Phone, Whatsapp, social media, emails - you're under constant attack every day. You are permanently stressed and hardly get any rest. With meditation exercises against stress you can finally switch off.
Important meetings, impatient customers, a doctor's appointment, your best friend's birthday and then the car has to go to the garage. Sometimes you're in over your head.
But it's not just you. We all have stress at times.
As long as it's not a permanent condition in your life, you don't have much to worry about.
Because with meditation exercises you can give your body and soul a rest and switch off all negative feelings.
Table of contents
You don't know these stress symptoms yet!
What stress is in the first place
Basically, stress is nothing more than a built-in survival mechanism. Stress is there to save us from dangerous situations. If we feel threatened, part of the brain sounds the alarm.
Our nervous system is prepared for flight or fight.
Stress is triggered by the hormone cortisol. The stress hormone enters the bloodstream, blood pressure rises and the heart begins to beat faster. As a result, more oxygen reaches the muscles and we can act faster.
At the same time, the stimulus threshold of the nervous system is lowered. Attention is thus sharpened for what is most important.
In real dangerous situations, this is a mechanism that is essential for survival. But in everyday stress, this reaction is exaggerated and has a negative impact on our well-being.
The consequences of stress
Getting into stress for a short time is not bad. However, if you are constantly under stress, the stress hormones become a problem. They have negative effects on your mood, your body and your mind.
Stress symptoms include:
- Fear
- Doubt
- Anger
- Irritability
- Unhappiness
- Fatigue
- Sleep disorders
- Nightmares
- Weak immune system
- Tinnitus
- Tension
- Digestive problems
- Headache
- Hypertension
- lack of concentration and motivation
- Forgetfulness
- Decision-making difficulties
- Loss of creativity
- Humorlessness
Constant stress also threatens a feeling of losing control. This is very unhealthy for the human psyche. It can lead to outbursts of anger, social withdrawal anxiety disorders, exhaustion depression and burn-out.
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Why meditation exercises help against stress
Mental exercises such as mindfulness training, yoga and meditation work through various messenger systems in the body and through the autonomic nervous system.
The autonomic nervous system is a kind of control center in the central nervous system and controls vital processes such as breathing, heartbeat and blood pressure.
Meditation training specifically activates the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system plays the role of the resting nerve in the autonomic nervous system. It dampens certain bodily processes such as breathing, heartbeat and muscle tension and ensures that you relax and recover.
Through meditation, this process is trained in the body. This allows you not only to become inwardly calm and serene while practicing, but also to better handle stressful situations in everyday life in the future.
Meditation offers you a sense of balance, peace and tranquility. This benefits your overall health and well-being.
Other benefits of meditation exercises against stress are:
- negative emotions decrease
- you stay focused on life in the present
- your self-confidence is increased
- you build necessary skills to cope with stress
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Preparation for the meditation exercises against stress
For meditation exercises to work against stress, you should first know a few basic things and prepare for meditation properly.
1. choose your meditation place
Find a quiet place. If there is too much noise around you, consider meditating with music. Turn your smartphone to silent. You should be undisturbed for a few minutes.
2. assume a comfortable posture
Make yourself comfortable. The classic position during a practice is the meditation seat. But it doesn't really matter if you can cross your legs to the lotus position. Sit in a way that is comfortable for you and allows you to relax well.
But you can just as well lie down to meditate.
If you decide to sit on the floor, consider using a meditation cushion. It is helpful to get you used to a posture for meditation.
3. pay attention to your breathing
Deep and regular breathing calms your body. Breathe deeply in and out a few times at the beginning. After that you can switch to natural breathing. Try to breathe in and out through your nose during stress meditation exercises.
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4. meditation exercises against stress
During the exercises, you always focus on something specific. Your goal is to free your mind from distractions that cause stress. This gives your body and mind a break.
In the various exercises, you place your focus on an object, an image, a mantra, or concentrate on your own breath.
If you find your thoughts wandering away, bring them back to your object of concentration. This retrieval of thoughts is what makes the exercises so successful.
Your body learns not to be thrown off course by other thoughts or emotions.
The 15 relaxing meditation exercises against stress
You are stressed and want to give your body and mind some rest? Then you should start now with the meditation exercises against stress.
#1 Refuel energy
this exercise is good as a mental introduction for all other meditations.
- Take several deep breaths.
- Each time you inhale, imagine that a lot of energy enters the body at the same time as the air.
- Close your eyes and feel the energy reach every part of your body.
- Ears, eyes, nose, forehead, chin, neck, shoulders, upper body, arms, abdomen, legs, feet and toes are flooded with energy when inhaling.
#2 Breathe consciously
- Breathe in and out as calmly as possible.
- The slow deep inhalation is followed by a short pause.
- Breathe out calmly again.
Tip: you can imagine when you inhale that you are drawing certain qualities into yourself. Harmony, peace, tranquility or joy. When you exhale, all bad feelings leave your body. Hate, restlessness, suffering, pain and stress.
#3 Meditation exercises against stress: Earth Meditation
- Sit down relaxed and release your thoughts.
- Imagine that you are surrounded by moist earth.
- Notice the smell of the earth and feel it on your skin.
- Breathe deeply in and out.
- With each breath, take in the earth deeply.
- Do this until a feeling of heaviness sets in.
- As you exhale, you release the earth back into the environment.
- After the exercise you feel completely free and carefree.
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#4 Light Ball Meditation
With this meditation exercise you can release inner blockages and refuel fresh energy.
- Lie comfortably on the floor and bend your legs slightly.
- The soles of the feet lie flat on the floor.
- Close your eyes and imagine a warm light hovering over you.
- Breathe in and out calmly.
- With each breath, the light flows into your body.
- In your thoughts, the light is concentrated in your body.
- Especially in the area below your belly button.
- Imagine the warm ball of light unfolding here.
#5 Meditation of vastness
- Imagine that you are standing on a rock in the middle of the sea.
- The sea lies still in front of you and is absolutely calm.
- Views into the water.
- You see nothing but a deep blue in which a few rays of sunlight dance.
- Now look into the distance and see the white of the clouds in the sky.
- Imagine the sea in your body.
- Dive down to the bottom.
- There is nothing here but silence.
- Identify with the vastness of the sea and also with the silence.
- Think of nothing else.
#6 Fire meditation exercises against stress
- Imagine that you are surrounded by a sea of fire.
- The flames around you are restless but no danger.
- Breathe deeply in and out.
- As you inhale, you draw the heat into your body.
- Feel how you slowly get warm.
- After several breaths, as you exhale, imagine that you are releasing the heat.
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#7 Open Fire Meditation 1
In this meditation exercise for stress, you'll need a large, bright light source. A fire in an open fireplace or meditate outdoors in front of a campfire.
- Sit comfortably in front of the fire and watch the flames as they tickle their way through the air.
- Soon you notice how much you relax.
- Breathe in and out deeply and enjoy the feeling of lightness.
- The sight of the fire has a calming effect.
- With each exhalation, your negative thoughts leave your body and burn up in the heat of the fire.
#8 Open Fire Meditation 2
- Close your eyes and concentrate on the smell of the fire and the crackling of the flames.
- Give all your attention to the center of your body.
- Imagine that the fire is burning in your center.
- It doesn't cause you pain, though.
- The flames continue to spread and warm the entire body with calm, strength and peace.
- Imagine a fireball.
- It surrounds you and gives you the feeling of protection and security.
- When you end the meditation, first gently extinguish the fire within you.
- Breathe out the heat again for this.
- The fireball becomes smaller and smaller and finally disappears.
#9 Flowers Meditation
- Take a flower and look at it for a few seconds.
- Focus completely on the plant.
- Imagine yourself to be the flower and that the flower grows out of your heart.
- Put your focus on a particular petal.
- This petal embodies the germ form of reality existence.
- After a few minutes, devote yourself again to the entire flower.
- Alternately, give your attention to the entire flower and to the individual petal.
- Think of nothing else.
- The eyes are half open and the head is free of thoughts.
- Now close your eyes completely and try to see the flower in your heart.
- Focus on the flower and your heart.
#10 Meditation exercises against stress: Rose Meditation
- Sit down and relax.
- The soles of the feet touch the floor.
- Put your hands on your heart.
- Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths in and out.
- Now imagine a rosebud in your heart.
- At first it is still closed.
- With each deep breath, their petals open.
- Imagine the rose spreading its fragrance throughout your body and the room.
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#11 Air Meditation
- Stand in the middle of an empty room and concentrate on the surrounding air.
- Consciously inhale the air and count the breaths as you inhale.
- Breathe evenly.
- Eventually, you'll feel light as a feather.
- Now pay attention to the exhalation and count the breaths that leave your body.
#12 Meditation exercises against stress: horse meditation
Everything is getting on top of you and you can't think clearly anymore because of stress? These meditation exercises against stress are just right for you. The horse meditation takes only a short time. You can even do it during your lunch break.
- Lie or sit down as comfortably as possible.
- You are absolutely relaxed and at ease.
- Close your eyes.
- Imagine that you are in a sunny pasture.
- There is no shrub, tree or building to be seen for miles around.
- You run towards the horizon.
- In the distance, a white horse stands in the sunlight and grazes.
- The horse raises its head and comes closer.
- You feel his soft nostrils on your skin.
- The warm breath caresses your hands, neck and face.
- Your calm and steady breathing resembles that of the mold.
- Now look deeply into the animal's dark eyes for a few seconds.
- Take the horse by the forehead and very carefully stroke the long, flowing mane.
- Stroke down the soft neck over the shoulders to the back.
- With a spirited jump, you land on the back of the gray horse.
- The horse begins to trot and falls into a spirited gallop.
- Finally, it rises into the air.
- Concentrate on the rhythm of the canter jumps, which gradually become softer and weaker.
- You ride through a white, bright mist.
- The horse disappears.
- You spread your arms and fly through the air.
- With every stroke of your arm, you get a little closer to the sun.
- Turn to the vertical.
- Put your arms tightly to your body and long very gently with your feet back on the ground.
#13 Vipassana Meditation
Take enough time for this exercise. You should plan on 30 to 60 minutes. During meditation, you should avoid disturbances such as the ringing of the telephone.
- Sit comfortably and pay attention to your breath.
- With each breath you relax.
- The head is free and thoughtless.
- One hand is clenched into a fist. Only the stretched index finger protrudes from the fist.
- Breathe in and out with your eyes closed.
- The head is completely free.
- Now focus your thoughts on the index finger.
- Ideally, it tingles after a few minutes.
#14 Samatha Meditation Exercises against Stress
In this meditation, you need to really concentrate.
- Make yourself comfortable and close your eyes.
- Relax and pay attention to your breathing.
- Notice how your chest rises and falls.
- Continue to focus only on your breathing and the movements of the chest.
- Don't let any other thoughts come up.
- In this exercise, you should not fall into a state of slumber, but stay wide awake.
- Discard images, thoughts and feelings quickly. They should not distract from your breathing.
- After a while you feel the feeling of happiness.
- Your consciousness becomes sharper.
#15 Water Meditation
- Lie down and consciously breathe deeply in and out.
- Close your eyes.
- Imagine that a vast ocean of turquoise blue water surrounds you.
- You swim in clear water.
- The water spreads throughout your body with each inhalation.
- Feel new energy flowing through your body with the refreshing cold.
- Breathe in the water 60 times.
- Then exhale the water 60 times.
- As you do this, the coolness flows out of your body until you feel completely normal again.
Our conclusion
Meditation exercises help you to relax and protect you from stress in the long term. The underlying processes are neither esoteric nor spiritual, but scientifically proven. Nevertheless, meditation remains a symptom treatment. If you are exposed to permanent stress in everyday life, you should definitely change something.
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