In our next installment of the Meditation How-Tos marriage advice series, the Kundalini guide behind Benshen , Desiree Pais, gives you the step-by-step methods you need to practice to stay focused and calm before, during, and after you tie the knot.

A woman is really only as happy as her hormones are balanced. Hormones, the chemical messengers of our bodies, are what keep us looking and feeling beautiful, vibrant, and healthy. They govern everything from how clear our skin is to how toned our body is to how well we sleep at night. Unfortunately, one of the quickest ways to throw our hormones off is stress and, for many, planning a wedding is not exactly a walk in the park.

As I mentioned in our first article of this series, meditation is a simple and powerful way to not only de-stress, but to also bring your body and mind back into balance. Personally, after trying many different flavors of meditation, I have found Kundalini yoga and meditation to be extremely effective. And trust me, the last thing you want to worry about when planning a wedding is hormonal imbalance ( breakouts , bloat, tired eyes) when your main goal is to look and feel your absolute best on one of the most memorable days of your life.

One of my favorite Kundalini yoga meditations is a very easy practice called Kirtan Kriya . Its simple and only takes 11 minutes a day of practice to experience profound results. Dont be fooled by its simplicitythe benefits are numerous and include reducing stress, improving sleep, balancing pituitary and pineal glands (master glands for hormones, meaning it balances your hormones), helping to break addictions and cravings, and, most importantly for long term, it keeps your brain functioning optimally.

See more: How to Stay Present with a Kundalini Guide

This meditation uses a mantra but dont be weirded out! Broken down, "mantra" comes from man, which means "mind," and trang, which means projection. It's just using sound to direct your mind into a positive direction. The mantra used in the meditation, Sa Ta Na Ma, uses the basic primal sounds which act like an atomic bomb in your subconscious mind, breaking up old patterns and creating the space for new positive patterns to develop.

Kirtan Kriya is a gem of a meditation and is a powerful tool to help you feel your absolute best on your wedding day.

How To Do Kirtan Kriya

Find a comfortable seat.

Close your eyes and roll them to the space in between your eyebrows.

The mantra is Sa Ta Na Ma (the A sounds like when you open your mouth and say AH).

On the sound SA: touch your index finger and thumb together.

On the sound TA: touch your middle finger and thumb together.

On the sound NA: touch your ring finger and thumb together.

On the sound MA: touch your pinky finger and thumb together.

Begin in a normal voice for two minutes, then whisper for two minutes, then silently for three minutes. Then come back to a whisper for two minutes, then aloud for two minutes.

To end: inhale deeply, and exhale.

For ease, you can practice this meditation along with this video !

Desiree Pais is a meditation and Kundalini yoga guide, and a natural beauty alchemist. She is currently pursuing a master's degree at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine and studied Daoist Healing with Grandmaster Sung Baek. She teaches Kundalini yoga and meditation classes and workshops around New York City. She aims to make these ancient methods available to anyone who is interested in using this profound practice to create the life they want to experience.

Continued here:

Meditation How-Tos with a Kundalini Guide - Brides.com