Quiet the mind. Slow down your breath. Awaken your chakras. It's time to meditate! I'll be the first one to admit that I used to be like Ms. Paltrow, in that I didn't have the slightest idea how to meditate. I would dim the lights, make sure the apartment was quiet, and try to focus on my breath. Problem was, I was so focused on "conquering meditation" that my mind couldn't relax and just "be." Read more

Now that you have the long weekend ahead of you, you should take some time to invigorate yourself over the holiday. If work has been getting to you, consider and explore these four alternative treatments. Acupuncture: There are certain points on your body that harnesses your body energy or chi. Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medical practice that manipulates needles on your body to treat all Read more

Have you experienced the positive benefits of meditation? A new study that looked at 18 healthy young adults who had never meditated before found that with just 20-minute instructional sessions in mindfulness meditation, there was a significant reduction in pain when subjects were exposed to painful stimuli. I already knew that regular meditation has been shown to have significant therapeutic Read more

I'll admit it: I love washing my face. Whether it's after a long day or a long night, coming back to my sink with a bottle of cleansing oil is one of the fastest ways to make me feel relaxed and clean. My roommate Sarah, on the other hand, always feels better once she's put on some mascara and curled her lashes. Fellow Bella Jaime adores a good, relaxing bath, and another friend always swipes on Read more

Whenever I get asked if I'm a morning person, I drift off for a moment, imagining my hands wrapped around a mug, sipping hot tea as I sit cross-legged in a cozy chair, watching the sunrise over the ocean. Then reality slaps me in the face, and I hesitate to say I'm a morning person. Forget the fantasy morning, because I've learned over the years to create my own morning ritual that helps me start Read more

Busy schedules sometimes require some forced relaxation. Enter Do Nothing For 2 Minutes, a site that forces its users to literally do nothing for two minutes. Listen to the sound of ocean waves, take a break — just don't touch your mouse or keyboard or you'll get a nasty red FAIL message. And no one wants to fail. After two minutes (there's a countdown), you're rewarded with a "well done" Read more

Stressed out? Grab a pen or pencil and some paper, and do this relaxation exercise from the OnSugar blog goddessbody. I call this exercise the Phone Cord (before the cell phone and cordless phone). It promotes calmness and relaxation and relieves inner tension. It also helps improve balance and coordination. Learn how to do this easy exercise when you read more Read more

The final resting pose in a yoga class known as Savasana is so relaxing, but FitSugar reader bigestivediscuit shared an especially relaxing experience in the Yoga Stretch and Tell community group. Last night I had a nearly orgasmic moment on the train ride home when the breeze coming through the hot subway carriage's window made the China gel my yoga instructor had massaged into my neck during Read more