Life in a busy and stressful world.

By Eyn C. Fessenden LMT owner of Eynsmassage

DATED 

In today’s world there are so many things to cause that STRESS, we need everything we can to relax. So here’s some helpful ideas for your busy schedule.

One Can you can do is meditate

10 reasons to meditate

“It clears and sharpens my mind so I can be kind to myself and useful to others. Most important, it creates a buffer between me and reactivity.”

— Philippe Goldin

Research has documented many health benefits of regular meditation:

1 Reduced stress: Meditation may decrease stress. It also can improve symptoms of stress-related conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder and fibromyalgia.

2 Improved memory: Better focus through regular meditation may increase memory and mental clarity. These benefits can help fight age-related memory loss and dementia.

3 Increased attention: Meditation helps with attention span.

4 Enhanced will power: Meditation develops the mental discipline needed to avoid bad habits.

5 Better sleep: Meditation can shorten the time it takes to fall asleep and improve sleep quality.

6 Less pain: Meditation can reduce pain and boost emotion regulation. Together with medical care, this may help treat chronic pain.

7 Lower blood pressure: Blood pressure decreases during meditation and over time in people who meditate regularly. This can reduce strain on the heart and blood vessels and help prevent heart disease.

8 Less anxiety: Regular meditation helps reduce anxiety and related mental health issues like social anxiety, fears and obsessive-compulsive behaviors.

9 Less depression: Meditation can help reduce the occurrence of depression.

10 Greater compassion: Meditation can help you better understand yourself, find your best self, and increase positive feelings and actions toward others.

Here are 15 reasons to get a Massage.

1 Boost immunity. According to the American Massage Therapy Association, regular massages have been shown to make the immune system stronger. Massage therapy increases the activity level of white blood cells that work to combat viruses.

2 Relieve stress. Each day, we experience more and more stressors. Massage therapy can help reduce stress hormone levels and increase serotonin and dopamine levels.

3 Decrease anxiety. Massage therapy helps the body relax, allowing one to let go of anxious thoughts. Massage also helps manage fight-or-flight response, commonly active in those with anxiety.

4 Improve sleep. Alleviate insomnia and improve your sleep quality. Massage therapy helps you relax and stimulates hormones that improve sleep.

5 Headache relief. Massage away your headache. Most headaches are a result of high stress levels and lack of sleep. Massage therapy can help with both symptoms, and in turn, help relieve tension headaches and migraines.

6 Lower blood pressure. Research has shown that massage therapy can decrease diastolic and systolic blood pressure.

7 Increase range of motion. Massage therapy relaxes overworked muscles, increases circulation to joints and improves flexibility.

8 Increase energy levels. Massage therapy reduces fatigue and increases energy levels by: increasing recovery, reducing pain, easing stress and anxiety and improving sleep.

9 Relieve lower back pain. Opt for a non-invasive, holistic approach to lower back pain. Massage therapy can provide relief of chronic or short-term pain.

10 Reduce tension. Muscles that stay in the state of contraction are unable to relax. A massage helps encourage those muscles to relax, resulting in a decrease in tension.

11 Relaxation. It’s no secret that a massage is relaxing. It also relaxes muscle tissue and the mind. Add AromaRitual to your next massage to increase the many benefits of massage therapy.

12 Help with digestive issues. Certain massage techniques can prevent peristalsis, the act of the muscles of your intestine involuntarily contracting to help the process and digestion of food. Learn more here.

13 Recovery from strenuous workouts. Just like a foam roller, a full-body massage is a great way to recover faster from a tough workout.

14 Reduce scar tissue. Scar tissue is broken down through massage, allowing your body to heal faster and reduce the appearance of a scar.

15 Reduced muscle spasms and cramping. Massage can help relax tense muscles and swelling that causes spasms. Keep your muscles loose and increase blood flow with massage therapy.

Try Qigong

As many know, I’m a big fan of Qigong.

What is Qigong?

Qigong can be described as a mind-body-spirit practice that improves one’s mental and physical health by integrating posture, movement, breathing technique, self-massage, sound, and focused intent. There are likely thousands of qigong styles, schools, traditions, forms, and lineages, each with practical applications and different theories about Qi (“subtle breath” or “vital energy”) and Gong (“skill cultivated through steady practice”). The mission of the National Qigong Association is to help each individual find a path that best supports their personal goals, and to evolve this amazing energetic science.