A Recipe for Healthy Living

Calm your mind

Another way to stay connected is to know how to fully connect to yourself. Try this simple exercise to calm your mind, reduce stress, and return to what the 13th century Persian poet Rumi describes as the "root of the root of your own being."

Take a deep breath to a count of 10, at the same time consciously creating the sensation that your breath is being pulled up from the earth through your feet to the top of your head. Then exhale just as slowly, this time feeling your breath whoosh out of you through your fingertips and toes. If you can’t make it to 10, don’t worry, just take slow, deep inhalations and equally slow exhalations. With each breath, visualize that you are an ocean wave, coming in, going out. You can also add affirmations to the visuals—inhale�?I take in love," exhale�?I let go of stress." Such exercises will help release you from the monologue that’s gotten stuck in your mind and connect you to what will ultimately take you deeper into your heart.

From: The Alternative Medicine E-Newsletter | Week of Thursday October 11, 2006