Perform Soft Belly Meditation

When you get anxious or stressed, do you feel "knots" of tension forming in your stomach? Soft belly meditation is an exercise to make you feel more calm, peaceful, and relaxed by releasing the tightness in your abdominal area, and the negativity that caused it.

Steps

 * 1) [[Image:Little rocking chair 3888.jpg|thumb|Whether your idea of a comfortable chair is a rocking chair, an armchair, or a antique wooden chair, if it feels comfortable to you, it's perfect]]Sit silently in a comfortable chair. It helps to have objects in the room that comfort you, such as an antique doll, a mural, or a symbol of your religion. Set a kitchen timer. When you're first starting soft belly, set the timer for five to ten minutes and gradually add time as you do soft belly more often.
 * 2) [[Image:I just wanna close my eyes 8147.jpg|thumb|Close your eyes. Let the world around you disappear. Relax]]Close your eyes. Start breathing slowly, silently, and deeply, inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. Let your stomach be "soft" as you breathe, expanding on the inhale, and relaxing on the exhale. You can say "soft" on the inhale and "belly" on the exhale. Remind your stomach to be soft, and repeat the phrase: "soft....belly....soft....belly....".
 * 3) [[Image:Quel ramo del lago di como 753.jpg|thumb|You can think about your trip to the exotic mountains, or you can think of the upcoming trip to a mountain with some friends]]After you've concentrated on the softness of your stomach for a minute or two, focus on something. You can focus on your trip to exotic mountains, or maybe playing with your kids when they were children. Just think of a relaxing memory or event happening in the future. As you focus on your subject, the "bad" feelings like hate, depression, anger, imperfection, worry, and many more start to trickle away.
 * 4) When you're ready or when the timer rings, open your eyes and take your attention to the room. Do it as slowly as you need to.

Tips

 * It is a good idea to dim the lights or close the shades halfway before starting.
 * After you've come to like soft belly, you may do it for longer periods of time or multiple times a day.
 * If you feel jumpy, excited, agitated, or like you just can't do soft belly, take a walk to the park, around the block, or to a friend's house. Then, go back to the room and try again.
 * If you are some place where you know you will not be disturbed, it will relax you more.

Warnings

 * Make sure that you have time to do this, as it takes at least ten minutes.

Related Tips and Steps

 * How to Meditate
 * How to Begin Zen Meditation (Zazen)
 * How to Relax
 * How to Have a Good Day
 * How to Build Self Confidence
 * How to Be Happy
 * How to Be Kind
 * How to Be Positive
 * How to Eradicate and Stop Negative Thoughts
 * How to Forgive
 * How to Cope with Depression
 * How to Overcome Sadness

Sources and Citations

 * James S. Gordon, MD, Unstuck: Your Guide to the Seven - Stage Journey Out of Depression (New York, New York: Penguin Group Inc. 2008) 36-37