Take a few
deep, relaxed breaths, then form a picture in your mind of some kind of
positive life change. Maybe it’s a career goal, a change in health or
appearance, situation, confidence, or anything else. Keep it simple and
stick to one thing. You can always tackle other areas in a separate
session.
Imagine
yourself in your new situation. How do you look, act, feel? How do you
like being this new way, looking like this, having this job? If you like
it, if it feels right, then stick with your visualization every day and
imagine it with fervent and confident intention.
14. Be Flexible with Visualization
As
your life changes, your visualizations may change and grow. That’s fine!
You may realize, for example, that as your life becomes less stressful
and more rewarding, you don’t really need to be financially wealthy,
because you have gained emotional and spiritual wealth instead. The
trick is to keep it up. The more you use your imagination, the stronger
it becomes, just like a muscle.
To
add power to your visualization, use an affirmation as a mantra for
your meditation, worded as if the change has already taken place, and
worded positively (rather than, “I won’t be sick,” say, “I will be
well”). Use the affirmation as a mantra while you visualize your goal.
15. Learn about Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness
meditation can be practiced anywhere, anytime, no matter what you are
doing. It is simply focusing on total awareness of the present moment.
Anything you are doing, you can do with mindfulness.
Mindfulness
meditation is easy to do for short periods. It is tough to do for an
extended time, because our minds resist staying in the present moment.
But it is a rewarding mental discipline that teaches us to cherish and
relish the miracle of the present moment, no matter how ordinary. It is
also supremely relaxing and satisfying.
16. How to Practice Mindfulness Meditation
Wherever
you are, you can practice mindfulness meditation by consciously making
the decision to be fully aware of everything around you. Notice the
impressions from all your senses—see, hear, feel, smell, taste. When
your mind begins to think about something else, gently bring it back to
the present moment. You may be amazed at what you notice about yourself
and the world around you.
If
practicing mindfulness anywhere sounds overwhelming, you can start out
practicing it while doing something very specific, like eating. Pick a
single thing to eat—a vegetable, a piece of fruit, or a piece of bread.
Eat it slowly, slowly, and notice everything about the process. How do
you bring the food to your mouth? How does it feel? How does it taste
and smell? Practicing mindfulness meditation while eating is a good way
to hone your mindfulness skills. It is also a way to help overcome
mindless eating.
17. Open Your Mind to Prayer
Prayer
is a focused, concentrated communication, statement of intention, or
opening of the channel between you and divinity, whatever divinity is
for you. A prayer can be a request, thanks, worship, or praise to God.
It can be an intention of being thankful directed to the universe. It
can be used to invoke divine power or an attempt to experience divine or
universal energy directly. Many different traditions have many
different modes and types of prayer. Prayer can mean whatever you want
it to mean for you.
18. Practice Prayer
First decide to
whom, to what, or toward whom or what your prayer is addressed. What is
the substance of your prayer? Are you praying for healing for yourself
or someone else? Are you praying for something you want or need?
Are you praying to say thank you for everything you already have?
Once
you have a specific intention in mind, sit or lie quietly in a place
where you are unlikely to be disturbed. Focus your thought on your
prayer and say it, out loud or in your mind. Stay focused on your prayer
and the energy of your prayer. Imagine where it is going. Let your
prayer continue to radiate from your heart toward its intended source.
