As work stress piles on, mental and health awareness rises and new avenues of information open up, people are looking for ever more alternative ways to enhance their physical and mental well-being. OpenAI founder Sam Altman recently revealed that after selling his first company he took off for a year, traveled, played games and went to a spiritual retreat and that it “helped him a lot.” Indeed, taking time off to do things to relieve stress, regain focus and clarity and to heal the mind, body and soul should be a priority for everyone.
While the benefits of yoga, fitness and running are well-known, it’s the other forms of alternative healing and activities that usually skip most people’s radar. But human beings are dynamic. Some activities and experiences speak more to one than the other and bodies react differently. It’s good to be aware of our options. So here’s a list of 6 alternative activities and experiences that will help you relax, rejuvenate, regain focus, and/or achieve that elusive mental peace.
- Meditation
There’s no clear definition to meditation, but it largely means disconnecting from the outside world and going deeper into your own mind. There are multiple ways to go into meditation and different people can achieve different levels of meditation depending on their practice levels. Practicing meditation is known to have deeply therapeutic, relaxing and healing benefits and it’s one of the most advised practices for busy professionals. Bostjan Belingar, CEO and founder of Hustler Marketing, a top email marketing agency, undertook a #365DayMeditationChallenge in 2021 and has talked of its benefits in helping him regain focus, clarity and do better at his leadership position. “I didn’t miss a single day. Not one. It was an insane journey. I meditated on planes, in cars, on park benches, airports. Most of the days I simply sat on my bedroom floor with my pillow under my ass. I got a ton of ideas during meditation when my focus went away from breathing. So many business ideas, I literally planned meetings, distributed resources…all in head.”, he says.
To practice meditation, one should close their eyes, sit in a comfortable position in a quiet and dark surrounding and try to move away from thoughts and into a “vacuous” space within the mind. While it may sound easy, meditation is notoriously hard and most people find it hard to have no thoughts during it. The great saints and sages have taken years to achieve a state of Samadhi or total suspension of thoughts, but us lesser mortals can simply try our best.
- Sound Healing
Simply put, Sound Healing refers to a ritual of an acoustic sound concert called a “Sound Bath” which uses different vessels to produce certain sounds. It is based on the idea that sound can have a profound impact on the human body and mind. Researchers have long known the benefits of certain sounds, vibrations and sound frequencies on not just human, but plant and chemical well-being, but of late, sound healing has become well known in the yoga and healing circles and is offered at yoga retreats and other such events.
- Breathing Exercises
Being asked to “Take a deep breath” when anxious, stressed or angry may not just be a platitude, but is rooted in science and spirituality. According to both, the roots of most problems in incorrect breathing – yes there’s such a thing – and breathing “correctly” has many health benefits including calming effects. In yoga, breathing exercise or “Pranayam” focuses on many breathing exercises such as taking deep, long inhales and exhales, holding breath and letting it out in phases, and breathing in through one nostril and out the other, amongst others. Most meditation and yogic asanas also stress on the importance of syncing our breath with motion to get the optimum benefits. The best part about breathing exercises as a meditative and therapeutic activity is that it can be done at any place, for any amount of time. So whether you’re at your desk, in your bed, or out and out, we can spend 10-15 minutes focussing on our breath.
- Reiki:
The practice of reiki is an ancient Japanese technique of healing and has been practiced for hundred years, but has also found patrons in India of late. Reiki involves the channeling of energy from a practitioner’s hands into a recipient’s body to promote relaxation, reduce stress, and improve overall well-being. Ase mentioned in this report, many places around the world offer Reiki as an effective stress-management therapy for busy professionals in the city.
- Ecstatic Dance
Everyone knows that dancing releases ‘dopamine’, the feel-good hormone but it can be embarrassing or come with certain barriers to some which may not allow one to dance freely. “Ecstatic Dancing” looks to promote the idea of reveling in your body’s rhythms, enjoy its movement, and only focus inwards. The motive is to let yourself free from the stress and regular thoughts of the day and be mindful and appreciative of the present. To many it can be a regular and therapeutic experience especially when combined with another activity like a cacao ceremony.
Author bio: Monica is an experienced marketer with over 12 years in the industry with jobs at companies like Google, EY, Hustler Marketing and more. She’s also an avid lifestyle blogger, traveler, and founder of Shantispaces.com, a home for yoga schools, wellness and spirituality retreats and events.
