For some, working from home is the new normal. Wearing a mask is normal. I even started to like it in the cold air of Boston. We have a vaccine but we have not made it to the end of this pandemic yet so we need to stay strong but also patient, flexible and calm: easier said then done.

A very common discomfort a lot of us struggle with due to inactivity, working from home and sitting in front of our screens day and night is lower and upper back pain. Another common issue is neck, shoulder pain and headaches. For some, sleep is an issue. Integrating a mind-body routine into your daily life will go a long way towards improving and maintaining your mental and physical health and eliminating stress.

Balancing between strength and flexibility, making a conscience decision to breath deep throughout the day, emptying the mind from any thoughts for a few minutes every 2 or 3 hours, visualizing the energetic system and evoking the spirit a few times every day is the foundation of a mind body practice for health and prevention. But how can you do that every day?

Today I am going to share a few easy ways right from your home or office. Practicing these mind body techniques will help you reduce both physical and mental stress and help you sleep better.

To get the most out of your time and effort, hold the stretches for 2 to 3 minutes, or even longer if you find it helpful. Breathe deep through your nose. Keep your tongue touching the roof of your mouth and empty your mind from any thoughts. When you meditate, start with 3 minutes if you are a beginner and work up to 20 minutes or longer. Within 3 to 5 weeks you and, maybe, the people around you will see and feel the benefits a mind-body practice brings.

The first stretch that I recommend is for your lower back. Hold each posture for 2 to 3 minutes.

I call it the Three Musketeers or 12 o'clock, 11 o'clock and 1 o'clock.

I always put a timer so I can relax fully and concentrate on my breathing instead of thinking about the clock.

Three Muskateers

The next stretch I want to show you is for stiffness in your neck. When moving from left to right, do about 1 minute and when holding the stretch on the wall also do about 1 minute to each side. Sometimes I like to do the stationary neck stretch two times to each side.

Stretching your neck with and without a yoga block

Remember that it is important to stop and take short breaks to “exercise” your mind, not just your body throughout the day.

The mind is like a muscle and as a muscle it needs rest. Sleep is one way to achieve this rest but we are not always getting a good night’s sleep. Sometimes the brain is still tired even after sleeping all night simply from not reaching the deep sleep stages.

Meditation has been shown, scientifically, to have many health benefits. That is why it is essential for optimizing the performance of your mind and to stay refreshed. A few short breaks throughout your day can boost your energy, rejuvenate your mind and contribute to a healthy, day to day lifestyle. You will reduce both physical and mental stress and you will be able to make better decisions. If you are not meditating already I encourage you to add this training into your practice. You can do it in your car, at your desk, while waiting in line or in your living room.

Try these simple meditations for a healthy mind and body and to eliminate stress.

First try the Counting the Breath meditation. Then move to the next level meditation which is the Fire Breath meditation.

Counting the Breath and the Fire Breath meditations help you quite the mind by focusing on counting or by focusing on the sound of the Fire Breath.

After you succeeded in emptying your mind with the Fire Breath and you are interested in moving to the next level, which is a little more challenging, try emptying your mind with the Water Breath.

Since you are in total silence the monkey mind is much more powerful and emptying the mind is harder for some but works for others.

All three meditations start with a 3 minute practice and build up to 20 or 30 minutes.

Sit on the floor or on the edge of the chair. If you like, wrap yourself with a blanket, to keep yourself warm. The blanket also helps in bringing or leading the warmth and energy inwards and not outwards. When the energy and warmth are moving inward this will nourish every cell in your body.

Learn Counting Breath Meditation

Practice Counting Breath Meditation

Fire Breath