Stress Reduction

Meditation and Stress Reduction Therapy  New York City  

Meditation is an activity that calms the mind and keeps it focused on the present. In the meditative state, the mind is not cluttered with thoughts or memories of the past, nor is it concerned with future events. When thoughts keep us distracted we can practice watching and observing the mind in the same way one would gaze at the sky and watch a cloud drift along on its path. Meditation seems to overwhelm many, but the truth is, we meditate often throughout our day and mostly we are unaware of this natural practice state. When you’re having a busy day and think that you cannot possible fit in one more activity, just sit. One can sit for five minutes and have a meditative experience that can be restorative in nature and allow you to return to your activities feeling balanced. Meditation produces a deep state of relaxation and a tranquil mind. It can give you a sense of calm, peace and emotional stability. And these effects don’t end when your meditation session ends. Meditation can have lasting effects on your emotional and physical well-being. Rigorous scientific research can measure the effects of meditation on a range of health variables and are currently being evaluated in such ground-breaking initiatives as a year long experiment combining Eastern and Western healing methods at Beth Israel Medical Center.

Mindfulness 

Developed more than two decades ago at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., mindfulness training helps a person live in the present moment to handle more easily the ups and downs of life.  By intentionally bringing a non-judgmental awareness to breathing, body sensations, thoughts and feelings – including fears, anger, frustrations, desires, and self-doubts – a person is better equipped to deal with the challenges of life.  This very special kind of attentiveness enables one to acquire new insights about life situations and, in turn, to develop ways to respond rather than react to the conditions in life.

People simply observe what arises in the body and mind, perceiving each experience as an event in their own field of awareness. This fuller, moment to moment, non-judgmental awareness known as Mindfulness frees a person to make clearer and more attuned decisions.

Most people report an increased ability to relax, greater energy and enthusiasm for life, brightened self-confidence and an increased ability to cope more effectively with both short and long term stressful situations.

Body Scan

Body scanning is a useful practice for bringing deep awareness to the many processes of the mind and body. While in a state of relaxation, allow the mind to focus awareness and just notice parts of the body. Many people like to begin with the feet and work their way up the body, noticing any sensations, tightness, agitation, softness, etc. Either before or after a body scan, practitioners often do a breath awareness exercise where the focus of attention is simply noticing breathing and any sensations or thoughts as you do this gentle exercise.