"I'm not going to tell you to relax, because that's not what I want you to do," shares Dr. Sara Gottfried right off the top of her Speakeasy at Wanderlust Colorado. In her talk on managing cortisol (and thereby stress levels), she emphasizes that her version of reducing stress, "is a much more advanced physiological state [than relaxation]. When you entrain your and sympathetic nervous system (the half that deals with "fight or flight") with your parasympathetic nervous system (the half that does "rest and digest") you are better able to manage your stress. It's about perception and being about to rise above the fray and look more objectively at your own stressors and how you dance with them."

If you (like most people in our modern age) have a lot on your plate and know that your health is suffering as a result, this is the one Speakeasy video you simply must tune in to, as Dr. Sara spells out in plain English what might be amiss in your hormonal system and gives you 7 concrete ways to "actively de-stress". She shows us how to identify our cortisol levels, examine our relationship to stress, and describes the differences between men and women's cortisol management.

The Speakeasy at Wanderlust Colorado 2013 is presented with Naropa University, a Buddhist-inspired, student-centered liberal arts university in Boulder, Colorado. A recognized leader in contemplative education, Naropa's undergraduate and graduate programs emphasize professional and personal growth, intellectual development, and contemplative practice. For more information on their programs, please visit http://www.naropa.edu.