How simple can meditation get? Meditation for the modern human “The simplest Meditation technique for everyone anywhere! “ Nothing is more important than our breath, without which we would die in a matter of minutes. Even though nothing is more important to our life than breath, at least 99% of the time we are not even aware of our breath. We are not aware that we are breathing in this essential vital energy. The breaths we take mindfully, as the three we just now took together, have a way of calming us down and cooling down the feverishness of our life and our thoughts. Just to become fully aware of the breath, though very simple, does wonders in terms of grounding us, centering us, and straightening out our priorities in life. Mindfully meditating on our breath is the simplest and the most immediately accessible form of meditation. This mindful breathing is always available to us at any time of day or night. At any time, we can pause for one or two minutes and breathe mindfully. Breathing, in English, is referred to as “respiration,” which implies two complementary movements: inspiration and expiration. During the inspiration, we are filled up and during expiration (or exhalation) we are emptying. This two-way alternation is very important to notice and very instructive. This is like the yin-yang of Chinese philosophy, where the yin is receptivity, and the yang is creativity. During our inhalation we are receptive, we receive inspiration. During the exhalation we breathe out, we become creative, and in the process, we empty ourselves, in, and through our creativity. Breathing in and out, inspiration and expiration, receptivity and creativity. This is the defining dynamic of life. The nature Even the plants and greenery we see outside are breathing in and breathing out. This is not a poetic fancy, but a scientific fact. To live, plants need to absorb carbon dioxide. And these same plants take in the CO2, then breathe out oxygen. We breathe in Oxygen and breathe out CO2. Is this mutual and life-giving complementarity not wonderful? What they breathe in is what we breathe out. And what they breathe out is what we require to breathe in. Should we not be more mindful in our everyday association with the natural world of the reciprocity by which we give each other life? I am suggesting that sometime during this week, while you are here at the convention, you find time in some
Stress In Women COVID-19 has spread panic throughout the world. We don’t have any idea, how much will we be impacted and when is this pandemic going to end. The uncertainty and ambiguity surrounding the situation make it even more challenging and overwhelming. As we stare into the fear of contracting the disease, unemployment, dwindling economy, starvation, and alcoholism, another public health crisis is gearing up in the background silently, which could be more fatal than coronavirus. The social and economic meltdown will create an atmosphere of uncertainty and panic, which could become the perfect breeding ground for stress, anxiety, depression, addictive behaviours, morbidity, and suicide. Everyone is having a hard time coping with this unprecedented situation. But the surprising fact is that there is a stark gender gap in how this unhappiness is distributed. Women are having a harder time than their male counterparts, juggling their career and family life. What is stress? Stress is a natural reaction of the body to any immediate threat or difficult situation. Stress response was honed as a homeostatic tool in our ancestors to make them more attentive towards a predator or impending danger. But nowadays, our challenges are emotional and psychological threats rather than physical ones, like a looming deadline or workplace competition. This may prove positive in some cases, by motivating us or sharpening our senses, but prolonged stress can have negative effects like increased heart rate, fluctuating blood pressure, rise in muscle tension, increased susceptibility to develop anxiety and depression which can deeply impact our health, mood, performance, and wellbeing. Effects of stress on women While stress can cause physical and psychological symptoms in both men and women alike, the intensity and reaction to stress has a strong relation to gender. Unlike men who have a “fight or flight reaction” to stress, with emotions ranging from rage, recklessness, and anger, women have a “tend and befriend” appxroach which is more apt for negotiating. The exact mechanism of this is not known, but the difference in brain and hormone levels is a possible cause of these exclusive reactions in women. The stress hormones produced in men are cortisol and adrenaline, whilst in women, in addition to these two, oxytocin, a hormone that promotes bonding, is secreted. This causes women to seek social support and try to reason out why they are feeling stressed, while men tend to withdraw socially and exhibit signs of rage and anger. But why
Stress In Children Children and adolescents might feel stressed and anxious owing to fear surrounding COVID-19 and isolation due to social distancing. Parents need to devise methods tailored and customised according to a child’s age and needs to help them overcome this stressful situation. The COVID-19 situation and ensuing social distancing are gravely affecting children and adolescents as they are forced to stay at home, away from school and friends. Parents are worried about how to manage and nurture the needs of growing kids and how much the current situation is going to affect them, as they are living in almost a hostage like situation, locked in their homes. Early years of life are significant and providing a stable and nurturing environment is essential as the brain is undergoing rapid development. The social isolation and lack of interaction with their peers in their formative years can lead to a multitude of social and behavioural adversities in children. In order to be safe and keep others safe, we are practicing social distancing, but this means that kids are losing out on very important relationships in their life: their friends and teachers who can help them cope with the stress of this crisis. Stress disrupts aspects of brain development that regulate emotional and cognitive processes and promote normal social relationships. Adolescents on the other hand are in a crucial developmental stage where they are highly vulnerable to many psychological dysfunctions. What Is Stress? Stress is a normal reaction to a difficult situation or a physical danger. The human body releases stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol into the bloodstream, speeding up blood pressure, heart rate, and metabolism. This helps in preparing a person to act quickly under a critical condition. However, when stress continues for a longer period of time, it can produce long term physical and psychological impairment, and this becomes increasingly concerning in case of kids and teens as they are in the formative years and these negative emotions might sow the seeds of future mental disorders like anxiety and depression in them. Stress In Kids Kids may not fully comprehend the economic and health impact that COVID-19 is going to have, but they notice that their parents are stressed and get worried themselves. Toddlers and preschoolers cannot express their feelings clearly, but instead exhibit physical symptoms of stress, like abdominal pain, tantrums, and bedwetting. Reactions like this which are different than the kid’s typical conduct indicate
Stress In Men Stress does not discriminate, but how we react to and manage stress is inextricably related to gender. It is astounding that a lot of men are not vocal about their struggles unlike women due to stigma and cultural beliefs that men are stronger than women. Men thus tend to suppress their emotions resulting in ineffective coping, anger issues, and substance abuse. They tend to convert stereotypically female emotions of feeling sadness and fear into more masculine emotions of anger and rage. As men are less likely to report emotional and physical symptoms of stress, they find it more difficult to manage stress than women, taking a more masked approach. Men don’t show when they are feeling stressed, but their stress-activated hormones spikes higher than women’s. As men are more prone to bottling their emotions, hidden stress might reveal itself in the form of anger and violence, as anger helps them cope with the unprecedented situation. Men tend to adopt a “fight or flight response”, where they ignore the perspective of others, while women try to reason out why they are feeling stressed. The year 2020 began as any other new year would: with our celebrations, resolutions…but as we are halfway into 2020, we all know for now that it is far from a normal year. What began with reports of some strange cases of viral pneumonia in China, rapidly spread all over the world, completely altering the way we led our lives. We are seeing derailing careers, shattering finances, and upending social lives which along with the fear of contracting the virus is giving rise to an equally deadly but silent pandemic: stress and depression. Humans are social creatures, and we crave to stay connected with others. We have been evolved to feel safest in groups and as a result, physical isolation is comprehended by our mind as a physical state of emergency. Social distancing and stay at home orders have snatched our sense of belonging and love, and both physical and mental well being get seriously compromised in such an uncertain and ambiguous situation, especially in those who have existing psychological conditions. Social isolation and loneliness can lead to an increase in stress, depression and substance abuse, which can have profound effects on physical and psychological health. What Is Stress? Stress is a normal physiological response to an abnormal situation. It enables our body to adapt and equip ourselves to the difficult
Stress And Anxiety : How Ayurveda Can Help Stress and anxiety are two emotions that have the power to sabotage our confidence and make our simple day to day activities overwhelming. Learn how to cope with your fears and uncertainties to protect and reclaim your lost vitality and well being.We are leading a busy life. Technology, workplace pressure, and career goals have made us so immersed in our professional life, that we hardly find time to pause and think about ourselves. Unless the situation becomes out of control, we never pay attention to how much we are exhausting ourselves. Everyone experiences stress and anxiety at some point in life. Although used interchangeably, there is a strong connection and overlap between these two emotions. Broadly speaking, stress is a response to a difficult situation, and anxiety is a reaction to stress. They are a part of human life and are not always bad. Feeling worried about a job interview you are about to face or getting tensed to take an examination; these emotions are temporary, keeping us on our toes, helping us overcome a situation, and even motivate us to be more responsible. But when these emotions become persistent, uncontrollable or, begin to interfere with multiple aspects of our normal day to day activities, it is time to address the situation and seek help. The Science Of Stress Stress is a normal fight or flight response to a challenge, while anxiety is excessive fear which manifests behaviourally in anticipation of a physical, emotional, real, or perceived threat. It is completely normal to feel stressed and anxious in uneasy situations: it ensures that we are ready and alert to deal with any imminent danger. When we face any danger or challenge, the hypothalamus, a small region at the base of the brain sends signals to adrenal glands, which releases hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones cause an increase in the heart rate, boost energy supply, and elevate blood pressure at the same time sharpening our senses. It is a very primitive homeostatic mechanism; which helped our ancestors to protect themselves from potential danger or predators. However, in the modern era, our threats are less physical and more psychological like the pressure to perform or coping with a difficult situation.The stress response is self-limiting and once the danger has ended hormone levels return to normal. But if you are constantly dealing with a difficult situation, you