Mindfulness is healing for not only physical illness, chronic pain, but also anxiety and everyday stress.

Contemporary living is hectic and stressful. This is mainly because we focus too much on the “self.” In our lives, everything seems to evolve around the “self”: the errands we have to run, the goals we have to achieve, and the deadlines we have to meet. Such demands have evolved into our everyday stress.

Because we focus too much on the “self,” we have become oblivious to the needs of others: in other words, we lack mindfulness. In addition, due to our ingrained “mine-is-better” attitude, we often create conflicts in our everyday encounters with people. This is another major source of everyday stress.

How does mindfulness reduce everyday stress?

Researchers have found that mindfulness – in particular, mindfulness meditation – promotes a state of relaxation through changing the brain chemistry. Thus, mindfulness can heal depression. In addition, research has indicated that mindfulness can enhance the immune system, and thus vindicating the healing power of mindfulness.

What exactly is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a deliberate act of focusing the mind on the present moment.

Many of us are living in the past, the present, and the future simultaneously. The past affects our present as well as the future. To illustrate, an unpleasant past experience, such as a bad financial decision or investment, may play a pivotal role in our decision in the present by creating a setting for anxiety and worry, and accordingly with profound implications on the future.

Mindfulness brings our minds to what is happening at this very present moment, to the exclusion of everything else in the past or in the future. It is this “concentrated” relaxation through mindfulness that we can reduce, if not eradicate, everyday stress.

As mentioned above, we are living in a high-wired society in which multitasks are performed concurrently. A simple illustration is a driver talking on the cell phone, listening to the radio, while driving. We are on a fast lane, which is full of distractions and interruptions. Mindfulness is an inconspicuous sign on that fast lane, and it is small wonder that many of us miss that sign. As a result, we often take a turn into the lane leading to stress and distress.

In life, at the ordinary moment of the present, we often miss what is extraordinary at that moment. This “extraordinary” experience, such as rich sensory experiences that touch the nethermost of our souls, is felt only through mindfulness. How often do we eat while we watch a football game. Our focus is on the game, not really on the taste of the food. Mindfulness is savoring the food we eat, pondering on how it affects our senses as well as our health. Mindfulness is focusing on the ordinary that we often take for granted.

Lao Tzu, the great ancient Chinese philosopher, once said: “To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.” Because of all the hustle and bustle around us, we do not experience that “stillness” that Lao Tzu described. For this reason, we tend to feel that the whole world is against us. What we really need is self-reflection and depth of understanding of what we are doing at the present moment. Let mindfulness reduce your everyday stress in a stressful world.

Stephen Lau is a writer and researcher. He has published several books and many websites on health, healing, depression, eating disorders, and golf. For more information on emotional and mental wellness, and also get your FREE copy of the 143-page e-book “All-Round Weight Loss” by Stephen Lau, go to: http://www.stephenlau.name/ei.html

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Natural relief for any disease is preferred by many people these days because of the fact that many medications give unpleasant side effects and they minimize the resistance power of the body. Even though it is very easy to take care of headache with some of the medications, there are as many natural therapies available to take care of headache. With these therapies you don’t have to worry about the side effects created by drugs and chemicals.

Herbal remedies for headaches are there since the cavemen used the plants to treat their ills but from recent past, we have moved more towards the chemical solutions to get the faster treatments. But, time has come that we should come back to the basics since natural pain relief techniques are not only effective and having no side effects but they are cheaper compared to the chemical solution medications.

Here are some of the natural ways to get rid of headache:

Drink Cup of Tea:

Herbal treatments are one of the best remedies when it comes to relieving the pain particularly the pains related to migraines and tension headaches. In such conditions person should get relaxed and should have one cup of tea. One should take care that the tea have enough herbs of right content and they can have powerful natural pain killer in your hands very easily. One can also try the chamomile mixed with a feverfew for a soothing tea that can eliminate or at least reduce the headache.

Take a Massage:

Headaches related to tensions are caused by the muscle tightening, that is often due to the stress of overwork or unaccustomed exercise. A massage to swiftly stretch these tightened muscles will help a person to release the tension. With manipulating the muscles particularly in shoulders and necks and at the base of the skull, the tightness will be eased and pain in the muscles will go off. This is the exercise that can be done by you. Here you have to work on the areas where your neck muscles attacked to the skull but it does work best of if it is done by somebody else with the experience and it will give you pain relief very soon.

Drink Water:

Do you know the fact that 75% of Americans are dehydrated most of the time? Most of the people prefer the soft drink with the snacks and meals. Unfortunately, having a cola will not going to rehydrate and in the worst case if you will take the soda, you will avoid to drink water. If this is the case, the state of dehydrations can cause headaches. So, drinking water is very important to prevent the headaches and also can be used to treat the headaches as well. If you have a doubt that the headache is because of the dehydration, drink two to three glasses of water and you will be alright in sometime.

Use Acupressure:

Acupuncturing is one of the very famous alternatives to the medical care required for some of the health problems, but the good part about this is that it can be done even without needles. Try to squeeze the fleshy area between thumb and forefinger for 5 minutes for quick headache relief.

You may be interested in reading Increase Memory and Relieve Stress. Also visit Natural Stress Reliever

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/how-to-treat-headache-naturally-910874.html