Traditional talk therapy can be very beneficial for a lot of people. Talking with a licensed professional helps people come to realizations and they can make major breakthroughs. Unfortunately, it isn’t easy for everyone to verbally communicate feelings. In fact, a lot of people struggle to say how they feel when sitting across from a therapist. It’s also possible that the feelings or traumatic experience you want to talk about are buried deep down, and talking about it can seem impossible. 

In all these cases, and many more, art therapy can serve as an alternative therapeutic way to process emotions. Art is a healing medium and it can be quite liberating and therapeutic, even outside an art therapy session. Scribbling, painting, or sculpting can help people release stress or tense emotions. 

What Is Art Therapy?

Art therapy is a practice that uses art as a tool to promote healing. An art therapy session gives you the chance to express their feelings and experiences in a physical way. Expressing an emotion through artistic qualities can be a lot easier than describing it verbally. Language processing, emotional processing, and creative thinking all involve different areas of the brain. What art therapy aims to do is integrate these areas to help bridge the gaps between these processes. Many art therapists agree that this process leads to a more holistic and intuitive outcome. 

It is far different from taking an art class because an art class focuses on technique. In an art therapy session, the therapist asks minimal questions while the client creates art in their presence. The therapist uses the time to observe the creation of the client’s art and what their body language is while making the art. The colors, intensity of the piece, and more all communicate things to the therapist, all without a lot of verbal communication. Continue reading to learn about some potential benefits of art therapy. 

It May Build Self-Esteem

Authors of a 2019 report noted that participating in expressive art activities may help build self-acceptance, confidence, and self-esteem. These types of interventions may help people with chronic illness, as it helps them process complex or difficult thoughts/emotions about their experiences and/or conditions. Other research notes that art therapy focuses on promoting self-expression to gain a sense of personal independence and self-sufficiency. Art can help you understand what matters to you!

It May Reduce Stress

The act of creating something can be very therapeutic and it can help you release built-up tension in the body. One systematic review, which included 37 studies, found that 81% of participants in the reviewed studies reported significant reductions in stress via creative art interventions. A smaller study found that 45 minutes of art-making (collaging, using modeling clay, or drawing) helped reduce cortisol levels in 75% of participants. Participants also noted that the art session made them want to make more art. 

It May Improve Behavior In Autistic Children

According to several studies, art therapy may be an effective form of healing that can aid children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A 2022 review included 15 studies that monitored children with autism between ages three and 16. The review concluded that art intervention, like drawing and painting, helped them express themselves and improve social learning. Additionally, a small study followed 40 children (ages six to 12) with ASD in Iran. After 12 sessions of art therapy, children showed more adaptive behaviors and emotions, improved social interactions, and an increased ability to share their feelings. 

It May Improve Symptoms Of Anxiety And Depression

One of the best ways to work through your depression or anxiety is to create art. You just let your emotions flow through you without ever needing to say a word. A small randomized controlled trial monitored elderly women with major depressive disorder. The group that participated in 20 weekly art therapy group sessions reported improvements in their depression and anxiety symptoms. Experts purport that making art helps participants cope with stressful events and express themselves in accessible ways. A systematic review of 413 studies concluded that art therapy was effective for helping patients with mental health disorders open up and share their feelings. 

It May Help People With PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition that develops in some people who experienced scary, shocking, or dangerous events. One small study consisted of 11 combat veterans with PTSD. Findings indicated that art therapy, in conjunction with cognitive processing therapy (CPT), enhanced trauma recall and increased access to emotions. Additionally, researchers from this trial noted non-verbal therapeutic tools, such as art therapy, potentially allowed for deeper emotional processing. The veterans who participated in art therapy were either able to recover blocked memories or gain crucial realizations that helped them move forward.

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When you think of meditation, the first sound that comes to mind is, “Om.” Some people believe that this was the first sound in the universe, but does the average person know what it means? Om is simply one of many mantras, which many people misunderstand. A mantra is not just something you utter; rather, it is key to help you unlock the doorway to a better version of yourself. 

What Is A Mantra?

A mantra is a word or sound, typically one syllable, that you repeat to focus your concentration during meditation. You can speak a mantra aloud or focus on it in your mind during meditation. It is very common in Hindu and Buddhist traditions and directly translates to “mind vehicle.” Consider the fact that the entire world is made up of various sounds and vibrations, so some believe that everything is an amalgamation of various mantras. Of the many sounds in existence, several have been identified as keys to open up different dimensions of your life or experience. 

According to experts, different mantras have specific effects or meanings. Working on a mantra over time can help you shift your life in a positive direction, or improve your outlook on the world. When you practice repeating a mantra, it’s possible to create positive changes in your life. In fact, some gurus believe that a mantra is something that you strive to be. Each one has a specific energy attached to it, which is why you should be aware of its origin before starting it. Understanding the origin of the mantra you repeat can help awaken the mind instead of putting you in a dull trance. Continue reading to learn about eight mantras that are great for anyone starting out in meditation or mindfulness practices. 

Wooooooosaaaaaaahhhhhhhh

No, this is not a made up mantra; rather, it aims to help you release built-up tension from the body. Spiritual wellness practitioners say that this sound is great to practice if you feel like you are losing patience. The mere sound itself is a way to unleash whatever is inside of you. Expel the negative energy and tension with a long-winded sigh as you say this mantra. Take a deep inhale in and wooooooosaaaaaaaahhhhhh it out. 

Om

As stated in the beginning of this article, many believe that Om was the first sound in the universe, and it may be the sound of creation. Many monks practice this sound because it is associated with higher consciousness. It is both everything and nothing, and repeating this mantra helps you tap into your power as a creator for opportunity and awareness.

Aham-Prema

Pronounced “Aah-ham-pree-mah,” this mantra directly translates to, “I am Divine Love.” Repeat this mantra during your meditation practice if you need to align yourself with divine love, i.e. everything that is unconditional love can be for you. Gratitude, adoration, emotion, compliance, acceptance, appreciation, and harmony all belong to this mantra. You should repeat this mantra 108 times in order to peacefully unite the mind, body, and soul.

Om Mani Padme Hum

The direct translation of this mantra is, “Hail the Jewel in the Lotus.” Traditionally repeated by Tibetan Buddhists to achieve an ultimate state of compassion, this mantra can be divided or seen as a whole. “Om” is the primal sound that brings harmony and alignment into your life. “Ma” strips you down from your needs, while “Ni” releases you from desire and passion. “Pad” frees you from prejudice and leaves you with only love and acceptance. Finally, “Me” gets you ready to accept the world as it is, and “Hum” frees you from hatred. 

I Am Love

This is an English mantra that you can practice. Not only does it help you tap into the love you have with yourself, but also the love that you share with the universe. When you repeat this mantra, you can acknowledge your inner light and remember who you are. 

So Hum

So Hum is a Sanskrit mantra that translates to, “I am that,” with “that” being the universe. Several meditation experts say that this mantra helps a person better align with the universe. It may also allow you to see or experience your oneness with the universe. 

Sa Ta Na Ma

Another Sanskrit mantra that likely means, “Birth, life, death, and rebirth.” This mantra represents the various cycles of life and how things change as you move from one cycle to the next. It is beneficial to chant this mantra aloud because it is very balancing to the brain. In fact, it may help you move through the changes and seasons of life with ease. 

I Accept

When it comes to gratitude, where do you begin? Sometimes, it is beneficial to start in a simple and realistic place, which is where this mantra enters the equation. No matter what you have to accept in life, this mantra can come to your aid. Although it is a simple mantra, it is quite powerful and may lead to positive change down the line.

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Within recent years, mental health and emotional health have become popular topics of conversation. More people continue to speak out about struggles with anxiety and depression, and it’s both inspirational and beautiful. During these conversations, one of the common threads is self-love, which is different for every single person. 

There are many people who simply don’t know how to practice self-love. When you can’t figure it out and you see other people that love themselves without issues, it can cause a depression spiral. We are here to help you achieve total self-love, and we have seven habits that will assist you on your journey. Continue reading to learn how to love yourself without fail.

Make A List Of Things That Work For You

It’s easy to unearth all of the negatives in life, but seldom do people take time to acknowledge the positives they already have. Make a list of things that work for you. This is a baby step towards self-acceptance. Once you have a visual of how many positives are in your life, it will be easier to start loving yourself. 

Stop With The Comparisons

People are naturally competitive, and this is a dangerous human trait. When you compare yourself to everyone else, you head down a dark path. There are 7.8 billion people on this planet. Why compare yourself to everyone? Take all of your energy that you spend comparing and channel it to focus on your own journey. This will free you from comparison and help you appreciate your accomplishments. 

Set Boundaries

Boundaries help preserve your mental health. Some people work their whole lives to establish boundaries, but establishing them can keep you from becoming emotionally and mentally drained. It’s okay to say no! Decline a work project, a relationship, or activities that deplete you. You’ll find that you have more emotional and mental capacity when boundaries are in place. 

Let Go Of Toxic People

This comes after the previous tip for a reason: eliminating toxic people from your life is an important boundary. Toxic people often absorb the energy of good people, and you can’t love yourself if others suck up your love, time, and energy. To achieve self-love, you may need to distance yourself from others that drain you. Don’t be afraid to do this, even though it may be difficult. 

Explore Spirituality

Often times, people find peace and acceptance when they open themselves to spirituality. Don’t close off doors to Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Taoism, or anything else that may help establish a loving foundation in your being. Allow yourself to go on a journey of self-exploration. You may find that getting in touch with your spiritual side unlocks the door to a life where it’s easier to love yourself.

Learn To Forgive Yourself

This is hard to do because most people are naturally hard on themselves. This is partially rooted in comparison to others, and it’s another human flaw. There’s no reason to punish yourself for making a mistake because mistakes are teachable moments that help you grow. When you begin to accept that it’s human nature to fail at things, you’ll be one step closer to self-love. On the flipside, practice self-praise when don’t make a mistake!

Do Things That You’re Good At

It’s nice to feel good about yourself, and one of the easiest ways to make that happen is by doing something or things that you’re good at. Self-esteem and self-love are connected! When you get do something you excel at, there’s a natural endorphin rush that makes you feel good. If you are an excellent painter, put your brush to canvas. If you are an excellent cook, spend a long evening in the kitchen preparing your signature dishes. Whatever you do well, do those things and you’ll feel good about yourself. 

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Dana Falsetti is a plus-size yogi who is inspiring many people across the country via her body-positive Instagram. Whether it is through her yoga poses or pictures of her daily life, Falsetti is the perfect example of body image acceptance while constantly striving to reach personal goals.

Falsetti reached her peak weight of 300lbs in college. She later realized that the weight gain was the result of binge eating and depression. Having been overweight for a good portion of her life, she felt pressured to lose weight. She left college in New Orleans and transferred to a school closer to her hometown of New Hope, Pennsylvania.

She reduced her portion sizes, frequented the gym, and was able to lose 70lbs! Even though she lost all that weight, she didn’t feel happy. Falsetti wondered what the point of her health journey was, if she still felt the same as she did before losing the weight. Then she took a yoga class that would ultimately change her life.

Since she was exercising frequently, she thought the yoga class wouldn’t be difficult. Downward dog is supposed to be a resting pose and she felt like she was working to prop herself up. Some people might want to give up after struggling through an exercise, but not Falsetti. That sparked her to want to better herself and prove that she could do yoga, despite her weight.

Her motivation to do yoga later shifted. Yoga is an exercise that is about personal limitations. You don’t have to overexert yourself, but the more you do it, the more you want to accomplish advanced poses. Yoga is also about accepting where your body feels comfortable. You have to accept what your body can and cannot do, and then find a balance between the two to get better.

Falsetti refused to let her body hold her back in yoga, and in life. She now travels the world teaching yoga with a focus on body-positive fundamentals. She has over 80,000 Instagram followers that are continuously inspired by her ability to be courageous, strong, and accepting of her body.

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Vitiligo is a condition that causes pigment to be lost in the skin. Pigment in the skin is produced by cells called melanocytes and when the cells die or lose the ability to function properly, Vitiligo can occur.

Vitiligo is more noticeable in darker skin colors, but can occur in anyone. The condition appears as patches of depigmented skin on certain areas of the body. Patches are usually small in size and can be irregular in shape. The depigmentation occurs on many parts of the body, but it is particularly noticeable around the mouth, eyes and nose.

The exact cause of the condition is unknown, but some possible causes include:

• Genetic oxidative stress
• Neural or Viral causes
• Autoimmune disorder
• Harm to the skin
• Chemical exposure

Causes

Although the precise cause of Vitiligo is currently unknown, research points to a few possible causes. The first possible cause is an auto immune disorder. If a person’s immune system becomes overactive, it can ultimately destroy the melanocytes that produce pigment. There is little insight into why the body would do this.

Another possible cause could be heredity. Specific genes could be responsible for the depigmentation. No specific gene has been pinpointed yet. If Vitiligo affects you as well as other members of your family, it may run in your genes.

Emotional stress and stress to the actual skin have been said to trigger Vitiligo. While there is no actual proof behind the statement, it is thought that if a person is carrying a gene for the condition, stress could trigger an outbreak. Sunburn or cuts to the skin are physical stresses to the skin that could do this. Emotional stress from work or home life are examples of internal stressors.

Natural Solutions

While there are currently no natural cures for Vitiligo, changing your lifestyle can be of help in alleviating the condition. Try to lower the outside stress in your life. By lowering your own stress levels, you may be less likely to suffer from the condition. Learning ways to cope with everyday stressors such as work, school, home life, or children can be beneficial in every aspect of your life. Practicing yoga and meditating can help to lower stress levels and create a calm inner peace. Learn to let go of the things that stress you and focus on the positive aspects of your life. Focusing on the good around you will make the bad look less noticeable.

Avoiding exposure to the sun can help keep your Vitiligo symptoms at bay. Over exposure to sunlight has been said to trigger Vitiligo in some people. Be sure to wear proper SPF when outdoors and avoid extended periods of time in the sun.

Traumas to the skin should be treated accordingly to reduce the chances of depigmentation around the affected area. Make sure you let your body heal properly to avoid scarring.

If your condition is genetic, there is little you can do to change that. Avoiding the things that worsen your condition is your best option. Avoid having any invasive procedures performed. They are unnecessary since Vitiligo is not harmful to you or contagious to others.

If the depigmentation bothers you, try using some natural makeup products, such as concealers. These will help to camouflage the discoloration and may put you at ease about its appearance. Natural makeups are widely available today and will not harm your skin. They are formulated to allow the skin to breathe while providing all the beauty benefits of other makeups.

Dherbs Solutions

Dherbs recommends learning to accept yourself for who and what you are. Be happy with your outward appearance. Some conditions like Vitiligo we cannot change. The best treatment is self acceptance. Learn to love yourself for all the wonderful qualities you possess and forget the flaws that exist. Flaws exist in us all and that is what makes each of us unique and special.

Remember, treating your body and mind well is the first step in overall health.

Thank you for reading!

This article is compliments of Dherbs.com

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Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.

Whether it’s a fear of spiders, airplanes, or public speaking, everyone has suffered from fear at one point or another. Clammy hands, quickened breathing-we all know the signs. What is less well known, however, is how to vanquish fear.

Conquering Your Fears

The best way to conquer your fears is to first accept them.

As with any shortcoming, acceptance goes a long way towards recovery. Yet there is a distinction between acceptance and complacence. Do not resign yourself to fear. On the contrary, challenge yourself to face it down!

Once you walk in the direction of your fear and acquaint yourself with your terrors, they begin to dissolve. All illusions dissolve or wear off eventually; fear is nothing but an illusion. Even though fear is an illusion, it is dangerously powerful. It may appear real from a distance, yet it is only real when you make up your mind to believe in it.

When you challenge your fears by facing them, you gain knowledge of the fear and can view it in a rational and objective manner. It is very human to be afraid or fearful at times, but fear should never last long. Fear should never consume us.

Look at Fear Differently

Yet as terrible as fear is to experience, perhaps we need to change our perspective of it. Instead of viewing it as a problem and a vice, imagine it as a seed or nut that can be cracked open, manifesting many sought after answers to life’s many puzzling questions.

In every problem lies the answer to solve the problem.

When looked at from this angle, we are given problems throughout life so as to be given answers throughout life. Receiving and applying (or living) the answers we seek help us to grow and evolve mentally, emotionally, spiritually and on so many other planes and levels.

From this wise perspective, fear is an ally and not an enemy. If we see problems and challenges as things that help us, problems and challenges are beneficial. Fear should be no different. If we see fear as something that can help us, fear is beneficial.

Now on the other hand, if we see fear as something bad, dreadful, or negative, then we shape our perspective of fear and will only reap negative results from fear pursuant to the Law of Attraction. Undoubtedly, you will attract what you fear.

The thing you fear will always come upon you if you get stuck or trapped in your fear pursuant to repetitious thought.

There is only one thing that causes fear to dissolve and that is doing the thing you fear; in other words, walking in the direction of your fear to face it head on. And let me tell you, some find it easier to face their fears after putting knowledge and faith in a higher power such as religion or some form of spiritual guidance.

When you know and believe you are truly protected by this higher power from all harm in this world of man, it’s not so unpleasant to face your fear.

Faith Trumps Fear

Facing and overcoming fear can actually strengthen your faith.

Overcoming fear as well as other challenges in life causes your faith (in God, Universe, Higher Self, etc.) to blossom and strengthen. Whatever we go through in life, God, Higher Power, or Universe (or whatever else we may choose to call it) is always there with and for us, so really, what’s to fear?

The stronger the faith and trust in what we believe (e.g. Higher Power), the less powerful and less lived the fear (or problem or challenge) will be.

You never have to fear the outcome of anything if you shape the outcome in advance. It is said that the best way to predict the future is to create it. The same thing should apply to outcomes – the best way to predict an outcome is to shape it or create it yourself.

Believe in yourself. Think positively and feel confident. You are the only one who can free yourself from fear. Set small goals and take baby steps, if necessary. And imagine how liberating it will feel to know that you have conquered a formerly crippling fear and can finally experience true freedom. Even if you lose your confidence the first few attempts, keep trying. Every marathon begins with the first few steps.

You can do it!

Thank you for reading!

This article is compliments of Dherbs.com.

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There are two levels of stillness. The first level involves learning to relax, become centered, and meditate. The technique involves sitting or lying down and being absolutely still – without reading a book, talking, watching the television, or listening to the radio. It involves deliberately pausing, stopping all physical movement, becoming relaxed, calm, and quiet inside, and just being – consciously being conscious. It’s about being centered and still in the moment you are presently in.

For a few minutes, every form of external activity stops. Then, in that physical quietness, you turn your attention inward and focus on yourself. Focus on what it feels like to be you. Experience you. Immerse your conscious awareness in your own unique feeling-tone, the feeling-tone of the Universe expressing Itself as you. Do this deliberately in order to consciously experience the truth of who you are.

LEVEL ONE

The first level of stillness is about being with yourself in order to know yourself. This is accomplished by being wide awake and aware as you deliberately relax into yourself. The idea is to consciously enter into a state wherein you temporarily suspend everything you think you know about who you are, including anything you have ever been taught, and simply be attentive to what’s going on right there where you are. You practice being quiet, both physically and mentally, as you pay attention to the sensations in your body, the various thoughts in your mind, and your current experience of being conscious and alive. You practice simple body-mind awareness, being conscious of the moment you are now in, and thereby experience with clarity the energy of you. You consciously experience yourself as you actually are. In this way you open yourself to a new, truer, less distorted experience of you and the world.

When you are able to relax and quietly suspend all your firmly held false ideas and limiting beliefs about who and what you are, only what is true will remain. You will then experience your ever-existing truth for yourself. This is like polishing a mirror – removing the grime – and seeing yourself clearly for the very first time. And though this is not as easy as it sounds, it is also not particularly difficult. Let me clarify something first, however. In order to let go of the false beliefs you have about who and what you are, it is not necessary to know which beliefs are true and which are false. In fact, you probably don’t know, and this is the problem. If you knew, you would not be uncertain about your true identity. If you knew, you would not be experiencing conflict and inner turmoil; you would be experiencing peace. Therefore, let go of them all! Let go of everything you think you know about who you are, and see what’s left.

When you let go of everything you think you know about yourself and stay with what’s left, when you willingly abandon the contradictory evaluations of who you are and courageously reach deeply into yourself in order to experience yourself directly, you will come upon a new experience of who you are. You will sense the creative energy that is the life of you, and you will then define and think about yourself in a new and expanded way. And since the way you think about and define yourself is central to your perception, behavior, and experience of the world, your world will spontaneously change as your self-concept changes and comes into closer alignment with what’s really true.

LEVEL TWO

The second level of stillness involves living your daily life with this new and growing inner certainty of who you really are. In other words, meditation in action. This is not always easy, and it takes a little getting used to, for it means staying in touch with the deepest truth about yourself in the midst of daily life. This involves continually letting go of the judgments, evaluations, and contradictory opinions about yourself that arise in your mind throughout the day and in your relationships with other people. You do this by staying centered in your peace. You thereby learn to be suspicious of any suggestion – from yourself or others – that speaks of your guilt, your unworthiness, or your unlovableness. You learn it is appropriate to disregard any remaining inner self-criticism because in Level One you experienced yourself in a new way: as fundamentally lovable, innocent of all blame, and therefore deserving of every good thing.

Having experienced the truth about yourself in Level One, albeit momentarily, you had an insight – a glimmer of clarity, a moment of experience – about an inner truth that you can’t quite ignore. You experienced yourself in a new way and now know your deepest truth, even though you may not yet fully believe it. Part of you knows the truth, but you’re not totally convinced, and understandably so. Besides, when you are surrounded by others who are instead convinced of other things, it is doubly difficult to overcome your doubts.

This is similar to what it must have been like for Copernicus when he first suspected that the world was round. He had an insight into the way things are, yet part of him probably still believed the flat-world theory. And because he was surrounded by other flat-world theorists, and because he couldn’t yet prove the world was round, it would have been difficult for him to be fully convinced or convincing to others.

The way to experience the truth of who you are (Level One) is by letting go of all your learned preconceptions about yourself and then staying present and open-minded for the experience. The way to stay in touch with your truth (Level Two), and confirm it to yourself over and over until there is absolutely no doubt, is by continuing to do what you did in Level One, but doing it now moment by moment during the day. This means, essentially, letting go of pretense and self-critical judgment and allowing self-acceptance – letting yourself be who you truly are. Again, you do this by staying centered in your peace, for only when you are at peace will you have the clearest perspective. By staying centered in your peace in the midst of daily life, you will validate your new perception of yourself and gradually become fully convinced. As a consequence, you will then be convincing to others.

How to Start

Let’s look at two excellent techniques for developing stillness and peace of mind. Both of these use your breathing as the primary focal point and both involve learning how to sit absolutely still. Sitting absolutely still – practicing conscious physical immobility – can teach you how to be in the conflict-free, higher-energy, “stillness” state for more of your daily life. You can learn what it feels like to have all your energy perfectly aligned and in harmony, like the spinning top. You can learn to participate fully in your experience of the now and still be relaxed. You can learn to be perfectly centered. And, of course, the more familiar you are with the feeling and experience of being centered, the easier it will be to stay that way. And since moving away from your center has been the source of all your suffering, the sooner you notice yourself going off, the better.

The importance of Level One (meditation) as an aid to the stable attainment of Level Two (meditation in action) cannot be overemphasized. The more familiar you are with the feeling-tone of your own centered being when you are “home” and alone, the more obvious it will be when you move away from it, and the easier it will be to find your way back to center in the midst of a busy life.

Counting Backward

In this exercise you will be counting backward from fifty to zero, synchronizing the counting with your breathing. You’ll count the even numbers as you exhale and the odd numbers as you inhale.

Sit with your back straight and your eyes closed. If you can sit comfortably on the floor, do so. Otherwise, use a chair. Be comfortable.

Begin by breathing in gently, fully. As yell exhale, mentally say “fifty.” As you breathe in again, mentally say “forty-nine,” exhale “forty-eight,” inhale “forty-seven,” exhale “forty-six” … and so on.

Count backward on both the in-breath and the out-breath until you reach “twenty,” then count only on exhales. Silently count “twenty” as you exhale. Then, instead of counting “nineteen” on the in-breath, do nothing, just inhale. With the next exhalation count “nineteen” … and so on until you reach zero.

When you reach zero, stop counting, but stay aware of the natural flow of breath in exactly the same way as when you were counting. Watch the breath as though you were going to count, but don’t count. As you do this, practice sitting absolutely still. But don’t hold yourself still. Simply be so relaxed that no movement occurs.

Be very aware of how you feel as you do this–how peaceful, energized, calm. Notice how pleasantly alert you are, how serene, fearless, at ease. Familiarize yourself with this feeling, with the feeling-tone of being centered and at peace, and rest here another two or three minutes. Absorb the stillness. Then prepare yourself, open your eyes, and return. This will take six or seven minutes.

As you do this exercise, breathe normally. Do not do deep breathing or control the breath in any way. This is important. You are learning not to be in control. You are learning to get out of the way. Therefore, rather than controlling the breath, allow it to flow freely in and out at its own natural pace. Yet, stay aware of the breath. Keep track of the numbers. As the breath comes in, count. As the breath goes out, count. And when you reach zero, stay aware of the breath nonverbally. There should be no strain in your breathing as you do this. Keep it soft and easy.

As you count backward, you may be more aware than usual of your mind darting rapidly from one object of attention to another. You may be unusually aware of sounds, physical sensations, or thoughts. You may lose count altogether. None of this matters. All of these things are evidence that the technique is working. You’re becoming more aware.

The value of this technique lies in its ability to help you notice where your attention is from moment to moment, what’s in your mind, and the contents of your consciousness. The counting is not only a centering device and a way of developing concentration, of training your mind to focus, it also acts as a backdrop on which your thoughts become very apparent.

For now, however, do not do anything with the various thoughts or sensations that arise. Simply be aware of them and continue counting. Gradually become more aware, more quiet within yourself, and increasingly dynamically still. As you immerse yourself in your stillness–and this is something that improves with each attempt–you will experience an unexpected and immensely satisfying sense of contentment and ease. Feel the peace.

Mindfulness of Breathing

Sit on the floor with your back straight and eyes closed. If you are unable to sit on the floor, use a chair. Be comfortable.

Begin with a somewhat deep and gentle inhalation. Hold the air for a moment, then release it slowly in a long, thin exhalation. Do this three times. Then, focus your awareness in your body and feel yourself breathing.

As attentively as you can, note the changing sensations throughout your body that accompany each breath. Tune in to the subtle differences in sensation between the inhalation and exhalation. What does it feel like to inhale? What does it feel like to exhale? How do you know which is happening? And where in your body do you actually feel the breathing taking place? The most obvious sensations will be in your abdomen, chest, or nostrils, but you can feel the movement of breath elsewhere, too. In fact, there may be nowhere in your body that you cannot feel it. Experience what’s happening.

Make no attempt to regulate or control your breathing as you do this. Again, practice letting go of control. Allow the breath to flow in and out on its own without your intervention. Some breaths will be deep, some will be shallow. Every breath will be different. All you need to do is be aware. You will experience the unbroken flow of breath when your mind is in an unbroken state, your attention continuous and one-pointed. That is the quality we want to cultivate, undivided attention to the instant of conscious experience you happen to be in.

Sit motionless, experience your whole body breathing, and then ride the breath into the sensation of yourself. Feel you. Experience the feeling-tone of the vibrating energy in your body, the overall sensation of “you.” Practice becoming still and familiarize yourself with the actual feeling of stillness and peace.

If you find it difficult to concentrate on the subtle sensations that accompany breathing, say “in” to yourself as you breathe in and “out” as you breathe out. When your attention strays, notice this and then return it to the constantly changing sensations throughout your breathing body.

Be thoroughly relaxed as you practice this technique. Sit tall and be absolutely still. Give yourself your own undivided attention, ride the breath into the feeling-tone of you, and concentrate on that feeling. Immerse yourself in it. Feel you. Do this for five or ten minutes. Do it for a few moments whenever you can. Do it now, if possible. This will prepare you for the next chapter.

Coming Back to Center

Motionless sitting is probably the easiest way of learning to be centered. Being centered, however, does not require that you be physically motionless. You learn to be centered, and you become increasingly familiar with the energetic feeling-tone of stillness through the practice of motionless sitting, and you immerse yourself in it as fully as you can when you can, but you then carry that feeling-tone with you into the motion of your life.

For as many moments of the day as you can, come back to center. Relax into where you are, breathe, and consciously be present in the now. Do this as you are driving, working, in the midst of a conversation – anything, everything – all day long.

And think of it like this: The feeling of stillness is peace, and the feeling of peace is joy. Therefore, come back to center and feel the joy. Do this frequently throughout the day. Come back to center as many moments of the day as you can, and let the joy you feel permeate everything you do.

Erich Schiffmann (born 1953, Los Angeles, California) is an accomplished American Yoga Master widely known for his award-winning video, Yoga Mind & Body, featuring actress Ali MacGraw. He is the author of a best-selling book, Moving into Stillness. He has been teaching yoga for more than twenty years. At age 18 Schiffmann sent a handwritten letter to Krishnamurti and was accepted to study with him in England.

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