Health & Travel - Learn to Relax Your Mind for a Happy & Healthy You, Pt 1

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Mental/emotional & physical health are intertwined. Unhealthy & poor mental health WILL decrease physical health, and vice-versa.

Relaxed & Happy Mind - Benefits for the Mind

1. A relaxed, happy, and healthy mind is less affected by stress & feels more fulfilled.

2. The mind has better focus & is able to make better decisions.

3. It can receive new information without getting stressed or frustrated.

4. A relaxed mind is more creative. optimistic, and self-confident.

5. Relaxing your mind helps lower anxiety, adrenalin, and lower the harmful cortisol hormone levels.

6. A relaxed mind slows the high intensity brain waves which keep us from thinking clearly.

7. It has more energy & productivity is increased.

8. A stressed, frantic & worrying mind can lower your life expectancy.

9. A relaxed mind keeps your body in a state of peacefulness, which gives you more self-control to remain calm in difficult situations.

10. It remains flexible to change, doesn't get over emotional, and trusts in it's own decision making judgments.

Relaxed & Happy Mind - Benefits for the Body

• Slower heart rate & breathing rate.

• Lower blood pressure.

• Less muscle tension & chronic pain.

• Better digestion.

• Better blood sugar levels.

• Less stress, anger & frustration.

• Increased blood flow to muscles.

• Better sleep & happier mood.

• It improves overall health & wellness.

Learn to Relax Mind & Body

Visualize - When you feel stress/anxiety creeping in, go somewhere quiet & visualize your happy place. Think of a place or activity that is calming & enjoyable. Remember what it smells & sounds like.

Example: life fades away as you listen to the swoosh of cross-country skis over glistening snow thru a still forest. Or, sit at an empty beach as you listen to the gentle lull of the waves, feeling sleepy as the sun warms your face. Breathe deeply & slowly as your heartbeat calms. Soon, you'll also feel your body relax.

Breathing - You can incorporate deep breathing into several other exercises for a deeper relax. Try the 4-2-6 method breathing in thru the nose, and out thru the mouth. Inhale slowly for 4 seconds, filling your rib cage & belly with oxygen. Hold your breath for 2 seconds. Now exhale slowly for 6 seconds.

This helps your mind stop racing & slow down, usually followed by a slower heart rate. If you don't like this breathing method - google other breathing exercises. This really works, and you can do it ANYWHERE.

Muscle Tension - Lay down somewhere quiet. Begin by focusing on your toes & tense them for 5 seconds. Then release. Next, tense the calves & release. Work your way up to the thighs to the head.

Don't forget to breathe deeply - see below. With a little practice, you'll recognize a "tensed" state vs. a "relaxed" state. When you start to tense, getting stressed or anxious - take action. Personally for muscle tension, I prefer a massage - See Learn to Relax, Part 2.

Don't forget Part 2 - amazing ways to relax your mind.

Massage Therapy

There are 4 types of massage + foot reflexology that are super beneficial.

• Swedish Massage - more gentle & soothing that helps release stress & muscle tension while improving relaxation & circulation.

• Hot Stone Message - successful at reducing stress & promoting relaxation. Hot stones are used in the massage providing healing benefits while relieving tension.

• Aromatherapy Massage - adds the powerful punch of essential oils which have therapeutic & healing properties like reducing stress/anxiety & pain, and promoting relaxation & better sleep, etc.

• Deep Tissue Massage - effective at stress relief & relaxation. It goes deep into the tissue/muscle to release tension and knots & is great for chronic pain or tension. However, some find they don't like the the depth & hardness of pressure.

• Foot reflexology - I've found this helps with overall relaxation. It also helps specific parts of my body depending on the what points of the foot are massaged. This is amazing & has helped me release stress & tension, with an experienced reflexologist.

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