Kaiser Permanente thrive » relaxation

Groove with us on Pandora

admin10kavesian — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:33:17 +0000

Taking time out of your day for a little jam session can do wonders for your mind, body, and spirit. That's why we've created two custom stations on Pandora — the free Internet radio service that you can personalize based on your favorite artists or songs.

If you're looking for a boost to your workout or just a rocking soundtrack to keep you going all day, tune in to Kaiser Permanente Fitness Radio.

Stressing at work? Kids driving you nuts? Ease your tension with the chill sounds of our soothing Kaiser Permanente Relaxation Radio.

Whether you've got brain drain or boogie fever, the right music can be the perfect prescription. So what are you waiting for? Plug in those headphones, turn those speakers up, and enjoy your daily dose.

Manage stress? Yes, you can!

admin11kcesarz — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:34:13 +0000

Stress is a fact of life. It stimulates the fight-or-flight response, which can be good if you need to work hard for a limited amount of time or react quickly to potential dangers.

But being stressed out too often or for long periods of time can negatively affect your health. Although you may not be able to eliminate stress completely, you can find ways to keep it under control.

Dial down stress with these proven techniques.

Being “mindful”: What is it and how can it help you be healthier?

admin11kcesarz — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:19:02 +0000

A commitment to living for the moment can have a big impact on your health. In meditation circles this practice is called mindfulness.

Mindfulness is an attitude toward living that involves simply keeping your attention in the present moment, without judging it as happy or sad, good or bad. It encourages living each moment—even painful ones—as fully as possible. It is a way of calmly and consciously observing and accepting whatever is happening, moment to moment.

Being more aware of your present experiences helps you remove the emotion from your thoughts and helps you slow things down and focus, which in turn is good for your health. In mind, in body, and in spirit—which is exactly what you need to truly thrive.

Learn how to be mindful.

A recipe for relaxing

admin10kavesian — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 20:54:21 +0000

You don't have to be a doctor to understand how stress impacts your health and well-being—or how it gets in the way of getting things done, whether at the office or home.

Slowing your heart rate, easing your breathing, lowering your blood pressure and body metabolism, and relaxing muscle groups will lower your stress. Follow each of the five steps listed below whenever you're stressed out, and you will be able to relax and get on with life's daily challenges:

Determine exactly what's bothering you.
Place your head down on a desk or table and close your eyes for 5 minutes. Then shake your hands and arms for 10 seconds.
While aware of what's stressing you out, repeat to yourself "alert mind, calm body" for six seconds. Smile inwardly—don't wear a fearful or angry expression. Inhale slowly while counting to three, then exhale.
Sit comfortably and concentrate on a single object or activity like breathing steadily, focusing on each breath you inhale and exhale, for five minutes. Acknowledge but don't analyze any thoughts that interrupt your focus on breathing.
Relax your muscles by tensing up each muscle group for five seconds and concentrating on what this feels like. Breathe deeply and exhale while releasing all tension in each muscle group.

If you're really stressed out, these few minutes could be the best investment in your day and will make the kind of difference you need to keep up with the tasks ahead.

Let everyone know you’re ready to thrive

admin10kavesian — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:33:33 +0000

Now that you’re motivated to thrive, you need to look and act the part. Visit our Brand Store for a full line of workout clothing, bags, totes, eco-friendly products, drinkware, office items — even gifts — that can inspire you and others to thrive.

Podcast: Meditations to help you cope with chemotherapy

admin10kavesian — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:34:05 +0000

Recovering from chemotherapy treatments can be tough. That’s why our health experts designed a podcast to help you relax and recuperate. Our guided imagery podcasts are gentle and engaging meditation programs that help you soothe mind, body, and spirit and achieve positive health results.

Listen or download now.

Relax right now

admin10kavesian — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:03:26 +0000

Healthy living means enjoying some of life’s relaxing pleasures. To help you, our team of health experts has listed a few ways to unwind and recharge in your everyday life.

Reduce your stress – in six seconds

admin10kavesian — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:00:13 +0000

Because you don’t always have a lot of time to cope with daily tensions, learning to handle stress quickly and immediately can be a bonus for your health. Our six-second mini-relaxation technique offers an effective response to emergency stress reactions.

Ease your muscles – and your mind

admin10kavesian — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:50:09 +0000

Knowing the difference between feeling relaxed and feeling tense is important to good health. But people often become so accustomed to the tension that they consider it “normal.” Let these progressive relaxation techniques teach you how to ease your muscles and your mind.

Visualization exercises to improve your health

admin10kavesian — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:45:04 +0000

Envisioning yourself as healthy can be a big step to actually getting there. To help, we offer these visualization exercises to help you relax, recharge, and recover.