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Your De-Stress Power Kit

by Ellen Louise Kahne

In the past few weeks the question “how do you deal with stress?” has taken on an urgent added dimension for all New Yorkers, all Americans.  This is not just a question of maintaining personal peace and balance in light of the September 11, tragedy and its aftermath.  Walking in balance is a survival skill, for ourselves, for our children for our times, for all times.

With the shift in weather and rising of stress levels, medical and alternative healing offices are crammed with people who have depressed immune systems, kids and adults who are having asthma and breathing difficulties, colds and infections, stomach irregularities, etc.

If we are to pack a survival “Power Kit” for healing, how do we empower ourselves, reduce stress levels and reestablish coping skills for restoring personal balance?

Here are five steps we can take in just a few minutes per day which have been found to work.  These suggestions are meant to complement, not replace, professional medical advice:

First, begin and end your day with gentle “belly” breathing exercises.  In a sitting or supine (lying down) position, straighten your spine as if it were a string and as if your head is a helium filled balloon easily holding up the string.  Raise and lower (crunch and relax) your shoulders several times until they drop and relax naturally.  Take a deep slow breath through your nose and fill your belly like a soft balloon.  Hold the breath for a second or two, then, slowly release the breath through your mouth.  With each breath, breathe in peace, breathe out all that needs to be released and healed. 

After up to ten to fifteen cycles of gentle “belly” breathing, visualize golden light pouring in through the top of your head to heart level, cascading down your arms and warming your hands with each breath.  Apply your palms to any area of discomfort, visualizing soothing golden light pouring through your hands with each relaxing breath, for as long as needed.

If you become stressed, at any time during the day, take a few minutes to reestablish this relaxed posture and slow, deep breathing pattern.  You will be amazed at the results, as you pay attention to your breathing, headaches and stress will begin to melt away.

Second, stimulate your immune center which is located in your upper chest between your heart and throat (your thymus area) using gentle tapping of your fingertips on this center.  Do this very gently up to 20 taps per time once or twice per day.

Third, make some dietary changes (according to your specific needs and sensitivities).   Eat gentle, healing comfort foods and warm, soothing drinks along with plenty of clear, clean bottled or filtered water.   For instance, clear, warming herbal teas, such as camomile, mint, and hot water with lemon are relaxing.  Lightly steamed green vegetables, tofu and squash, sea vegetables (nori, et al) are restorative calming foods.  Root vegetables are grounding and healing.  Potatoes and brown rice are gentle comforting foods.  Garlic is a known immune booster, as are citrus, shitake mushrooms, and bitter melon.  For best results, avoid sugar and caffeine.  

For queasy stomachs, oriental herbalists discovered thousands of years ago that ginger is an excellent herbal healer.  Sucking on a match stick of fresh ginger or fresh ginger tea may be used to relieve nausea or a queasy stomach.

Fourth, take warm baths adding sea salt or Epson salt to relax and pull out toxins; add a few drops of essential oil of rosemary, lavender, mint or citrus to your bath water to relax, invigorate and restore your vital energy.

Fifth, center yourself in meditation and/or prayer each day upon arising, and as often as is needed throughout your day.  Bring the highest Light, the Light of Creation and the connection to the Creator into everything you do, into every relationship, every connection you have with all who walk the earth and with the earth itself.  Turn over any issue which needs healing to Higher Power for resolution.  To restore peace, first be at peace within, then, visualize peace and unity without.

Ellen Louise Kahne is a certified Reiki Master/healer, founder of Reiki Peace Network and Reiki University (www.ReikiPeaceNetwork.com).  She lives and teaches in New York City, nationally and internationally.  Phone: 1-877-HealNet, email:  HealNet@aol.com

© Ellen Louise Kahn