If you find yourself anxious or agitated try this simple meditation…
SMILE as you breathe in
LISTEN as you breathe out
PAUSE for a second or two before beginning again
This works to steady the mind and make you feel more relaxed. Here’s why –
When you SMILE you stop using words and your brain is sent a signal that everything is good. You also send a positive signal out into the world.
When you LISTEN you stop thinking, the mind reaches out, hushing the thoughts, trying to hear what’s going on.
When you PAUSE at the end of the exhalation you are effectively lengthening the exhalation which helps us to relax.
The overall effect is to slow down the breathing which stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system also known as the rest and digest system. This undoes the work of the sympathetic nervous system after a stressful situation.
You can read more about the nervous system and how stress works affects us at this website – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasympathetic_nervous_system
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