Mindfulness is the best antidote to stress

by Tom Mooring

The best antidote to stress is mindfulness, existing in the here and now, not in the past or future, suggest meditation gurus. Researchers have now drawn a framework of four key components to help explain these positive effects.

Mindfulness, an essential part of Indian yoga traditions, has entered the mainstream as people try to find ways to combat stress and improve their quality of life. It is suggested the meditation can have benefits for health and performance, including improved immune function, reduced blood pressure, and enhanced cognitive function.

But how is it that a single practice can have such wide-ranging effects on well-being? The study draws on the existing scientific literature to build a framework on explanation, reports the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science, citing a Harvard University statement.

Study author Britta Holzel, of Justus Liebig University and Harvard Medical School, suggests the goal is to 'unveil the conceptual and mechanistic complexity of mindfulness, providing the 'big picture' by arranging many findings like the pieces of a mosaic'.

Holzel and co-authors point out that what we think of as mindfulness is not actually a single skill, but rather a multi-faceted mental practice that encompasses several mechanisms.

They specifically identify four key components of mindfulness that may account for its effects: attention regulation, body awareness, emotion regulation, and sense of self.

Together, these components help us attend to and deal with the mental and physiological effects of stress in ways that are non-judgmental.

Although these components are theoretically distinct, they are closely intertwined. Improvement in attention regulation, for example, may directly facilitate our awareness of our physiological state. Body awareness, in turn, helps us to recognize the emotions we are experiencing.

Effective mindfulness meditation requires training and practice and it has distinct measurable effects on our subjective experiences, our behaviour, and our brain function.

Gaiam Yoga For Beginners Kit

• Contains essentials needed to start your Yoga practice
• Includes alignment yoga mat, block, strap and DVD
• High fashion and functional I Ching mat aids in alignment
• Programs include AM yoga program (24-minutes)

Begin your yoga practice with all the tools necessary to master the basic skills. Rodney Yee's expert advice from beginning poses to prop use teaches everything you need to build a solid foundation. Whether you're looking for increased flexibility or a workout that challenges the body as a whole, the Yoga Beginners Kit is an ideal way to ease yoga into your daily routine. Rodney Yee demonstrates proper usage of the yoga alignment mat, brick and strap.Begin your yoga practice with all the tools necessary to master the basic skills. In a quick tutorial, yoga expert Rodney Yee teaches you how to use the included alignment yoga mat, brick and strap to build a solid foundation. Whether you're looking for increased flexibility or a workout that challenges the body as a whole, the Yoga Beginner's Kit is an ideal way to ease yoga into your daily routine. Kit also includes an alignment yoga mat, a yoga brick, a six-foot yoga strap and two full-length yoga workouts, plus a seated meditation preparation routine.

What's in the Box?

• Two full-length yoga workouts and props training with Yoga Beginner's Experience DVD (lessons detailed below)
• Bonus seated guided meditation
• Yoga brick for proper positioning and support
• Alignment yoga mat to help guide hand and foot placement
• Yoga strap to lengthen and align stretches; 6-feet long

A.M. Yoga: 20 minutes
Get a productive start to the day with this 20-minute workout designed to open your body and center your mind. Taking a few minutes in the morning to find clarity and peace can give meaning to the rest of your day.

Daily Yoga: 20 minutes
This gentle program will help increase circulation and mobility and invigorate you when you feel low on energy. Concludes with a restful and rejuvenating three-minute conscious relaxation.

Prop Intro: 8 minutes
Learn how yoga props (brick, strap and mat) can guide you into good habits as you cultivate your yoga practice. With proper technique, these tool! s will h ave you moving like an expert from the very start.

Seated Meditation Preparation: 10 minutes
Before you enter into meditation, take a few minutes to prepare your body and mind. These simple stretches ready you for a deeper state of consciousness. The perfect end to an active yoga session.

About Gaiam
Gaiam was created as a lifestyle company with the vision that, given a choice, people would choose a lifestyle that is healthy and life enhancing, for themselves, their families and the Earth. The Gaiam lifestyle is a vote for individual health as well as the future sustainability of the Earth's resources. Gaiam strives to provide customers with alternatives to traditional products by offering natural or healthy versions that compare with the style, quality and price of conventional products.

Gaiam's goal is to become the trusted source and unifying brand for Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) participants. They understand that the opportunity to affect people's lives with information and products is both a privilege and a responsibility. Gaiam believes in the concept of Conscious Commerce, the practice of making purchasing decisions based on personal values and beliefs. It takes into consideration all the aspects of our lives and the impact we have upon the planet. Research indicates this concept appeals to approximately 50 million people in the U.S. alone. Gaiam's strategy in delivering the distinctive quality for which they are known is to partner with experts in health/wellness, eco-living and personal development to develop proprietary products that meet our customers' needs with meaningful solutions.

The name GAIAM is a fusion of the words Gaia (the name of Mother Earth from the Minoan civilization in ancient Crete), and I am reminds us that we are all interconnected with the Earth, the air and water, and very much a part of this living system that sustains us all.

List Price: $ 29.98 Price: $ 23.98