By Thierry THOMAS, creator of the Respirelax application
Be zen...Right now, this is the new quest for the Grail. The key that is supposed to open the doors to well-being. The absolute quality that everyone desires. How many times have I heard this sentence pronounced with envy: “At least you are zen, I don't know how you do it, I can't do it. »
It is true that not a week goes by without a press article, a video, a website, or a report presenting us THERE ultimate method to achieve “zenitude”. Today, moreover, everything becomes zen: decoration, food, clothing, aesthetics, art, lights, music, objects... So much so that we have even forgotten and turned away from it. the original meaning of the word. Zen is a branch of Japanese Buddhism.
It is essentially based on meditative practice, in a specific posture, called zazen, and the study of koans, kinds of small enigmas, seemingly absurd and irrational, to be solved within a given time. I submit one for your consideration: “What is the sound of one hand clapping? ". Not bad is not it ?
Hard to be zen on this side of the planet
That being said, Zen today is synonymous with appeasement, serenity, calm, at the very heart of a world that spins at phenomenal speed. But, in this turmoil, to stop to do "nothing", to catch one's breath, is to put oneself out of the game and lose contact with "real life". It's even a bit guilt-inducing. People look at you sideways, pointing at the side of you. What a paradox! We aspire to this famous letting go, but we reject its implementation. And yet, it is so essential, even vital. As proof, a study by the World Health Organization recently showed that we experience an average of 50 stressful events per day. Physiologically, we cannot absorb more than 4 per week! A phenomenon confirmed by the conclusions of Dr. Herbert Benson of the Benson-Henry Medical Institute: Today, 80 % of medical consultations are linked to stress.
Even more serious, between 2010 and 2018, depressive pathologies increased by 30 %. These are, of course, only statistics, but they must concern us.
Serenity is often a facade
The evil is deep. I have been able to judge this for myself throughout my two decades in the world of health and wellness. The most striking thing is that the therapists themselves are affected. Behind zen attitudes often hide impressive levels of stress. The calm displayed is only a facade.
This is why I wanted to include this article in the blog’s “3 essential habits to be zen every day” event. Zen habits. A very well done blog full of advice and information. Through this operation, I hope to pass on to as many people as possible a simple, effective protocol that I have been able to test and whose effectiveness I have clinically validated through regular cardiac biofeedback tests (measurement of stress level).
To begin, you have to know your enemy to fight him better. I strongly encourage you to consult the excellent article by Sylviane Jung which will give you many ideas to decipher and overcome your stress.
Just 15 minutes a day to be zen in all circumstances
Being zen is good, but it should not encroach too much on work, family and leisure. To solve the equation, it is imperative to offer techniques that are quick, effective, easily integrated into daily life, not very time-consuming, and which do not require several years of learning or multiple sessions with a coach. The ideal is of course… that all this be as inexpensive as possible.
This is exactly what I recommend. This will take you 15 minutes in your current schedule. The only constraint: a commitment to follow the protocol for at least 3 weeks. This is the time it will take for you to measure the impact and assimilate the routines.
≠ Routine No. 1: practice cardiac coherence
Cardiac coherence is a fabulous tool. It was Dr David Servan-Schreiber who made it known to the general French public in 2003 in his book “Guérir”. Just thirty years old, the technique was developed in the United States at the end of the 90s. It was then Dr David O'Hare who popularized the practice. His book “3.6.5” is also a reference. I strongly recommend reading it while waiting for the release of my own book scheduled for spring 2019: “No more stress with cardiac coherence”.
It finally obtained recognition in 2014 when the French Cardiology Federation propelled it to first place in the “10 golden rules for reducing stress” and its consequences on cardiovascular risks (method 3.6.5).
Cardiac coherence is therefore accessible to everyone, regardless of age or state of fitness. Its implementation does not require any particular talent. Just breathe.
To begin, the simplest and easiest method is to set your breathing to a fixed rhythm. But not just any one. I inhale calmly for 5 seconds and exhale slowly for the same amount of time. It's really within everyone's reach. Scientists call this procedure “a return to neutral”. A sort of complete reset of our nervous system. In a few minutes, the mental, physical and emotional are balanced. It is a natural physiological mechanism that is triggered automatically. If you respect the rhythm, the results will be there immediately. To consolidate the benefits, it is advisable, as recommended by Dr David O'Hare, to practice the exercise 3 times a day for 5 minutes: in the morning upon waking up, before lunch and in the middle of the afternoon. An additional session, before bed, will be beneficial if you have disturbed sleep.
This technique requires only one thing: a breathing guide. To begin, it will allow you to integrate the right cadence. This is why I created the “Respirelax” smartphone application in 2012. It is free and available on all platforms.
Today, there is a new tool that I tried out in preview. He is truly brilliant. It's ZENSPIRE. It will be available at the end of this year.
With it, no need for a smartphone or computer. It does not use a Wifi connection or Bluetooth, ideal for electro-hypersensitive people. Very stylish, it comes in the form of a half-sphere 8.5 cm in diameter. Pleasant to the touch, it guides your exercise to the rhythm of a bluish light and/or a pleasant vibration. It will find its place on your desk, your bedside or in your pocket. Much more effective than traditional respiratory guides on hyperactive children, it also opens the practice to elderly people who are not very familiar with the world of smartphones. It is also the ideal object for the therapist who wishes to introduce his patients to cardiac coherence during a consultation.
In prevention, cardiac coherence strengthens physical and mental adaptation capacities.
In an emergency, when the machine is racing, it limits the impact of the shocks suffered, whether physical or emotional, stops the deleterious effects of stress and refines your clarity of mind when making a decision.
≠ Routine No. 2: Boost your ability to adapt
Stress has deleterious effects on the body. It is obvious. This second routine will take you a few seconds a day, but its impact will be huge. Her name : magnesium. This trace element, essential to life, participates in numerous physiological reactions including… adaptation to stress and muscle relaxation.
According to Dr. Jean-Paul Curtay, undisputed specialist in nutritherapy, we need 420 mg of magnesium per day. By following a perfect lifestyle with a balanced, organic or sustainable diet, favoring short circuits and low temperature cooking methods, we provide 300 mg. The scale is already out of balance. Stress further amplifies the phenomenon. So we have to compensate. Quality dark chocolate helps, of course, but it's not enough. It is imperative to supplement. Here again, you have to be careful. Magnesium must be assimilable and not cause stomach aches and diarrhea. We must avoid the great classics generally offered by doctors. Choose magnesium glycerophosphates. They are fat soluble and without annoying side effects. I would not advertise this or that brand. Ask your pharmacist and then experiment.
You will argue that millions of people do not take magnesium and are doing well. Indeed, our body can adapt to this deficiency, but it functions less well. Consequences: irritability, agitation, poor sleep, weight gain, compensatory addictions... Our goal is to make you perform better for as long as possible with the greatest well-being.
A statistic is quite revealing of the limits of our body's capacity to adapt. Of course this does not only concern magnesium, but all the deficiencies, excesses and imbalances accumulated over the years. In France, the average life expectancy in good health is only 64.1 years for women and 62.7 years for men*. These figures are little known, because we prefer to present those for general life expectancy, which are much more flattering. But where does your preference lie?
Growing old, dependent and bedridden or growing old in full possession of your means?
≠Routine No. 3: Learn to love the morning
In the morning, upon waking up… This is the one and only time of the day that we have complete control over. The one you should use to take care of the most important person in the world: you. Don't see anything egocentric in this. My philosophy on the matter is clear: you only take good care of others if you yourself are perfectly balanced. To illustrate this mode of operation, I always use the same example. He's very well-known. On a plane, in the event of depressurization, if you are accompanied by your child, it is up to you to grab the oxygen mask first. Then you can focus on securing your little one. Panic and the survival instinct help, the opposite can be dramatic.
Now I'm going to ask you something unimaginable. An action that will seem beyond your strength: getting up earlier. Start by shifting your alarm clock by 15 minutes to gradually reach one hour. Of course, you will need to adapt your bedtime so as not to impact your recovery. In the silence of the morning, your neurons are more active and receptive. This is the ideal time to improve your potential well-being and performance.
You will divide this time into activity segments: cardiac coherence, organization and objectives for the day, physical activity, motivation and visualization, writing, intelligent reading, etc.
When the time to start the day rolls around, you will be calm, motivated and organized. It takes three weeks of practice to concretely measure the effects. To go further in this approach I advise you to read “Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod and “The Magic of the Morning” by Isalou Regen.
This last routine is perhaps the trickiest to put in place, I agree, but it will radically change your life. In addition, it will not impact your schedule.
There you have the procedure. Now, it's your turn to play. Never forget that health is not a given, but a daily job.
* Directorate of Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics of the Ministry of Health — January 2018