Five unexpected ways to de-stress

CUT OUT ALL THE NOISE AND RESTORE CLARITY AND CALM WITH THESE SIMPLE PRACTICES.

1 TAKE UP THE TIBETAN RITES

There are five Tibetan Rites, and they have nothing to do with religion and everything to do with physical and mental wellbeing and clarity. Also called the ‘fountain of youth’, they’re a series of five yoga poses that you do daily, eventually working up to 21 repetitions of each. Put together by Tibetan monks 2 500 years ago, they’re believed to help you sleep, reduce anxiety and give you more energy – as well as keep you younger! The rites only take about 10–15 minutes a day, and you don’t need a lot of space. Repeat three times to start off with, slowly building up to 21 times by doing two more repetitions each day.

◗ RITE 1: SPINNING

Stand up straight with your arms out, horizontal to the floor, palms facing down. Slowly spin in a clockwise direction, moving your feet but staying in the same spot. Your eyes should be open and looking down; your head should be facing straight ahead.

◗ RITE 2: THE J

Lie flat on your back on a mat. Breathe deeply and slowly. Inhale while you lift your head and shoulders and your feet off the ground (your legs should be straight, but you can start with them bent and work your way up to that) until your legs are vertical to the floor and your head is facing towards your thighs (the J-shape). Keep your arms flat along the ground, palms facing down. Exhale as you return to the starting position.

◗ RITE 3: ARCHING

Kneel upright on the mat with your knees hip-width apart (you’re not meant to be sitting on your heels – your thighs need to be vertical to the ground). Curl your toes under. Put your palms flat against the backs of your thighs, fingers facing downwards. Breathe deeply and slowly. Inhale as you arch your back and drop your head back, opening your chest. Breathe out as you return to the upright position and drop your chin to your chest. Keep your hands on your legs.

◗ RITE 4: THE TABLETOP

Sit on the mat with your legs straight out in front of you, hip-width apart, with your hands flat on the floor alongside your hips, fingers facing forward, and your toes facing up. On an inhale, lift your hips off the ground, flatten your feet to the ground and drop your head back, until your shins are vertical and your torso is horizontal to the floor, like a tabletop. As you exhale, lower your hips back to the starting position and lower your chin to your chest. Your hands and your heels shouldn’t move at all throughout the Tabletop.

◗ RITE 5: THE TWO DOGS

Sit cross-legged on the floor. Place your palms flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart, in front of you, leaning forward as you extend your legs behind you. Lower your hips until your thighs touch the ground, so you’re in upward-facing dog as your starting position. Inhale as you come into downward-facing dog, looking at your navel. Exhale as you flow into upward-facing dog again, then exhale as you shift into downwardfacing dog – and so on. Your feet and your hands should stay in the same position throughout.

2 STOP DOOMSCROLLING AND ENVY-MINING

Just stop it. Watching the news is not going to help you, nor is torturing yourself with other people’s ‘perfect’ lives. Focus on your own day-to-day life instead and do what you can within that.

3 GO FOR A WALK… EVERY DAY, IF YOU CAN

It doesn’t have to be a marathon, but a regular walk will help. Robert Thayer, professor of psychology at California State University, found enormous benefits in a study of people who walked regularly. ‘It really indicates that we’re talking about a wider phenomenon here than just “walk more, feel more energy”. We’re talking about “walk more, be happier, have higher self-esteem”,’ he says.

4 TIDY YOUR CUPBOARDS OR YOUR FRIDGE

…or do the washing-up or write the letter you’ve been meaning to write. Bottom line: just do what needs to be done, and stop obsessing over feelings you cannot control.

Morita therapy, created by Japanese psychiatrist Dr Shoma Morita more than 100 years ago, is enjoying a resurgence. It is diametrically opposed to the Western idea of a ‘talking cure’. Trying to overcome negative emotions through constantly talking about them only makes them stronger, Dr Morita said, because it shifts your focus from living a fulfilling life to the pointless attempt to control something we ultimately have no control over. All feelings (negative emotions included) are part of the human experience. Don’t ignore these feelings, just sit with them without trying to change them.

THESE ARE THE PRINCIPLES:

• Accept your feelings (don’t judge them; just observe them).

• Know your purpose: keep your focus on the life you want to live.

• Do what needs to be done: don’t allow your emotions to stop you doing what you need to do to live a wholesome life.

5 BREATHE

Take a deep breath in and watch your belly expand. Hold for three seconds and then breathe out as slowly as you can, until every last scrap of air is out of your lungs. Pause and repeat. ❖