Relaxation

You can't avoid stress completely, but you can keep it from wearing you down. A positive attitude, if you can muster it, is the strongest shield against stress, says Stefan Hofmann, professor of psychology at Boston University. He urges optimism instead of defeatism. Forgiveness instead of blame. Moving on instead of brooding. Perhaps above all, he says, it's important to feel like you have some control over your life and your situation. "Think of yourself as an active participant in your future.

Relaxation drinks aren't nearly as popular as energy drinks, but they're coming on strong, according to manufacturers showcasing their wares at the Natural Products Expo Friday in Anaheim. Energy drinks are hugely popular. But some have gotten a bad rap for potential side effects, especially in children and young adults, such as anxiety, heart palpitations and high blood pressure. That has opened the door to relaxation drinks, some of which may trigger their own set of health problems.

Pat Corum and his buddies stay in touch by telephone these days. In a way, they are sort of like guys who served together in a wartime POW camp. In a lot of ways, of course, they are very different. For one thing, they're all convicted murderers. Corum was sentenced to two life terms and spent 24 years and a few months in California prisons, mostly Folsom, the state's maximum-security facility. His first murder, he says, involved a drug deal gone sour.

You could argue that men in the Middle East wear Western-style jackets so they can stash their beads in a nice loose pocket. A shirt pocket is a bit small, and a pants pocket is too tight, and you might have keys and coins in there as well. Traditional Arab gowns have slash pockets--not bad. The point is not to worry about it. Worry beads won't help you there. An informal survey of peddlers and users on the purpose of the addictive beads produced only one consistent reaction.

"Water's Path." Paramount. $29.95. Most videocassettes--from "Beverly Hills Cop" to "Madonna Live"--try to stir us up. But the meditation-oriented record label Windham Hill has a new line of relaxation tapes meant to cool down the viewer. "Water's Path," the best seller of the bunch, is a beautifully filmed look at good old H20's course from cloud to river through waterfall to ocean, set to soothing but never syrupy instrumental sounds from the label's artists.

Arthritis sufferers can learn mild exercises and relaxation techniques at several free classes throughout Orange County as part of an Arthritis Foundation program called Joint Efforts. The classes, offered mostly in the south county area, will begin in early September. They may be joined at any time by simply being present at class time.

If you're worried that Fido will pine away while you're away, DOGTV, a new cable channel, may help both of you. The channel, launched recently in San Diego, is designed to provide companionship for dogs and reduce stress caused by an owner's absence, said Ron Levi, co-founder and chief content creator.   Although DOGTV's content isn't breed specific, Nicholas Dodman, a veterinarian specializing in animal behavior, says visually oriented “sighthounds,”...

When interior designer Kazuko Hoshino and architect William Hefner bought their two-story, English Craftsman-style home in Hancock Park, they planned to turn one of the rooms into a quiet sanctuary. "Meditation is the first thing I do when I wake up," says Hefner. After moving in, the couple targeted the dining room at the rear of the house for its natural light and patio view of the garden. Dark-stained French doors replaced aluminum sliding doors.

Remember when meditating was something only hippies did? Remember when it was something only New Age crystal carriers did? No more. East increasingly meets mainstream West these days as meditation and other relaxation techniques--often with roots deep in Eastern philosophies--gain acceptance and credence among Americans ranging from true spiritual seekers to yuppie Type-A's just trying to relax.