Dr. Oz: Mindfulness Meditation
Dr. Oz talked on his show about a five-minute meditation that will help you reduce stress in your life. Mindful meditation can lower blood pressure, combat stress, and help with pain management. The goal of mindfulness is to help you live in the moment, training your brain to stop focusing on past traumas or future stresses.
All it takes is a few minutes a day to concentrate on the breath and observe the sensations that arrive in the body. Practitioners and researchers say it helps manage the body’s production of cortisol, the stress hormone.
Dr. Oz: Who Is Meditation For?
Cory Muscara, a mindfulness meditation expert, came by to show Dr. Oz and a number of women from the audience who have never meditated before. Cory said that a lot of people hear about meditation and think it’s a New Age thing or that you need to be a Buddhist. While it’s true that mindfulness is considered the heart of Buddhist meditation, you don’t need to be a Buddhist. This practice is for anyone who is looking for more clarity and presence in their life.
Dr. Oz: Meditation & Stress
Stress is caused by perceived demands on our lives. For instance, when we shower in the morning, we’re focused on what’s happening at work that day and all the things we have to do, when what’s actually happening is that we’re in the shower. This practice helps us to recognize the truth in our lives and reduce the stress.
Dr. Oz: 5 Minute Meditation
To get started with meditation, Cory said all you need to do is get comfortable. Sit upright, either in a chair or on the floor, cross legged or on pillows. You can also do this lying down.
Keep your eyes closed and focus on your breathing going in and out. Don’t try to visualize anything or try to keep your mind blank. Cory described it as sitting on the bank of the river and watching it rather than trying to swim in the river. If you’re stressed, just watch the stress. Keep focusing on the in and out breath and whatever thoughts enter your brain; simply watch them rather than fight them.
Cory said doing this five minutes a day will make you more relaxed, reduce your stress, and make you more present at the end of the day for your kids, spouse, or anyone else you spend time with at the end of the day.
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