Choosing Peace Over Stress

[Guest guest]

" Choosing Peace Over Stress -- Life Lessons from a scientist and mom "

Written by Joan Borysenko, Ph.D.

" One morning years ago, when I was a young working mom, the gods of stress had

their way with me. It was a big day at Tufts Medical School, where I was a

scientist and assistant professor. A grant proposal critical for funding my

cancer research was due, I had to give a lunchtime seminar, and 150 medical

students were waiting to learn about how the stomach functions. Not

coincidentally, my own stomach was in a stressed-out uproar. Hassled and

harried, I was trying to get my two young boys to quit dawdling and eat their

breakfast so I could drop them off at day care. Afterward I would still have an

hour's drive on the infamous " Southeast Distressway " to get to work in downtown

Boston.

" As I mentally reviewed my to-do list, I was everywhere but in the present

moment, barking orders like a general and obsessing about the day's menu of

events. The kids were poster children for chaos -- two whining, cranky,

cereal-spilling disaster zones. At long last we were nearly out the door, when I

skidded acros the entrance hall on a mystery mound. Sally, our loyal collie and

the source of the pile I'd slipped on, tucked her tail between her legs and took

speedy refuge behind the sofa.

" In that moment -- just as I was about to really lose it -- I had a profound

" aha. " The kids and the dog hadn't randomly chosen that particularly busy

morning to bounce off the walls. Instead, they were mirrors of my own crazed

state: As I went off center, so did they. It suddenly dawned on me that the

best way to change their behavior was to change mine. I'd recently started a

yoga class, and I decided to try a stress-busting breathing exercise we'd been

taught. After just a minute or two of breathing in that conscious way, I could

feel my energy shift. That scattered feeling of anxiety gave way to a kind of

clear, focused energy. The kids calmed down, my shoes got washed, and by the

time we left the house, I'd learned that peace is a choice that starts inside,

then ripples out to change the world around you.

" It made sense to me, as a scientist, that I would find my peaceful center

through a simple breathing technique. Breathing is a unique physiological

process that happens automatically, yet you can easily shift it with your

conscious will. If you're stressed-out, your breath reflects your mental state,

coming fast and shallow, choppy and irregular. You may even unwittingly hold it

for long periods of time. Stress breathing in turn stresses your body, causing

it to release hormones that make it harder to concentrate and more difficult to

remember things. (No wonder I was running around the house that morning

wondering where my keys were, only to find them in the refrigerator next to the

juice!) Studies show that frequent stress breathing raises heart rate and blood

pressure, triggers anxiety, and even changes blood chemistry in a way that makes

your platelets stickier, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke.

" Washing off my shoes in the sink that morning, as I breathed my way back into

control, I had one of those life-changing " knowings " that you feel in your

bones. Every day brings a clear choice: to practice stress or to practice

peace. I thought, 'IF I MAKE A CONSCIOUS CHOICE TO MAKE PEACE OF MIND MY PRIMARY

GOAL GOING FORWARD, EVERYTHING ELSE IN LIFE WILL FLOW MORE SMOOTHLY AND

HARMONIOUSLY.'

" Finding inner peace doesn't require hours of daily practice -- I don't have

that kind of time, and I suspect you don't, either. You don't have to stand on

your head or stare at your navel. All it takes is a little willingness and

common sense.

" Life is a precious gift to be savored, not a series of chores to complete

while you complain about being " crazy busy. " Remember -- your to-do list is

immortal. It will live on long after you're dead. What matters is you, right

now. We need to learn simple, effective ways to center yourself and bring mind,

body, and spirit together so that life becomes a joy and a pleasure, and your

best self can shine. The circle breathing described here won't take up much of

your precious time, but it will help center you and create a field of peace that

will be a blessing to everyone around you. "

JOAN BORYSENKO, Ph.D., is a scientist, psychologist, inspirational speaker,

and author of " INNER PEACE FOR BUSY WOMEN " and " INNER PEACE FOR BUSY PEOPLE " .

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AffirmationstoDe-Stress

A positive thinking, positive affirmations support group, that discusses ways to

cope with the stresses of daily life. Come aboard! PJ and Gang