Dr Oz Recommends Daily Meditation for Beating Stress
When Dr Oz presented his anti-ageing shows on Oprah he emphatically stated that stress is the number one contributing factor in ageing.
Stress happens when we have too much incoming information. In response, we get overwhelmed as our body starts pumping adrenaline and our brain feels set to blow a fuse. One of the problems with overload in our busy lives is that we book isolated breaks here and there, like a two week holiday in the summer, and think that it will help us rest and get back on track. In reality, our bodies and minds need a mini break every day.
The simplest way to get that break is to use the body's natural built-in antidote to stress - meditation. Dr Oz told his audience "Meditation is essential. It allows you to focus on reality and knock off the small stuff that can literally strip decades off your life."
Developing a daily meditation practice, even if it's just for 10 minutes a day, is a powerful aid in stress reduction because it stops stress building to the point where it can cause harm.
If you find the idea of learning meditation daunting Dr Oz recommends trying a meditative activity like Qigong. Breathing with awareness is another easy way to tap into the benefits of meditation without having to learn something that seems unfamiliar or hard to attain, such as sitting in silence and trying to blank your mind for long periods of time.
Dr Oz also recommended meditation practices that use a prolonged "mmm" sound, explaining that this sound causes a vibration in the head that stimmulates the release of nitric oxide (an aging nuero transmitter) from the sinuses.
Ayurveda offers two very soothing and simple ways to do this. One is to chant the mantra om slowly and meditatively, and the other is to learn a simple breath control exercise (pranayama) to generate a sound that is like a humming bee to soothe the mind and nervous system.
Ayurvedic teacher Dr Vasant Lad explains that this particular pranayama exercise also stimulates the pineal gland to boost seratonin production and has an overall positive effect on the endocrine system and hormonal balance.
Related resources:
Find out how to do Brahmari humming bee pranayama in this podcast on Anxiety Slayer: Anxiety Breathing technique: The Bumble Bee Breath
The Beautiful Calm Guided Meditation Collection - quick and easy step-by-step exercises in qigong, breathing meditations and more
A meditative recording of the sacred mantra om, chant along, or simply listen for a deeply relaxing and contemplative experience.
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