Many traditions have a form of prayer bead. Christians utilize rosaries, dhikr are used in Islam, and malas are used by Buddhists and Hindus. The word “mala” is Sanskrit and means “garland.” Malas often contain 108 beads, as 108 is often seen as a sacred number. There are many reasons for this, from the Buddhist belief in 108 feelings to the Hindu belief in the 108 Mukhya Shivaganas. Malas are made out of seeds, wood, glass, and gemstone.

In some forms of meditation, it is helpful to

A meditation affirmation is a great way to relieve anxiety and stress. It focuses your attention in the present moment and releases your mind from a borage of stressful and/or anxious thoughts. When you do this, you calm your mind and can relax.

For today's meditation, we will do a quick 5-minute breath meditation with affirmation. The affirmation for today is I RELEASE and - I ALLOW JOY". Start the cycle with a silent inhalation. Then upon exhalation, say the words "I RELEASE and". Say the

Using music during meditation for stress and anxiety is a personal choice. I personally find that using music during meditation can be very soothing and calming. It can even help to focus me at times. There are times, however, that I choose to meditate without music. Sometimes, I feel that the music is a distraction. It really depends on my level of consciousness at the time I go to meditate.

The type of music that I use is also different depending on my current vibrational level, i.e.

Shawngela Pierce, owner of Seek Within You, will be a guest on Hollis Chapman Radio Show at 12pm EST on January 3, 2014. Shawngela will be discussing the Meditation for Health Program she teaches at her company, Seek Within You. The Meditation for Health Program is a step-by-step holistic lifestyle program with meditation used as the foundation. The program is designed to teach students how to heal from the emotional and physical effects of stress and anxiety. Student learn stress management and anxiety relief techniques. They learn

Quick Meditation Tip

Meditation can occur anywhere. For instance, you can meditate while washing dishes. You can be so focused on feeling the hand sensations that occur while washing dishes that you are actually practicing a form of mindfulness meditation. Typically when people are asking this question though, they usually have a vision of a quiet, secluded space in which to do a seated meditation. For some people, this may be the best way to start a formal meditation practice. If this is the case for you, then

Mindset can be defined as a set of beliefs or a way of thinking that determine a person's behavior and outlook.  I would say in a lot of cases, people already have the mindset to meditate. As meditation is becoming more popular in this country, many people are beginning to come to the belief that meditation is very beneficial for things such as relieving stress and anxiety, improving your mental function, improving your concentration, etc. They are familiar with studies that are helping them to make the transition

Counting Breaths

Meditation for anxiety and stress can be a simple activity to do. I think that a counting breaths meditation can be "counted" as one of those in that category of simple forms of meditation. Simply, relax, find a comfortable position, close your eyes and start counting your breaths. That is all there is to it. Just count your breaths. If you notice that your mind has wondered, that is fine. Just acknowledge it without judgment and return to counting your breaths. You can return either to

Relieve Stress and Anxiety in the Shower

Do you tend to bring your worries and stress to the shower with you? Are you thinking about conversations that happened in the past or have yet to happen? Are you checking off your to-do list while in the shower? If you answered yes, to any one of these questions or know that you are not fully present in the shower, then consider incorporating a mindful shower meditation into your routine.

Being entirely in your head as you shower exacerbates

Stand grounded in yourself and release attachments. 

Attachment can take on many forms. You can be attached to an object, you can be attached to an emotion, you can be attached to other people's expectation, you can be attached to a person, etc. It is these attachments that cause stress and anxiety in your life. The anxiety and stress come from either worrying about how long you can hold on to whatever positive sensations these attachments bring to you or dreading or being worried about the

Are you looking for tips and techniques for holiday stress and depression? Do you want to feel better during the holidays? Do the holidays make you feel more sad, depressed, stressed or anxious? If you answered yes to any of the previous questions, then download our Free 7-page guide. Mindfulness meditation and other holistic lifestyle changes are some of the techniques offered in a quick and easy to use format. The free guide, includes links to videos and other resources to help you feel more relaxed and

If you are in need of guidance in whatever stage of development you are in, find a good teacher. A good teacher will lead you to the door but will ask you to walk through it. Now what does that mean in practical terms? As a meditation instructor, I can give you the tools for learning to meditate but I cannot tell you what you will experience for I have learned and truly believe that everyone's experience will be different. This is what makes meditation seem like

If you really want to do something, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse. Jim Rohn

This may be cliche, however, if you really want to do it, you will do it. Life is about choices. Now having said this, let me give you a hand with making the choice to meditate. When making decisions, you have to consider the pros and cons of it. Well, meditation has many pros. Meditation relieves stress and anxiety, helps to clear your mind, makes you

Featured Artist

The winding path by Joe Stevenson

Listen to this relaxing and captivating song by Joe Stevenson taken from the album, Zen and the Art of Relaxation. It is a perfect time to take a break, relax and just let go. Anytime you find that your mind has wandered, breath, relax and return your attention to the melodic sound of the music.

Mindfulness meditation is an excellent way to relieve stress and anxiety. When you are mindful, you are focused on the present moment and on what is happening now. Stress and anxiety are usually a result of thoughts about what is going to happen or thoughts about the past, not actually what is happening in the present moment. The entire stress response caused by stress and anxiety is a result of your thoughts about it.  In this mindfulness meditation, we will focus on using the breath to stay in

For this qigong exercise, we will place our attention on the shoulder, neck and upper back area. So many individuals hold tension in this area. With this qigong exercise, you will be relaxing into the area and thereby opening up your energetic channels. When you open your channels, you increase the flow of healing energy to that area. In qigong, the intention is to focus on the coordinated movement with your breath in a relaxed manner.

Instructions

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms at your

How do I meditate? This is one of the most frequent questions that I am asked and also the most challenging. While it may seem simple to be able to just give you instructions on how to meditate, I feel that if you really want to incorporate meditation into your life, then there are some important aspects you may want to consider.

Meditation is beneficial for so many aspects of our lives. It can help to improve your physical health, it can relieve you of stress and

In my opinion, there is no right way to meditate because meditation is a personal inward journey. What I mean by this is that as you practice meditation, you begin to notice there are certain aspects that will make it easier for you to practice it. For instance, sitting erect with a relaxed spine, makes a sitting meditation easier to do. If you started practicing a sitting meditation with your spine tense, then it is more challenging to do. Having said this, you should "come as you are"

Life Lessons from Stroke Survivor and Author Erica Tucci

Today, I have the great pleasure of being the host on Day 11 of Erica Tucci’s Virtual Blog Tour. Erica’s book Radiant Survivor: How to Shine and Thrive through Recovery from Stroke, Cancer, Abuse, Addiction and Other Life-Altering Experiences is celebrating its big Amazon launch on November 19th, 2013 at http://www.radiantsurvivor.com/book-launch/pages/pre-launch.php. 

Erica Tucci had a full life as a corporate manager of a Fortune 500 company, a healing arts business owner and an author of three

For today's Monday Meditation we will cultivate our awareness of the present moment with this mindful eating exercise.

Mindfulness is about the awareness that you bring to each present moment. Anything done with mindful awareness and focus, such as eating, driving and washing dishes can be considered a meditation.

Being mindful is very helpful because it relieves stress and anxiety. This is due to the fact that your awareness is in the present moment. You are not focused on the past or worrying about the future. 

Stress and anxiety are related. Many times they are a result of a perceived threat or negative thought. As a result, you undergo a stress response. You releases all types of stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. These stress hormones have profound effects on your body. Your blood pressure rises, your immune system gets suppressed, along with a whole series of reactions.

Meditation affects the body in exactly the opposite ways that stress does. It restores the body to a calm state, helps the body to