Stress and anxiety seem to be the health issues we are dealing with these days. So many people dealing with too much work, too many bills, not enough peace and quiet. Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could get away, to a beautiful place of peace and quiet, for even just five minutes a day?

During this article, you will learn how to create an Inner Sanctuary. A place where you can go, that no-one else can visit. You won't be disturbed by the phone, or the kids, or traffic, it won't cost you anything to go there, and there's no travel. You can spend as little or as much time there as you choose, and visit as often as you like.

The Inner Sanctuary is not a cure-all for the stress of daily living, it is important to develop a number of tools to help you live a healthier life. However, the Sanctuary is a very helpful and powerful tool and is easy for anyone to use.

Creating your Inner Sanctuary is a very simple exercise. You don't even have to know how to meditate. By simply using your imagination, you can develop the most wonderful place, solely for your use.

Here are some guidelines to help you:-

• Choose a place of nature, a forest, a beach, a desert, whatever feels peaceful to you.
• Include running water somewhere in your place, a waterfall, a pool, the ocean are all wonderful choices.
• If you live in a mainly hot climate, make sure there is plenty of shade and cool in your sanctuary. Likewise, if you live in a cold area, have lots of snuggly areas, you could even create a cosy little cabin with a fireplace, or choose somewhere warm like the beach.
• Remember that you can add or change areas to your Sanctuary, any time you choose.

Once you have designed your sanctuary, try it out. Using your imagination, feel yourself walking around, breathing in the clean, fresh air, floating in the water, washing off the cobwebs and tiredness under the waterfall. Sinking deep into the cool earth to be replenished, nourished and nurtured. Recognise that there is no time here, no pressure, no expectations. This is a place of healing and nurturing, pure freedom. Breathe slowly the whole time you are here, this regulates your body's rhythms and calms you down.

Take your time developing your relationship with this place. This is always meant to be a place of peace, healing and joy for you, so make sure you use it to clear away any stress or frustration. Swimming, wading in water or standing under a waterfall is a wonderful way to clear away the dust and dirt of living. Once you've cleared up the stress, spend a bit of time enjoying the peace of your sanctuary before returning to the physical world.

After a while of visiting this Sanctuary, you will find that you can visit it for just a few seconds at work when you are feeling harrassed, or in a traffic jam where feelings of frustration build so quickly, and harmony is restored.

Now that you have your Inner Sanctuary, it is important to make use of it. Not just in quiet times at home, but also in your toilet break at work and other times of stress. The more you use it, the better you will get at dealing with stress and frustration.

Daniella Breen B.Sc. (Psych) has been practicing meditation for most of her life and has been a Meditation Instructor for 9 years. You will find some of her Guided Meditations available free to copy at http://www.ShamanGoddess.com and at her forum linked from that site. Finally, Daniella does design personal meditation for specific issues or focuses. This service is also available at her site.

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