Incorporating a holistic approach for a better quality of life

I’ve struggled with anxiety on and off for most of my life. I tried therapy and medication for short period of time, but my still anxiety remained. It wasn’t until I started adopting a more holistic approach to treating this ailment that I started feeling better. Not only did I have less anxiety, but I started feeling like a different person.

I didn’t realize it initially, but I was opening myself to new experiences that would promote better emotional health and inner peace, and lead to a more balanced life. As an added bonus, my body started to look and feel different as well. Yoga, meditation, acupuncture, and hypnotherapy are some of the new approaches I’ve adopted. I’ve also decided to pray more, seek other religious philosophies and journal every day. I hope some of these practices may help bring a positive change to your life as well.

Yoga.  Initially, my perception of yoga was very narrow-minded. I couldn’t understand how twisting yourself like a pretzel would do anything for your figure, or your emotional health. One day over coffee, my girlfriend explained to me what it had done for her, both physically and emotionally, so I was curious. I knew flexibility would be an issue for me and was immediately intimidated by that, so I started practicing with a DVD in my living room. After that one day, I was convinced there was something to this practice, and I wanted to learn more.

What is yoga? Ancient yogis believe that for a man to be in harmony with himself and his environment he has to integrate the body, mind, and spirit. The way to formulate this balance is through exercise, breathing, and meditation. Yoga exercises are said to improve circulation, stimulate abdominal organs, and put pressure on the glandular system of the body, all of which can result in better health. The goal of yoga is to join and integrate all aspects of the individual -body, mind, and soul- to achieve a happy, balanced life; emancipation; and ultimate freedom. I practice yoga three times a week.

Meditation. Meditation involves practicing deep breathing, relaxing the body, and calming of the mind. Keeping your mind blank and free from wandering thoughts may be the most challenging practice yet. But with discipline, it can happen. Meditation can improve your energy level and decrease stress. In time, being still can benefit your brain’s emotional processing, leading to better concentration, more creative thinking, and greater physical response to emotional stimuli. I practice meditation daily. Start with 10 minutes a day, and increase your time as you see fit. There are many guided meditations CDs, DVDs, and smartphone apps you can use to get started, but your ultimate goal should be to do it on your own.

Breathing exercises. Breathing exercises are a great stress relief tool. It can lead you to deep relaxation and clear thinking. There are many smartphone apps you can download for guided breathing exercise as well as YouTube videos.  Pranayama breathing is one of my favorites. You can incorporate breathing exercises during meditation, yoga, or on its own. I incorporate breathing exercises during yoga and meditation practices.

Acupuncture. Needles are scary for many people. Acupuncture involves the insertion of very thin needles through your skin at specific points in your body. The needles are inserted to different depths. Some people with greater skin sensitivity may experience a small amount of discomfort with a few of the deeper ones. Many people who undergo acupuncture say they experience greater therapeutic benefits than with medication. Acupuncture is known to treat chronic pain, anxiety, and migraine headaches, to name a few. I attend acupuncture sessions once every other week.

Hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy is verbal communication used during hypnosis to direct your imagination in certain ways toward perceptions, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It can be used for psychological and medical problems such as anxiety, stress, weight issues and addictive behaviors. It’s a bit like meditation except you have a trained professional guiding your thoughts and helping you change how you feel about them. I don’t practice hypnotherapy often; however, the sessions I’ve attended have been very effective.

Prayer and other theologies. Whether you believe in God or not, it’s always a good idea to have some form of spiritual belief. Prayer gives me a sense of inner peace and expectancy. Faith gives me hope for change. I find that a spiritual connection and faith brings growth, wisdom, humanity, and strength. Practice prayer as you see fit.

Journaling. Journaling is a good way to put your thoughts in writing as a means to vent or to revisit events at a later time in order to understand, or process them differently. Journaling can teach you to change your mind or habits, clarify thoughts and feelings, reduce stress, and it may even help you understand yourself better. I’ve been journaling daily for the last eight years. Recently, I read one of my journals from 2006 to 2007, which was the period following my divorce, and I was amazed to discover how much my life has changed since then.

A holistic lifestyle has helped me create harmony in many aspects of my life including a positive change in my mental and physical health, moral and spiritual values, and overall emotional well-being.