IT DOES WORK!

The two best practices that work for me are the loving kindness practice and swimming.  What really hit home for me was when I realized that when practicing the loving kindness methods, I cannot always expect to be treated the same way back.  Practicing this unconditionally on a daily basis, (I do it in the morning and afternoon on my commute to and from work) will keep you mentally fit and prepared for those pleasant and unpleasant encounters you may come across throughout the day.  By practicing this twice daily it keeps me centered and feeling lighthearted throughout the day.  The other practice that I love is swimming laps. For me, this is a great mind-body-spirit experience that leaves me feeling relaxed and accomplished.  It all starts with the rhythmatic breathing performed with each stoke so your body and breathing are synchronized. After several laps of this harmonized ritual you feel this sense of weightlessness as you glide through the water.  Your mind begins to drift on pleasant and uplifting thoughts or a visualization of what you can accomplish that day.  I work this in my morning weekly workouts which set me up mentally that day.  After my swim things that earlier seemed stressful and overwhelming tend to slow down and seem more manageable.  I understand this is not for everyone and finding a pool can be difficult at times, but since reintroducing this into my life I have felt much more at ease.