Meditation

Meditation isn't just the practice of letting go of thoughts, but also it is a valuable tool for letting go of stress in all of its forms.

The Art of No Thought

If you were to sit down right now and try not to think, it would be pretty difficult. Even if you wanted to let go of all of the stress in your life, that doesn't mean your stress necessarily wants to get rid of you. In fact, stress seems to grow all the more voracious as you try to let it fall away. With meditation, you can wrangle your stress (in a calm and peaceful way, of course) to the floor and finally show it who's boss. But it takes practice to be without your thoughts on an everyday basis - lots of practice. You might find thoughts still try to creep into your mind, but it's up to you to kick them to the curb. In a loving and compassionate way.

Choosing to Let Go

You can choose to let go of your thoughts. Right now, you can stop what you're doing, close your eyes and begin to let go of the things that are rattling around in your brain. Once you do this, you will find you have more energy for other things in your life, including work, your love life, and even your dog. Choosing to let go does take work, however. Meditation usually begins with a series of mistakes. You think about something and then you try again. You start thinking about something else and then you try again. Clearing your mind is no easy task. But just like a muscle that gets stronger the more you exercise it, the more you practice keeping your mind empty, the easier it gets.

Here are some tips to ensure you can keep your brain clear of thoughts:

• Focus on soothing instrumental music - This will help to keep your brain from thinking about things. Just focus on the music and each time you have a thought, try to push it away.
• Focus on your breathing - When you want to have your mind clear, try focusing on your breath. You can even count your breaths in and out, so long as you don't let your thoughts go any further than that.
• Use a meditation tape or CD - Some guided meditations might be easier for people to use as they allow for you to listen to someone else and leave your thoughts at the door and out of the practice.

Slowly and surely, you will find you can go from five minutes a day of meditation to thirty minutes, and even more if you have the time to spare.

Healthy Benefits of Meditation Practices

So, what's in it for you? Besides having your brain be cleared of thoughts, you will also find that you are able to feel better in other parts of your life. Meditation has been linked to these health benefits:

• Lower blood pressure.
• Lower anxiety levels.
• Decreased weight.
• Improved immune system.
• Reduced risk of injury.
• Reduction of aches and pains.

When you empty your mind, it seems, you can also make your body feel more energetic and youthful than it has in years. In doing so, you will be able to create a healthy new life and beat stress to a pulp.

Peacefully and compassionately, of course.