Meditation is a wonderful way to “de-stress” during stressful periods during this holiday season. Busy calendars full of obligations can keep us from spending time with people we cherish, and distance ourselves from our emotions.  “Calm down meditation” helps improve our self-awareness and refocus our energy.

Here are some calming meditation techniques recommended by Lisa Hodges, Yoga Instructor at the Recreation Center of Highland Park:

1. Progressive muscle relaxation: tense each muscle for a minimum of 5 seconds, and then release.  Start either at the top or bottom of the body and work your way up/down.
2. Mantra meditation: repeat a calming word, phrase, or sentence. Examples are: “My life is love”, “I am calm and relaxed”, and “Ommmm”.
3. Mindful meditation: this uses the technique of focusing on the breath which gives the mind free rein to discover that it is okay to have emotions without doing anything about them.
4. Guided meditation: there are meditation classes and apps that are specifically designed to help calm the mind.  Lie down or relax in a comfortable chair, listen, focus, and let the meditation do the rest.