The first thing you will need is some music which gets you shaking. Osho produces a Shaking Meditation CD, however you can find anything that will get you actively moving. If desired,  listen to the sampler and locate music with a similar instrumental beat. Next, find a safe place to shake away your stress. Since you will be moving about, you’ll need to locate a setting where you won’t inadvertently knock something over, or bump into something while you shake.

Now you’re ready to relieve that stress.

Step 1: Start Shaking! Shake your arms, your wrists, your fingers, your legs, your gluts and anything else you can get moving. You’ll want to put your entire muscle strength into the process. Vigorously shake your entire body for a total of 15 minutes.

Step 2: Slow it down.Now that you’ve just shaken your body, you’re heart rate will be elevated and it’s time to bring it down into a healthier range. Put on some music that you like to groove to and twirl, dance, move about. This isn’t designed to be a vigorous activity, so you’ll want to select music that is somewhere in-between making you want to jump and shout, or fall asleep. Gently move for another 10-15 minutes.

Step 3: Lie down and relax. Let your body rest while lying on your back. Close your eyes and practice deep diaphragmatic breathing. This is the time to allow your body to take in the feeling of calm. There is no time limit to this part of the exercise. Just be in the moment and enjoy the state if relaxation brought on by movement.

This mediation may also be done with your friends, spouse or partner. However, I often recommend that you close your eyes while engaging in a shaking meditation as it can look or feel really silly (for some of us). 

Gives new meaning to the phrase, “shake, rattle and roll.”

Our brains are wired to take cues on how to feel from our thoughts. Positive, upbeat people have learned this key principle . . . keep negative thinking on the down low.

To do this, it take s a bit of practice. Here’s a simple exercise to help lift you “UP” during down times.

• First, make a list of all the negative thoughts which have been bothering you.
• Second, counter these thoughts with a positive affirmations.

Here’s an example:

• Negative thought – I’m never going to have enough money to pay my bills.
• Positive affirmation- I have all Ineed.
• Negative thought – I feel so stressed, I can’t do it all.
• Positive affirmation – I feel calm, and everything is as it should be.

By taking control of our negative thinking, we can feel, look and become happier.

Best of all, it doesn’t cost a thing!

Step 1: Visualize and actually think about something that makes you anxious

Step 2: Once the symptoms begin to appear, stay with the symptoms, do not run away from them, or try to minimize them, instead, work at keeping the anxiety going.

Step 3: Don’t give in to your first desire (this may be to flee, distract yourself, avoid the situation, stay close to someone, or seek reassurance). What I mean by desire, is the coping mechanism that you resort to when you want to reduce the anxiety. Rather, just allow yourself to feel the anxiety. Stay with it. Examine it. Notice it. Let it be present and accept it without judgement. Picture anxiety like the ocean tides. It washes over you, bathing you in emotion, then retreats where it once came from.

Step 4: Repeat steps 1-3 over an over again in a variety of situations and environments. Mastery is achieved through repetition.

Research has shown that it is possible to unlearn anxiety patterns. Facing and experiencing the anxiety without resorting to previously utilized coping skills breaks down the mental and physical patterns associated with chronic anxiety. Give yourself the opportunity to discover that although you may be fearful of a given situation, oftentimes, it is our fear that’s worse than any perceived outcome.

Autogenics involves getting into a comfortable position while performing a series of visualizations which assist the body in creating a state of heaviness and warmth thereby inducing relaxation. Sessions last aproximately 15 minutes and should be practiced frequently in order to master the technique.

An autogenic session is typically started with a series of breathing exercises. It is then followed by a series of visualizations:

• Heaviness (of each arm, both arms, each leg, both legs, both arms and legs)
  • My right arm is feeling heavy (repeat 6 times)
  • My right arm is getting heavier (repeat 6 times)
  • My right arm is heavy (repeat 6 times)
  • I feel calm
• Warmth (of each arm, both arms, each leg, both legs, both arms and legs)
  • My right arm is feeling warm (repeat 6 times)
  • My right arm is getting warmer (repeat 6 times)
  • My right arm is warm (repeat 6 times)
  • I feel calm

Eventually the participant incorporates warming and calming the heart, breathing, and seeing the stomach as soft and warm. A session eventually ends with visualizing the forehead as becoming cool and calm. As each step is mastered, the phases of autogenics become automatic and the participant is able to experience an increased feeling of relaxation.

While autogenics is simple and easy to learn, true mastery comes with daily practice.

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References:

Wolkowitz, OM., Reus, VI., Keebler, A. et al (1999). “Double-blind treatment of major depression with dehydroepiandrosterone”. The American journal of psychiatry 156 (4): 646-9. PMID 10200751.

Schmidt, PJ., Daly, RC., Bloch, M., et al (2005). “Dehydroepiandrosterone monotherapy in midlife-onset major and minor depression”. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 62 (2): 154-62. DOI:10.1001/archpsyc.62.2.154. PMID 15699292.

• How productive was the worry?
• How did this behavior change the outcome?
• Did you notice how your body felt?

Worrying about events does not change them, but it does oftentimes increase the level of stress and tension held in the body. 

A few suggestions for worrying with purpose are included here:

1. Set aside a specific time frame each day and call it your “worry time.” During this time you are free to worry, but only during the aloted time. Once the time is up, so is the worry. The entire rest of the day is “off limits” for worrying behaviors.
2. Keep a daily worry journal. Record your worries rather than worrying about them. In the book ”No More Anxiety: Be your own anxiety coach, by Gladeana McMahon, she suggests that you divide a journal of this type into four columns; a) things that might happen, b) things that have happened, c) insignificant things, and d) important things. This offers a way for you to maintain a balanced perspective of those items that may be troubling you

Keep in mind, the most effective way to resolve an issue is to take control and find a solution.  By reducing and limiting the time you spend worrying, you’ll open up space in your life to actually address the worrisome problem.

Less worry =less stress+less anxiety+more energy+happier relationships