1. Sit erect in a comfortable position. Slowly move your eyes up and down, as far as you can, without moving the head or neck. Let your eyes see as far up and as far down as possible without causing strain. Repeat 10 times. Close your eyes and relax.

2. Next, slowly move your eyes from side to side, as far as you can, at eye level. Repeat 10 times. You will able to move your eyes farther and more easily with practice. Close your eyes and relax.

3. Keeping your head straight, look up to the top left-hand corner, then move your eyes across and down to the bottom right, then move them up to the top right-hand corner, and then across and down to the bottom left. Finish by moving your eyes back up to the top left. Repeat five times. Close your eyes and relax.

4. Look up to the position in the middle of your eyebrows. Hold for a few seconds and then move your gaze downwards, towards your nose.

5. Move your eyes slowly and effortlessly round in circles, alternating between clockwise and anti-clockwise motions. Repeat five times. Close your eyes and relax.

6. Hold your finger under the tip of your nose. Then start moving it away, without raising it, until you have fixed it at the closest possible distance where you can see it clearly. Then raise your eyes a little and look at a distant point on the horizon. Repeat five times. Close your eyes and relax.

7. Close your eyes as tightly as you possibly can. Hold this contraction for three seconds, and then let go quickly. This exercise causes a deep relaxation of the eye muscles, and is especially beneficial after the slight strain caused by the eye exercises. Repeatedly blink your eyes for about five times.

8. Rub your palms together and gently cup them over your closed eyes. Imagine the blackness getting darker and darker. Relax for a few minutes. It’s an ideal way to finish off the eye exercises. Palming also has a beneficial, relaxing effect on your nervous system.

• 2 cups – Epsom salt
• 3 tbsp – baking soda
• 8 drops – essential oils

Choose 3 or 4 oils from these essential oils: cedarwood, chamomile, cypress, frankincense, geranium, lavender, mandarin, melissa, neroli, orange, rose, rosewood, sandalwood, ylang ylang essential oils.

Mix the ingredients very well. Add to tub of running water.

Energizing salt bath recipe

• 1 cup – Epsom salts
• 1 cup – sea salt
• 3 drops – eucalyptus essential oils
• 3 drops – rosemary essential oils
• 3 drops – peppermint essential oil

Mix the ingredients and add to tub of running water.

Relaxing minty bath oil recipe

• 1/2 cup – castor oil
• 1/2 tsp – spearmint oil
• 1/2 tsp – orange oil

Blend the ingredients together in a bottle by shaking them up, and add to warm bath.

Honey and oatmeal milk bath recipe

• 1/2 cup – powdered milk
• 1/2 cup – finely ground oats
• 1/2 cup – honey

Mix the ingredients, and add to warm bath.

Skin-softening bath recipe

• 1 cup – buttermilk
• 3 tbsp – Epsom salt
• 1/2 tbsp – olive oil or canola oil
• 3 drops lavender or geranium essential oil

Mix the ingredients and add to tub of running water. Soak for 15 minutes or so, relax and enjoy!

High blood pressure is a condition that cuts across all the age groups. It is important not to neglect this condition and one should get help as soon as he or she is diagnosed. It is a symptom of stress and anxiety and should be diagnosed properly since the blood pressure in a normal person can fluctuate during the day due to the effect of stress, anxiety, alcohol intake and the likes.

To confirm a case of high blood pressure, persistent elevated readings should be recorded at different times during the day, on different days and in different circumstances. It is a well-established fact that acute stress and anxiety can lead to a momentary increase in blood pressure due to changes in the flow pattern of blood from the heart.

Chronic anxiety can lead to prolonged hypertension. Anxiety disorder has been linked with increased risk for hypertension and cardiovascular mortality. Close to seventy percent of all the high blood pressure problems are linked to emotional stress or anxiety during difficult situations. Conversely, higher levels of anxiety have been found in hypertensive subjects. When this phenomenon becomes recurrent, it can lead to long-term permanent damage like heart attacks, kidney failure or liver failure.

Also, when one is anxious it is easy to resort to other unhealthy habits like smoking and drinking, which can further aggravate the problem. Hence it is critical that the treatment being administered for controlling high blood pressure should also provide anxiety relief.

Here are some tips which can help you manage your condition of high blood pressure and at the same time will help in providing relief from anxiety. One should eat regular meals and avoid stimulants like coffee. Preference should be given to foods that are natural like fruits, whole grains etc. It is also important to exercise regularly. It will help relieve tension and also boost the cardiovascular system.

However, it is prudent to consult your doctor before embarking on an exercise regimen. It is equally important to get adequate rest since it will relax the muscles and help in relieving the buildup of stress and anxiety. If nothing works, it is advisable to consult your doctor for medication to address your blood pressure as well as providing relief from anxiety.

Since these medications have their side effects, it is wise to evaluate the natural treatments for anxiety relief in consultation with your doctor. This can help you provide complete relief from anxiety, thereby eliminating the root cause of your high blood pressure.

Let’s face it: life can be overwhelming at times – to say the very least. The ways in which we deal with stressors are as individual and unique as our different personalities. What works for one person may not be the remedy for another, but there are some strikingly similar physical and mental symptoms we may experience, leading us to seek solid panic attack treatments so that we may live fuller, healthier lives.

There are several holistic treatments that respond favorably to anxiety, and you can use them in the peace and privacy of your own home to thwart the next panic attack that assaults your system.

When the television is blaring, the phone is ringing, and someone has just arrived at the door, you may feel as if there is no way out, becoming overwhelmed and ill-equipped to deal with the situation.

Yet it is entirely within your power to manage anxiety – and resulting panic — in a healthier way. You may not have control over what happens in your life, but you can control your reactions to difficulties you encounter.

Of course, a knee-jerk reaction to anxiety is to try to remove it entirely from your life. But this is not always possible and, in some cases, it may not be the best approach. Instead, you might consider limiting your contact with whatever causes your anxiety and look around your own home for ways to find anxiety relief:

1. Take a break — just a few minutes away from the situation can help clear your head, enabling you to better handle anxiety in the long run.
2. Eliminate “all-or-nothing” thinking. If you’re having trouble studying for a test, do you assume that you are going to fail the entire course? If you have a disagreement with your spouse, do you think he or she will eventually leave you? If your mother is ill, do you begin worrying that she will die soon? Such disaster-oriented thinking will lead to further anxiety or panic. Adopt a more realistic approach to problems to limit your emotional reactions.
3. Begin to focus on performing tasks well rather than perfectly. Cut yourself some slack!
4. Abandon the “winner-take-all” philosophy. If you feel you always have to win, you’re setting yourself up for competition — even with yourself. Adopt an “everybody wins” philosophy. Following this viewpoint will alter your perspective of your own anxiety, helping you to just “take life as it comes.”
5. Anticipate your panic. When you feel it coming on, visualize something calming, such as an ocean or a tree. Don’t give into the temptation to self-destruct. Getting angry will not solve your problem. If you feel as if your blood is about to boil, take a step back and reassess your options.

That’s just the short list; there are many natural treatments for anxiety . Granted, it is not easy to control the onset of panic and anxiety. But if you learn to make a habit of controlling your reactions to anxiety, it will be well worth the work involved.

Laughter Yoga makes you laugh without using jokes or humor. It is a series of yoga-based deep breathing, gentle stretching, and movements designed to stimulate laughter and an inner spirit of joy. Research has proved that just 10 minutes laughter (even if it is fake!) has a profound impact on life. Laughter Yoga has been proven to improve creativity, productivity, and a sense of well being, while reducing stress, pain, and depression.
No mat required, only a willingness to be joyful

Laughter Yoga CNN Report

Motivational speaker Darrin Zeer teaches Laughter Yoga

Related post: Laughter is the best medicine!

Clinical depression is radically different from a passing feeling of sadness. It is a phase of low mood that lasts for more than three to four weeks at a stretch. Typical symptoms of depression are social withdrawal, insomnia, change in appetite, weight gain or loss, extreme pessimism and a feeling of worthlessness.

Passing phases of sadness can potentially lead to clinical depression if not attended to. It is imperative that you arm yourself with some protection to avoid such a situation. Some simple procedures including natural remedies for depression can prove very helpful in boosting energy levels and avoiding depressive moods.

According to the ancient Indian therapy Ayurveda, disease is caused by an imbalance of the three aspects. These aspects are the basis of the healthy functioning of a body. They are vata (wind), kapha (phlegm) and pitta (heat). Depression occurs when this imbalance is accompanied by “lack of awareness of one’s deeper, inner Self.”

Apart from targeting diet and lifestyle changes that restore this imbalance the main focus of Ayurveda in treating depression is on natural meditation and awareness of the inner Self. Ayurveda uses techniques like meditation and yoga to help in combating depression. One does not need to be a yogic expert to perform these basic exercises. These exercises can be performed in the comfort of your home. They can help in achieving inner bliss and can promote positive thinking.

The most significant aspect of Ayurvedic treatment is that it does not have any of the side effects that are associated with conventional medication. Ayurveda can be very helpful in treating depression naturally.

According to Ayurveda one should sleep before 10pm, which is the start of the “kapha” time. This ensures a sound sleep that is not disrupted by emotional distress and tossing in bed. Sleeping late makes you feel hungry. Eating at odd hours in the night puts an undue burden on the digestive system. The digestive system, therefore, does not get the rest and is unable to carry out the natural detoxification process effectively. Sleeping through late mornings leads to a choking of the system and causes dullness and reduced communication between the heart and mind.

Ayurveda proposes getting up early in the morning and performing some basic deep breathing exercises. Exercise is a great stress reliever and it also helps you remain in good shape. The early morning sun provides positive energy and uplifts moods. A walk in early sunlight also helps in easy bowel movement, which is necessary for the energy that you need to meet the challenges of the day.

Ayurveda recommends dietary changes that are easy on the digestive system for easy elimination. These are natural foods that help in creating stability in emotions, balance in the natural body systems and therefore aid in attaining a healthy body. Oily and fried foods should be avoided. Instead opt for healthy foods like milk, clove, walnut, pear and coconut. Fresh cheese, raisins, nuts and dates are natural sources of healthy proteins. Coffee is a stimulant that increases anxiety, a major cause behind depression. Homemade buttermilk prepared from fresh yogurt is a healthy substitute to coffee.

Anxiety Disorder can be a debilitating and all-consuming condition for many of those who suffer from it. Whether you are affected by Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder or one of the many other forms of the disorder, you may have investigated the option of using prescription medication as part of your treatment.

With over 19 million people in the U.S. alone reporting suffering from some type of it, anxiety disorder is the most common of all mental health disorders. Fortunately, anxiety disorder is highly treatable, and with professional help, it can often be completely overcome. Many times, successful treatment depends only upon individual or group therapy and learned relaxation techniques. In some cases, however, anti-anxiety prescription medication is also recommended. The most commonly prescribed anxiety medications are benzodiazepines, such as Xanax, because they tend to have fewer side effects than anti-depressant medications. But benzodiazepines also carry a risk of alarming side effects and can be highly addictive, spurring many people to seek safer, more natural alternatives.

There are many natural herbs for anxiety which have been proven to effectively ease many of the symptoms of anxiety with a very low risk of side effects. Just as with prescription medications, everyone reacts differently to natural medications, and it can take time to find the right combination and dosage for your body. There are many combination remedies on the market that include a mixture of effective ingredients, and that may provide you with long-lasting anxiety relief.

Passion flower, an ingredient that is often used in natural medicine, alleviates hyperactivity, anxiety, insomnia, nervous tension — and is even sometimes used to treat Parkinson’s Disease. Passion flower soothes and calms and can lower high blood pressure.

Lemon balm is a general restorative for the nervous system, can reduce blood pressure and also calm the digestive system.

Lavender is an excellent anxiety treatment and one of the best natural panic attack treatments. Lavender is a general tonic for the nervous system and a natural relaxant.

Valerian is a popular natural ingredient that can be used as a sedative and a painkiller. It is often effectively employed as a treatment for anxiety and for insomnia, as well.

You may find that with psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, relaxation exercises or support groups, or some combination of all of them, you do not need any medication. But if you do decide to explore the option of medication, natural treatments for anxiety can provide you with safe, effective results, without the risk of side effects that prescription medications pose. Natural medications are becoming increasingly popular as awareness of them grows, and you might find that they are the right treatment for you as well.