Less stress in 2014? Yes, please. Follow Gabrielle Bernstein's tips to change your mind, body and life in just a few minutes a day.
If Learn to Meditate doesn't make your list of New Year's resolutions, Stress Less likely will. And, really, the two go hand in hand. We've all been inundated with news reports and books citing meditation as one of the best ways to reduce stress and boost happiness levels. Some claim it will even help you live longer. But with all the evidence stacked in its favor, why can it still feel so hard to actually sit still and make it happen?
“Even a few minutes a day is a great place to start,” says New York Times best-selling self-help author and Oprah favorite Gabrielle Bernstein. And Bernstein, a former PR girl whose own battle with drug and alcohol addiction led to a spiritual awakening, has earned a reputation as something of an expert on the subject. She completed the Kundalini yoga teacher training last summer and has been quick to incorporate many of these teachings into her talks and workshops as well as write about her favorites in her upcoming book, Miracles Now (out in April). She has also studied Transcendental Meditation (TM) with the David Lynch Foundation, which she has since credited with everything from reducing stress to combating issues with her skin. “It turns out my skin problems were all stress related!" she says. "I also don’t suffer anxiety the way I used to, which I can directly attribute to incorporating this practice into my life.”
If you're a newbie looking to adopt this restorative and stress-reducing practice in 2014, read on for Bernstein's 6-step tutorial.