A couple of days after Beth and I arranged for her presentation, I was contacted to see if I would be available at the beginning of November to give my "From Stressed to Refreshed" presentation at an expo in Las Vegas. It will explain what stress is, how it affects the mind/body, how to use relaxation and a couple of other techniques to reduce stress and improve health. I'm looking forward to sharing what I've learned over the years to help people reduce stress in a holistic way.

I've heard this same thing from numerous clients. Many people have a fear of letting go and relaxing for a variety of reasons. Some of them have come from dysfunctional homes, and have learned to be hypervigilant in order to survive. Others have been through a long period of crises that have emotionally hit them over and over, until they, too, are hypervigilant. People with either of these issues often fear that something awful will happen if they let down their guard. Sometimes anxieties or fears will begin to surface as a person starts the relaxation process. These are feelings that they've been able to keep suppressed and are now rising to the surface because their conscious control of them has loosened. Or a person could simply become apprehensive because relaxing is so unfamiliar that they feel uncomfortable doing it.

Stress, tension or a sense of pressure signals the brain to keep the mind and body on alert, prepared for physical danger. Waiting for the other shoe to drop, or the next crisis, damages the body in subtle ways. The medical profession believes that stress causes or worsens over 90% of illnesses. It's like water dripping through a hole in a glass. Eventually, the glass will empty completely. Stress and tension actually wear away body systems, until they are depleted.

Being able to relax is essential to a person's well-being, both physical and emotional. Relaxation allows the body to heal in a natural fashion, like replenishing the water in the glass. The body then has a reservoir of energy to draw from and preserve health.

Relaxation is the way we tell the brain that we're safe, that all is well. For those who've existed in a dangerous environment, feeling safe is a new concept. I remind them that if there's going to be a crisis, it's going to happen whether they're tense or relaxed. Relaxation not only gives the mind a feeling of safety, it provides it with more resources, reserves, and resiliency to handle the challenges of life.

Where a small setback, like being late to work, might have been all that was needed for a mental meltdown, the more relaxed person can keep the situation in perspective. Creativity and problem solving are also enhanced, as is mental flexibility. A person can be more productive and efficient, because their mental resources aren't diverted to keeping them alert for a danger which may no longer exist.

Answer: It's natural for old habits, mental and physical, to return when a person has experienced stress or distress. The subconscious tends to use all its resources to deal with the current challenge, and has little energy left for a person's new habits unless the person is very careful, aware, and disciplined. If you succumb to the old habits, once you realize it, you can re-dedicate yourself to your new, more positive habits. Instead of wasting energy berating yourself, consider this a time when you're strengthening your resolve and getting back on track. As a person reestablishes their new behaviors, those strategies tend to become stronger and more powerful. I consider it more a practice than a relearning. You just forgot to practice what you know when the pressure got too great. We all do this from time to time. But each time we practice, it creates a deeper impression on the subconscious, and becomes easier to remember the next time the lesson comes around.

This is a wonderful little primer on meditation. In simple, easy to understand language, it covers all aspects of meditation, and clarifies some misunderstandings. This book also covers some of the benefits of meditation, including developing your intuition, healing, and becoming more in tune with the Infinite.

Many books on meditation scare off the beginner by asserting that there's only one way to practice or stating that you have to keep your mind quiet. There are many different methods to practice meditation, and this book gives directions on how to do many of them. The authors also explain that keeping the mind one-pointed is the goal of a type of meditation, but that it takes much training to achieve.

Whether you're a beginner to meditation, or someone who needs to rejuvenate your practice with something new, this book will give you guidance and inspiration.