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Sitting in the library last week I was reading through some magazines. The 'special' magazines that you can't borrow. You have to sit there, in the quiet air conditioned comfort and read them. Pure luxury.
I came across an article in a Yoga magazine. It was the story of a man who was stressed to the eyeballs and suffered a nervous breakdown. With encouragement from his wife he enrolled in a yoga class to learn to breath and relax.
He had a list of things that he believes reduce stress and create energy in our lives. The list was so wonderful that I had to pull out a little notebook and scribble it down.
The things I liked from the list were as follows:
Cultivate......
- moderation
-balance
-poise
- calmness
- composure
- equanimity
- honesty
- discipline
- non-violence
- joy
- integrity
- fairness
- simplicity
- gratitude
- patience
- generosity
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* Monitor your sensory input - it impacts on you mentally and emotionally. Turn off noise, turn on music that is calming, soothing and uplifting.
*get outside and soak up the benefits of fresh air, nature, sunsets, breezes
*practice yoga and meditation
* set goals for health and life
* know yourself - consider your strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes and character traits before agreeing to do anything.
* increase your joy - do things that bring you enjoyment because it increases your serotonin levels.
*Cultivate gratitude - compared to others in this world we live a life full of abundance
* Use incense and aromatherapy to stimulate the senses
* Balance is the key: have interests in many areas - sport, leisure, family, community. Take up hobbies and external interests that prevent dwelling on the self.