Lower blood pressure, reduce stress and fight stubborn belly fat, without exercise

First let me say I love exercise and heartily recommend it, provided a person has the blessing of their doctor.

But even before you start exercising, you can do something today that will help you get healthier and feel better and even lose weight.

A simple practice of meditation, as little as five to ten minutes a day, can have wonderful benefits to your overall health and well-being.

Meditation works, and it's not difficult to learn. Google "benefits of meditation" and the search will return glowing reviews of its value in lowering blood pressure, reducing stress, improving creativity, empathy, and concentration.


The stubborn belly fat? One of the chief contributors is cortisol, the stress hormone. Meditation can significantly lower your stress level, helping to reduce that reactive store of fat around your mid-section.

Combine meditation with exercise (you can meditate on getting started) and you're well on your way to turning your body into an efficient fat-burning machine, with higher levels of energy, an all-day calmness and serenity and a boosted mood.

There are schools of meditation and various practices, but it's simple to begin.

First light a candle, because it's an invitation to ritual and the sacred. I like scented vanilla candles. The sense of smell is the one most strongly tied to memory and consciousness.

Put your favorite music on your headphones, preferably something soothing that lights up your imagination.

Close your eyes and enjoy the music for a moment.

Breathe deeply, slowly in and out, in the rhythm of the sea. Concentrate on your breathing and slowly relax every part of your body, starting with your feet, working up your legs, your trunk, your hands and arms, your shoulders, your neck, your jaw, cheeks, and forehead. Let the tension melt away. If your mind drifts, return your focus to your breathing.

The result is an exhilarating 10-minute vacation. When you are completely relaxed, relax again, even deeper, each body part beginning with your toes and the arches of your feet, letting the warmth and calm pulse over your body, breathing slow and rhythmic, like a perfect day at the ocean.

When you reach this stage of relaxation you can try to visualize an important goal, perhaps the fitness you want, an achievement in your study or your work. But the most important thing is merely to trust and experience that inner calm and peace, what Native Americans might call entering the Spirit World, or what David wrote about in the Psalms when he wrote "He leadeth me beside the still waters." It's universal, incredibly healing and sacred, very powerful medicine for your heart, your mind, your being.

If you trust and apply yourself to this 10-minute practice for two weeks you'll start to notice that it follows you throughout your day. Your breathing is calmer at traffic lights and in grocery lines. You have better focus. You are more in tune with your experience. You notice things and communicate better. Your organization and outlook improve. You'll want to expand to 30 minutes a day. It's exhilarating, life-giving, simple and trustworthy.

Whatever you decide to do in terms of exercise or your spiritual practice, this is something with  tremendous benefits for nearly everyone.