by Larry Barker and Kittie Watson, Ph.D.

For a number of reasons, meditation tends to be overlooked as a potential tool for stress reduction. The many benefits of the practice can be obscured by its reputation as a "touchy-feely", spiritualistic practice, one favored by hippies contorted into uncomfortable positions while changing meaningless sounds. This image of meditating has, unfortunately, discouraged many people who could potentially benefit from utilizing some of the host of meditation techniques available from learning meditation and trying it out.