We all have different symptoms which start happening in our bodies when the load gets too heavy for us to carry and our bodies begin to be out of balance. The information the body sends out to us is as varied as the reasons which created the imbalance. The load is heavier than the ability to carry it. Everyone’s perception of their load is different. But, the one thing we all have in common is that before the symptoms begin, we are unhappy. Unhappiness is the precursor or the environment needed for stress to happen. So how do we effectively manage it? There are many ways to manage stress. We have medical tools, psychological tools, as well as philosophical tools. I believe the most effective tool is shifting the way we perceive life, and all that comes to us within our lives and our reality. This is where one of the philosophical tools can help. Meditation. Meditation is a normal biological process. It has nothing to do with religion, or esoteric practices. When practiced on a regular basis it can lead to spiritual experiences, but the basis of it is biological. The brain is made of two parts. The left side and the right side. They are both just as important. The left side is analytical, organizational, rational, mathematical and can tell time. The right side is emotional, creative, intuitive, spiritual, artistic and doesn’t know how to tell time. If we concentrate and focus on something specific, the left side of the brain is engaged. We can concentrate on a candle, a fire, or a rosary. A rosary, not because it’s religious, but because we are engaging the left brain in the repetitive process,. When this happens, the right brain, which doesn’t know how to tell time, can enter into a state of being; in which there is no time, called meditation. It is there that we find a sense of much needed relief for the mind. It is there, where we step back into a state of balance and homeostasis. It is there where we find a sense of peace from which we can change our perception of the world and its complicated ways. Then, that unhappiness can begin to change. I will leave this for you to ponder. In Part 4 I will take you through a guided meditation. You can experience for yourself what I am talking about.