healthy you
Touching is perhaps the most relaxing of
all human activities. Use your own hands
or recruit those of a willing partner.
I
' J
I TEMPER YOUR TEMPER
We’ve all been there.
Something or someone sets
you off, tempers flare, arguing begins,
and nobody listens to the other side.
You can make a choice: Raise your
voice or step back and calm yourself
before you react. Dr. Howard votes
for the latter. Anger is stressful and
usually unproductive. So the next
time you’re feeling super steamed,
try a technique based on one from
The Institute ofHeartMath, a group
that studies stress reduction. Step
back and disengage from the
situation. Stop talking. Put your hand
on your heart (if this would look silly
in a workplace or similar setting, just
do it in your mind) and breathe
consciously and deeply. Take a few
moments to conjure up a memory of
something you appreciated. “Maybe
it’s the sunset you watched last night
or a positive interaction with a loved
one,” says Howard.
Now ask yourself,
What can I do to
change this situation?
With a calm
mind and peaceful approach, do
what seems right. You’ll most likely
find that both of you will settle down
and talk about what happened
instead of hurling accusations.
BREATHE IN LIFE
Have you ever closely
watched babies breathe?
Their chests move, their bellies pop
up, and the front of their bodies rides
like a raft in the waves. The pelvis
rocks and legs separate then come
back together to complete the breath.
“That’s full-body breathing, which is
how we’re supposed to breathe,” says
Bret Lyon, a San Francisco-based
breathing therapist. “The abdomen
pops out on the inhale and again at
the end of the exhale. But most of us
don’t breathe that way.” As we get
older, we tend to breathe shallowly,
in the chest instead of the abdomen
where those breaths should be.
We also have a habit of holding
our breath for seconds at a time, up
to 100 times a day. “Most of the time,
we don’t even know that we’re doing
it,” says Lyon. It’s a learned response
to stress and worry.
Take a 5-minute breathing break
every day to profoundly relax and
reconnect. Here’s how: Sit in a comfy
chair. Close your eyes and take a few
deep, conscious breaths beginning
with the exhale. Don’t try to control
it; just inhale and pause, exhale and
pause. For the next few minutes, it’s
the only thing you have to do. Simple,
powerful, and very healing.
RUB OUT YOUR WORRIES
If you’ve ever rubbed your
head to ease a headache,
you’ve practiced acupressure
without realizing it, says Mark
Derrickson, a master of the Aharata
Inner Power System, a yoga-based
practice. Acupressure is an ancient
healing art. The following three
areas promote relaxation.
Continued on page 212
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JUNE 2008 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
PHOTO: VEER
