Relax In Just 15 Minutes Part 2
( 30 minutes a day – 15 minutes at each end )
The health benefits of meditation have been known for centuries. By calming down, concentrating on their breathing and focussing the mind as well as the body, practitioners have known that this helps tremendously with the reduction of anxiety, stress, depression and high blood pressure.
Confucius was a big fan, as was Aristotle. Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and many Asian and Eastern religions have practiced meditation for ever. Even the prayers within many flavours of Western Christianity can be seen as versions of meditation.
Different cultures have independently known about the calming effects of music for thousands of years. Native American flutes, Ancient Egyptian, Medieval Irish and European harps, Incan and Mayan pan pipes, all predate the traditional instrumentation used in calming music today.
Can you fit just 15 minutes into your busy routine just for you ? Of course you can ! You probably commit 23 and a half hours each day to everyone else in your life already, so 15 minutes twice a day for yourself is not a lot to ask.
Listening to calming music for 15 minutes, preferably with your eyes closed, is easily done. You can do it:
- Immediately after breakfast before leaving the house for the day,
- On the train during your morning commute,
- In the car park once you have arrived at work, or the shopping centre, or the school after saying goodbye to your children (NOTE: do NOT attempt this while driving, or operating heavy machine, or where you need full control and awareness of your mind and body !!)
- At morning tea time – at your desk, in the staff room or a meeting room, in the local park, in yours or someone else’s lounge room,
- At lunch time – instead of concentrating on your breathing, try closing your eyes and concentrate on your chewing.
- When things get particularly tense or stressful – after a big meeting, after an argument or unpleasant discussion or incident,
- At afternoon tea time, sitting in the food court at your local shopping centre or local library,
- Immediately upon arriving home from work – come inside, change your clothes, put on your slippers and sit down with your MP3 player or stereo system,
- After dinner, after washing the dishes, sit down and play some calming music,
- With your children (of all ages) as you put them to bed and say goodnight – share the experience in their bedrooms by sitting or lying on their beds with them, not talking, just listening together.
- As part of your bed time routine – clean teeth, wash face, listen to calming music, go to sleep.
Just 30 minutes a day is all it takes to help you feel calm and relaxed. Calming music can be used as a relaxation tool to help you feel better within yourself, within your mind and within your body.
Why not make the commitment to listen to calming music for 30 minutes each day for a fortnight and see how you feel ? It certainly won’t hurt and maybe, just maybe, you might just be surprised as to the resulting benefits of calming music.
Thanks,
Matthew
CalmingMusicWeekly.com
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