Music as Therapy

Music therapy is used all over the health realm nowadays, it seems. It got me thinking about music as a form of stress relief. Sure enough, many types of music may be used to reduce stress throughout the day. I like to listen to very up-tempo music on my ipod as I am running to help me keep up my momentum and energy. Occasionally, I will have trouble falling asleep and I will use soothing music on these nights.


Here are some good tips on listening to music throughout the day:
1. Lower your stress and put yourself in a good mood starting with when you first wake up by listening to your favorite song, band, etc. while getting ready.
2. Listen to music of your choice on your way to work or school to put the stress of the day and that huge "to do" list out of your mind.
3. Listen to upbeat music while cleaning to make chore work fun!
4. Slower or classical music has been scientifically shown to "help you eat less and promote digestion" (Sopoco, 2008, p. 2). So, make sure to put on that music while you are eating dinner or other meals where you have the opportunity to sit down.

Music sets the mood, so make sure you choose your selection of music accordingly. Concentration and alertness are stimulated with faster beats and faster brainwaves while meditative and hypnotic states may be achieved with slower beats while slowing brainwaves.

More On Yoga

Found an article that studies other possible benefits of yoga. Not all of them are particularly pertinent to the college age crowd, but I thought they were good so I summarized them here for you!
According to scientific evidence...
1. Yoga can improve certain types or symptoms of back pain.
2. Upper body yoga practices may help a person decrease symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome - avoid wrist straining poses.
3. May relieve some symptoms of osteoarthrits.
4. Yoga improves overall endurance, strength and flexibility.
5. It may be a good form of treatment with patients with ADD or ADHD.
6. It might decrease risk of cardiovascular disease.
7. It may also help with stressors and depressive disorders.
(Lipton, 2008)


Also found a link for classes in the Warrensburg area that I didn't mention in my last yoga post.
Warrensburg: http://loosemooseyoga.com/ ...for the fall semester
I'm not sure how expensive classes will be, but I will try to find this information.

Out of the Box - Walking a Labyrinth

http://www.burfordosb.org.uk/

So I was thinking about meditation, something I have tried recently... and I wanted to know more about the art. Essentially meditation is where a person finds a relaxing state of mind, away from troubles and stressors in his or her life. This is definitely a good way to find stress relief (especially for the college student). Essentially it is free, but for the more serious prospectors, walking a labyrinth may be the thing for you.

What does this mean? For thousands of year different religions have practiced the art of meditation and many have used labyrinths that "recreate archetypal patterns associated with numerous cultural and spiritual symbols" (Monroe, 2008, p. 95). I was fascinated in learning about such labyrinths, since they seem to be a part of such rich history. Their creation is one of many forms, as well. Such labyrinths can be constructed by rocks, a dirt path, or even something that was drawn or painted onto a canvas. The idea here today with labyrinths is using them for stress relief and relaxation for those people that may have a hard time sitting still. Instead of sitting and meditating without moving, people in the labyrinth may move freely and still come upon a sense of relief and calmness.

Does this labyrinth business sound pretty cool? So where can you go find one of this labyrinths, you ask? By searching on a handy dandy website (http://wwll.veriditas.labyrinthsociety.org/), I found one at my local hospital that is open to the public.

You can also make your own labyrinth for little cost, depending on the type you want. This website has some interesting information about it: http://www.labyrinthsociety.org/
Check it out! It's actually pretty cool, and not as weird as it may seem (although this whole topic does remind me of the David Bowie movie a bit). ;P

Breezy Biking

It was quite muggy and hot outside today, so I decided to take a bike ride to take in some breeze. During this week my town has the local Heritage Days festival and I thought a little bike ride would be a good idea to scope out what was happening downtown and to get a little exercise in. There are so many pluses to biking... it's a good way to get out and let out the stress (going along with the theme...), a way to cool off in otherwise hot weather, exploring the city, and maybe one of the most important benefits... saving on GAS MONEY!! In a world where gas has never been so high, I am only thankful that Missouri's gas is the lowest in the country. That's not saying much, however.

Back to biking... found an article about some neat benefits:
1. A positive bike ride can up the self-esteem.
2. Nature supposedly improves your mental health!
3. Just like running, it gives us those happy endorphins. =)
4. Since it is repetitive, it distracts us from other things (stress release).
5. "It puts us in control." (no author, Bicycling, 2008, p. 1) Compare this to drivers in traffic that have no control and are stressed and ready to get home!

If you happen to be from the mid-Missouri area, here are some free places that I love to go biking:
1. The Katy Trail! Excellent flat trail surface to ride on with awesome views of the Missouri River and the country. It runs for 225 miles!
http://www.bikekatytrail.com/
2. MKT trail in Columbia, MO... a branch off of the Katy Trail that winds through the city (although you wouldn't know it) through woods and streams. Very nicely shaded in most parts.
http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/ParksandRec/Parks/MKT_Trail/

Lastly, if you are looking just to rent a bike, they go for about $25 a day around the area. However, if you are going to bike often, to work, for fun, etc. it's a great idea to go ahead and spend a few hundred dollars on your own!

Olympic Spirit courtesy of xinhuanet.com!

Running

I was thinking about my "running" journey this morning... it has been good so far starting up running as a hobby and as a stress reliever. However, it is starting to get to be THAT time of year - meaning it is getting to be over 90 degrees and almost 100% humidity outside. Oh, that crazy Missouri weather. Yesterday was one of those days. So I recommend getting out there as early (or late) as you can so you can avoid the gym and still stay safe. =) I believe part of the fun and stress relief help of running is being able to go outside and appreciate nature - this seems to be the basis for a lot of my favorite stress techniques!



I ran across an article (no pun intended!) on some great tips and great benefits for being a runner. There are especially some good tips for beginner runners.
1. Take a walking break in between your running phases. This decreases all the extra stress to your body. Doing this for just a minute will help! Blood flow is a big factor in the walk that helps... interesting!
2. Don't run on an injury!
3. Endorphins are amazing hormones. As well as making you feel good after a workout as most of us may know, they help get rid of most of those achy feelings you might get!
(Galloway, 2007)

For some good running shoes (because this is all the money you'll have to spend for the activity if not at a gym!) I would recommend Mizuno (my choice). They have quite pricey shoes up into the $130 range, but try looking at a discount store for last season's. I got mine for $45 at the Shoe Department in the local mall. I've heard Asics are good as well, but I have wider feet which seem to fit the Mizunos pretty comfortably.

Lastly, for all you already-serious runners or those looking for some great inspiration... you should definitely check this site out:
http://www.runnersworld.com/
I check the discussions almost every day for inspiration. =)

Take A Hike!

So I am sitting here tonight thinking about the adventures that still lay upon me this summer, and I started getting really excited about a big hiking trip I have coming up with my boyfriend. That got me to thinking... I should write about hiking in my blog. From my personal experience, hiking is one of the best stress relievers a college student (or anyone for that matter) can partake in. Here are a few tips I thought up from my experiences:
1. When you go hiking, start out at your own pace and don't overexert yourself. If you are at a high altitude, you may literally become exhausted if you're not used to the change.
2. Bring a LOT of water. About a gallon will be sufficient for an 8 mile round-trip hike if you are doing mountain hiking in a COMFORTABLE climate.
3. Bring high calorie foods to snack on.
4. Safe shoes.
5. Layered clothing for climate changes... and somewhere to carry all your gear.
6. Have fun and enjoy the amazing views mother nature has provided!

Training for a strenuous hike may be challenging. "Work your heart for at least five days a week" (McDowell, 2004, p. 28) suggests one article. Balance and cardio are key, according to the article as well! I would have to agree. There's some rough terrain out there. But you say don't necessarily like the word "challenging?" I think it's a different challenge, that for me, makes me forget the stressors of school and work. It's a kind of challenge that during the process and in the end, makes you appreciate nature for what it is. It makes you feel like you're in another world... :) Anyway, I don't necessarily think you have to go to extremes to train (I suppose it depends on the person), but I would definitely recommend doing some stair climbs - you can do this at home for free! The only costly part to the hiking business might be shoes. I'd invest in good hiking boots to the ankles (they usually run around $80-$130) and some good socks! You don't have to go far to go hiking either. You can start in your local park.


So... fellow bloggers, do you like to hike? Where have you been?

This is what I will be hiking in August!!
Longs Peak:

from www.labelleruine.com

Breathe a Sigh.... of Calmness

I was thinking of one of my friends today who is such an inspiration for me. This past year she signed up for yoga classes. She has stuck to it ever since and has lost over 70 pounds in the process! I'm often amazed at how one little thing like that can change and inspire a person for life. So I was curious, and started looking up different benefits that yoga can bring.

I ran across an article about a woman named Sonia Butler (a yogi) who seemed mentally lost after her hometown was scarred forever in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. She became inspired to bring yoga into the heart of many victims of the disaster, traveling between Houston and New Orleans to hand out clothes and teach free classes. Butler was quoted to know of the "benefits of yoga... relieve stress and heal people." (J.A., 2006, p. 1) Apparently statistics taken from the same article stated for 84% of people, this is true.

So I think... if yoga can help people in the state of disaster, I surely think it could help a stressed out college kid like me. I'm headed down to the local Y to check out classes to see what I think!

Now, please tell me what you think. :D Do you think yoga is a good solution for stress? Have you ever tried it?