The ABC of effective stress release

Feeling stressed? Michael Atma has a simple and effective technique to help you feel calm and clear your mind.

Your emotions cannot be told when they can and can’t appear. They have an intrinsic life of their own that weaves its way into your daily life whether you like it or not. They often come when you least expect it and almost always when it is most inconvenient.

The key to moving through these turbulent times is to use simple and effective techniques to remind you to let go of any unpleasant feelings. The most effective tool that I have come across that allows instant results is your breath.

Take several slow, deep breaths, in through the nose and out through the mouth, the moment you become aware of any negativity within you. The word ‘emotion’ comes from the word ‘emote’ which means to ‘move energy’. That’s what your breath can and does do when it’s allowed to do its job of clearing negative energy from your body.

To help with this process, ensure that you breathe all the way down into your lower belly area. Keep your spine as straight as possible, shoulders relaxed and your belly soft. When releasing your breath, let it out as slowly as possible.

If you do this technique correctly, you will find that by about the seventh or eighth breath you will be feeling calmer and your mind clearer.

By this stage your mind is clearer, your body is more relaxed and your capacity to handle any issues is greater – that is, if any issue still remains.

Here’s what the ABC stands for in this technique.

A = ACKNOWLEDGE – What you are feeling

B = BREATHE – Slowly and deeply several times

C = CHOOSE – Your behaviour

HERE’S HOW TO SPEND THE NEXT 5 MINUTES

Make sure you are seated comfortably in your chair, or you can stand if you like and then put your hands on your belly, close your eyes and breathe in slowly through your nose until you feel your breath connecting to your hands as your belly rises.

Then, slowly let your breath gently trickle out of your mouth until it has all been released. Then repeat this method several more times. The key here is to control your breathing in a slow and rhythmic way. Your hands stay on your belly the entire time so as to remind you of where your breath needs to go each time you breathe in.

This technique may sound simple – because it is. Breathing is natural, convenient and, best of all, provides immediate relief. This is also a great key to pass on to others.

Recently, Michael launched Mindspace.Club home to his Meditation Made Simple Program, where you can change your life in just 5-minutes a day. Find out more: www.mindspace.club