As a somewhat high-strung person, I needed something to help me calm down and de-stress in order to handle high-paced environments. As Americans, we tend to be on the go from the time we wake up to the time we go to sleep. My day holds no exceptions.

I always associated meditation with eastern religions and a robed guru sitting in the lotus position chanting “OOOMMM.” Although meditation originated in the East, and is rooted in such religions and ways of life as Buddhism, Taoism, and Hinduism, it doesn’t need to be done as a religious or spiritual practice to be useful. Of course it is most helpful with the acknowledgment that we are mind, body and spirit as separate but unified entities. Meditation helps bring attention to these factors, and builds a foundation from which we can find a calm contentedness.

What is meditation?

There are several types of meditation practices, and each religion has specific exercises in mediation that can range anywhere from 4-50 basic types. In western culture, or for non-Buddhists, meditation techniques are used in the search for mental and physical health as well as for Buddhist and non-Buddhist spiritual goals.

The most basic form of meditation is mindfulness of breathing. Focusing on the breath, the meditator learns to acknowledge the amount of thoughts that continuously clutter the mind and add to stress through the struggle to concentrate on single objectives and remain on task.

The idea is that through the practice of mindfulness of breathing, the meditator will learn how to acknowledge the other thoughts that creep in, but then refocus attention onto the inhalation and exhalation of the body, or the job at hand. The struggle of the mind becomes less as the meditator practices the exercise of refocusing attention. Other types of meditation include: contemplation, moving or walking meditation, chanting, and visualization. Types of movement meditation include yoga and Tai chi. Breathing or mindfulness of breathing can also be called stillness meditation.

How to do Breathing Meditation

After you learn the basic breathing technique, you will find that you can meditate anywhere and at any time as the need arises. To begin, set aside 15 minutes a day where you can be comfortable and alone. The morning is ideal as you will start your day in a relaxed and calm state.
1. Wear comfortable clothing and sit in a comfortable position making sure to keep your back straight. A straight back helps keep your mind from becoming sluggish.
2. With your eyes partially closed, breathe in and out naturally paying attention to the feel and sound of your breath. As you become more practiced, you can then employ more specific breathing techniques (See the blog archives for directions on conscious breathing through a three-step process under Prevention through Nutrition).
3. When thoughts come into your mind drawing the focus off of your breath, acknowledge them without judgment, and bring your attention back to your breath.
4. Repeat this process for 15 minutes.

Don’t be surprised if a variety of emotions begin to surface. Some people may even weep. A single emotion such as sadness or nostalgia may surface, or you may feel multiple emotions at once such as anger, sadness and joy. Practice allowing the feelings to surface without judgment, as with the thoughts, and then bringing the focus back to the breath. There are no rules in meditation, so if emotions and thoughts don’t surface, that’s okay too. But if they do, there is a reason for it. The meditation exercise transports these thoughts and feelings from the sub-conscious to the conscious, allowing you to live more deliberately or fully.

When stressful situations arise as the day passes, or if you begin to feel anxious, take a moment to focus on your breath which will help you to de-stress and regain your serenity. Knowing how to meditate can help keep you calmer, and in turn, your blood pressure will remain relatively unaffected by stress and therefore your heart won’t need to work as hard.

-Anne

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I used to think slime was gross and nasty. I remember Saturday morning cartoons with the hungry slobbering cat always trying to outsmart the sneaky mouse. Even though it was a cartoon, cat drool always irked me a bit.

Back then, I couldn’t possibly imagine being covered head-to-toe in slime. During our family vacation to Florida, I was going to stop by the Nickelodeon Studios and experience being slimed, but we ran out of time. Looking back on it now, I probably would have had more fun playing with slime than enduring some ho-hum animatronics.

I finally developed a love of slime when my middle school selected me to go to a science fun day at one of our local colleges. Of course, they had a seminar/lab on polymers and how to make slime. As the professor lobbed the bright green goo on the wall and it slowly oozed down, I realized the potential fun factor of something sticky to throw at my brother.

Ick! Fear of Slime

Some people have an intense, morbid fear of slime which is known as blennophobia (also known as myxophobia). Blennophobics may also be afraid of getting slimed (slime being thrown on them). Slime can be any kind of sticky substance or mucous such as slug or snail slime. This phobia is common in those who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and / or schizophrenia.

Interesting and ironic fact: Marc Summers, host of Double Dare (an extremely messy TV show involving slime), has obsessive-compulsive disorder. Hosting Double Dare helped him to deal with his OCD and participate in messy situations.

Symptoms of Blennophobia

• Anxiety
• Nervousness
• Restlessness
• Shortness of breath
• Heavy breathing
• Sweating

Treatment for Blennophobia

• Acceptance or awareness of the phobia is important in moving forward and overcoming your fear.
• Reassure yourself that everything will be ok when you encounter slime.
• Be confident and open to getting past your fear.
• Think about the gooey stuff and record your reaction.
• Say the word “slime” quietly and then louder and louder in a happy tone.
• Find a picture of slime and write down your thoughts.
• Watch the entire Ghostbusters series.
• When you’re ready, face your fear and make some slime. Stick it in the container and touch it. Throw it against the wall and watch it slink down. Have fun with your slime.

Homemade Slime Recipe

Things you need:

• Borax powder
• Water
• 4 oz. (120 ml) white glue (Elmer’s)
• Teaspoon
• Bowl
• Jar or measuring cup
• Food coloring (optional)
• Measuring cup

Instructions:

1. Pour the glue into the jar.
2. Add ½ cup of water into your jar.
3. Add food coloring. I like the traditional green, but you can add any color. If you don’t want colored slime it will white.
4. In another bowl, mix one cup of water and add 1 teaspoon of borax powder.
5. Slowly stir the glue mixture into the bowl of borax solution.
6. Place the slime into your hands and knead until it feels dry. It’s ok if there is some water in the bowl.
7. Your slime will become firmer and less sticky the more your play with it.
8. Throw it, stretch it, and play with it!
9. To avoid mold, keep your slime in a zip-lock bag in your fridge.

WARNING:

1. Do not eat the slime! It is not toxic, but it isn’t good for you!
2. Soak dried slime with water to remove.

–Nolan

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Breathing is the most natural thing to do, right? So why am I sitting here writing a post about breathing? Can you believe that most of us are breathing wrong? Well, we’re alive, so we must be doing something right. The thing is, if we learn to breathe a little more consciously and from the diaphragm, we can reduce our stress levels, optimize our sense of smell and taste, and even live a little longer.

There are basically two types of breathing: cleansing and energizing. Cleansing breaths detoxify the body and stress exhalation. Energizing breaths focus on inhalation and collect and store vital energy.

Sounds like basic breathing so far. But what of the spontaneous ’sighs’ and ‘yawns’ we sometimes experience? A sigh is a cleansing breath, a long, forceful exhalation preceded by a quick gulp of air. People sigh when toxins in the bloodstream reach a critical level or energy is running low. In contrast, a yawn is an energizing breath–a long, deep inhalation briefly held in the lungs, followed by a short exhalation.

Breathing is a three step process. Did you ever notice a sleeping child or puppy? The stomach moves up and down as they breathe, not the chest. Take a gradual breath in, and expand your diaphragm. Your stomach should fill up like a balloon. Next, feel the air fill your lungs without lifting your chest or expanding your rib cage. Third, you can feel the air getting up into the top of your lungs. Exhale in the same manner, only the steps are in reverse. When we breathe, as we do, into the rib cage and the clavicle, our breaths are shallow and so not enough oxygen or negative ions are getting into the lungs and subsequently the blood stream leading to lower energy. A cleansing breath helps open the blood vessels in the brain as well, and is a great aid in relieving stress. Slower, deeper breaths will help the body to heat naturally, and comes in handy on a cold February day like today.

Chee-gung has been a formal branch of Chinese medicine for over 2,000 years, and means both ‘breathing exercise’ and ‘energy control’. It was found that it was first referenced in the mid-sixth century B.C. There are many different ways to do exercises in order to learn to breathe properly. This first one is for beginners and takes only 10 minutes a day.

· Dress in loose comfortable clothes.

· Find a comfortable, quiet location.

· Lay on back or sit with back erect in a chair or on the floor

· Count “1″ and breathe in and think “relax” and breathe out.

· Focus attention on breathing and counting.

· Expand diaphragm on breathing in and keep chest still.

· Count up to 10 and then back to 1.

· Practice up to twice daily, 10 minutes each time.

· Monitor your practice.

1. Place one hand on your chest and the other one on your stomach with your little finger just a little above your naval. The movement should come from your lower hand (diaphragm, muscle in stomach) not your chest.
2. Do not try to take in too much air and don’t slow your breathing down too much. Just breathe smoothly and easily through your nose. Do not hold your breath.
3. Count “one” mentally as you breathe in, and think “relax” as you breathe out. Then “two” on the next breath in, and breathe out and think “relax.” Do these until you get to 10 then start back at 1.
4. After about 5-6 weeks of doing chee-gung, gradually begin to slow your counting day by day until you can breathe at a rate of 10 breaths per minute at rest.

-Anne

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