Natural Stress Relievers - Yoga & Reiki

In our fast paced modern world, it seems more and more people are suffering from stress, anxiety, anger, and constant streams of endless thoughts.  Sometimes it can be hard to get rid of these nagging emotions. We either don't know how to, so we ignore it & carry on by escaping via excessive use of television and games, or we may turn to alcohol & drugs - leaving negative & stagnant energy in our body resulting in illness.

One simple way of ridding blocked or built up energy in our body, and clearing our mind of thoughts is by taking part in Yoga, or gentle stretching. It's a natural alternative, and it can be done in your own home or backyard.  You don't need to follow any specific guidelines, rather, go with your intuition and listen to what your body wants. It doesn't matter how you stretch, or what part of your body you choose to focus on, just make sure that you feel the release of pent up energy with every movement or position, and that you feel relaxed and calm. Don't rush yourself, as that will only add to any existing pressure and stress. I personally find it more beneficial to hold each stretching position for as long as possible, until I naturally feel ready to move on.

Another great alternative which I like to incorporate into my stretching is Reiki. Once you are done stretching your body, feel free to lay down and focus on your breath. Using your hands, place them over a part of your body that you feel drawn to, and visualise white healing light coming in through the top of your head and out through your hands. You can rest them gently on your body, or hold your hands slightly above your body - whatever feels comfortable and natural.
What this does is not only calm your mind and slow your thoughts, but it also removes energy blocks by inducing a deep state of relaxation, which triggers the body's own natural ability to heal itself.

I find that meditation is often a natural progression once I have stretched and relaxed, so a person will often end with a deep feeling of stillness, serenity, appreciation and gratefulness. This means that Ego has well and truly disappeared, and you are enjoying simply just "being" - how your life should be experienced.

There are no time frames... you can stretch & relax yourself for 2 minutes or 1 hour +.  The longer the better, of course.

All that we seek is within ourselves. When our thoughts are made absent, when we are still, centered, calm and present - this is what it means to be "at one" with oneself. This is how life should be experienced. We are powerful and limitless beyond measure ♥