Mango Peach Smoothie

Umm!

Bountiful, Beautiful, Blissful

Bountiful, Beautiful, Blissful: Experience the Natural Power of Pregnancy and Birth with Kundalini Yoga and Meditation

By Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa 

How to Relax Your Mind

5 Steps to Unwind and Find Clarity in Your Head


In today’s world, it’s hard to avoid feeling stressed. Life is fast-paced, and it’s more important than ever to slow down and make time for yourself. Relaxation techniques can make you feel calmer, happier and more productive. Try these five easy steps to relax your mind and improve your mental well-being.

Step 1: Find a relaxing space

Before you start to relax, it’s important to choose the right environment — a place perfectly tuned to your unique needs. Turn off your phone, step away from your computer and commit to relaxing in your favorite quiet space. Some people like to relax outside, but your relaxation zone can simply be a room or corner in your house. You might want to listen to gentle music while others prefer only the sound of the natural world.

Step 2: Get comfortable

It’s important to feel physically comfortable before your mind can truly relax. If you know yoga, the Lotus Pose is an excellent relaxation position, but if you’re not feeling too flexible, just sit on the floor or on a chair with your back straight and your hands on your thighs. Don’t let your body slump or slouch; you should feel comfortable, poised and in control.

Step 3: Concentrate on your breathing

Even small changes to how you breathe can be really useful in mental relaxation.

• Sitting in your comfort position, breathe in slowly from the abdomen.

• As you breathe in, you should feel your abdomen expand as your lungs fill up with air from the bottom to the top.

• Inhale as much as you can without feeling too full, then push the air all the way out and repeat.

Step 4: Clear your mind

It’s important to clear your mind of all worries and background noise. Some people like to repeat words or phrases in their mind. But if mantras don’t appeal to you, just concentrating on your breathing will have the same relaxing effect.

Step 5: Try a yoga routine

Once you’ve had some practice at relaxation and can bring yourself easily into a relaxed state, you might like to try a gentle yoga routine. If you avoid vigorous poses, then a short yoga routine can improve your deep breathing and help push the stress out of your mind. Just remember that mind relaxation, like everything else, takes some practice, but if you take it slow and think positively, you’ll be well on your way to restoring your inner peace.

This post is a snippet of the original post written by E.C. LaMeaux for blog.gaiam.com.

A Moment's Peace

A Moments Peace for Mothers: A Mom's Guide to Creating Calm in the Midst of Chaos

By Elizabeth Irvine

Visit the Spa- From Home

Ahh, the feeling you have after a decadent spa visit. 

Soft, supple skin, a healthy glow, and a refreshed, positive outlook. Although nothing really compares to leaving the work to the professionals, the popularity of the spa experience has led to the creation of several indulgent home spa products, enabling you to recreate some of the tempting treats you've experienced at spas nationwide. Taking time for yourself is one of the best things you can do to restore, rejuvenate, and heal. Here is an at-home spa ritual you can recreate anytime you'd like. If you don't have the time to do it all at once, savor it over the next several days, it's like a mini spa vacation!

Set the mood: Choose at least an hour of time during your day where you won't be distracted by work or the needs of your family. Light some candles and find some reading material if you think you will like something to do while your treatments set. (You will need to be in the bathroom, so grab plenty of towels and lock the door.)

To stimulate your circulation, use a loofah or a long-handled brush to dry brush your body. Your strokes should move toward your heart in long, fluid motions. Take a nice warm shower to dampen your skin, wash your hair, and relax your mind and body. Towel-dry your body and hair and put on your robe. Liberally apply a deep conditioning hair masque to clean, damp hair. This treatment restores moisture to dry, damaged, or color-treated hair. While your hair masque sets, apply a face masque to your damp face and neck with your fingertips; use a gentle circular motion and avoid your eye area. Use a hydrating masque that is rich in minerals.

Time to relax. Spend the next ten minutes savoring the peace and quiet of your home spa experience. Take another warm shower, rinse the hair masque completely from your hair and gently remove the face masque with a washcloth. While showering, liberally apply a body polish, concentrating on any rough spots on your heels, elbows, and knees. When you're finished showering, apply an oil or creme to your damp skin. The oil will soften your skin and some can even be used on dry hair to add shine and moisture. End your treatment with a cup of tea or water and take a deep breath. When you're finished, be sure to mark your calendar for your next at-home spa appointment.

The original and full post was taken from HealingLifestyles.com. It's entitled Beauty Reivews: The Feeling After the Spa Visit