Re-Energize!

Recharge yourself with a simple 5 minute standing meditation.

Step 1 is to simply find someplace to stand. Keep your feet approximately shoulder width apart. Knees just slightly bent. Feet relatively straight.

Close your eyes. Keep your hands together in front of your belly. Just clasp them naturally, one hand over the other.

Relax.

Take a full breath. Let it all out. Take another full breath. Let it out slowly. With each exhalation, notice how your body relaxes.

Take a full breath. Let out 70 percent of your air. Keep 30 percent in your lungs.

This percentage is a judgement call on your part. It can change from breath to breath and from person to person. You must gauge this yourself.

With 30 percent of air still in your lungs, take a full breath. Let it all out.

Take a full breath. Let out 30 percent. Keep 70 percent in your lungs.

Take a full breath. Let it all out.

Relax and meditate anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes.

At the end of your meditation, take a full breath. Let it out slowly. Relax, open your eyes, allow your hands to gently unclasp.

Notice how much more vibrant, awake and alert you feel!

Notice how chi (the life force energies of the universe) fill you. You know chi is present when you feel uplifted, whole, calm, and very much alive. Chi depletes when we step into negativity like stress, depression or anxiety.

Chi is naturally abundant in the entire universe and is available for all living beings. All living things have chi, but not all living beings have the same level of chi. Hence the need for meditation and breathing exercises.

The advantages of doing standing meditation is that you can is most anywhere. You could be out for a walk in a park, or standing in your own backyard, or even just standing someplace quiet at work.

When you do standing meditation, relax, let your feet "sink" into the ground. This will help you feel connected, centered and grounded. It will also help you to tap into your chi.

Chi of course is the life force essense of the universe. Nothing can be alive without chi. Nothing is beyond chi. There are varying levels of chi in and around us. This is why it's wise to practice meditation in order to enhance or develop our chi. This is also why it's wise to be aware of what we do in life.

What enhances our chi? Breathing is the number one thing! All things living in life breathe in one fashion or another. It is said that when you inhale, you take in the whole of the universe. When you exhale, you give a piece of yourself back to the universe. It is thusly that we are connected, one and whole with the universe and all things.

Other things develop our chi such as good food. QUALITY food is of utmost importance. Refined, sugary, or depleted food does us no good and will in fact deplete or sap our chi.

Healthy foods make all the difference. You don't need to be 100 percent but if you can simply eat healthy foods a majority of the time you will be ahead of the curve. It will help to energize you.

Good sleep is important to good chi, too. Not OVER SLEEPING to the point where one degrades but restful sleep.

Signs of chi depletion are lethargy, depression, moving slow in a tired fashion, inability to control your mind or thoughts, and ill health.

Signs of good chi are feeling light, being focused mentally, having energy to DO things, and feeling expansive.

The good news is no matter where you fall - chi depletion or good levels of chi - you can ALWAYS change it. ALWAYS!!!

Meditation is the key. Learn meditation and you can begin to take control of your life.