What do you most want out of life at this time: success, abundance, happiness, inner peace, freedom, or the things that bring about these experiences? Well, they are yours! So say The Secret, Abraham, and similar programs all designed to tap into the Law of Attraction. You can manifest anything you want by using the oldest and most powerful law of the Universe. Science even proves that this Law does exist and can work for everyone who understands how to use it.
While many people have eliminated the restrictions in their life that created barriers to these experiences, countless numbers of individuals have tried to use the tenets suggested by these programs to bring about change in their life without success. While I cannot categorically state the specific reason why an individual failed to manifest their heart’s desire I can provide you with some guidelines that may make your use of the Law of Attraction more effective.
Let’s begin by looking at the Science behind the Law. The Law of Attraction would be considered part of the Noetic Sciences of which Quantum Physics is a part. It is where Science and technology meet Spirituality. According to the Friends of Noetic Science, “The word ‘noetic’ is derived from the Greek word ‘nous,’ meaning mind, intelligence or ways of knowing. There is no exact equivalent in English. It refers to ‘inner knowing,’ a kind of intuitive consciousnessódirect and immediate access to knowledge beyond what is available to our normal senses or the power of reason.”
“Noetic sciences are explorations into the nature and potentials of consciousness using multiple ways of knowing -- including intuition, feeling, reason, and the senses. Noetic sciences explore the ‘inner cosmos’ of the mind/consciousness/soul/spirit, and how it relates to the ‘outer cosmos’ of the physical world.” Noetics is controversial, but research grounded in scientific approach has brought the subject into a more serious light in recent years. Many members of academia in the fields of medicine, biology, psychology, philosophy, and physics believe in and study the effect of thoughts on the physical world, from health effects to throwing dice.
According to their theories our thoughts work both like particles (mass) and waves (energy). Now, it is known that all mass, no matter how miniscule exerts a gravitational pull on its environment. The greater the mass the greater the gravitational effect. So, if you’ve tried in vain to manifest some change in your life it could be that the mass of those thoughts is comparatively small to the thoughts that produce the opposite effect. In other words, maybe you are manifesting your suffering because your thoughts of suffering outweigh your thoughts of happiness and it is more suffering that is being pulled towards you.
Our thoughts also emit a type of energy like radio waves. Radio waves are transmitted at specific frequencies and only those receiving devices tuned to that frequency receive the transmission. Now, the stronger the frequency the clearer the transmission and the father its reach. It could be that your attempts to manifest change are not sufficiently strong or clear enough to reach those who could make a difference in your life. Or again, your suffering is so strong that it is being picked up by those who can help you continue your suffering. So what do you do to improve your chances for change?
I started out as a Sport Psychologist and assisted athletes achieve their performance dreams. I used the simple formula, “Performance equals potential minus interference.” We first began by eliminating all source of interference and then increased their potential by developing new skills. When they’ve eliminated all fear and developed the appropriate skills they created the conditions necessary to perform in The Zone. The Zone is an altered stated of consciousness in which one experiences mental and physical relaxation. We live in the present, foregoing all thoughts of past and future events and exude positive energy. It’s as if we are on automatic pilot with all of our thoughts, decisions, and actions occurring without a sense of exerting or imposing control. We are also free of stress, tension, and anxiety and are detached from the environment and time so that potential distractions do not interfere with our efforts, regardless how important or stressful the situation. The Zone is also known as the “Quiet Mind”, “High-Performance Mind” or “Awakened Mind” state. I believe that same formula and approach are necessary for all areas of life.
The biggest source of interference is stress caused by fear or threat. By reducing your level of stress and anxiety you reduce the mass of thoughts that compete with manifesting your heart’s desire. You also decrease the frequency and strength of the energy produced by these competing thoughts. If you’ve been reading my blog you already have tools that eliminate the destructive effects of stress. They are the Breath of Life, The Attitude Adjustment Routine, and Relaxation Therapy. In the moments that you reduce your stress through these or other tools you create a clear space in which to raise your thoughts of manifestation. The more often you achieve this state the more positive results your manifestations will produce.
One of the side effects of stress is the shutting down of the parts of the brain that are unnecessary for survival. While I don’t have sufficient space to explain how this occurs, just remember when we experience fear or stress an unconscious, primitive reflex is triggered to help us survive a life-threatening event. The unconscious mind doesn’t know the difference between a threat to our life or to our way of life so shuts down all those areas of the brain that are not necessary for survival. This is why we have difficulty controlling our thoughts and emotions, and find it hard to produce viable options to solve the issue when we’re stressed out. It also disconnects us from our heart center because we either act from fear or from love. So while in fear we lose the ability to access our heart’s desire.
I provide my clients with simple mechanical tools that they can use to switch on those parts of the brain that have been turned off by their stress response, reconnect them to their heart, and open up the passageways to unconscious and sub-conscious memories necessary for problem solving and creativity. These include 26 techniques based on Applied Kinesiology, one of which is referred to as “Lazy 8’s. This tool is intended to switch on and create coherence between the right and left hemispheres of the brain and right and left visual focal centers. All together these tools and techniques expand consciousness and create a connection to higher levels of awareness that improve our chances for success in all kinds of activities. I will talk more about these behaviors in future blogs.
Once we’ve eliminated competing thoughts and expanded consciousness and awareness we are in a far better position to begin the process of manifesting. You’ve already heard that a picture is worth a thousand words so creating images in our mind are far better for manifesting than mere words. In previous blogs I’ve shared how to develop your imagery/visualization abilities. Just remember, to create the most powerful images, use all of your senses, visual, auditory, touch, taste, and olfactory. Also include how you would feel when you achieved or acquired your heart’s desire as this increases the energy of the image being transmitted. Finally, imagine your heart’s desire as if you’ve already achieved it. The subconscious mind doesn’t know the difference between something that is real or vividly imagined. If you vividly imagine it as if it’s already been achieved, the transmissions sent out by your brain will connect you with the appropriate people and experiences to make it happen. Your mind will be tuned in to positive experiences and behaviors, not your suffering, feelings of being victimized or neediness.
I then tell athletes who are trying to achieve their performance dreams that practice is required. In order to experience new ways of being one must practice new ways of being until they become second nature. Remember, performance occurs naturally when in The Zone or the Awakened Mind State, but this only happens with practice. The more you practice the better you get at it and the more effective and efficient your efforts. Science suggests it takes thirty consecutive days of consistent practice to create a new behavior and another thirty consecutive days of practice to dislodge old behaviors to effect change in our life. I don’t know how long it will take to begin manifesting your heart’s desire, but I do know it will never occur if you are not committed to engaging in those behaviors that bring it out. Wishing, pleading, or begging does not work.
Finally, you must do all of this without expectation of them working. The more you think about whether or not your efforts are working the further from The Zone or the Awakened Mind State you get. You will never know when you’re in this state because when in this state you lose awareness of yourself. Athletes become so involved with the task at hand that they are not focused on themselves. If they ask, “Am I in The Zone?” They’re not. They're focus is on themselves and not on the task at hand. If they start playing well and comment, “I must be in The Zone.” They’ve just lost it.
When they stop focusing on themselves they become part of the action. It’s akin to sleeping. When you sleep you are not aware that you exist. When you’re playing in The Zone you are focused only on the task at hand. When in an Awakened Mind State you are focused only on your heart’s desire. You must stop worrying about when you will achieve your heart’s desire or fear that your life will never change and just create the conditions that allow them to come into your life.
So what is your heart’s desire? Do you want to do better in school, in sports, at work, or at home? Do you want a relationship, more money, happiness, or success? You can have it all! Eliminate your fear and stress, expand your consciousness, create a vivid image of your heart’s desire, believe you already exist in that new world, and do it over and over without expectation until it suddenly appears, as if by magic. Pssst. Please pass on this secret.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
To be, or not to be...
For a long time I have been involved in the game of golf; first as a competitor, then coach, and finally as a Sport Psychologist. Today when I speak to golf groups, I feel I’m standing in front of a support group, like AA and have to admit my addiction. It usually gets a laugh, but golf can be very addicting, just like many other activities in life. The more important something is in our life, the more addicting it becomes and when we don’t perform the way we want or get what we want we suffer. That’s because we are rarely focused on what’s in front of us and instead bring our attention to the past or future. “I wish I hadn’t just hit that bad shot.” “I played better yesterday, what’s wrong with me today?”
To live and play in the moment means to focus only on the task at hand, completely free of past mistakes so that the future remains unwritten. This is difficult at best because our minds are constantly active: commenting, speculating, judging, wishing, hoping, comparing, and imagining. Only a very few of our thoughts pertain to the actual task at hand, and then our mind interprets it in terms of the past or future. When we are not focused on the task at hand, we suffer. We suffer because we do not have what we want, whether it’s love, money (or the things money can buy), social standing, career, or just wanting to play better golf. Suffering induces stress-like symptoms that ruin our game or life. The more we suffer, the greater the stress. The more stress we experience, the worse we perform on any task.
People fail to live in the present for many reasons. We lead very complex lives and play may roles throughout the day. We are parents (grandparents, sons, daughters,), spouses or significant others, friends, employees (employers) students – you get the picture. Each of these roles adds responsibilities to our lives. Is it any wonder that we are capable of nearly 100,000 thoughts a day? Is it any wonder we have trouble remaining focused on whatever task we are involved in? The ability to multi-task is considered advantageous in today’s hectic world. It is not beneficial to golf performance or our mental health. The more we try to do at one time, the more we think. This continues until it becomes a pattern that is difficult to break. Also, the more we think, the more our eyes move. In golf or in most other sports that spells disaster.
Because of our complex lives it’s easy to allow our attention to wander to the other roles we play when involved in any task. Very few people discipline themselves to control their thoughts so their minds don’t wander. That’s why it’s difficult to read a page of text without having to go back and re-read it to remember what we read. Our minds were elsewhere. If you are a student this can make it difficult to study for exams. Parents please don’t try to get your children to multi-task, not if you want them to be successful in school.
Even if our mind doesn’t wander to life’s other responsibilities but to thoughts of past mistakes or failures or future fears and/or expectations, our performance is affected in any activity. Because we don’t start out as masters of any activity we become involved in we experience far more mistakes and failures than we do successes. As a result, our performance histories are clouded with numerous mistakes and failures, and it’s these events that we remember.
Life is a learning process. Learning implies mistakes. We make many mistakes and fail far more often than we succeed when learning anything new. There is nothing wrong with making mistakes; it is natural and says nothing about our ability to learn or develop skill. Unfortunately, society has deemed mistakes as unacceptable, so it’s only natural to develop an aversion to making mistakes, regardless of our level of experience, and we become embarrassed when we make mistakes. Because our culture has no patience for mistakes in golf, or any other activity for that matter, we want everything yesterday and if we don’t succeed quickly, something must be wrong with us. This includes our participation in an utterly complex and completely unnatural sport like golf. What do you become embarrassed at when you make mistakes?
Let me share an example of the disdain for making mistakes our culture perpetuates. I have coached hundreds of beginners whose only mission was not to be embarrassed by their golf performance. While this seems natural and innocuous at first glance, the harm it causes is immense. What have we done to people for them to think that they are an embarrassment if they make mistakes, no matter how big or small, in an activity in which they have absolutely no experience? This fear of embarrassment (failure) is with us before we ever pick up a golf club and stays with us throughout our golfing careers. Even though they gain skill and may eliminate the mistakes that embarrass them early in the learning process, some golfers never relinquish their fear of embarrassment. Any mistake is determined to be embarrassing. But embarrassment is a choice. No commandment states, “Thou shall be embarrassed if thou makes a mistake.” If you consider certain mistakes signs of poor performance, then you may experience the fear of being embarrassed if you make those mistakes in front of others. Fear is debilitating. Fear is limiting. Fear is self-defeating. Fear induces stress-like symptoms that interfere with your ability to focus and perform or just live life.
All fear takes you out of the moment, interferes with your performance in all important activities, causing you to suffer, inducing stress, which leads to more mistakes and even greater fear. Because of your past history fear may have become a habit that overpowers your experiences. However, each time it’s experienced it’s a choice. I choose to fear or I choose not to fear. Ignoring, repressing, or suppressing your fears does not cause them to go away. You now have tools that can help you overcome your fear and end your stress; The Breath of Life and Attitude Adjustment Routine. Breathe. Change your attitude. And learn to live without fear and without stress destroying your life.
To live and play in the moment means to focus only on the task at hand, completely free of past mistakes so that the future remains unwritten. This is difficult at best because our minds are constantly active: commenting, speculating, judging, wishing, hoping, comparing, and imagining. Only a very few of our thoughts pertain to the actual task at hand, and then our mind interprets it in terms of the past or future. When we are not focused on the task at hand, we suffer. We suffer because we do not have what we want, whether it’s love, money (or the things money can buy), social standing, career, or just wanting to play better golf. Suffering induces stress-like symptoms that ruin our game or life. The more we suffer, the greater the stress. The more stress we experience, the worse we perform on any task.
People fail to live in the present for many reasons. We lead very complex lives and play may roles throughout the day. We are parents (grandparents, sons, daughters,), spouses or significant others, friends, employees (employers) students – you get the picture. Each of these roles adds responsibilities to our lives. Is it any wonder that we are capable of nearly 100,000 thoughts a day? Is it any wonder we have trouble remaining focused on whatever task we are involved in? The ability to multi-task is considered advantageous in today’s hectic world. It is not beneficial to golf performance or our mental health. The more we try to do at one time, the more we think. This continues until it becomes a pattern that is difficult to break. Also, the more we think, the more our eyes move. In golf or in most other sports that spells disaster.
Because of our complex lives it’s easy to allow our attention to wander to the other roles we play when involved in any task. Very few people discipline themselves to control their thoughts so their minds don’t wander. That’s why it’s difficult to read a page of text without having to go back and re-read it to remember what we read. Our minds were elsewhere. If you are a student this can make it difficult to study for exams. Parents please don’t try to get your children to multi-task, not if you want them to be successful in school.
Even if our mind doesn’t wander to life’s other responsibilities but to thoughts of past mistakes or failures or future fears and/or expectations, our performance is affected in any activity. Because we don’t start out as masters of any activity we become involved in we experience far more mistakes and failures than we do successes. As a result, our performance histories are clouded with numerous mistakes and failures, and it’s these events that we remember.
Life is a learning process. Learning implies mistakes. We make many mistakes and fail far more often than we succeed when learning anything new. There is nothing wrong with making mistakes; it is natural and says nothing about our ability to learn or develop skill. Unfortunately, society has deemed mistakes as unacceptable, so it’s only natural to develop an aversion to making mistakes, regardless of our level of experience, and we become embarrassed when we make mistakes. Because our culture has no patience for mistakes in golf, or any other activity for that matter, we want everything yesterday and if we don’t succeed quickly, something must be wrong with us. This includes our participation in an utterly complex and completely unnatural sport like golf. What do you become embarrassed at when you make mistakes?
Let me share an example of the disdain for making mistakes our culture perpetuates. I have coached hundreds of beginners whose only mission was not to be embarrassed by their golf performance. While this seems natural and innocuous at first glance, the harm it causes is immense. What have we done to people for them to think that they are an embarrassment if they make mistakes, no matter how big or small, in an activity in which they have absolutely no experience? This fear of embarrassment (failure) is with us before we ever pick up a golf club and stays with us throughout our golfing careers. Even though they gain skill and may eliminate the mistakes that embarrass them early in the learning process, some golfers never relinquish their fear of embarrassment. Any mistake is determined to be embarrassing. But embarrassment is a choice. No commandment states, “Thou shall be embarrassed if thou makes a mistake.” If you consider certain mistakes signs of poor performance, then you may experience the fear of being embarrassed if you make those mistakes in front of others. Fear is debilitating. Fear is limiting. Fear is self-defeating. Fear induces stress-like symptoms that interfere with your ability to focus and perform or just live life.
All fear takes you out of the moment, interferes with your performance in all important activities, causing you to suffer, inducing stress, which leads to more mistakes and even greater fear. Because of your past history fear may have become a habit that overpowers your experiences. However, each time it’s experienced it’s a choice. I choose to fear or I choose not to fear. Ignoring, repressing, or suppressing your fears does not cause them to go away. You now have tools that can help you overcome your fear and end your stress; The Breath of Life and Attitude Adjustment Routine. Breathe. Change your attitude. And learn to live without fear and without stress destroying your life.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Time in a Bottle
Over the last few months I’ve inundated you with options for combating the destructive effects of stress, including the Breath of Life, the Attitude Adjustment Routine, Relaxation Therapy, Visualization/Imagery, Deep Trance Meditation, Suggestive Relaxation with Magic Words, and Simulation Training. And of course I also suggested you could visit practitioners of massage, energy healing, acupuncture/acupressure, chiropractic, osteopathy, and reflexology. Did I miss any? I know that the process can be so overwhelming that it adds even more stress. So let’s take a Breath (of Life that is) and see where we’re at.
First, you must decide that you want to live stress free. Remember, stress is not the adverse or unwanted situations in your life but your responses to them. No matter what we do, life still happens and there are many things in life that are unwanted. But as Byron Katie, author of Loving What Is, states, “We only suffer when we argue with what is.” If you resent something in your life and argue it should be different you give it energy and that situation takes over control of your thoughts, emotions, feelings, and life in general. You are its victim. So you must decide whether you want the suffering to end even though the situation may not change, at least in that moment.
Every situation, good or bad produces both costs and benefits. My 99 year old maternal grandmother (Nanny to me) suffered a number of traumatic events in her early childhood that left deep emotional scars. She lives in Wisconsin with my parents and is in no hurry to transition out of this earthly life. When I call her on the phone and ask, “How are you doing” she replies, “So so.” I’ll then ask what’s the problem (because I know she wants to relate some misery) she’ll describe in detail what’s causing her suffering today. I’ll listen and then change the subject to talk about something funny or good that’s happening in my life or hers and she immediately perks up. She has learned that she gets more attention by relating her suffering to others than by expressing joy. She has outlived all of her siblings and friends and the younger members of our family have too many things going on in their lives to spend time with Nanny. It's not that they don't want to spend time with her. It's just that with everything they've got going on in life they don't think about spending time with her and she enjoys a lot of attention, as we all do. However, if they know she’s in pain they’ll make the effort to see her. All she really wants is attention and gets it through her suffering.
Are there benefits to your suffering? Do they outweigh the costs? If not then you need to take action. If not, you’ll continue to suffer. If time is an issue, choose one behavior: I would suggest the Breath of Life. Remember, proper breathing eliminates up to ninety percent of all stress hormones. You can find the directions for the Breath of Life in an earlier blog, Breathing is Life. Practice it for about five minutes each night when you retire to bed. It should help you fall asleep if you have any troubles falling asleep. Then practice it again for five minutes when you awake. It can bring in sufficient fresh oxygen into your system to give you a little boost. It’s very versatile as you can see. Practicing the Breath of Life at night and in the morning may help you remember to use it in times of distress.
Another activity that you can add to the Breath of Life once you’re comfortable with it is exercise, if you’re not already exercising. The best time to exercise is when you start noticing that you’ve succumbed to the pressures of stress. Exercise done at the time of a stressful episode can eliminate the effects of stress before the stress hormones have a chance to accumulate. While we may suffer during stress, it’s the long-term accumulation of stress hormones that are the most destructive. I like to do the Happy Penguin.
The Happy Penguin is nothing more than walking in place and gently slapping one’s thighs, mimicking the behaviors of penguins. This activity always brings a smile to my face as I consider how silly I look doing it. Smiling is another effective stress relief tool as the simple act of smiling releases chemicals into the bloodstream that counters the effects of stress hormones. If that’s not for you, walk, do jumping jacks, stamp your feet, any physical activity that gets your heart beating a little faster and your breathing a little deeper.
Also consider scheduling about thirty minutes of exercise at least three times per week. There are many more benefits to exercise than just stress relief, but that’s for another blog. First and foremost choose an activity that you enjoy. Yoga, jogging, cycling, swimming, Qi Gong, rebounding (trampolining), or a simple stroll will get your mind off your problems and provide some stress relief as well.
One of the side effects of stress is dehydration and very few people drink sufficient water anyway and so suffer from dehydration stress. This has a major impact on all the organs, joints, muscles, and brain function. Drinking 1/2 your body weight in ounces is now the recommended daily intake of water. If you weigh 100 pounds, that’s 50 ounces of water or 100 ounces (about a gallon) if you weigh 200 pounds. Sip the water every ten minutes or so, so you don’t find that you have to go to the bathroom every time you gulp down a glass. Remember, coffe, tea, soda, beer, or other alcoholic beverages are not a good substitue for pure clear water.
So, I’ve given you three things to do to alleviate the destructive effects of stress, breathing, exercising, and drinking water. If you can’t remember to do them, write down, Breathe, Exercise, Drink Water, on note cards and keep them in places where you’ll see them, like the bathroom mirror, on your desk, in your car.
Once these behaviors become habitual and you do them without thinking, then consider adding the Attitude Adjustment Routine, Visualization/Imagery training, Deep Trance Meditation, Suggestive Relaxation with Magic Words, and Simulation Training, one at a time in that order until your reaction to stress is minimal at best and can be dealt with quickly and easily. This may take a few months, but if you’ve suffered with stress for years then this is no time at all. Until next time…
First, you must decide that you want to live stress free. Remember, stress is not the adverse or unwanted situations in your life but your responses to them. No matter what we do, life still happens and there are many things in life that are unwanted. But as Byron Katie, author of Loving What Is, states, “We only suffer when we argue with what is.” If you resent something in your life and argue it should be different you give it energy and that situation takes over control of your thoughts, emotions, feelings, and life in general. You are its victim. So you must decide whether you want the suffering to end even though the situation may not change, at least in that moment.
Every situation, good or bad produces both costs and benefits. My 99 year old maternal grandmother (Nanny to me) suffered a number of traumatic events in her early childhood that left deep emotional scars. She lives in Wisconsin with my parents and is in no hurry to transition out of this earthly life. When I call her on the phone and ask, “How are you doing” she replies, “So so.” I’ll then ask what’s the problem (because I know she wants to relate some misery) she’ll describe in detail what’s causing her suffering today. I’ll listen and then change the subject to talk about something funny or good that’s happening in my life or hers and she immediately perks up. She has learned that she gets more attention by relating her suffering to others than by expressing joy. She has outlived all of her siblings and friends and the younger members of our family have too many things going on in their lives to spend time with Nanny. It's not that they don't want to spend time with her. It's just that with everything they've got going on in life they don't think about spending time with her and she enjoys a lot of attention, as we all do. However, if they know she’s in pain they’ll make the effort to see her. All she really wants is attention and gets it through her suffering.
Are there benefits to your suffering? Do they outweigh the costs? If not then you need to take action. If not, you’ll continue to suffer. If time is an issue, choose one behavior: I would suggest the Breath of Life. Remember, proper breathing eliminates up to ninety percent of all stress hormones. You can find the directions for the Breath of Life in an earlier blog, Breathing is Life. Practice it for about five minutes each night when you retire to bed. It should help you fall asleep if you have any troubles falling asleep. Then practice it again for five minutes when you awake. It can bring in sufficient fresh oxygen into your system to give you a little boost. It’s very versatile as you can see. Practicing the Breath of Life at night and in the morning may help you remember to use it in times of distress.
Another activity that you can add to the Breath of Life once you’re comfortable with it is exercise, if you’re not already exercising. The best time to exercise is when you start noticing that you’ve succumbed to the pressures of stress. Exercise done at the time of a stressful episode can eliminate the effects of stress before the stress hormones have a chance to accumulate. While we may suffer during stress, it’s the long-term accumulation of stress hormones that are the most destructive. I like to do the Happy Penguin.
The Happy Penguin is nothing more than walking in place and gently slapping one’s thighs, mimicking the behaviors of penguins. This activity always brings a smile to my face as I consider how silly I look doing it. Smiling is another effective stress relief tool as the simple act of smiling releases chemicals into the bloodstream that counters the effects of stress hormones. If that’s not for you, walk, do jumping jacks, stamp your feet, any physical activity that gets your heart beating a little faster and your breathing a little deeper.
Also consider scheduling about thirty minutes of exercise at least three times per week. There are many more benefits to exercise than just stress relief, but that’s for another blog. First and foremost choose an activity that you enjoy. Yoga, jogging, cycling, swimming, Qi Gong, rebounding (trampolining), or a simple stroll will get your mind off your problems and provide some stress relief as well.
One of the side effects of stress is dehydration and very few people drink sufficient water anyway and so suffer from dehydration stress. This has a major impact on all the organs, joints, muscles, and brain function. Drinking 1/2 your body weight in ounces is now the recommended daily intake of water. If you weigh 100 pounds, that’s 50 ounces of water or 100 ounces (about a gallon) if you weigh 200 pounds. Sip the water every ten minutes or so, so you don’t find that you have to go to the bathroom every time you gulp down a glass. Remember, coffe, tea, soda, beer, or other alcoholic beverages are not a good substitue for pure clear water.
So, I’ve given you three things to do to alleviate the destructive effects of stress, breathing, exercising, and drinking water. If you can’t remember to do them, write down, Breathe, Exercise, Drink Water, on note cards and keep them in places where you’ll see them, like the bathroom mirror, on your desk, in your car.
Once these behaviors become habitual and you do them without thinking, then consider adding the Attitude Adjustment Routine, Visualization/Imagery training, Deep Trance Meditation, Suggestive Relaxation with Magic Words, and Simulation Training, one at a time in that order until your reaction to stress is minimal at best and can be dealt with quickly and easily. This may take a few months, but if you’ve suffered with stress for years then this is no time at all. Until next time…
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Unleash the Power of the Tiger Within
Past mistakes and failures experienced in important situations have a way of creating uncertainty, stress, and anxiety in the future. If you focus on the uncertainty or potential negative outcomes associated with mistakes, failure. Or the wrong decision, your mind will not be on the task at hand and you will have no chance for success.
The jungle is a hostile environment even for such a prolific hunter as the tiger. You see hunting is not only dangerous for hunted: it’s dangerous for the hunter as well. At any moment the tiger could become injured or attacked by other members of the herd being hunted. To be successful the tiger is deaf and blind to everything except its intended prey. It neither sees nor hears the incredible chaos and confusion of a stampeding heard of animals trying to elude its attack. The tiger is also oblivious to the potential danger or uncertainty of the outcome. Life can also be just as hostile and we have to be deaf and blind to everything except the task before us as well as oblivious to the dangers of mistakes, failures, or wrong decisions. If not, we will experience stress, anxiety, confusion, and chaos in our lives.
The other day I felt like vegetating and so decided to watch television. As I was surfing through the 77 plus channels offered through our cable provider and finding nothing of any interest I decided to watch the news. So I flipped between news stations. Since I rarely watch the news as I know it’s all negative I found myself being pulled in by all the drama and victimization being portrayed. I had to use the Deep Trance Meditation protocol and Magic Words I presented in my last two blogs. It took longer than I expected to rid myself of the negative images and messages being offered in these news broadcasts. The good thing is that it reminded me that there is another step in the process if you find it difficult eliminating stress instantly after practicing these techniques. I refer to this final step as Simulation Training.
Once you are proficient using the Breath of Life, Attitude Adjustment Routine, Deep Trance Meditation, and Magic Words in practice and possibly in minor stressful situations, then follow the directions provided below. This is arguably the most powerful technique for instantaneously and automatically eliminating the chaos and confusion and transporting yourself into an “Awakened” or “High-Performance Mind” state.
This is a 6-week program. It only requires your attention 15-20 minutes once a day. However, it will be more effective if you can afford to do it 2-3 times per day. Aren’t you worth an hour to hour and a half a day?
For Week One, find a time when you will not be interrupted for 15-20 minutes. Sit in a comfortable chair, feet planted firmly on the floor, a hand on either leg, back straight, head up, and chin slightly and easily tucked in. Close your eyes and begin the Deep Trance Meditation protocol. When you feel completely at peace, insert your Magic Words and again check your level of relaxation.
If there is some physical tension or your mind is holding on to unwanted thoughts take another breath of Life, focusing completely on the breath and insert your Magic Words once again. During the week when you notice any stress or anxiety take a Breath of Life and insert your Magic Words into your thoughts. If the situation is too intense and the breath and Magic Words don’t work immediately use the complete Attitude Adjustment Routine as described in my previous blog, “Do you need a plumber.” Do this at least once a day for a week
In Week Two we will change things up slightly. You will start just as in Week One; finding 15-20 minutes when you will not be interrupted, getting into the same position as described above, and begin using Deep Trance Meditation and Magic Words. Now here comes the difference.
I want you to imagine that you’re in paradise. What’s paradise? That’s up to you. For me it’s lying on a tropical beach with a warm breeze blowing over my body.
Remember for your imaging practice to be its most effective you want to activate all of your senses. See it. Hear it. Feel it. Taste it. Smell it. In my paradise I see palm trees, bright aquamarine water, white sand, azure sky and puffy white clouds, and green grass. I hear the waves as they gently crash on the beach and the birds serenading me from above. I feel the warm breeze passing over my body and taste the salty marine air. I smell beautiful aromatic flowers. You get the picture.
This should make you even more relaxed and at peace. You should have forgotten about any demands of the day that could have caused you stress and anxiety. Again insert your magic word and go deeper into your relaxed state. It is quite all right if you fall asleep at anytime in this process. Again do this at least once a day (more times if possible) for about 15 – 20 minutes for the entiere week.
Here comes the real power of this technique. In week s three through six you will use it to get rid of the effects of fear, chaos, confusion, and stress when they surface. Your body will be free of energy blocks and traumatic energy. Your mind will be focused and free of distracting thoughts and your mind and body will work in perfect harmony.
Again, start as before finding a time when you will not be interrupted and assume the position. This may take 30-45 minutes on the first few days. As you become more proficient in its use it will again only take 15-20 minutes to work. Next, as vividly as you can recall your most adverse situation. Completely relive it. Feel the emotional pain: experience the tension or other physical signs of stress, with your mind completely unable to focus. Thoughts go whizzing through your head uncontrolled. Maybe it was an encounter with someone who is verbally abusive. Maybe it was a pop quiz in school that you were unprepared for. Maybe it was finding your schedule so packed full of important things to do with no time to complete even a few of them. You choose the situation that caused you the most suffering and frustration, one where you felt completely helpless and hopeless.
Now, take a Breath of Life and insert your Magic Words. Any relief yet? Return to your breathing. Is it slow, deep and rhythmical? If not take several more Breaths of Life until you begin to relax. Again insert your Magic Words. Has at least some of the tension melted away from your body? If not, take another Breath of Life and relax, stretch, or massage the tense or sore area. Again, insert your Magic Words.
Return to paradise. Imagine yourself being in that place that brings you inner peace and relaxation. When you are completely immersed in your fantasy insert your Magic Words. It’s perfectly natural to fall asleep so don’t try to fight it. If you haven’t fallen asleep, recall the adverse situation. Does it exert any emotional control over you? If so, begin the process again. When you get to the point that thinking about the situation produces no response you should find that by taking a Breath of Life and inserting your Magic Words in the real situation produces an immediate sense of inner peace.
You may find that once you can produce a sense of inner calm in one situation that it transcends all difficult or stressful situations. If not alter your practice to consider those situations that still require attention. All of this should take less than six weeks. Some people complain that they can’t find 15-20 minutes a day for six weeks to rehearse these techniques. I understand. However, if you do nothing, nothing will change and you will continue to suffer. Is that what you want? Do you want to suffer? Is there some payoff to suffering? Do you get attention and compassion from others when you tell them about your jerk of a boss or ex? Unfortunately people become tired of hearing about the same situation over and over. It becomes annoying like a broken record, CD, or DVD and people stop listening.
You will get more positive attention and people will want to know what you did to overcome the adversity in your life when you take control and Unleash the Power of the Tiger within.
The jungle is a hostile environment even for such a prolific hunter as the tiger. You see hunting is not only dangerous for hunted: it’s dangerous for the hunter as well. At any moment the tiger could become injured or attacked by other members of the herd being hunted. To be successful the tiger is deaf and blind to everything except its intended prey. It neither sees nor hears the incredible chaos and confusion of a stampeding heard of animals trying to elude its attack. The tiger is also oblivious to the potential danger or uncertainty of the outcome. Life can also be just as hostile and we have to be deaf and blind to everything except the task before us as well as oblivious to the dangers of mistakes, failures, or wrong decisions. If not, we will experience stress, anxiety, confusion, and chaos in our lives.
The other day I felt like vegetating and so decided to watch television. As I was surfing through the 77 plus channels offered through our cable provider and finding nothing of any interest I decided to watch the news. So I flipped between news stations. Since I rarely watch the news as I know it’s all negative I found myself being pulled in by all the drama and victimization being portrayed. I had to use the Deep Trance Meditation protocol and Magic Words I presented in my last two blogs. It took longer than I expected to rid myself of the negative images and messages being offered in these news broadcasts. The good thing is that it reminded me that there is another step in the process if you find it difficult eliminating stress instantly after practicing these techniques. I refer to this final step as Simulation Training.
Once you are proficient using the Breath of Life, Attitude Adjustment Routine, Deep Trance Meditation, and Magic Words in practice and possibly in minor stressful situations, then follow the directions provided below. This is arguably the most powerful technique for instantaneously and automatically eliminating the chaos and confusion and transporting yourself into an “Awakened” or “High-Performance Mind” state.
This is a 6-week program. It only requires your attention 15-20 minutes once a day. However, it will be more effective if you can afford to do it 2-3 times per day. Aren’t you worth an hour to hour and a half a day?
For Week One, find a time when you will not be interrupted for 15-20 minutes. Sit in a comfortable chair, feet planted firmly on the floor, a hand on either leg, back straight, head up, and chin slightly and easily tucked in. Close your eyes and begin the Deep Trance Meditation protocol. When you feel completely at peace, insert your Magic Words and again check your level of relaxation.
If there is some physical tension or your mind is holding on to unwanted thoughts take another breath of Life, focusing completely on the breath and insert your Magic Words once again. During the week when you notice any stress or anxiety take a Breath of Life and insert your Magic Words into your thoughts. If the situation is too intense and the breath and Magic Words don’t work immediately use the complete Attitude Adjustment Routine as described in my previous blog, “Do you need a plumber.” Do this at least once a day for a week
In Week Two we will change things up slightly. You will start just as in Week One; finding 15-20 minutes when you will not be interrupted, getting into the same position as described above, and begin using Deep Trance Meditation and Magic Words. Now here comes the difference.
I want you to imagine that you’re in paradise. What’s paradise? That’s up to you. For me it’s lying on a tropical beach with a warm breeze blowing over my body.
Remember for your imaging practice to be its most effective you want to activate all of your senses. See it. Hear it. Feel it. Taste it. Smell it. In my paradise I see palm trees, bright aquamarine water, white sand, azure sky and puffy white clouds, and green grass. I hear the waves as they gently crash on the beach and the birds serenading me from above. I feel the warm breeze passing over my body and taste the salty marine air. I smell beautiful aromatic flowers. You get the picture.
This should make you even more relaxed and at peace. You should have forgotten about any demands of the day that could have caused you stress and anxiety. Again insert your magic word and go deeper into your relaxed state. It is quite all right if you fall asleep at anytime in this process. Again do this at least once a day (more times if possible) for about 15 – 20 minutes for the entiere week.
Here comes the real power of this technique. In week s three through six you will use it to get rid of the effects of fear, chaos, confusion, and stress when they surface. Your body will be free of energy blocks and traumatic energy. Your mind will be focused and free of distracting thoughts and your mind and body will work in perfect harmony.
Again, start as before finding a time when you will not be interrupted and assume the position. This may take 30-45 minutes on the first few days. As you become more proficient in its use it will again only take 15-20 minutes to work. Next, as vividly as you can recall your most adverse situation. Completely relive it. Feel the emotional pain: experience the tension or other physical signs of stress, with your mind completely unable to focus. Thoughts go whizzing through your head uncontrolled. Maybe it was an encounter with someone who is verbally abusive. Maybe it was a pop quiz in school that you were unprepared for. Maybe it was finding your schedule so packed full of important things to do with no time to complete even a few of them. You choose the situation that caused you the most suffering and frustration, one where you felt completely helpless and hopeless.
Now, take a Breath of Life and insert your Magic Words. Any relief yet? Return to your breathing. Is it slow, deep and rhythmical? If not take several more Breaths of Life until you begin to relax. Again insert your Magic Words. Has at least some of the tension melted away from your body? If not, take another Breath of Life and relax, stretch, or massage the tense or sore area. Again, insert your Magic Words.
Return to paradise. Imagine yourself being in that place that brings you inner peace and relaxation. When you are completely immersed in your fantasy insert your Magic Words. It’s perfectly natural to fall asleep so don’t try to fight it. If you haven’t fallen asleep, recall the adverse situation. Does it exert any emotional control over you? If so, begin the process again. When you get to the point that thinking about the situation produces no response you should find that by taking a Breath of Life and inserting your Magic Words in the real situation produces an immediate sense of inner peace.
You may find that once you can produce a sense of inner calm in one situation that it transcends all difficult or stressful situations. If not alter your practice to consider those situations that still require attention. All of this should take less than six weeks. Some people complain that they can’t find 15-20 minutes a day for six weeks to rehearse these techniques. I understand. However, if you do nothing, nothing will change and you will continue to suffer. Is that what you want? Do you want to suffer? Is there some payoff to suffering? Do you get attention and compassion from others when you tell them about your jerk of a boss or ex? Unfortunately people become tired of hearing about the same situation over and over. It becomes annoying like a broken record, CD, or DVD and people stop listening.
You will get more positive attention and people will want to know what you did to overcome the adversity in your life when you take control and Unleash the Power of the Tiger within.
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