Lagom Publication | MFA Thesis Project

Stress Relief Instruction Experience for Mindfulness

Sharing One’s Power Just the right amount

The goal of mindfulness is to wake up to the inner workings of our mental, emotional, and physical processes.

Relaxation techniques are a great way to help with stress management. Relaxation isn’t only about peace of mind or enjoying a hobby.

Relaxation is a process that decreases the effects of stress on your mind and body.

Table of Contents

Sharing one’s power

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Stress Relief Instruction

Experience for Mindfulness

The use of relaxation techniques can reduce stress and improve your quality of life.

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Hearing real stories from different people is a better motivation.

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01 Stress Relief Instruction The use of relaxation techniques can reduce stress and improve your quality of life.

Meditation Sandbox Therapy Yoga Therapy Singing Bowl Healing Art Therapy Dance Therapy

Sharing one’s power

Stress Relief Instruction

08 | 09

What Is Meditation?

Meditation can be defined as a set of techniques that are intended to encourage a heightened state of awareness and focused attention. Meditation can take on many different forms, but there are two main types: concentrative meditation and mindfulness meditation. Concentrative meditation involves focusing all of your attention on a specific thing while tuning out everything else around you. The goal is to really experience whatever you are focusing on, whether it’s your breath, a specific word, or a mantra in order to reach a higher state of being.

Sharing one’s power

Stress Relief Instruction

Mindfulness meditation can target different issues, such as depression, which means that its focus may be different from practice to practice.

Overall, it involves the state of being aware of and involved in the present moment and making yourself open, aware, and accepting.

Meditation

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While there are many different forms of meditation and ways to practice, learning a basic meditation for beginners is a great place to begin.

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Choose a quiet spot that is free of distractions. Turn off your phone, television, and other distractions. If you choose to play quiet music, select something calm and repetitive.

Set a time limit. If you are

Pay attention to your body

just getting started, you

and get comfortable. You

might want to stick to

can sit cross-legged on the

shorter sessions of about

floor or in a chair as long

5 to 10 minutes in length.

as you feel that you can

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Focus on your breathing.

Notice your thoughts. The

Try taking deep breaths

purpose of meditation is

that expand your belly and

not to clear your mind—

then slowly exhale. Pay

your mind is inevitably

attention to how each

going to wander.

sit comfortably for several minutes at a time.

breath feels.

Meditation

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What Is Sandbox Therapy?

Sandbox therapy is “hands on” psychological work, and is an adjunct to talk therapy. It is a powerful therapeutic method that facilitates the psyche’s natural capacity for healing. In a “free and protected” space provided by a trained sandbox therapist, the client creates a concrete manifestation from his or her imagination using sand, water, and miniature objects. In this way Sandbox helps honor and illuminate the client’s internal symbolic world, providing a place for its expression within a safe container.

Sharing one’s power

Stress Relief Instruction

With sufficient time and understanding, a sandbox experience can lead the client into layers of experience that are pre-verbal and long forgotten to the conscious mind. Through the tangible emergence of personal and archetypal symbols in the tray in a safe environment, the client moves toward a sense of balance and wholeness.

Sandbox Therapy

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What Is Yoga Therapy?

Yoga therapy is a type of therapy that focuses on the integration of mind and body to enhance mental health. Unlike what people tend to imagine, yoga therapy does not look like a typical yoga class. Instead, yoga therapy is usually conducted on a one-on-one basis with a therapist. Yoga therapy can be helpful in the treatment of mental health conditions such as: Alcohol dependence, Anxiety disorders, Autism, Bipolar disorder, Depression, Insomnia, Stress.

Sharing one’s power

Stress Relief Instruction

Integrated mind-body focus: The exercises and postures of yoga therapy focus on the mind and body simultaneously, developing both mental and physical awareness. Practicing this can help with mind-body integration, as well as improving mindfulness. Physical health benefits: In addition to helping with mental health conditions, yoga therapy can also improve physical fitness and increase strength, balance, and flexibility. It can also help with physical health conditions such as pain, blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and arthritis.

Yoga Therapy

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What Is Singing Bowl Healing?

Singing bowl is a type of bell that vibrates and produces a rich, deep tone when played. Singing bowls are said to promote relaxation and offer powerful healing properties. In addition, some wellness practitioners (including music therapists, massage therapists, and yoga therapists) use Singing bowls during treatment. Some of the possible uses for singing bowl therapy include: Stress relief, Improving sleep, Lowering blood pressure, Reducing depression.

Sharing one’s power

Stress Relief Instruction

During this treatment, you will lie on the floor while the bowls are placed in different configurations. For example, they might be placed around your body, on your body, or in different locations around the room. To create sound with a singing bowl, firmly press the accompanying mallet in a circular motion against the bowl’s outside edge or rim. When you hear a bright, clear tone, you can slow down the motion. Use your full arm to make the motion, rather than just rotating your wrist.

Singing Bowl Healing

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Experience for Mindfulness 26 | 27

What Is Art Therapy?

The use of artistic methods to treat psychological disorders and enhance mental health is known as art therapy. Art therapy is a technique rooted in the idea that creative expression can foster healing and mental well-being. The goal of art therapy is to utilize the creative process to help people explore self-expression and, in doing so, find new ways to gain personal insight and develop new coping skills. Techniques used in art therapy can include: Coloring, Drawing, Photography, Sculpting, Working with clay.

Sharing one’s power

Stress Relief Instruction

Art therapy can be used to treat a wide range of mental disorders and psychological distress.

Some conditions that art therapy may be used to treat include: Aging-related issues, Anxiety, Cancer, Depression, Emotional difficulties, Family or relationship problems, Medical conditions, Psychosocial issues, Stress.

People do not need to have artistic ability or special talent to participate in art therapy, and people of all ages including children, teens, and adults can benefit from it.

Art Therapy

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What Is Dance Therapy?

Dance therapy is the psychotherapeutic use of movement to promote emotional, social, cognitive, and physical integration. Dance therapy can help people with physical health by increasing strength, improving flexibility, decreasing muscle tension, and boosting coordination. It can also offer important mental health benefits including stress reduction and even symptom relief from conditions such as anxiety and depression. Dance therapy is a creative art psychotherapy that utilizes movement and dance to support the physical and emotional health of an individual.

Sharing one’s power

Stress Relief Instruction

Dance therapy can be used to treat a number of physical and mental health issues. It can be helpful for improving self-esteem and can be useful for people who struggle with body image issues.

Some conditions that it may help with include: Anxiety, Arthritis, Chronic pain, Communication issues, Dementia, Depression, Disordered eating, Low self-esteem.

Dance Therapy

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02 Experience for Mindfulness Hearing real stories from different people is a better motivation.

Sharing one’s power

Experience for Mindfulness

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For many people, I believe that hearing real stories from different people is a better motivation, and frankly more interesting.

Meditation for being aware of our thoughts and thought patterns.

Melodie Johnson

The common misconception about meditation is that the goal is to reach a state of thoughtlessness. As much as we may all love to be in that state, that’s not necessary in order to meditate.

The best benefit of meditation is that it helps you practice awareness of the breath and the mind.

Meditation helps us to become aware of our thoughts. It allows us to disengage from the autopilot setting that so many of us are on in our everyday lives.

Using meditation to gain control over anxiety.

Raquel Eatmon

The reason I started meditating was to

I still experience them occasionally, like

get some control over my anxiety(espe-

anyone, but I’m no longer sucked in by

cially the little self-critical voice in my

them. I now see them for what they are:

head). I suffered from a lot of work and

just thoughts and feelings, which come

social anxiety, which also impacted

and go. This clarity strips anxiety of all

my ability to sleep, my confidence and

its power, mostly because it’s no longer

general enjoyment of life. Meditation

being indulged. And with little power, it

enabled me to retrain my mind so that

starts to dissolve away. Nowadays I

anxious thoughts and feelings are no

teach others the meditation practices

longer a problem.

and techniques which changed my life and relationship with anxiety.

The practice of mindfulness is the practice of knowing what’s ensuing at the moment, externally and within oneself.

Sharing one’s power

Experience for Mindfulness

One reason I meditate is that it makes me a

Dena Argyropoulou

better person. After meditation, I find that I am so much more patient with my kids and react to the chaos of family life more thoughtfully. When I neglect mindfulness and let my practice slip I notice that I snap at my kids and am more judgemental of others. Meditation makes me more pleasant to be around!

Dena Argyropoulou

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Meditation to quiet your mind throughout the day, and control your thoughts.

Jamie Bacharach

In my twenty-five year exploration of meditation, there are four reasons why practicing meditation has changed my life. The first is that it has taught me how to quiet my mind. Not just for a few mins here and there, but throughout the day. There are numerous benefits to this; relief from stress and anger are the top two. The second reason is that it is helping me gain control of my thoughts. The goal is to focus on positive thoughts and minimize the negative. Thirdly, it is helping me learn to observe everything in my life without judgment.

Sharing one’s power

Experience for Mindfulness

Meditation as a safe place.

Michael James Nuells

I regularly meditate 3- 5 days a week, often multiple times on each of these days. The benefits are more than outstanding and uplifting! After every meditation session, I feel a mix of everything from empowered, self-assured, and loved to peaceful, and overall healthy. Another factor that improves my meditation sessions are my regular practice of yoga and pilates. In my experiences, meditation overwhelmingly goes hand-in-hand with these 2 practices, and is the cherry topper for my emotional, physical, and mental stability!

Meditation has greatly enhanced my life. Through my daily practice I focus on breathing which allows me to quiet the mind and shut down a tiny portion of the 70,000+ thoughts we have each day. Over the past twenty years I’ve had an on and off again relationship with meditation. Like so many others, I didn’t always have the time. There were more important things to tend to like solving the problems for my business and building relationships with clients. It took a burn-out, total exhaustion and visit to my doctor to understand that I needed to reverse my perspective: Meditation comes first and everything else must wait.

It took time to heal my busy habits but I now live in a calmer space.

Sharing one’s power

Experience for Mindfulness

Kim Hefner

Realizing that meditation should come first, and everything else must wait.

Kim Hefner

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Meditating to hear yourself and get ideas.

Sonya Highfield

I started meditating regularly in 2015 and I loved the experiences I was having. At the time I was considering starting a second business, and I ended up getting the name for the new business while meditating! I found that often I was flooded with new ideas, full programs and their titles, and even copy for social media posts! For me meditation has been both a very practical way to hear myself and get ideas, as well as tapping deeper into spiritual realms and a fuller understanding of my purpose here.

I use meditation regularly with my clients (who love it!) and they find it brings them calm in their bodies and minds, a chance to tune out the noise of life and recenter, as well as hear from their higher selves and inner wisdom guidance.

It produces a shift in energy, releases stress, and allows them to refocus on what's truly important to them.

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Meditation touches on mind, body, and soul for an effective and holistic approach to that kind of wealth.

Craig Singleton

Meditation has allowed me to be present in both, the moment and in my own thoughts. It has improved my level of focus, while allowing me to be mindful at the same time. Often, I can pause and catch myself whenever negative or useless thoughts find their way into my inner chat. I ask myself things like, “Why did that just enter my mind?”? Those tiny little moments can either move you forward in life or keep you right where you’re at. Although I certainly wouldn’t consider myself an expert, it has become a daily habit, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

Meditation has a way of molding your character and making you deeply aware. It helps you become more aware and gives you insight into the human condition.

Sharing one’s power

Experience for Mindfulness

Meditating has helped me feel exponentially

Brian Braudis

better in my daily life. Even if I can only dedicate a few minutes each day, I feel the difference it has made. My mood is better, my blood pressure is lower, and I’m sleeping better at night. I prefer quiet mindfulness meditation with occasional guided meditation sessions. I’ve learned that it’s not about removing all thoughts from my mind but acknowledging them without judgment or agenda.

Brian Braudis

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It gets us out of that chronic stress response that many of us live in.

Laura Macdougall

I have meditated on and off for years (maybe 15 or more) and it helps me manage the negative mind chatter I have. It helps me sleep at night and be more present. Since the pandemic, meditation has become a regular part of my life now most days. It helps me manage my emotions better, getting more “good days.”

Healthy isn’t just about achieving a fit physique. It’s also about existing in a positive mental and emotional state.

Linda Chester

We live in a fast-paced world, making us more susceptible to stress at work or home. When stress piles on and is not addressed, it can evolve into something worse. A few years ago, I was diagnosed with severe anxiety resulting from a buildup of stress. My therapist recommended meditation to ease my symptoms. As an active, on-the-go person, I initially found it challenging to sit still and do breathing exercises. But it became easier the more I saved myself for the practice.

“Life is a dance. Mindfulness is witnessing that dance.”

–Amit Ray

The desire to know your own soul will end all other desires.