Oh, I remember the day well. My wife and I were having a big argument over something—and I was pretty upset. For a brief moment, I glanced at my watch to see how long we'd been arguing, and then it struck me. I had scheduled a major radio interview to begin in two minutes. Ironically, the interview was about how to have a successful marriage. I really was in no mood to be interviewed—much less talk about how to have a successful marriage. Fortunately, I knew of and practiced a method for dramatically reducing stress in 90 seconds. I told my wife about the interview, quickly excused myself, did the 90-second method, and then got on the phone for the interview. Because I was now relaxed and centered in my heart, the interview went great—despite the fact that I had been very upset just two minutes earlier…
In today's fast-paced world, sometimes you need to let go of stress in a very short period of time so you can get back to what you need to do. By having a reliable way to go from stressed out to blissed out in under two minutes, you can be more effective in both your work and in your life.
So right now, sit up straight in your chair, take a deep breath, and then let it out with a long, slow sigh.
Excellent.
Try this with me right now. For just 30 seconds—stand up if you can and begin to shake out your hands and arms. Come on..Really do this …and really give your arms a very vigorous shaking to let go of stress and create some energy. Now add shaking out one of your legs…and after a few more seconds, shake out your other leg. Good. Now wiggle your butt and put a big smile on your face for 10 more seconds…Great. Now have a seat and feel the energy moving through your body. Don't you feel better? Now just for a minute, close your eyes and Imagine breathing through the center of your chest for a long, slow breath. As you let it your breath out, think of a person, a pet, or a child you have great affection for. Just choose one for now. Think of how much you care for them, and remember the special times you've shared together. Imagine telling them how much they mean to you, and imagine how happy that makes them. You can imagine holding or hugging this being and feeling a heart to heart connection—and gratitude—for them being in your life. Notice how relaxed you feel now, and enjoy the feelings of care and connection you feel with this being…
And when you're ready, slowly open your eyes.
Do you feel more centered and relaxed? That's all there is to this technique. In fact, each time you practice it you'll get better at tuning into the care and loving energy that is centered in your heart.
Unfortunately, when we're stressed, we often don't act our best. We lose our clear-headedness and can even become quite difficult to work with. By doing this 90-second shake and heart meditation during your day, you can avoid the momentum of stress and frustration that can sometimes ruin both your day and your ability to see what's needed to focus on.
Of course, if you're really crunched for time, you can do just the body shaking or just the heart meditation. Studies done by the institute of heart math indicate that the one-minute heart meditation can actually decrease your stress hormone of cortisol for up to 4.5 hours—in a single minute. That's amazing.
To make use of this, I want you to practice this shaking and heart meditation on your own sometime during today. You may find that focusing on a beloved pet or child is particularly good for letting go of stress and enjoying the relaxed calmness of being in your heart. If you enjoy this 90-second break, feel free to do it many times a day. You could do it 3 times in a day and enjoy a much deeper peace and calmness than usual in just 5 minutes of effort. That's a deal that's too good to refuse. Enjoy.
In our next lesson, we'll discuss various ways to create more energy in your day.
