The key is to balance times of stress with some recovery time and to recognize when it’s time to take a break.  Here are just a few ideas that you can put into action each day.

Active recovery: This might include taking a walk, going for a run, gardening or working out

Passive recovery: This category includes activities such as reading, watching a funny show, or listening to music

People time: Scheduling time with a friend or family member can really help you to feel renewed

Alone time: Relaxing or spending time alone to meditate is another great way to recharge

While stress can be an opportunity for personal growth, it’s important to listen to your body in order to maintain a healthy balance.  Try these various techniques and learn what works for you in a given moment. This way you will be refreshed and ready to face whatever may come your way.

The post Does Stress Make You More Resilient? appeared first on Calm and Natural.

Who would you rather associate with, the high-strung person who does not appreciate anything or the person that appreciates everything? It is likely you chose the appreciative person. This person will also be able to handle major issues since he or she is at ease handling the minor ones.

It is true that appreciative people have lower stress than people who are not. Of course, this is not a way to reduce stress completely. Appreciative people still need to eat correctly and exercise well.

If you are hot-headed about every little item, it is time to reevaluate this attitude. When you take the time to be grateful, you will start to relax. You will stop jumping to conclusions, and you will look for ways to solve problems in a relaxed manner.

You can also use exercise and relaxation techniques such as meditation and massage. Keep trying different ways to relax but above all, be appreciative of your entire life. Others will be attracted towards you as they key off your positive energy. They will also be more willing to follow your lead.

The post Being Appreciative Can Lower Your Stress appeared first on Calm and Natural.

Hemi-Sync® helps you safely alter your brain waves with multi-layered patterns of sound frequencies. When you hear these through stereo headphones or speakers, your brain responds by producing a third sound (called a binaural beat) that encourages the desired brain wave activity.

This is how binaural beating works:
A sound played in the left ear is heard as a single tone. A sound played in the right ear is also heard as a single tone. When played together the vibrato perceived is called binaural beating.

What does this mean for you?
Hemi-Sync® can help you experience enhanced mental, physical, and emotional states, by combining verbal guidance, music, pink sound and/or other audio effects with the binaural beats. The particular elements for each recording are carefully selected and integrated with the appropriate Hemi-Sync® sound frequencies to enhance the desired effect.

It all happens in the brain. The brain controls all body activities, ranging from heart rate and breathing to emotion, learning, and memory. It is even thought to influence the immune system’s response to disease. It sets humans apart from all other species by allowing us to achieve scientific breakthroughs, composing masterpieces of literature, art, and music. The brain is what makes us human. The extent of the brain’s capabilities is unknown; it is the most complex living structure known in the universe.

The brain is divided into two hemispheres—left and right. The left hemisphere has been linked with verbal skills, rational, logical, and analytical thinking. The right hemisphere has been linked with visual/spatial skills, emotion, musical aptitude, intuition, and imaginative thought. There is a reason why we have two hemispheres: they are both necessary and complementary, and they function best when they are functioning together. It is well known that the brain is an electrochemical organ; researchers have speculated that a fully functioning brain can generate as much as 10 watts of electrical power. Even though this electrical power is very limited, it does occur in very specific ways that are characteristic of the human brain. Electrical activity emanating from the brain is displayed in the form of brain waves.

There are four basic categories of brain waves: Beta, Alpha, Theta and Delta.

Our brains are always generating Beta, Alpha, Theta and Delta beats at the same time. When we say a person is in a Beta, Alpha, Theta or Delta state, it only means that is the strongest signal being detected at that time.

Beta brain waves
Bete brain waves are the fastest frequencies ranging from 14 cycles per second up to 38 cycles per second. Beta is your normal thinking state, your active external awareness and thought process. Without Beta you would not be able to function in the outside world.

Alpha brain waves
Alpha brain waves are the brain waves of relaxed detached awareness, visualization, sensory imagery and light reverie. Ranging between about 9 cycles per second and 14 cycles per second, Alpha is the gateway to meditation and provides a bridge between the conscious and the subconscious mind.

Theta brain waves
Theta brainwaves are the subconscious mind. Ranging from about 4 cycles per second up to 8 cycles per second, Theta is present in dreaming sleep and provides the experience of deep meditation when you meditate. Theta also contains the storehouse of creative inspiration and is where you often have your spiritual connection. Theta provides the “peak” in the peak experience.

Delta brain waves
Delta brain waves are the unconscious mind, the deep sleep state, ranging from about 4 cycles per second down to 0.5 cycles per second. When present in combination with other waves in a waking state, Delta acts as a form of radar – seeking out information – reaching out to understand on the deepest unconscious level things that we can’t understand through the thought process. Delta provides intuition, empathetic attunement, and instinctual insight. It is also the brain wave most often associated with energy healing.

Hemi-Sync® produces very high quality binaural beat based music addressing all brain wave states.  I have used these products for years to improve my sleeping, concentration, focus, creativity and relaxation. 

There is currently a great holiday sale underway making this a great time to give it a try. 

The post The Power of Altering Your Brainwaves with Binaural Beat Technology appeared first on Calm and Natural.

The post Can Meditation Really Help to Reduce the Pressures of Everyday Life? appeared first on Calm and Natural.

Use these tips to clear your mind and give it the rest it deserves:

(1) Meditation. One of the reasons for meditating is clearing the mind. The other options on this list accomplish this as a side effect. Meditation is as simple as can be, but deceptively challenging. It challenges your mind and your body. It’s not easy to sit still for an extended period of time, but that’s part of the challenge. (2) Exercise. Strenuous exercise is a great way to clear your mind. There’s something about using your body that stops the chatter going on between your ears. I also find that working out hard requires all of your focus is on the exercise. (3) Walking. A nice walk, especially after dark or before sunrise can be very calming. The dark helps because you’re less visually stimulated. The repetitive nature of walking can be an effective way to clear out the cobwebs. Your brain is also busy moving your feet and maintaining your balance. (4) Doing something exciting. It’s believed that many people are attracted to extreme sports like BASE jumping because of the clearing effect it has on the brain. If you leap off a skyscraper with a parachute on your back, you’re not worrying about paying the water bill at that moment. Doing anything scary or intense can accomplish the same thing. What would you consider to be an intense activity? Why not give it a try? (5) Mowing the grass. A monotonous activity can also be helpful. This includes driving in low traffic situations, taking a shower, or washing the dishes. This gives your mind an opportunity to partially shut down and relax. (6) Mindfulness. Any activity can help to clear your mind if you focus fully on it. You can experience a clearing of your mind while changing your oil, reading a book, or doing laundry. Focus is one way to clear and calm your mind. (7) Playing with a pet. Pets are soothing and enjoyable. Sitting on the deck with your dog or curled up on the couch with your cat can be a soothing activity. There’s something special about pets. They make few demands and are always happy with you. If only people were so easy! (8) Declutter. Cleaning up your home or space where you work can do wonders for the thoughts racing around in your head. A clean and tidy space creates calm and serenity. If you declutter mindfully, you’ll be getting twice the benefit. (9) Make lists. When you have a lot to do, your brain is working overtime to keep everything straight. Using a simple list can empty out your brain. You won’t believe how much this can help.  Lists can release a lot of resources being used by your brain. I always carry a notebook with me so I can quickly jot things down. I also use my smartphone to capture in order to easily access online later. Try to clear your mind at least once each day. You’ll find over time that it will naturally calm down, but it takes time. Our brains are thought-producing machines that can run wild if not managed. Clearing your mind is an active process. There are many ways to accomplish it. Experiment and discover what works for you.

The post 9 Activities That Clear Your Mind appeared first on Calm and Natural.