One effective stress-relief strategy is meditation: It’s free, it can be done almost anywhere at any time, and you don’t need any special equipment to practice. “Meditation teaches us focused concentration — and the more you do it, the easier it gets,” says Frank Lipman, M.D., holistic physician and creator of our Stress Relief Action Plan. The exercise below is adapted from Lipman’s book “Revive: Stop Feeling Spent and Start Living Again” (Fireside; 2009).

If taking up meditation seems daunting, however, start with devoting just 15 minutes a day to this beginner-friendly technique. Once you’ve made it a habit, deepen your practice with the additional technique below.

1.  Set your Singing Bowl Gong Timer (Now & Zen, $199.95)  for 15 minutes.  Sit in a chair and allow your body to settle.

2.  Slowly scan your body from toe to head, noticing where you feel tight.

3.  Bring your attention to your breathing, inhaling and exhaling through the nose but never forcing your breath. Keep your mouth softly closed, your jaw relaxed.

4.  Become more and more sensitive to your breath, in tune with where your body moves (and doesn’t move) on the inhale and exhale.

5.  Allow your awareness of your breath to bring ease to your entire body. Imagine your body moving toward the earth, fully supported.

6.  Continue observing your breath moving in and out of your body.

7.  At the end of the 15 minutes when you hear the gentle chime from your Zen Timer, breathe deeply three times, allowing the inhale to move down to your toes and the exhale to move up and out of the tops of your shoulders. Pause and then open your eyes.

adapted from Body + Soul, January/February 2010

Now & Zen’s Singing Bowl Gong Timer Store

1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

Posted in intention, Meditation Timers, Meditation Tools, mindfulness practice