The Stressless Brain: The Power of Meditation and Psychology to Create a Stressfree Life To Madhur-Nain Webster, who was raised on an ashram, the practice of Kundalini meditation for stress relief is as natural as breathing. Her book is a gentle, encouraging explanation of Kundalini meditation’s physical and emotional benefits and a thorough explanation of the technique.
Webster’s work as a psychotherapist has shown her how prevalent stress and anxiety are in today’s world. She provides scientific evidence that, if left untreated, physical and psychological stress can have life-threatening consequences, be they cardiac or gastrointestinal threats, panic disorders or phobias.
Kundalini meditation focuses on “using breath, sound (mantras), and body poses (mudras)…to create harmony between body, mind, and soul.” Webster details meditation’s benefits; for example, how it helps a person distinguish between real or imagined fear and build the courage to conquer either and how it creates self-awareness and clarity of mind.
The author provides clear definitions of anxiety disorders and suggests specific meditations to help each one. She teaches the anatomy of meditation by explaining hand and body postures and eye focus and devotes whole chapters on meditative breathing (it’s not as simple as “in and out”) and chanting.
This is all before she delivers instructions for 37 specific meditations, from the simplest to Master’s Touch. A glossary of Kundalini Yoga and medical terminology and translation of 13 mantras conclude the book.
There’s no shortage of books on Kundalini meditation, but Webster’s discussion of the science involved could bring skeptical readers into her fold. For example, she cites research on the positive effects of chanting on neurological pathways in the brain and on the hypothalamus. She also presents findings from the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation that meditation increases blood flow in areas of the brain that impact memory, concentration skills and “mental resiliency.”
For the stressed and anxious who want to investigate a natural alternative to prescription drugs, The Stressless Brain offers excellent reasons to choose a different path—and a specific action plan to get there.
Also available in hardcover and ebook.
