We talked about the fight or flight response and diaphragmatic breathing in Improve Your Stress Response, and the relaxation response, guided relaxation, progressive muscle relaxation, and yoga in Learn to Relax.  What’s left?  Meditation!

Click here for great article from the Mayo Clinic on the physical and mental benefits of meditation.  There are several varieties of meditation, so if you’re new to meditation or not sure it’s for you, guided meditation (which often overlaps with guided relaxation & guided imagery) may be the best place to start.  Still not sure if you want to try meditation?  Click here to read “If You’re Too Busy to Meditate, Read This” on Harvard Business Review’s blog.

Click here for several guided meditation podcasts from UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center, or if you want to download these (free!) from iTunes, click here (or just search for “Mindful Meditations UCLA” from iTunes on your iPhone).  On iTunes, UCLA offers a 3 minute “Body & Soul” meditation that’s great if you’re pressed for time; I also recommend the 12 minute “Body Scan for Sleep,” available on either the website or iTunes.

Are you making time for a “daily reset” with focused relaxation?