Stress is a killer. It’s no exaggeration to say that our society is stricken with a stress epidemic.
Stress is also one of the biggest reasons why people are turning to the time-honored practice of meditation for relief.
Stress does all sorts of damage at the emotional, psychological, physical, and spiritual levels of our being. It disconnects us from ourselves and slowly but surely erodes our quality of life.
The good news is that you can counter and even reverse the effects of stress through a committed meditation and mindfulness practice.
The science supports this claim.
So we wanted to create a simple guide for you that curates our best articles and audios on stress and meditation. Here’s what you need to know.
You’ll get answers to questions like:
- How does stress effect your mind and body?
- What is the cost of living with chronic stress?
- What areas of our lives are effected by stress?
- How can meditation counter and reverse the effects of stress?
- What are some simple mindfulness techniques you can do right now to deal with stress?
- What does science tell us about the efficacy of meditation in treating stress?
- What is the relaxation response and how can you stimulate it?
- How can meditation help with anxiety?
Meditation And Stress
➤ How To Manage Stress Through Meditation & Mindfulness
Learn about the science behind stress and the toll it takes on your health. Explore the symptoms of stress and learn more about how meditation can help you combat it.
➤ 4 Mindful Steps To Manage Stress (Audio)
In this short podcast you’ll learn how stress affects your brain and how to deal with it in the context of burnout, stress addiction, lack of focus, and spreading yourself too thin.
➤ Meditation For Life—How To Break Free From Stress & Tunnel Vision (Audio)
Do you struggle with stress and anxiety? At times do you feel like you’re life is a little like a hamsters wheel that you can’t get off? Many of us living in the West struggle with a profound sense of tunnel vision.
Our sense of possibility and potential is often eclipsed by the incredible stress and pressure of modern life. Rediscover the art of living and learn how meditation can lift you up and out of that stress-restricted vision of your life.
➤ The Stressed Out Meditator’s Guide to Meditation
You’re totally busy. You don’t exactly have a lot of time to meditate. So what’s the minimum effective time you can meditate? Get some expert tips from stress-free-mama.com founder Julia Rymut and learn how to be the Stressed Out Buddha and how to create a Stress-Meditation Strategy.
➤ Relax & Start Your Meditation with this 6-Step Breathing Exercise
The idea of using the breath to relax is not crazy. There are sound, physiological ways that the breath can reset your nervous system. But unfortunately, not every breath is equal. Some ways of relaxing with the breath are more effective than others. Here is a 6-step breathing exercise to help you master the art and relax.
➤ Meditation And The Art Of Doing Nothing (Audio)
In this short podcast episode, we explore the art of non-doing, which is best captured in this quote from journalist and author Pico Iyer.
Many of the wisest voices in our tradition, from Whitman to Thoreau, have talked about the virtue of loafing. The less you struggle with a problem, the more it’s likely to solve itself. The less time you spend frantically running around, the more productive you are likely to be.
➤ 6 Steps To Release Your Relaxation Response
In the early ‘70s, Harvard-trained physician Herbert Benson published his landmark book, The Relaxation Response. Through studying practitioners of Transcendental Meditation and Tibetan Buddhist Monks, he decoded some of the physiological benefits and mechanisms of meditation and dubbed it the Relaxation Response. Instantly counter your stress response and learn how to stimulate your own relaxation response.
➤ How To Conquer Anxiety & Negative Thoughts Through Meditation
Anxiety and stress can be crippling. It’s easy to lose confidence in your self and enter into a downward spiral when it becomes chronic. Here’s how meditation helped one diligent practitioner discover a new source of confidence that helped him overcome the negative effects of anxiety.
➤ Healing Wounded Warriors Through iRest Meditation with Dr. Richard Miller (Audio)
Some forms of stress are acute. The most well known is called post-traumatic stress disorder which often effects soldiers returning from war. People who have survived an abusive relationship can also suffer from PTSD. In this interview with Dr. Richard Miller, we explore iRest meditation, a powerful approach to healing people who suffer from acute stress.
Guided Meditations For Stress & Relaxation
➤ Guided Meditation for Stress Relief (Audio)
Enjoy this guided meditation for stress relief, developed for all levels. Four parts include Relaxation & Breathing, Visualization, Intention & Vocalization, and Gratitude & Love.
➤ 8-Minute Visualization Meditation for Relaxation (Audio)
In your mind’s eye, this meditation will bring you to a quiet, peaceful, beautiful place. It’s useful for enhancing focus and clarity and for general relaxation.
➤ Meditation for Anxiety: Free Guided Meditation (Audio)
Life in the 21st century is moving fast. And with it, our stress levels are increasing as we try and keep pace. It’s no surprise then that stress and anxiety are big issues for many of us. Whether we struggle emotionally or through diminished health, stress and anxiety take a toll on us all.
In this guided meditation with master flautist and meditation teacher Rodrigo Tarraza, you will take a journey to the still calm center that lives in the silent depths of every human being.
➤ How Oprah Handles Stress
Oprah Winfrey is passionate about meditation and practices in the Transcendental Meditation tradition. She even has over 400 of her employees practicing meditation to stay calm and centered at work. Learn more about Oprah’s meditation practice.
➤ Meditation Therapy: Relieving the Stress of Change (Audio)
In today’s fast paced world, we are constantly navigating change in our personal and professional lives. But how easily do we accept change? Can we adapt to changing circumstances that affect us very personally? Or do we hang on to the way things have been, or wish they could be different in the future?
When life doesn’t go the way we want, we experience stress. Meditation therapy helps us to navigate the stress of change through meditation. In this video you will learn how to be more accepting of yourself and others, and the ebb and flow of life.
