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Good for the body: Sometimes emotions are so overwhelming they take control of your mind and your body. These videos teach approaches to overcome difficult emotions and physical responses so that you can stay afloat in times of extreme distress.

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Good for thoughts: When your thoughts start to race, these guided exercises offer simple ways to slow down, refocus and regain a sense of calm.

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Good for emotions: When emotions start to feel overwhelming, these guided exercises offer simple techniques to help you understand, de-escalate and navigate what you’re feeling.

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"Mindfulness is paying attention on purpose-in the present moment-non-judgmentally." - Jon Kabat-Zinn.

When you are mindful, you calmly accept your feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations-even the negative and painful ones- without judgment as though seen from a distance. By living in the present, we begin to see that we constantly judge and evaluate everything. Our minds hold on dearly to our judgments. "I'll never pass math." "I'm not attractive enough." "I don't like that person." The real "mindfulness" skill is not getting trapped into coloring everything in life through our likes and dislikes.

Instead we can come to realize our thoughts are just thoughts. They are not the ultimate truth or reality. Once we understand that, we are free to let our thoughts drift away. We also can reassess our thoughts through the lens of our wise mind with its greater clarity and acceptance. In other words, we can change how we think and improve our lives.

Mindfulness is very useful in dealing with repetitive and sticky thoughts that cause anxiety. Before practicing the mindfulness exercise "Leaves on a Stream," it would be very useful to review the brief interactive simulation, "Leaves on a Stream Computer Simulation." Remember, the benefits of mindfulness accrue over time with practice, as with sports and music. However, you can achieve relaxation from the exercise almost immediately.

Example mindfulness exercises

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Self-compassion is closely related to having compassion for others (Kristin Neff). In both situations you offer gentle understanding and kindness upon failures or mistakes, not harsh judgments. When times are tough, you need to tell yourself it is a difficult time, and ask "How can I comfort and care for myself at this very moment rather than beat myself up." You need to treat yourself with kindness, not relentless self-criticism.

Research indicates that you will have other positives such as less anxiety and depression, and more acceptance, optimism and positive emotions. When life dishes out lemons, you are less likely to feel humiliated or incompetent and more likely to think realistically positive thoughts such as, "I can survive this" or "Everyone makes mistakes." Research also indicates that being kind to oneself does not lead to laziness, self-indulgence, or lowered aspirations.

Sample meditation exercises

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To give you a deep sense of physical relaxation, you can practice progressive muscle relaxation. It is a simple process of tensing and releasing the main muscle groups throughout the body. This exercise is frequently done with a breathing exercise where you inhale while tensing the muscle, then hold both for three seconds, and then release both the muscle and the breath. You start at your head and work downward until you've tensed and relaxed individual muscle groups throughout your whole body.

Often we are unaware of how tense our body has become. We do not even realize that we need to relax. Progressive muscle relaxation is the way to change that.

To become proficient with this exercise, practice daily for two or three weeks. Over time you will see that you can relax muscle groups more quickly and without having to do the full exercise. You can then move on to an exercise called the "Body Scan," where you notice parts of your body without tensing them. Please remember to respect your body's reaction. If you experience cramping or other discomfort, you should skip that particular muscle group.

Music can have a profound effect on both the emotions and the body. Faster music can make you feel more alert and concentrate better. Upbeat music can make you feel more optimistic and positive about life. A slower tempo can quiet your mind and relax your muscles, making you feel soothed while releasing the stress of the day. Music is effective for relaxation and stress management.

Research confirms these personal experiences with music. Current findings indicate that music around 60 beats per minute can cause the brain to synchronize with the beat causing alpha brainwaves (frequencies from 8 - 14 hertz or cycles per second). This alpha brainwave is what is present when we are relaxed and conscious. To induce sleep (a delta brainwave of 5 hertz), a person may need to devote at least 45 minutes, in a relaxed position, listening to calming music. have said that "listening to music seems to be able to change brain functioning to the same extent as medication." They noted that music is something that almost anybody can access and makes it an easy stress reduction tool.

So what type of music reduces stress the best? A bit surprising is that Native American, Celtic, Indian stringed-instruments, drums, and flutes are very effective at relaxing the mind even when played moderately loud. Sounds of rain, thunder, and nature sounds may also be relaxing particularly when mixed with other music, such as light jazz, classical (the "largo" movement), and easy listening music. Since with music we are rarely told the beats per minute, how do you choose the relaxation music that is best for you? The answer partly rests with you: You must first like the music being played, and then it must relax you. You could start by simply exploring the music on this web page. Some may relax you, some may not. Forcing yourself to listen to relaxation music that irritates you can create tension, not reduce it. If that happens, try looking for alternatives on the internet or consult with Counseling Service staff for other musical suggestions. It is important to remember that quieting your mind does not mean you will automatically feel sleepy. It means your brain and body are relaxed, and with your new calm self, you can then function at your best in many activities.

Experiment now. Experience a "sound bath" and let the music carry you away

The links below each open relaxing musical selections in YouTube.

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  Aneal & Bradfield, "Heaven and Earth Spirits" track from Life & Love). Lovely contemporary piano music with accompanying instruments and nature scenes.
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  C. Carlos Nakai from the Canyon Trilogy. Serene Native American flute music, with a picture of Nakai backlit by the sun at the Grand Canyon.
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  Ken Kern from The Winding Path. Highly rated, beautiful piano music with accompanying instruments with pictures of exquisite flowers and plants.
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  Gayatri Govindarajan, "Pure Deep Meditation" track. Lovely and rhythmic music played on the veena, the most ancient of the Indian plucked-instruments, with nature scenes.
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  Angels of Venice from Music for Harp, Flute and Cello. Classical with 3 instruments with nature pictures.
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  "Spirit Vision," (David & Steve Gordon. Serene and lovely contemporary Native American informed-drumming music utilizing Taos Log Drum and Incan Pan along with other instruments and ocean/forest nature scenes.
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  Aneal & Bradfield from Light & Love. Reflective but strong contemporary music utilizing various instruments and occasional humming voices with colorful oscillating fractals
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  Tranquil contemporary instrumental with piano and a fixed candle light.
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  Serene contemporary instrumental with piano and one flickering candle.
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  Dan Gibson. Nature sounds and instrumental, tranquil sleep music.
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  Marconi Union. The sounds on this video are carefully arranged harmonies, rhythms, and bass lines that help slow a listener's heart rate, reduce blood pressure, and lower levels of the cortisol stress hormone.

Visualization can be a powerful technique to help you unwind, relieve stress, and even fall asleep. Instead of focusing on your anxious, fearful images, visualization expands your ability to focus on calming and restful images. You should first imagine in your mind's eye places that you have experienced where you felt deeply relaxed and peaceful. It may have been at the ocean, sitting in a favorite room, or walking in the mountains. Imagine closing your eyes and walking to that place again. Notice as many sensory details as you can, such as the time of day, the colors, warmth or coldness, texture, sounds, and any people or animals present. Then visualize this place for a few minutes before you go to bed.

At other times you may find it is easier to engage in guided relaxation activities. In these activities you mentally follow along as you listen to guided scripts for the purposes of relaxation. After listening to these exercises for a few times, you can remember which images helped you relax, and you can use them on your own. Here are two choices for a guided visualization exercise. One involves a relaxing vacation at the ocean, and the other a protective light surrounding you. The Protective Light exercise is particularly good after an emotional or distressing day.

Sample visualization exercises

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