Speed and convenience are among the benefits that the age of information and technology has brought us.  But these benefits don’t come easy as it created a need for quick results.  It has also diminished our attention spans as well as our patience and tolerance for small delays.

These are some of the major causes of stress and people are looking for ways to counter it.

Relaxing the body and mind is the only way to get away from stress and tension.  There are lots of methods to relax, but one of the most effective of these is meditation.

Many people want to consider meditation to relax, but most of them think that it is difficult to do.  But contrary to what many people believe, meditation is not very difficult, and it only requires one to focus fully on a specific relaxing factor for a sustained period of time.  This makes you divert your mind from thinking stressful thoughts to envisioning relaxing mental scenes.

This gives your mind the time to recuperate from stress.  As you know, stress is one of the major contributors of depression, anxiety, and some forms of illnesses such as hypertension and heart problems.

Meditation helps to decrease blood pressure, reduce heart rate, improve circulation and increase the body’s oxygen supply which translates to better concentration and reduced tension of the muscles.

Another plus factor of meditation is that it doesn’t need much time to perform.  You can actually do meditation even if you only have 15 to 30 minutes time.  But you have to bring your mind to a meditative state.

To help you reach that state, this article would like to tell you of certain exercises that can help to make you ready for meditation.  Here they are:

1. With clinched fists, tightened leg muscles, clenched jaws and shut eyes, pull your forearms firmly against your upper arms and stay in that position while you breathe deeply.  Hold your breath for about five seconds then make a gradual release while slowly relaxing your muscles.  Feel the sensation as the tension slowly departs from your body.

2. Now, shift your attention to your legs and feel it getting heavier and warmer.  Imagine that the warmth of your legs has made its way to your body as it relaxes and becomes warmer.  But you should also think that it has made your forehead cooler and more calmer.  Breathe normally this time and imagine that the heaviness and warmth is slowly engulfing your entire body.

3. Close your eyes and imagine that you are staying in your favorite relaxing place.  This is the place that can give peace and solace to your body, mind and soul.  Focus on that place for as long as you want.  Feel the calmness that has gotten into you as you envision these thoughts.  Stay in this state a bit more and feel your tensions overwhelmed by your thoughts of serenity.

These are some of the exercises that can help to take you to a meditative state.  Use them to find freedom from stress and to achieve a peaceful mind.