With the summer season comes the expectation that the rush of day-to-day life can slow down. Beaches, barbecues, and vacations are all great ways to enjoy summer. Are you able to relax, quiet the mind, and actually achieve the relaxation response in your body that makes you feel like you have spent a week at a spa? As our culture becomes more technologically driven, with constant stimulus at our fingertips, people are becoming chronically anxious and stressed. Instead of achieving the relaxation response, we are experiencing the fight-or-flight response as a daily occurrence. Consider making a mental commitment to yourself this summer to take more time to literally smell the roses, enjoy the outdoors and beauty of nature, and BREATHE. Take the extra time to give yourself the space and calm you need to achieve the relaxation response. You’ll have a better summer for doing these simple things.

Maureen Becker
www.sourcewithin.com