Creating a Healthy, Happy Heart

@RedMountainSpa
By Kim Watters
Fitness Manager

If you are stressed out and don’t see any changes in your near future you should know there is a firm correlation between stress and cardiovascular disease. Sadly heart disease is estimated to be the largest cause of death and disability worldwide. If this information makes you want to help your heart, reduce your stress and lower your risk of heart disease, great; it is the perfect time of year to start fresh. However, if the thought of heart pounding aerobic exercises stresses you out even more, relax...literally. Meditation lowers stress.

Meditation helps people manage stress and teaches how to disconnect from your stress issues; this brings a calming effect to your mind and body, bringing down cortisol levels. (Cortisol is a stress hormone that causes increased stickiness and platelet formation in the blood stream, which also increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and heart attacks.)

To create a healthy happy heart, meditating for 15 to 20 minutes a day, every day is recommended. Keep in mind your expectations and your actual experience may vary greatly.

According to Ian Philip White, ERYT500, Meditation Instructor at Red Mountain Resort & Spa, “When we first begin meditating we may find it really hard to focus. Our body aches, our mind wanders, noise and light distract us. Our minds may think of everything from the past, and create lists. Then we think of everything in the future and create more lists. So, this can be the first phase of meditation. Just as you begin to focus, relax or become aware your mind may kick in and kick you out of that peaceful place. That is OK. If your mind is used to spinning around and has been operating that way for 20, 30, 40, 50 or more years then it is unreasonable for you to expect that it will quit spinning the first time you sit down to meditate! Be Open, no expectations, no projections, only limitless possibilities.”

There are several different methods of meditation, and many educational tools to help you learn more about meditating, but to get you started right away don’t worry about following any specific protocol. Meditating does not have to be elaborate. It can be as effortless as sitting in a quiet spot, and like Julie Andrews sings in "The Sound of Music," “Simply remember a few of your favorite things.”

It doesn’t matter how or where you get started it only matters that you start. So, if "raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens" take you to a happy relaxing place, congratulations. You have already begun creating your healthy, happy heart!

References:
meditation-techniques-for-happiness.com