Stress reduction

These days stress is the biggest challenge we face. It's the big roadblock to the manifestation of our dreams because it creates unbalance, unease and blinds us to the abundance of opportunities we have. To reduce stress you have to first identify the feeling and/or visual you get when you get tense, angry or moody. If you can bring awareness to this aspect of yourself, objectively identify what it looks and feels like. For me it's heaviness in my brow or sometimes a dark feeling inside. Once this is done, you can train yourself to become aware of the behavior and then you can create a buzzword to change it. As you are intertwined with the emotion or story of the situation, I find it very helpful to say "soften" when you hit resistance to your intention. How can you tell if you're resisting? Well, you can feel it. It feels like heaviness in your gut, or like you have mental blinders on. It can feel like this energy is surrounding you and you might get the feeling that you are short on space or breath. It's really different for everyone, but our ideal state is one in which our energy is flowing freely through us and when these intellectual or emotional blocks pop up they usually give you the feeling of being stuck. Whenever you feel that, stop for a breath or try to see the situation from a higher perspective. Usually, you will be surprised at how noticeable the internal "resistance" can be. Its trial and error, just intend to get it and you will.

• Once you've figured out what it feels like when you are in resistance to your intention, (is it a feeling, a visual, a sense, etc.), make the decision to say "soften" every time you feel it. See it dissolving inside your head. Taking a deep breath during the process really helps open and release the blocked energy.

• Very interesting studies have been done showing that being social and being able to express your stress or anxiety is vital to coping with it. The more time we spend with friends and family the better it is for our overall health, and expressing your excess energy is vital in stress reduction.

Try the relaxation visualization, or a five minute centering meditation, and/or energy medicine techniques such as holding your neurovasculars and triple warmer soother, or just take a break with a night of beauty.