We are bombarded by stimulus in this technology age. On average, Americans check their phones 80 times per day. We also live in a connected world, where we are accustomed to always being available. In this fast paced environment, it takes strategic planning to carve out time and space to slow down and re-balance. To tune in to your inner rhythm, so you can direct the flow of your life, rather than feeling caught up in the storm.

The following are 5 steps you can explore to help you find balance and rhythm, minimizing the overstimulation of our fast paced world:

1. Review Your Relationship with Your Phone

Do you find yourself impulsively checking your phone? Consider taking measures to reduce the stimulating and addicting qualities of your phone, like changing the settings to grayscale, and disabling notifications. There are apps available to disable calls and text notifications while driving.

Leave your phone at home if it’s not absolutely necessary. It might be anxiety-inducing at first, but stick with it. I’ve found I can manage just fine without it, and feel a sense of freedom and ability to be more present when my phone isn’t nearby.

3. Practice Meditation

Incorporating meditation into your life as a daily practice is a game changer. A meditation practice provides space for your mind to slow down, and is essentially another method of fasting, limiting input and allowing the noise in your mind to settle. It is a practice of observing the thoughts in your mind. As you become more aware of that story playing in your mind, it becomes a process of letting those thoughts go. To let go of the attachment to your thoughts, and allow them to pass through, like a cloud passing through the sky.

Through this practice you may cultivate a greater sense of stillness, and it becomes a daily practice of what I like to call “taking out the garbage,” allowing extra noise made up of thoughts and emotions from each day to be acknowledged and released.

Practicing meditation, especially with the MAX Meditation System™, can help us to slow down our brain waves, for reduced stress and greater healing. It may take some regular effort to develop daily meditation practice, but it is worth the effort!

4. Remember to Breathe

We don’t normally have to think about breathing, but when we are operating on autopilot, our breathing tends to be shallow. When we are stressed or anxious, we tend to take shallow breaths as well, with movement centered in our chest.

The goal is to shift into deeper breathing, engaging your abdomen, to assist your body in relaxing. It may take some conscious effort to shift your breathing, but it is a simple technique to incorporate throughout your day. Place a note on your steering wheel to remind yourself to breathe when you drive.

Try this exercise to practice mindful breathing and support your body in relaxing and coming into a more balanced state:

1.  Inhale for the count of 5
2.  Hold for the count of 5
3.  Exhale for the count of 5
4. Repeat 10 times

5. Nourishing Body & Soul

There is wisdom in the phrase “you are what you eat.” Our culture promotes fast-food, 20 minute lunch breaks, and over-scheduling ourselves, so we are forced to do more “on the go” as we sprint from one obligation to another. Taking steps to create breathing room in your schedule allows you to be more present with each task you are taking on. 

This is especially useful when it comes to the food we eat, how we prepare it, and how we serve it. When we eat food we are consuming energy. The energy that goes into preparing the food is integrated into our bodies. When we can prepare food from a place of peace, love, and joy, savoring the process, the smells, the colors – we are putting that energy into the food that we eat or share with others. Making space to sit down and enjoy your food, savoring each bit, chewing slowly, and honoring this process of self care is wonderful practice to help us slow down.

Another step toward nourishing your body and soul is through healing sessions which help us to come into greater alignment and balance through working with the subtle energy systems which influence our physical, mental, and emotional bodies. Cultivating this strong foundation will support you in implementing and maintaining additional positive shifts within your life.

It is truly up to us to create a framework which allows for balance and cultivates peace within, so that we can show up in the world with energy, passion, and joy. The path of the initiate provides tools to walk this path of self mastery and inner peace. To be the eye of the storm, maintaining balance while the winds of life whirl all around us.