yoga sitting exercise

Life is stressful, and it’s not unusual to feel fearful or anxious on occasion. A common symptom is the sense that you are “not in your own skin.” This feeling is caused by your energy, or qi, rising up and out of your body, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). In TCM, fear is believed to spring from the kidneys, and anxiety is thought to be a sign of disharmony between the kidneys and the heart. Dantians are the body’s three reservoirs of energy, located between the eyes, the middle of the chest, and below the navel. This simple centering practice creates harmony between the middle and lower dantians, which can keep you calm in times of stress.

This exercise is designed to ground your energy, bringing you back to earth by reconnecting you with your breath and your center, says Shoshanna Katzman, L.Ac., author of “Qigong for Staying Young.” Keep your eyes open throughout the exercise, so you are fully present in your body.

1. Choose a comfortable place to sit, preferably away from other people. Sit up straight and keep feet flat on the floor. Imagine, and feel, your feet being rooted and connected to the earth.

2. Place your hand on your chest (at your middle dantian — one of your body’s three reservoirs of energy, located between the eyes, the middle of the chest, and below the navel) to nourish the energy of the heart, which “houses the mind.” Place your other hand on your belly just below your navel (at your lower dantian) to nourish the energy of the kidneys.

3. Begin taking slow, deep breaths; concentrate on your body expanding and contracting. Visualize your energy sinking lower and lower into your body. Breathing into the lower dantian strengthens kidney energy and helps release fear and anxiety. In doing so, you create more stability, becoming more centered and secure within yourself. Set your Zen Chime Timer for three minutes.  Continue this breathing exercise for one to three minutes.

adapted from Body + Soul, July/August 2005

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The Zen Chime Timer & Clock can serve as a countdown and interval timer for yoga, meditation, bodywork, etc.; and it can also be set to chime on the hour as a tool for “mindfulness.”

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A Stillness Practice for before Bedtime

Tailgaters. Telemarketers. Teenagers. When you can sum up your day that way, it’s easy to respond with a few choice words of your own. Yet losing your cool rarely feels good or reflects your best character. To maintain your center and stay true to yourself, try this technique from David Simon, M.D., medical director and co-founder of the Chopra Center for Well-Being in Carlsbad, Calif.

Every night before bed, take a few minutes to mentally replay your day. This simple process gives you a different perspective on your actions, along with the opportunity to right any wrongs.
* Set your Zen Timer with Chime for 5 to 10 minutes. Sit up in bed with a pillow propped behind you; bend your knees or cross your legs comfortably on the bed.
* Close your eyes and take a few slow, deep breaths. Observing the in-and-out flow of your breath, allow your body to relax and your mind to quiet.
* Let the day’s events unfold. Picture each one from the time you awoke to the present.
* Notice if your body reacts negatively during any part of the process. A churning in your gut or a nervous response may signal something unresolved.
* Reflect on this particular event and ask yourself if you acted correctly. If anything feels unsettled, note it in a journal with the intention of addressing it the next day.

Revisiting unresolved issues offers you a second chance to do the right thing, Simon says. Maybe a disparaging remark was said about someone you like and respect, but you didn’t speak up at the time. Now you can tell the person who made the remark why such talk makes you uncomfortable.

Over time, annoyances like traffic jams will seem less significant and stressful. “You’ll be able to stay centered and balanced as you encounter the ups and downs of life,” Simon observes. Even better, this nightly evaluation will make you more aware of your goals and how they relate to day-to-day activities. “It will help you honor the person you want to be in the world,” he says.

adapted from Natural Health Magazine by Sarah D. Smith

The Zen Timer & Alarm Clock with Chime serves as a countdown and interval timer for yoga, meditation, bodywork, etc.; and it can also be set to chime on the hour as a tool for “mindfulness.”

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