Integration means looking at more techniques to incorporate into your 48-Hour Plan, and into the rest of your life, that will help balance you in body, mind and spirit and get those stress levels right down. Today, more than ever, we suffer from tension, stress and the ‘too much to do’ syndrome. Millions of us in the UK alone are turning to tranquillizers, sleeping pills and alcohol to relax us, and one in three of us will go to a doctor at some point in our lives suffering from depression. A recent report issued by the European Commission cited stress as the second most common health problem after back pain: 41.2 million people in the EU were affected in 2000 – that’s more than the entire population of Spain!
We’ve looked at diet in depth, and the exercises suggested in chapter 10 will help us by releasing those ‘natural high’ hormones – endorphins. The yoga will work on another level by stimulating all our internal organs and calming our mind. But if we are to get our stress levels way down and fine-tune every cell in the body, we need to incorporate some of the following suggestions into our daily routine. Think of these techniques as the valeting after your car has gone through its MOT!
integration techniques
Tibetan Twirling
Tongue-Scraping
Teeth-Cleaning
Simple Breathing – Pranayama
Simple Relaxation
Simple Meditation
Have a read through and decide which suggestions appeal to you so you can try some of them out before the Plan. There are only 6 techniques and they are all worth trying to build into your daily routine even though, like me, you’ll probably convince yourself you just don’t have enough time! When I do get back into the daily habit of kicking off the day with some simple yoga movements, followed by the integration techniques, the day seems to flow along effortlessly, nothing stresses me and I feel and look more energized and positive. So I can only urge you at least to give them a go during the Weekend, when you will have all the time you need. Once you’re back in the real world they can take as little time as 30 seconds to 5 minutes each, much like brushing your teeth. It’s simply a question of getting into the habit and deciding which ones you’re going to do – every day, no matter what!
tibetan twirling
This exercise is going to make you feel like a mad whirling Dervish! It’s not only fun but has hidden health benefits as well. This is one exercise that you can always make time for at the beginning of your day as it’s really speedy and will wake up your whole system.
According to the Tibetan lamas, and many Ayurvedic practitioners, there are seven energy vortexes in the body centred on our seven endocrine glands: the reproductive glands, the pancreas, the adrenals, the thymus, the thyroid gland, the pineal gland and the pituitary gland. These glands make our hormones and send them out into the bloodstream to be carried to all our organs and tissues for every body function. According to the philosophy, if one of the glands slows down because of ageing or ill health, the flow of prana – the life force that in Ayurvedic medicine means ‘vital breath’ – also slows down and dis-ease may set in.
One of the quickest ways to get that prana moving is by spinning. When all the vortexes revolve at great speed and at the same speed the body is in perfect health!
how to spin
Find a nice big space, where you’re not going to stumble into any furniture, and where the floor is not slippery. (Maybe try the garden patio.)
Stand up straight with your arms stretched out, parallel to the floor, and spin round clockwise until you become dizzy – it usually takes 5–6 times. Keep practising till you have built up to 20 revolutions, maybe increasing by one every couple of days. Make sure your feet are squarely on the ground throughout, and spin as fast as you can without falling over!
To help combat dizziness, you could try the trick that dancers and skaters use. Fix your eyes on an object or a mark on the wall in front of you, level with your eyes, and keep your eyes on that point for as long as possible while you’re turning. Your head will have to keep up with your body, but turn your head at the last possible moment really quickly so you can stare at the same spot as you come round. But be careful not to hurt your neck by moving it too quickly!
Spinning regularly as a technique for a healthier, stress-free life sounds mad, I know, but at the very worst it’ll wake you up and get all those cells buzzing. And at best you’ll be healthier and calmer. The Hale Clinic’s Ayurvedic Doctor, Doja Purkit, recommends that we all practise spinning if we want a tension-free day: ‘If you can spin 20 times you will never feel stress,’ he says. Dr Purkit believes spinning replicates the turbulence caused by stress in the body’s cells, which will help the body to understand and overcome it.
Whatever spinning does (and it seems to work for me), it’s fun, it’s free and it’s something the whole family can enjoy – so give it a whirl!
tongue-scraping and teeth-cleaning
Are you old enough to remember when GPs used to look at your tongue to gauge your internal health? Doctors don’t seem to do this any more, but we can. By having a quick look at your tongue every morning, before you clean your teeth, you’ll be able to see how your digestion is doing. If you also get into a daily habit of scraping your tongue you’ll be sending a wake-up call to your gastric juices. As soon as the millions of taste buds on your tongue are stimulated they send a message to the digestive system to get ready and your food will be broken down more efficiently.
Studying and scraping my tongue every morning is, to me, as important as cleaning my teeth. Let’s face it, teeth don’t change much in appearance from day to day. But the tongue does. How coated is it? How white? Does your breath smell? If there is a thick white coating on the tongue, it means there is a lot of toxicity in the system, from a heavy or too late meal the night before. It could be that you’re still digesting last evening’s food, in which case a very light breakfast or just a juice would be the best thing to give your digestion a rest. Or it may be that all that de-toxing over the Weekend is coming out of your system and showing on your tongue, giving it a nice white, furred appearance!
To scrape the tongue, use a tongue scraper (sold in health shops or by mail order) or a small spoon. Gently move from the back of the tongue forward until you have scraped the entire surface. The whole process only takes 20 seconds and will get rid of that unpleasant coating, clear bacteria out of your mouth and make your breath smell sweeter!
teeth – cleaning
There are two quick tips for healthier teeth. The first suggestion, I must admit, isn’t one I have time for every day, but is well worth doing during a weekend off. The second one is quick, simple and can be done every day after cleaning your teeth.
Massage your gums: According to Eastern medicine, you can make your teeth healthier and more beautiful by massaging your gums daily. Take a mouthful of warm sesame oil and swish it from side to side for 2–3 minutes. Don’t swallow it. Spit out the oil, then massage your gums with your index finger. This is, apparently, brilliant for preventing receding gums, tooth infections and cavities.
Tap your teeth: Tap your teeth together 5 or 6 times gently (so you don’t disturb any crowns or fillings!). This is said to stimulate the energy meridians related to the teeth. Again, this should get that pranamoving and wake up all your organs.
simple breathing – pranayama
benefits of pranayama
Expels stress and relaxes you.
Stills the mind.
Works as a quick meditation.
Increases mental clarity.
Increase oxygen supply.
Improves digestion.
Recharges the batteries.
Increases physical energy.
Pranayama is a very useful detoxing aid because breathing deeply expels 70 per cent of the toxins in the body. But the most important reason to do pranayama, I believe, is because of its effect on the brain. We know that there are two hemispheres in the brain with different functions: the left for logic, languages and figures and the right for creativity, imagination and intuition. By alternating the nostrils (as you will see in a minute) you are sending the breath to each side of the brain in turn, which will help balance the two hemispheres. It’s known as a neuromuscular integration, which basically means that you’re merging mind and body and creating greater mental clarity and energy.
We do it at the end of yoga classes and it always makes me feel much sharper, more focused and relaxed. More importantly, doing it in the morning really seems to help me with any mental tasks, especially if I’m doing it outdoors in the fresh air.
Because you have to concentrate quite hard on doing these exercises properly, they also give you a chance for a bit of ‘quiet’ time. Even if the only time you have is sitting on the loo in the morning they’re nearly as beneficial as a quick meditation and only take five minutes.
how to do Pranayama
Sit comfortably with your spine as straight as possible.
Close your eyes and rest your left hand on your knee – you’ll be using your right hand.
Keep your mouth shut throughout.
Using your right thumb, close off your right nostril. Then, through your left nostril, inhale slowly and deeply. Hold the breath for four counts.
Now with your middle fingers close your left nostril and exhale slowly out of your right nostril.
Then, keeping your left nostril closed, inhale through your right nostril, and hold the breath for four counts.
Move your thumb on to your right nostril and exhale through the left nostril.
Repeat the sequence using alternate nostrils for about 5 minutes.
Your breathing may be slightly slower and deeper than usual, but it should be natural and unforced.
When you’re finished, just sit quietly for a few minutes and breathe normally.
simple relaxation
The body is cooled down and stilled by complete relaxation, which eases tension in the muscles and rests the whole system, leaving you as refreshed as after a good night’s sleep. Relaxation carries over into all your activities and teaches you to conserve your energy and let go of worries and fears. This technique also serves as a great pick-me-up if you’re going out straight after work and feel exhausted. It helps you relax in bed at night if you’re having trouble sleeping. And, most importantly during the Plan, it’s an excellent technique to do after meals to prevent you from rushing around when you should be relaxing and digesting.
My lovely yoga teacher Patricia Haygarth came up with this wonderful relaxation exercise, which is the final relaxation after a yoga session. You can do it at any time of the day or night. You can spend five minutes on it, or much longer if you like.
Lie flat on your back with your feet apart, the toes rolling away from the heels. Your arms are at your sides and slightly away from the body, with the palms facing up. Make sure your head is straight and your neck is long. Allow your mind to help the body relax and repeat mentally to yourself as you travel through the body, beginning with your toes, ‘I relax my toes… my toes are relaxed. I relax my feet and ankles… my feet and ankles are relaxed. I relax my legs… my legs are relaxed. I relax my hips… my tummy… my arms… my chest… my back… my neck… my face…’ until you reach your head and finally your mind. Relax. Relax. Relax.
simple meditation
Meditation has been shown to boost the immune system, calm the mind, get rid of negative thoughts and even fight disease. Millions of people around the world swear by it, but you don’t need to sit cross-legged on the floor, chanting, for three hours a day in order to meditate properly and reap the benefits.
The whole point of meditation is to still the brain, to visualize thoughts plopping into your mind, but to ignore them and let them drift out again. The more you practise meditation the quieter your thoughts will become – it’s almost like telling your mind to ‘shut up’. Doing meditation regularly will help reduce stress and fatigue and will really improve your energy levels and make you feel happy and calm. Set aside five minutes when you won’t be interrupted, twice a day. Even these short sessions will have a beneficial effect. But, during the 48-Hour Plan, try to spend longer on meditation. Twenty minutes – twice a day – would be really good for you!
how to meditate
Use a quiet room away from traffic noise, children noise and other distractions, even if it’s just the bathroom. (Use earplugs if there’s too much noise.) Make sure you’re wearing warm and comfortable clothes. Take your shoes off and sit cross-legged on the floor or, if you have trouble keeping your spine straight, sit with your back against a wall. Or sit on a chair, as long as it’s straight-backed and your feet are resting comfortably on the floor. (Or even lie down – I don’t recommend this as I always fall asleep!) Sit with your palms up and open like empty bowls, resting on your knees.
Close your eyes. Keep them relaxed and imagine there is a white dot between your eyebrows. Breathe normally, but as you inhale and exhale, gradually begin to notice your breathing. Don’t try and influence your breathing in any way, just follow it. Allow it to reach its own rhythm.
If your brain starts getting busy and making lists, don’t try to stop it. Look at each thought, imagine it in a bubble and just blow it away. Then come back to following your breathing. It’s a very simple exercise but it takes a little practice to get used to ‘watching’ those thoughts, letting go of them, and getting back into stillness and nothingness.
so-hum meditation
Abid Dar, my acupuncturist, taught me this meditation to help me overcome my Busy Brain Syndrome, and it works for me. So if you have a real problem letting go of those thoughts, try this. In So-Hum meditation we sit quietly and follow our breathing as before, but we add the sound So on inhalation and Hum on exhalation. Don’t say the sounds out loud – say them to yourself. You’ll be much more focused.
Hum means ‘I’ or ‘individual ego’; So means ‘He, the Divine’. When So goes in, life energy also goes in, and when Hum goes out, our ego also goes out. That’s the significance of So-Hum meditation.
At the end of your meditation, just sit quietly and let your body come back to the present. You’ll feel so relaxed and energized you’ll wonder why you’ve never done it before! Again, it’s a wonderful technique to use if you come in from work exhausted, wondering how you’re going to keep going through the evening. Try it for just five minutes!
! TOP TIP – TREE ENERGY
Believe it or not, sitting cross-legged under a tree, making sure your back is in contact with the trunk, has an energizing effect. If you don’t have time for the breathing or meditation exercises, try this instead for 5 minutes and see how ‘grounded’ and calm you feel! People always make fun of hippies who hug trees, but I really do think there’s something in it. If you believe, as I do, that all ‘life’ on this planet is linked in some way, then the life force and energy that is contained in a 200-year-old tree must have some effect on us at a cellular level. Try it during the 48-Hour Plan – you’ve nothing to lose, although you might get some strange looks from passers-by!