The Relaxing Zone

1 Minute Meditation Manager

2009-06-17T11:03:00.000-07:00

Recently, I recalled practising meditation so I became good at it. What do I mean by good? Well, I wanted to meditate easily, enjoyably, with minimum distraction, being relaxed and still. Oh yeah, I wanted to be less stressed with less anxiety too. That's a lot of wants isn't it? I managed it with a simple practise that I built upon after spending too much time trying other ways.

I can simplify it by saying, 'I learnt to meditate in a relaxed way, to be still on the inside.'
If you like to get to the 'business end' of this article, scroll down to the section titled '1 Minute Meditation Manager'.

Photo: Consensual Media

Meditation is about stillness. To notice more of this, be relaxed.
On my commuter journeys into work I would regularly meditate in the morning. Whether it was crowded like a tin of sardines or as quiet a country road, I found my moment to meditate. As a result I felt 'better' (than those days I didn't meditate) which meant I was happier, less stressed, more focused, breathing more naturally. What became obvious was the increased endurance and flexibility I had in coping with a working day. Often I found I was able to recuperate more quickly and create more positive attitudes towards what I wanted to accomplish for the day.

At first, do a little do it often and make it fun
I became relaxed on the outside and stiller on the inside. Like the obvious benefits of the tastiest nutritious foods, I realised to get the benefits of meditation you can:

Do it often
On a daily basis
In small amounts
Taking time to prepare and enjoy

This makes learning a lot easier and 'user friendly' so let's find your way of doing just this.

A meditation teacher once said "Sitting quietly, noticing more of what's already there, can be fun and relaxing. Who wouldn't want to discover more of themselves?"
On busy, hectic, stressful days when lunches and breaks were minimal or non-existent, I would take a moment to close my eyes and sit peacefully. I would do it often during the day, every one or two hours. There was a time limit at work obviously, so I focused and relaxed and allowed things to be. The more I sat like this, the more natural it became to sit quietly, calmly and afterwards feel tremendously refreshed. I referred to it as my '1 minute meditation manager' and I loved it!

The 1 Minute Meditation Manager
This is a step by step guide to closing your eyes, sitting peacefully for a minute or more every hour (or 2 hours) through your day. Using this approach will give you rapid skills in relaxing more quickly, easily ignoring sights and sounds from your outer environment and enjoying stillness on the inside.

I recommend you reading through the following guide before practising. There's also a hints and tips section below that I think will be helpful. It was (still is) for me. Enjoy!

Sit comfortably, keep both feet flat on the floor and your hands in your lap. Softly close your eyes.

Gently focus on the inside as if you are looking from the middle of your forehead.

Relax your vision and allow yourself to see inside in 'wide screen -panoramic' vision.

Allow your gaze to be very relaxed. Simply let things be as they are.

See whatever you see, feel whatever you feel and hear whatever you hear.

Focus calmly on the inside.

Hints and Tips
Plenty of of preparation leads to perfect performance.

1. Setting your attitude for sitting peacefully and focusing inside is a great preparation for the real thing. Preparation is key.

2. Imagine in sensuous detail, what it will be like to easily sit still and meditate calmly. Use this initially at night and in the morning for preparing yourself to meditating during the day.

3. Decide here and now you'll be finding regular opportunities in your day to meditate. Consider it a fun exploration of what’s possible.

4. Instill an attitude that any distractions will help you return (focus again) to more stillness inside.

5. Allow whatever happens to happen as you sit quietly. Everything has been taken care of. Enjoy the pleasure of being still.

I'd really appreciate to find out what your experiences and insights are.
Do you have any suggestions for helping people meditate? If so feel free to comment.

Thanks for reading.
Jens

3 Videos on Meditation, Chi Running and EFT

2009-06-11T10:04:00.000-07:00

Like millions of other people upon this planet, I enjoy watching videos online. I felt it was time for an audio visual treat. I've watched some excellent instructional videos recently and I've embedded three of them here. I think you'll like what they show you. The topics are in the broad areas of Relaxation and Well Being. They cover themes of EFT (emotional freedom technique), Meditation and Chi Running/Walking.

The Basics of EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique)
A good, clear video. I will add this is an interpretation of the basics. I get the impression with EFT, that it may have a more loose structure than it's original source TFT (Thought Field Therapy) by Roger Callahan. That's my opinion and not a comment upon it's efficacy. Judging from the responses to EFT and it's many practitioners, it's a success for emotional self healing and practitioner led healing.

How to Meditate
Interesting video and has been very popular on YouTube. Surprisingly, the voice over has some useful suggestions and remarks for enjoying meditating. I hope you find something good to apply to help you easily sit and meditate. That would be wonderful. Check out my articles on Meditation.

Injury Free Running and Walking
This is an interview with the creator of Chi Running by Renegade Health. The video aims to help you adjust your posture and state of relaxation for easier, injury free running. The information is practical and I believe will benefit you, as it has me in my running. It also offers good advice on walking postures.

What was the most beneficial thing you got from these videos?
Did they provide you with information to positively change the way you meditate, run, walk or feel? Let me know.

Thanks for watching
Jens

Replacing Apathy with a Lust for Life

2009-06-10T10:42:00.000-07:00

Reasons to stay in bed are like reasons to be cheerful. They can be numerous and perfect for robust health and well being. The reason can sometimes be less suited to a happy productive day, instead dragging a person down into a darkening pit of laziness and despondency.

Photo: tuxthepenguin84

Today's article is about replacing apathy with a get up and go attitude. It's literally about getting out of bed or off the couch. It's a bit tongue-in-cheek but when you've lived with someone (or you are someone) who experiences apathy, then it may prove useful.

I think we all have ideas about what apathy is. In the past I estimate I've 'wasted' days, weeks, months maybe years because of apathy. I have very few regrets because the past is where it is, behind me and there is nothing I can do about that. This present moment and the future is better served by my energy.

Is it ignorance or apathy? Hey, I don't know and I don't care. Jimmy Buffett

The first part is about helping yourself and the second part is helping others remove apathy. I've purposefully not covered areas like diet, nutrition, sleep and uses of psychoactives like coffee, alcohol and other drugs. I've aimed for a simple approach that may be useful to people in creating a direction and then launching themselves into it. It's worked recently for a friend's partner and it worked for me recently too. You have to be willing to change and recognise a need for it. Otherwise it is not time well spent.

“My generation's apathy. I'm disgusted with it. I'm disgusted with my own apathy too, for being spineless and not always standing up against racism, sexism and all those other -isms the counterculture has been whining about for years.” Kurt Cobain

Helping Yourself: Replacing apathy with a lust for your life

Take heart: the belief you have about staying in bed, sits beside the belief you have about getting up and into enjoying your day. The right one has yet to be brought forward to brighten your feelings and propel you onward.

When you're in bed and can't be bothered to get up yet, do the following: Picture all the best moments from your recent memory. Any moment or event that made you laugh or smile and feel good. Put them side by side in your imagination and run through them. Remember each one with a bright, lively quality. Then choose one or more that you will like to repeat for real today.

The funny thing is the body will usually follow the voice in your mind, whether it's uplifting and passionate or dull and depressing. So take care about what you say and how you say it. Say something wonderful to yourself.

Consider one thing, act or goal you will really love to do today, however small, bizarre or achievable (that avoids being apathetic in bed). Make it a vivid, colourful, life size experience on the inside. Feel your whole body move with this. Imagine the results of doing that thing and how you and others will benefit from it. Then get up and do something like it.

The truth is that this moment, only in the present moment, is real and is where your thoughts, desires and intentions can be most usefully guided. While you're in bed or slouching on the couch refusing to embrace the day consider this: too many limited thoughts of yesterday and tomorrow make you a muppet and not a master.

Learn to consume in the present rather than be consumed from the past.

You know the phenomena when you're in bed and a song you don't really like starts playing in your head? Well, change the track just like you would on a sound system. Choose a blazing track to get you excited and up.

It's your thoughts and feelings that power you into the day not the material wealth or lack of it you have around you.

Just be grateful that you have the opportunity to indulge in apathy. Such indulgence means you also have space to gather more beneficial opportunities toward you. Just get up and discover how easy they are to find.

I've not suffered from 'can't be bothered to get out of bed' syndrome since I was in my teens. I do sometimes experience 'can't be bothered to do anything productive, now I'm out of bed' syndrome. I know exactly what apathy is like, and there is very little to like about it. It's not relaxation, it's not recuperation or reflection or healing.

'Apathy is a sort of living oblivion' Horace Greeley

Helping Others: Ideas on turning the apathetic into the athletic (almost)
Firstly, find out if they are feeling healthy. If they are in good health and you decide to encourage them away from the bed or couch, do so in a way that aims for a positive response. That's if you can get to speak with them.

Hint
Being cajoled by someone else into an effort of enthusiasm, is like trying to electrically jump start your car when the tank is empty. Great questions to avoid: Why are you still in bed? What are you doing in bed? Why haven't you got out of bed yet?

1. Ask them if they are well and healthy.

2. Ask them if they are happy and refreshed after a long sleep.

3. Enquire about whether they are looking forward to anything special this day.

4. Engage them about that special something or suggest something they may find of interest.

5. Discuss with them what you will be doing today and ask their opinion on something. Get them intellectually and emotionally engaged. Continue to build upon this. Ask their opinion on more things and sound interested. You want them to feel better and motivated toward something (at least getting out of bed and avoiding the couch).

6. If they are obviously unenthusiastic, begin artfully using their tired, lazy inflections as you speak with them and gradually build in enthusiasm. Then engage them with useful questions to to help move their energy in the right direction.

7. A well directed bucket of cold water. It's cruel to be kind all the time.

8. Race into the room in boundless excitement screaming you've won the lotto.

9. Be warned even the most willing people can sometimes be unwilling to get out of bed for anything. Placate your frustrated ego by calmly telling yourself 'it's just another amazing facet of human nature.'

Science may have found a cure for most evils; but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all -- the apathy of human beings. Helen Keller

Now you've read my current approach to removing apathy both for yourself and helping others replace theirs with something better. Tell me your experiences of overcoming apathy or how you helped others to do so. Let me know if you have any suggestions.

Thanks for reading

Jens

Healthy Sleeping Guide - How We Can All Rest

2009-06-04T02:21:00.000-07:00

With the change in seasons comes change in my sleeping patterns. It's just one of those things I become aware of each year. I notice this in spring when the hay fever 'season' begins. Again, when summer approaches and the morning sun light reaches us earlier and earlier.

Naturally at other times of year, my normal sleep may be interrupted for a variety of reasons.

Photo: bitzcelt

Below you will find hints and tips to encourage better sleep and habits conducive to a more peaceful shuteye - downtime. Sleep and bedtime is not surprisingly, a vast area with as many unique features as there are people. So I can only write a short article which I hope is useful to you. Please let me know.

Sleep - What is it all about?
The answer should be obvious to us all. It is essential to our well being and health. We rarely live a day without sleep of some variety. Everyday, we gracefully move into sleep naturally. The after effect is refreshment, recuperation and energy. There is nothing it seems, that can replace this natural benefit.

When we experience sleep on a daily basis for many years, we can dispense with the scientific theories or research results. We know what the benefits are. We live well with the results of regular sleep.

My daily patterns of sleep and activity are so common they appear trivial. Until my sleep is interrupted. Then sleep becomes a wonder to be cherished and appreciated, as one of the most important functions of the human body. I expect sleep to be a pleasure. I regard it as a priority within my leisure time.

What happens when we can't sleep?

Waking in the night. Sometimes accompanied by thoughts or images that are stressful.

Difficulty in sleeping shortly after going to bed.

Easily disturbed during sleep and waking up as a result.

Not refreshed after sleep.

Night terrors (mainly in the young).

Waking up earlier than expected.

There's more. What happens if you are sleep deprived? No rest for the wicked!

difficulty waking up in the morning

lower concentration resulting in reduced performance at work, school, sports.

poor co-ordination leading to increased risk of injury or accident

reduced reasoning skills with difficulty making decisions

falling asleep at sociable moments

Irritable, unhappy and unsociable

The Research - What happens during sleep?
Sleep is obviously necessary. We don't need research to tell us that. I think it's important to highlight that we already know many of the effects from sleeping. We live it, experience it every day. We notice how good we feel or not upon awakening. Over the years we can associate our experiences with particular patterns of sleep. We share common attributes that allow us to recognise or assume similar effects in other people too.

We dream. Sometimes we remember them. Sometimes we wish we didn't.

Sleep helps our brain perform it's biochemical housekeeping. Good functions from our body's immune system and central nervous system rely upon the brain's performance.

Poor sleep may effect eating habits and risks of diabetes.

Link between sleep and the immune system.

Sleep increases our ability to learn and remember.

Your body's weight may be controlled in your sleep.

It seems our brains stay active in sleep. In REM (rapid eye movement) sleep the body appears paralysed. It's OK because the heart, blood, eyes, diaphragm and intestines carry on as normal. Which I think is a good thing.

Regulated by your body clock, your sleep is made of cycles with vital stages for your well being. Different things happen during each cycle. Some help us feel rested and energetic, other cycles help us learn or make memories.

Helping You to Sleep
These are some of the practises I have used to assist me in a good nights sleep. Often referred to as 'Sleep Hygiene' some may be new to you, others I'm sure you've read before. The attitude I prefer is one of exploring to find what works naturally. Then being willing to change it for something more effective when necessary. There is a lot you can do to get a good nights sleep. You have control.

Your dreamy attitude

Make sleep a priority. During the waking day imagine yourself later at night enjoying a wonderfully deep, refreshing sleep.

Use a regular sleep schedule even if you work on a shift pattern. For example: Same time to bed each night and same time to rise in the morning. Be flexible because over time you may need to change patterns for optimal rest.

Plan ahead. Design a flexible system to move you toward greater sleep and health.

Ritualise your preparation for night time sleep. Invest your attitude for good sleep into your activities 1 hour or even 30 minutes before going to sleep. This may involve book reading, bathing, chill out music, turning off the computer and TV, meditation, self help techniques to visualise an ideal day tomorrow.

Happily engage your mind, body and emotions on a daily basis that is conducive to your well being. Fantasise, visualise if need be. Some research suggests the brain does not distinguish between visually rehearsing things and the real thing itself.

Design the bedroom for you
1. Remove as much clutter as possible from your bedroom.

2. Turn your sleeping space into a relaxing, soothing environment. People often find a clean, cool, pleasant, spacious and dark bedroom environment is best for healthy sleep.

3. Take out any work related materials especially if your job is demanding and stressful.

4. Consider investing in a new mattress every 5 years. Test different mattresses in showrooms and decide if you really need the change.

Enjoying restful habits

Reduce social and recreational drug use if you feel it's negatively impacting your sleep. That includes caffeine, tea, alcohol, speed, cocaine. General recommendations are to avoid these substances from 4 - 8 hours before sleep. You decide what's good for you.

At home finish eating your main evening meal 2 - 3 hours (or more) before you go to sleep. I feel far better when eating lighter evening meals.

A light snack to replace feelings of an empty stomach can aid sleep too.

Exercise frequently during the week. Walk more, run, swim, play racket games whatever you decide, do something. Many of us have mentally stimulating daily patterns and less physical. So exercise all aspects of your being (including your emotional well being).

Avoid napping after your evening meal. Do something else, stay awake and sleep longer, later.

Have a relaxing, hot bath before bed. Indulge yourself with books, chill out music, candles if necessary.

If you're in bed without sleep for 30 minutes get up and do something else until you feel sleepy enough to return. Maybe best to avoid work related activities at this time.

Turn off the computer or TV. Sometimes I have found listening to radio discussions or audiobooks (not music) helps me to sleep. The less interesting the more likely you will sleep. Remove the laptop and TV from your bedroom.

Practice a relaxation technique before going to bed and/or when in it.

Sit and meditate before going to bed.

Be prepared to seek out specialist (like CBT - cognitive behavioural therapy, hypnotherapy) or medical advice if you become concerned about your lack of sleep. I recommend doing your own research first.

Shortly after awaking go outside into the sunlight for a few minutes or longer if you can (people in the northern hemisphere will prefer this during the spring and summer months).

Finally, to ensure you get a good nights sleep here is a link to 40 facts about sleeping. Yawn.

Have you experienced any sleep disorders? What have you done to return to normal sleep?
Thanks for reading and not nodding off.
Jens

1 of the All Time Best Fitness Exercises

2009-05-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

I've been doing burpees recently. They are simply a great all body fitness exercise for men and women. Burpees are perfect for those of you who like me, prefer the benefits of short workouts. I think they are ideal for those people short on time who search for fast, effective techniques to maintain or boost their fitness.

Photo: Amber

Below you will find a video showing how to do a burpee as well as a written description with some routines included.

This suggestion is from my own experience and I believe you may enjoy it. If you are of good mobility and health then the burpee may be great for you. I'm a health and fitness enthusiast but I'm not an athlete and not qualified to offer health advice.

The Burpee
The burpee comprises three exercises in one:
A squat thrust, a press up and then a jump or squat upwards.
The burpee is used for conditioning by many people inside and outside of competitive sports. You can perform them at home, in the garden or the yard, and in most confined spaces. It's not new, it's not revolutionary but it will crank up your conditioning in a short time.

This is how you do it.

Get into a squat position with both hands flat on the floor in front of you

Push your feet back so you are now in a push up position

Perform one push up

Return your feet to the squat position

Now leap into the air with your arms extending above your head

or Stand up into a full squat

Repeat.

Depending on your current level of fitness begin by performing 2 - 10 full burpees.
Once familiar with it you can adopt some routines to really boost your general fitness. I think you'll agree it's a simple, intense full body workout.

This video shows the Burpee.

If you are new to exercising or burpees in particular: Avoid over exertion at this point. Avoid over exercising or straining to achieve. Avoid training to failure.

Beginners hints and tips
I find tensing my thighs and buttocks during the push off for the leap to help in gaining height.
I land as lightly as possible on the balls of my feet. Absorbing the landing through my legs by keeping in constant motion, moving swiftly through the landing into the squat thrust back into the press up position. Push down swiftly 'through the floor' on the push up section of the burpee.

Get familiar with the feeling of the movements. Practice to get all movements fluid and fast. Learn how you best absorb and transfer the energy moving through your body throughout the technique.

Burpee Routine 1: Pyramids
I used this first sequence when I began burpees. Only do the number of burpees you feel capable of completing in good form.

Perform 1 burpee

rest briefly for a few seconds or as needed.

Perform 2 burpees

rest

Perform 3 burpees

So on until you reach the number you can perform whilst keeping good technique and stamina.

Then Perform decreasing numbers to 1 burpee.

Burpee Routine 2: Tabata Intervals
This involves 20 seconds of maximum intensity exercise, followed by 10 seconds of rest. This cycle is repeated 8 times.

Perfrom fast burpees for 20 seconds then rest for 10 seconds for eight cycles.

I find it easier to perform 10 burpees (or as many as I can manage as the cycles increase) then rest for 10 seconds.

I'm sure you'll find Burpee Tabata intervals intense. I recommend building up to full Tabatas depending on your level of fitness.

Tabata Intervals are heavily referenced online by fitness sites. They come from a study performed by Dr Tabata and colleagues from the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Japan. After 6 weeks they recorded a 28% increase in anaerobic capacity (generating energy without oxygen) with a 14% increase in V02Max (maximum oxygen uptake during exercise). These results were from physically fit athletes. They used mechanically braked cycling ergometers not burpees.

I don't now how meaningful these results will be for you. I do suggest practising burpees to find out for yourself. I'm not an athlete and when I began burpees I was healthy but not a 'conditioned' fitness enthusiast. I found them great. I felt great afterwards and the next day too.

Other Burpee Routines:
Burpees in circuit training.
For example 1 circuit:
10 burpees, 20 Star jumps, 10 hindu pushups, 20 bodyweight squats, 10 v-ups for 1 circuit. I then repeat the cycle 4 more times.

Shadow Boxing through non combative boxing has become popular. A routine consisting of Burpees and Boxing may involve:
30 seconds of burpees
30 seconds of shadow boxing
Repeated for up to 3 minutes then rest for 1 minute.

I often include 10 - 40 burpees after or during my short runs.

Check out the link to the Ross Enamait website. I and many others have found him to be a fantastic source of simple, intense workout information. He also has very reasonably priced workout manuals.

Always listen to your body and that sensible voice in your mind that says 'rest' 'eat well and nutritiously' and 'sleep.' Wishing you all the best with this exercise. Let me know what you think.

Thanks for reading.
Jens

19 Remedies to Beat Hayfever

2009-05-27T12:32:00.000-07:00

We are well into the spring season and some allergy sufferers will begin to experience the first twitches, itches, sneezes and other symptoms of hayfever or allergic rhinitis.
I'm going to offer some remedies for this seasonal allergy. I don't know if they will all be effective. They do provide you with a choice. Take a look and read through them below.

Photo: bartmaguire

Hayfever - The Stats
Many people suffer intensely from this allergic condition especially during the summer months. According to the UKs National Health Service (NHS) 2 in 10 people suffer this allergy. 12 million people in a population of 60 million is a lot of potential customers for the pharmaceutical industry. I'm one of those customers.

The U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a 2007 survey, stated 16.9 million adults diagnosed with hayfever and 10% or 7.4 million children were reported with symptoms.

Local doctors known in the UK as general practitioners (GPs) offered injections years ago to counter the allergic reaction, until people began collapsing in the surgery waiting rooms. Now pills and nasal sprays are popular and homeopathic and herbal preparations.

I am not a doctor and have no medical training. Over a 30 year period, I have used and enquired about different remedies for their effectiveness.

What causes Hayfever?
The causes of this are primarily pollen from trees, grasses, weeds and spores and can be exacerbated by pollution, smoking, asthma, stress. As I understand it, pollen enters the body and if it makes the body over-react by producing an antibody, a person may experience some or all the symptoms below.

What are the symptoms?
The Eyes: Itching, watering, inflammation and redness.
The Nose: Congestion (blocked nose), sneezing, itching, 'running' or 'dripping' nose
Throat: Rawness, itching, rasping sound when breathing.

Caution: Any remedies herbal or pharmaceutical, should always be considered with caution regarding dosage and your current health condition. Consult your doctor or medical/treatment specialist before you mix any drugs or herbal remedies.

The list is given for you to investigate various remedies sensibly and with care, for their effectiveness in reducing allergic symptoms of hayfever. Much of these have no long term or conclusive research results. Much is anecdotal and that's a good starting point to explore your well being and decide for yourself what works best.

The Pharmaceutical Remedies
1. Antihistamines - taken as tablets, nasal sprays blocking the inflammatory effect of the body's histamine chemical which is released when in contact with the allergen - pollen.

2. Corticosteroids - nasal sprays and drops performing similar actions against the body's chemical messengers to prevent inflammation after exposure to allergen pollens.

Natural and 'Alternative' Remedies
3. Nasal balms can be spread on the inside of the nostrils. These often contain ingredients like beeswax, seed oils, aloe vera juice extracts ans essential oils. Using a petroleum based jelly like Vaseline works well too. Both remedies are useful for me.

4. Eating locally produced honey is a common remedy suggestion (if available). Begin eating on a daily basis starting one month before your symptoms usually begin and continue through the period. I've not yet tried this so can't comment any further.

5. Reduce dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt in your diet to help reduce nasal congestion. This remedy has a positive result for me each time.

6. Check out some herbal hayfever remedies containing extracts of the Butterbur plant (Petasites hybridus). I've recently been told of Butterbur Petasin and never tried it myself. A quick search on google showed many and retailers. I have also heard anecdotal evidence of it's effectiveness. Good for alleviating migraines according to some websites.

7. Sublingual Immunotherapy desensitises the sufferer with vaccinations of pollen before the season starts, by placing drops under the tongue. This prepares the body for the high level of pollen commonly found across April - August. There are strict guidelines to it's use as there is some concern over severe side effects. Be warned.

8. Homeopathy is very popular and I've met people claiming it helped reduce hayfever. I have not yet used it regularly before or during the season to notice it's effectiveness. I'll check it out soon.

9. Qu-Chi acupressure band has recently been touted as useful for some people. The band is placed over the elbow along the Qu-Chi meridian line which runs from between the forefinger and the tip of the nose. There are also Acu-pressure bands to place around the wrist to prevent nausea from pregnancy, travel, post surgery and chemotherapy.

10. Acupuncture has plenty of anecdotal evidence to support it (and from myself). I used it once when I was 15 and it alleviated my symptoms immediately.

11. Eucalyptus is great for clearing the nose and helping breathing. I've used it in saunas and steam rooms to relieve congestion. It's fast acting by inhaling the fragrance to clear the nasal passages.

12. Air purifiers clear pollen, dust and other potential allergens from the air in the home or office. They usually combine filters and ionisers to refresh the air. I found this to be useful and the air does feel and smell different.

13. Liquorice root can help ease the nasal symptoms of hay fever. It's believed to have anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties that assists the immune system.

14. Gingko biloba is popular in health food stores and is believed to inhibit the effect of the body's response to allergens.

15. Relaxation techniques can be useful for alleviating conditions of hayfever. It works for me. Self Hypnosis has been said to reduce the allergy for some people although I don't know the 'content' of the techniques used.

16. Drinking fresh nettle tea and even taking nettle capsules from the health food store are occasionally recommended. Don't know if they work but fresh nettle tea with honey is refreshing and that's coming from a coffee lover.

17. Vitamin C has allegedly helped relieve hay fever symptoms with a lowering of sensitivity to allergens, mucus production and wheezing.

18. Green tea has claims to contain powerful antioxidants called catechins that have antihistamine effects and is also said to help maintain the immune system.

19. Nasal air guards are a barrier to reduce the ability of allergens like pollen to irritate the nasal lining. Fitting into the nose they provide extra protection when outdoors if pollen levels are high.

Plenty of choice here and if you're in any doubt re-read the caution above and exercise your own common sense. Have fun!

Thanks for reading
Jens

Meditation Made Easy

2009-05-25T07:27:00.000-07:00

This is the first of several Meditation Made Easy articles I'll be posting in the near future. My aim is in providing you with practical ways to gracefully (and in your own time) enter more relaxing, more profound meditation. I always feel it can be enjoyed like a holiday where everything has been prepared and planned for you. All you have to do is sit back, take it very easy and enjoy what's there.

Photo: Canadian Veggie

I'll offer a great tip for easing you into meditation. I'll remove the idea of effort so you can remove it too. Together we'll add the idea it is a pleasurable, insightful, refreshing, natural way of being. A benefit of this is you can do it at home, at work, on public transport and in your free time. I can't describe enough how this can benefit you. You'll have to discover that for yourself.
So make the decision here and now, to focus entirely upon meditating during your sessions. Be gentle with yourself.

Before we begin, I realise many of us have demanding lives where relaxation is almost a rare luxury. If you feel you need to relax more before meditating (and be able to relax more regularly), use my previous posts here: Quick and Easy Relaxation, Feeling Good or check out the other articles under Deep Relaxation to find which works best for you.

A highly valuable way of beginning is to regularly meditate for a short period of time, several times each day. The Easy Steps below will show you more.

Three very useful points to remember:

Make any distractions your friend by using them to increase your ability to return your awareness to the inside.

Meditation is about using relaxation and gentle focus as a foundation. This article will help you strengthen these foundations.

Meditation is a natural ability and potentially very powerful for your well being. Like many great tools and gifts of human nature, it's vastly underrated.

Meditation - The Easy Steps
Read through the following steps then put them into practice and meditate.

It's best to begin by sitting quietly, comfortably upright with both feet upon the floor.

Close your eyes, allowing your body to ease itself into a state of relaxation.

Tell yourself any noise or distraction is simply there to help you focus on the inside.

Allow any memories, sounds, images and feelings from the outside to slip away naturally as you focus gently upon the inside.

Just notice what it is like to sit quietly, calmly and still.

Gently have your awareness on the inside.

If you get distracted simply relax and return your awareness to the inside.

The time you sit meditating is entirely your choice. Be aware of what is appropriate for you. As short or long as is beneficial to you.

Benefits to You:

This helps to create a habit and strengthen your association with a state of meditation.

It's easy to practice. You can schedule it into any free time you have during the day.

Whilst meditating regularly each day, you will find it easier and easier to return to meditation if you're ever distracted.

Helpful Hints:
It's excellent to cultivate an attitude of both relaxed curiosity and allowing whatever happens to happen. By following my suggestions you'll have done all the preparation you'll need for now.
Remember: thinking is not meditating and you're about to begin to find out more.

Do this

Aim for 3 - 6 short sessions a day. You'll quickly notice the benefits of your meditation.

Begin a session in the morning and afterwards decide in advance where you will meditate during the day.

Have in mind that you will find opportunities to meditate during the day. For example during a 5 or 10 minute part of your lunch break (if you have one).

Whenever you feel less than comfortable or you feel it's time to stop, do so. You will gain more from sitting to meditate regularly the same day at this early stage, rather than struggling with a sitting.

As you meditate more, you will naturally be aware 'inside' for longer. Distraction of the outside world we decrease noticeably so meditation will become easier and more beneficial.

Make the decision here and now to focus entirely upon meditating during your sessions.

I hope you find this helpful. Let me know how you get on.
Wishing you the best.

Jens

Reflections on Appreciation part 3

2009-05-23T04:50:00.000-07:00

Growing up in my family I was taught appreciation involved learning the value of what you were given. Food on my plate, clean home, transfer of parent's beliefs and values, parent's nurturing, the environment, willingness to work, personal relationships.
Photo: Maher Berro
The list grew as I did. I realised that appreciation grew to meet my most valued experiences. They were and still are heart felt experiences and reciprocated too. Honest appreciation is like the caress of a lover whose sensuality remains long after the lover has gone.

I'll elaborate a little.

Appreciation makes us feel good and shifts us positively in a direction that increases our energy or motivation.

We enhance what we enjoy or what we are doing that received the appreciation. This give us the energy to continue and be more fruitful.

Appreciation moves quickly. It's dynamic and it's goal is to unite people toward a goal which may be friendship, conformity to an idea, cooperation amongst team members, the results are like a piece of string - however long you want it.

What you focus upon increases. Focus like pure water helps to grow appreciation as it does so many other things.

Appreciation is one of the simplest ways to acceptance and removing differences that create disharmony. It helps embed a positive cultural shift.

At merriam-webster.com appreciation is defined as 'an expression of admiration, approval, or gratitude', 'sensitive awareness...'

At yourdictionary.com it's defined as 'the awareness or understanding of the meaning, significance, value, or worth of something.'

Appreciation is the wind in the sails of gratitude.
Have you noticed that there is not a day, maybe even a hour where appreciation is not felt in your life? Some people recommend a daily practice of gratitude. It's become one of the law of attraction buzz words and rituals of the past two years. I believe appreciation is the knowing of the value of something beyond money and gratitude exists as a reflection upon this.

Imagine appreciation to be like a ship, which ports will you steer it to, to collect the passengers you would like to accept aboard?

Let's play constructively with this metaphor.

Take a pen and paper and draw four columns.

In the first column write the name of someone you will like to appreciate more.

In the second column write what it is they do or how significant they are to you.

In the third column describe what you will do to show them your appreciation.

In the fourth column note what you will have once you've shown them your gratitude.

I thought of these general reasons for helping in directing my gratitude:
I feel good as it reminds me of the important, positive things in life.
It is an opportunity to connect to others for simply being there.
It drives me from a stagnant state to a more dynamic one. That feels good too.
When I or someone else creates a change in my life, there is an opportunity to make one in another person's life too.

I'll leave you with an apt quote, in that it reminds me all change begins inside of us and spreads outward.
'As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world - that is the myth of the atomic age - as in being able to remake ourselves.' Quote attributed to Mohandas Gandhi

Let me know what you think.
Thanks for reading
Jens

Energizing Your Body - Self Appreciation part 2

2009-05-20T07:16:00.000-07:00

In this article I'll present ideas on building appreciation, care and fitness for your body. My intention is to offer something you can put into practise today. I imagine it will be of use to those of us who have become too familiar with a sedentary lifestyle. Self appreciation I find involves both the body and mind.

Photo: Martin Cleary

Simplicity is often the key to great progress in self appreciation because the results are easily identified and often tangible. The fact many of us have relatively healthy bodies suggests we can care for our physical nature, as much as we care for our emotional and mental ones.

We live in a culture seemingly obsessed with the 'glamour' of the body and a desire for an illusory physical perfection. I'm sure you've noticed. I believe perfection like beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I feel moderate exercising (for many of us non-athletes or non-competitors) offers a great way to cultivate a healthy appreciation of our physical self. All action however, begins from a point of stillness.

Standing still
This exercise helps you to be more aware of your body and to create relaxing feelings that you can enjoy whilst walking, sitting or standing still.

Relax and stand upright with both feet firmly on the floor. If you prefer to sit for health reasons then that is good too.

Cast your awareness over your body and get an overall impression of the way you feel.

Casually notice your breathing, it's natural rhythm.

Gently allow your breathing to take care of itself and your body

Be aware of the most tense spot in your body. Then be aware of the overall comfort in your body.

Feel the most relaxed place in your body. Focus on the sensations of relaxation there. Tell yourself to double those great feelings.

Allow those relaxing feelings to grow until you're happy to guide them through your body to replace the tense spots.

Stand comfortably and notice how differently you feel and what has changed about your appreciation of your body.

Now begin moving slowly in any way you feel is good.

Keep the relaxation you have and then begin walking. If you prefer, enjoy a walk outside (assuming you've been performing this indoors).

Let's go walking
Walking is the easiest of all exercises even if you live in a very hilly town as I do. I'm interested in walking as a way to appreciate our bodies, our physical well being and our environments. There is research suggesting walking is good for strengthening the heart, reducing depression, controlling blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. What better way to begin appreciating your physical health!

The truth be told, not everyone enjoys walking even though it's a routine daily performance for most of us. I found the above step by step exercise very useful for enjoying much more of the walking experience. Relaxation whilst walking means I breath more naturally with an improved posture and pace, allowing me to notice much more of my environment. It's also a low impact activity compared to more rigorous pursuits.

If you've not walked any substantial distance for a while, I recommend frequent short walks, gradually increasing the time/distance. Use it as a direct way to explore your neighbourhood (if it's safe), meet new people and journey to new locations. Walk with a friend or alone, listen to your mp3 player and stay safe and be aware of traffic and pedestrians. Walking may be the excuse you need to get a pet dog.

Check out this site to Map Your Walk and plot your walk and distances

Ready for Running
Running helps me clear out emotional residues like frustration and anger and reduce anxiety and physical tension. It makes me feel and look good. I find the pleasure in running amongst the physical exertion. I recommend reading my earlier post on Easing your way into Sport Training to make running or any exercising more attractive and pleasurable. I apply it successfully and there was a time, long ago when I really did not like to run.

To appreciate more of running find your preferred style (see links to techniques below), to reduce injury and build and maintain stamina. This involves how you use your body and what type of running systems you devote your time to. Running is obviously more demanding than walking. So begin slowly, build gradually and find happiness in this. In my experience there is a big difference between putting on a pair of running shoes and going for it and taking your time to feel what it's like to enjoy a run.

Useful Steps:
Be aware of how you physically run. The following had a great emphasis on my injury free short runs. Whereas before I introduced them, just 3 miles twice a week gave me sore knees. I don't know what will be best for you, so I've provided enough information and links to get you started.

Reduce the impact of running by keeping knees slightly bent, hips relaxed so they can move back and forth, arms parallel to the floor moving back and forth, head looking forward and balanced naturally. Keep feet low to the ground with balls of the feet landing first then the heel, while the foot is under the body.

Use a variety of running routines to avoid injury, boredom and over training.More information on techniques can be found at Posetech, Running Barefoot and Runners World

I replaced my running shoes with flat soled gym shoes which reduced impact to my knees. The running shoes had too much rear cushioning causing my heel to strike the ground sending shocks to my knees. The impact is now greatly reduced and is absorbed by my calves and thighs. I thought this was unique to me but found others experienced it also.

Check out this site to Map Your Run to plot your run and distances.

Finally, there is a blossoming appreciation for the benefits of body weight training for health and fitness. That's a wonderful thing as it gives us more opportunities to train at home, outdoors and in both large and confined spaces. There's plenty of techniques and systems to sample. Remember to begin new exercises gradually and be flexible in exploring what works best for you.

Check these links if you have an interest in body weight fitness: Ross Training and Fitness Exercises. Also check out the videos at Expert Village and type in search box: Exercises or a specific type of exercise like press ups to see a demonstration.

Keep the following in mind

Fitness and health can be achieved in small, frequent steps.

Begin gradually

Make it varied and fun

Fitness is not the same as health. Keep a balance

Reduce risks of injury through over training

Relax, eat and sleep well

If you want to lose weight, eat less and nutritiously and move around more

Appreciate that you have potentially many years to explore the benefits, mentally and emotionally from your physical well being.

Thanks for reading
Jens

Step into Self Appreciation - part 1

2009-05-18T11:17:00.000-07:00

Today's topic covers a very powerful and essential view of appreciation: Our view and what we can do to boost the way we think of ourselves. It's our quality of self appreciation that's important.

This is the first of three articles to cover quick, achievable practises you can do from home. Each covers three highly valued areas of living and something new you can begin now. I like to think you'll find them a creative, efficient and happy use of your time. I'm also learning and applying much of what you're about to read.

Photo: thinklia

There is only One Reason for Appreciating Yourself - That You Can
Summer is almost upon us and the temperature is changing, the colour of the sky is brighter and the air feels different. Naturally we like to feel good and look good. Some of us like to luxuriate in this all year round. The seasons don't always dictate how we should feel. People's expectations, fashions don't really dictate how we should look. We dictate to ourselves. Imagine! Instead, we can flow, be gentle and more easily choose just how great we want to think and feel.

The Look of Love
I recommend slowing down, relaxing and reading through the following exercise. Then doing it for real!

Stand in front of a mirror where you can clearly see your face.

Gently look into face. Linger on any features that attract you.

Gaze into your eyes for a little while, like lovers do.

Soothingly say something wonderful to yourself. Say anything, so it brings you comfort and joy.

Maybe it's self congratulation or a recognition of achievement or acknowledging that you're relaxed, happy and breathing well now.

The more you look at yourself, the more those heartfelt sentiments are making you feel great.

When you're really happy with yourself, enjoy this for as long as you like.

Looking into yourself through the mirror, remember any compliment or positive remark someone made to you.

Recall this clearly and any good feelings you have associated with this now.

Notice where the feeling begins, how it moves through you and double these sensations.

Declare you are deserving of love and appreciation simply because you are you. No one else can be as unique or individual as you are.

Be daring! Exaggerate every positive thing you say and experience right now. Let your passion and appreciation for yourself be supreme.

This is your moment and it always will be.

Consider This:
The nature around us, where ever we are is self sustaining, self cultivating and reproducing. That is a great reflection for our human nature. Something automatic and magical occurs every second of each day.

Sustain an open mind.

Cultivate a curious mind.

Reproduce a willingness for positive change.

Worthy of Your Appreciation

Choices - the more choices we identify the greater the freedom we experience.

Pleasures - they feel so good and are often the healthier choice.

Positive meanings - easy to find in many situations and encourages flexible thinking.

Quality relationships - self appreciation and happiness are strongly connected to what you most value and what costs the least.

Affirming your Self Appreciation
Ask yourself these questions and

What would it mean to really appreciate myself in all situations, every day?

What would it mean if I had a sense of appreciation for the people and circumstances in my life?

What would happen if I enjoyed more of my life as I appreciate myself even more?

What would happen when I appreciate that my life is an adventure?

Things to Do Now that Will Also Benefit Tomorrow

Imagine the perfect day whilst living in your current circumstances. Use all your senses fully as you immerse yourself in the experience. Rehearse for the day you want.

Meditate

Listen and/or read to inspiring, humorous, motivating material.

Write down all the things you would like to do. Prioritise the list with what is most achievable. Then complete them to the best of your ability.

Eat tasty, nutritious food.

Send a message to a friend or family member who you've not contacted recently.

Exercise, move around more in whatever way suits you.

Sleep well

I've used all these exercises to good effect. I've experienced some major changes in my life due to adopting and integrating these patterns of self appreciation. I still refer to them when I want to or feel I need to. I hope they will prove useful to you.
Part 2 of Self Appreciation is in the next post.

Thanks for reading
Jens

Meditation and the Way of Mantra

2009-05-13T12:48:00.000-07:00

Many of us live in a vast, rich, multi textured and ever repeating soundscape. We devote time and spend money on sounds that we expect to give us happiness, excitement, relaxation and fulfilment. Most sounds are physically produced outside of us and reverberate in. Let's dare to be different. In this article are 2 exercises and some ideas for exploring sounds inside us, to produce great effects for our well being. I wonder if you've thought that mantras are no different than a word you've never read or understood before?

Photo: Poorfish

Mantras
I'm sure you've all heard of mantras. They are a sound, created inside you to effect change in your awareness. Mantras are constructed from a series of syllables that appear to mean nothing when read by themselves.

Much has been written on the internet and in books about mantras. I've used several mantras and I've not found them reproduced elsewhere. To be honest, I can't remember them accurately anyway. What I do remember are their effects and the ways we can repeat mantras or syllables internally.

I discovered a lot can be revealed by repeating syllables and even some everyday words. The effects vary. One useful thing to remember is, a mantra has no personal, logical, social meaning to inhibit what you may experience directly from saying it. I found that mantras given to me many years ago were quite powerful and revealing. I won't be revealing any mantras here. I will be giving you good ways to say syllables internally to create positive effects.

A little extra on mantras and syllables
They have no meaning by themselves, compared to everyday words like those I've written. They have less mental, emotional or physical associations with them. Therefore it's easier for you to repeat them and 'go inside' to discover more. Mantras move your focus of awareness from the exterior world, into yourself. They offer an absence of logical reasoning. Such syllables may replace reasoning and thinking with insight and realisation. I like to think that's a good thing.

What benefit will I get from repeating syllables or a mantra?
I honestly don't know how rewarding you'll find an exploration of mantras. I'll offer several good suggestions later on, to help you get the most. I'm going to use a few general and vague references here, so be patient until we get to the good stuff later.

To deepen your self -appreciation and understanding. Maybe even broaden your relationship with your environment.
Repetition of anything reveals and creates new structures.
To move your awareness into your 'inner world'.
To help gain information of yourself.
To discover what's always been there.
It has no personal, logical, social meaning to inhibit what you may experience directly from saying it.

Your name as your first mantra
Have you ever considered that mantras are no more unusual than the sound of your own name?
Is it possible that your name is your first personal mantra? This may sound a little contrary to the definition I gave earlier. Take a moment to consider the following.

Sometime, very early in your life, a series of shapes called letters and syllables were given a very personal meaning and structure. Due to many years of use, your name combines intention, repetition and elicits a state of awareness from you. The obvious difference with your name is that others more often say your name than you do. Your name, that 'word' has personal, social meaning. When read and heard as a series of syllables it changes and social meanings fade away. The meaning is what you experience in a new way inside yourself.

The effects or states it produces in you are what's important in this article. So let's play with you saying your name for a change.

Using your name for a change
Explore as much as you can, by saying your name as if it were the first time you'd heard the word or read the syllables that make it. For this exercise only, of course.

Relax and sit comfortably.

Remember hearing your name spoken by someone you know well.

Be aware of any feelings you have, when they say your name with a certain emphasis and loudness.

As you reproduce or imagine those things now, you are creating sounds within yourself.

Now say your name to yourself using your inner voice or dialogue.

Change the emphasis, the volume - how loud or quiet it is and notice the different feelings within yourself.

Is this interesting? Is it revealing new things and making you more curious?

How far can we take this?
Your name and statements of self worth you repeat to yourself (via your inner dialogue) are the powerful mantras you carry daily. Syllables or mantras can be more personal than an adjective you use to describe yourself and maybe more powerful. Why? When you repeat a mantra with intention and relaxation you experience it's effects more fully. How many of us do that with adjectives or nouns that describe us?

The following exercise uses your internal voice or inner dialogue. Remember to be seated and comfortable. If at anytime you are less than comfortable, stop, do something else and return to this again later.

Say the syllables or words continuously until you are content. With eyes closed you'll be aware of more. Avoid any personal, logical, social memories or images connected with a word. Simply repeat the syllables. You want to enjoy everything you can experience directly from saying the syllables.

From an adjective or a noun, into a syllable or a sound, all inside you
Read through the exercise and be familiar with it.
Choose a word that makes you feel really great. For those of you who don't find a word easily, be daring. No one ever has to know what words you choose. Be wild and imaginative. Provoke a response from yourself that pleases and surprises you.

Pick a word or two that instantly create a wonderful feeling.

Sit down with both feet on the floor, back straight and comfortable.

Relax. Take your time and relax as deeply as you can.

Say the word or syllables to yourself as you normally would. Do this internally using your inner dialogue.

Notice whatever you notice.

Say the syllables or words with increased volume and at a rhythm that feels good to you, whereby you remain relaxed and focused.

What are you noticing?

Say the syllables or words with a direction going out infront of you.

After a period, as you say them send them in different directions and just be aware.

Say the syllables or words so they are in your space all around you.

Explore this to find what volume, rhythm is best for you.

When you're happy to stop, do so. Sit comfortably and stretch, move about gently. Focus again on the physical place around you. Make a cup of tea, have a snack and move around.
You may like to write your insights, feelings and discoveries on paper or pc.

I strongly recommend enjoying periods each day in exploring your internal sounds and their positive effects. I always remember a friend saying to me: 'You never know what benefits you'll get until you go in and find out.'

Please let me know what your experiences are.

Thanks for reading.
Jens

Taking your Time for a Change

2009-05-11T08:24:00.000-07:00

What's it like being stuck at the end of a long queue waiting for the supermarket checkout? Moving slowly inch by inch in a traffic jam? Sitting too long for the bank cashier to see you? Waiting not-so-patiently to see your doctor? I'm guessing the experience will have frustrated, annoyed you a little. Maybe that's an understatement.

Photo: badboy69

Imagine you could speed through time or race across moments in life. Where you once believed events moved too slowly, now you experience them at the pace you desire. Taking the time you'd prefer to feel the way you like.

'The only reason for time, is so that everything doesn't happen at once.' attributed to both Albert Einstein and John Archibald Wheeler

Remember a time when you had been travelling quickly then suddenly you had to slow because of traffic, pedestrians or delayed connections? Everything around you seems to wobble to an achingly slower pace. People move as if wading in mud and even the clocks on the wall indicate a rate of speed from a slower dimension. If you were to notice a stone falling from above, you suspect it would glide down like a feather.

There are ways to change more of your time in places, so more speed less haste, equals increasing pleasure. The cool thing is you don't have to walk, run, drive, fly or sail any quicker. You change your inner speedometer to create that for you. It's easy. Everything will be taken care of. This is how you can do it.

More Speed, Less Haste
Preparing our perceptions of things before they occur (and being calm and relaxed), can help many occasions be more enjoyable. It's about getting into your best state to appreciate more things. Changing the speed at which we relate to things before they occur, may make learning, exercising, standing in queues and travelling more pleasant.

I believe this exercise will positively change your experience of anticipated events, both before they occur and during the reality. You'll be changing your expectations of moments in your life and who knows what beneficial things may unfold.

Think of a journey you'll be taking soon. This can be via car, plane, cycling, walking or running on foot or any combination you'll be using.

Now see the journey as you expect it to be from beginning to end in your imagination. Obviously you won't be spending one hour or more doing this. You'll likely experience parts of the journey. Feelings of passing time and a dash of emotions with hints of your own inner dialogue too.

Stop, stand up briefly and think of something pleasant. Smile.

Sit down again and relax and just breath naturally. Take your time and relax well, so you are very comfortable.

Imagine your expected, future journey again from beginning to end.

See it and feel it occurring pleasantly and very quickly before you. As if you were watching yourself making that journey on a fast-forwarded film. Speed the film at a pace that is faster than normal and comfortable to you.

Now, imagine you are in the fast forwarded journey. You are relaxed, still and happy.

Pretend you are the calm centre. See everything moving around you at a fast speed. That includes everything in your scenery that will normally be in motion.

Do this repeatedly so you can explore your dominant senses of that experience (usually your vision, kinaesthetic feelings and emotions). Remember to use a speed that you feel comfortable with.

Notice how differently you feel toward any anticipated journeys or adventures.
Do future events, journeys, training sessions, meetings feel easier and more agreeable to you now?
Do you feel this exercise will be practical or useful to you?

Maybe this will also help you, when you're considering learning something new and wondering how quickly you can learn it.

Another Hint & Tip in the Right Direction
Another exercise you may find useful is one by Richard Bandler, co-founder of NLP. He uses the idea of contrasting speed. In your imagination you exaggerate a slower speed so when you're in the real occasion, it will appear much faster by comparison.

Imagine slowing down all aspects of an anticipated journey or occasion.

Everything you observe becomes very, very slow in your imagination.

The rate of movement of people, vehicles, animals, the elements like wind and rain, is greatly reduced. People's speech and breathing is reduced.

As a result of this, when you live the real event it may seem much faster.

'Life is all about timing....the unreachable becomes reachable, the unavailable becomes available, the unattainable....attainable. Have the patience....it's all about timing.' Stacey Charter

I hope these suggestions are useful to you. Let me know you're thoughts.

Thanks for reading
Jens

The Value of Money and Saving for Less Stress and Relaxation

2009-05-09T03:50:00.000-07:00

We met a 'friend of a friend' in a supermarket at the coffee section. I was picking one of the Italian choices and our 'friend of a friend' was deliberating over the supermarket's own brands. I said I really enjoyed the flavour and aroma of the Italian brand when relaxing in the morning with a fresh cup of coffee. For her, it was the cost and then taste which was motivating her choice.

Later, she briefly mentioned her long financial troubles and how she has now decided to turn her life back to normal. Currently living alone after the breakup of a long term relationship, her spending habits had not changed with her circumstances.

She experienced too much stress, for too long and had been unable to relax due to money concerns. She felt her independent way of living and well being were already compromised.

After the shopping, we sat outside a cafe for a drink. I was curious to discover what she was doing to improve her financial status and get 'back to normal' again. She told me so much, I began writing notes (I often carry a small notebook and pen for those moments when inspiration flows).

The Big Picture - Providing for Your Future Well Being

Paying all bills before saving money.

Saving money and building up 'easy money' or 'emergency cash' to reduce relying on loans or handouts.

Saving for desirable purchases, like evening wear, holiday or car.

Investing for the long term future with special bank accounts.

Being aware that the value of many things goes down as well as up.

The Smaller Picture with Big Consequences
Creating 5 accounts for different expenses. For example:
1. Bills
2. Food
3. Savings
4. Holidays
5. Long Term Savings

The Value of Money Compared to the Cost
Calculate what you spend monthly or weekly. Design a comprehensive list that shows all outgoings. Be honest with yourself. Contrast the list with your income. Ideally and necessarily the income is to be greater than the expenditure.

Increasing Savings by Reducing Expenses

Using only a debit card for shop purchases, having 'locked away' the credit card.

Reducing the cost of energy bills by changing suppliers. Remembering to turn off lights and unused electrical items (avoiding 'sleep' or 'standby' options).

Choosing cheaper home and car insurance options.

Change the mobile/cell phone contract to a cheaper alternative.

Finding lower cost telephone, television and internet broadband bundles.

Picking bank accounts with higher interest savings.

Paying attention to bank account details to avoid charges.

Avoiding using the car whenever possible and opting to walk or cycle more.

Using price comparison websites.

Food

Eating at home more and eating out less.

Buying essential foods that will be eaten and not forgotten in the fridge or cupboard.

Learning tasty, healthy new recipes.

Snacking and binging less.

Health and Well Being

Learning relaxation and stress reduction techniques that can be useful for anytime.

Yoga.

Running outdoors instead of paying to use a treadmill.

Cycling and walking instead of using the car for short journeys.

Nights Out

Cutting down on the drinks and food bill.

Going out 2-3 nights of the week instead of four.

Stopping the gym membership and exercising outdoors in the spring and summer.

Visiting a variety of restaurants and bars not just the expensive or trendy and expensive ones.

Buying only necessary clothes (with the intention of finding cheaper, good quality alternatives) and adventuring into the wardrobe to rediscover what's already there.

Finally, I will add her favourite self-questions: Do I need it and will I use it? Can I afford it?

This describes most of her plan for finding new choices and creating new beliefs for enjoying saving money and spending less. All the while adding value to well being and learning to relax again.

Thanks for reading
Jens

Sharing a Thought for Our Well Being

2009-05-04T02:33:00.000-07:00

I thought you'd like to see an interesting video or two on Masaru Emoto and his water crystal theory. You may have heard of him. He widely introduced the idea that what we say and do affects our inner environment and our external watery environment too.

He is not a scientist and quite naturally his claims have been challenged as pseudoscience. I don't hold any great belief on his theory, except that what we think and feel have an obvious effect upon us. Nevertheless, it's fun stuff that suggests we enjoy a relationship with our world that we may rarely explore. I also appreciate that here is someone helping promote the ideas of peace and caring.

On a daily basis, you'll experience your thoughts creating feelings and together motivating you toward or away from doing certain things. For example if you repeat the word 'Love', you'll feel noticeably different than when you repeat the word 'Hate'. Each has it's own meaning to you from your personal and socially accepted values.

Carry on and notice if you have any pictures or memories, that arise in your mind from repeating 'Love' and 'Hate'. Maybe they provoke more feelings and further thoughts. Like a car with engine and fuel, away you travel on a journey in a direction you choose. The pleasantness of your travels depends on the type of fuel. Will you prefer 'Love' or something else?

Does Thinking Change the Pattern of Frozen Water Crystals? What Does this Mean to Us?
Back to M. Emoto. How did he do his research? By high speed photography of the structure of frozen water crystals to reveal it's response to thoughts, words and pictures. What he claims to have discovered is different specific thoughts create different, specific patterns in the water crystal. Water, Emoto theorizes, has the ability to receive a wide range of frequencies (sunlight and sound) and reflect the universe in this manner.

Let's enjoy the two videos of Masaru Emoto. The first is a short interview with him. The second video describes more of his theory. Both are thought provoking in a useful direction.

Masuru Emoto Short Interview

Masuru Emoto Longer Video

Whatever your thoughts are upon this theory, it probably nudges you into caring more about what you think and feel for your well being. So, be quiet for a moment. Quieter still. As your silence becomes stiller while your body eases to help you be aware, that you can now remind yourself that thoughts and feelings are special and you only wish the very best.

Of course, the most important perspective is your own. I recommend using anything to remind yourself to think well, feel good and live with love.

Thanks for reading and please share your thoughts.
Jens

3 Inside Tips for Your Health and Well Being

2009-04-30T15:48:00.000-07:00

There are three powerful inner resources we commonly use to enjoy good feelings for relaxation, motivation, excitement, creativity and inspiration. The effect of this is often greater well being, goal achievement, changes in attitude, perceived health and positive outlook on life. I'll share my highlights of each to better illustrate what they are and how you can use them.

From the Inside to the Outside and Back Again
Your inner resources are the attributes of your personality and are innate human skills. We all share them. We are often grateful for them. They have a strong relationship between our outer world and our inner. Our imagination often acts as a liaison between the two. They are controlled by your mind and you are expert in using them in many ways already. In my experience these resources are our vision, our feelings and our inner dialogue.

People start by looking within and then move toward what's available outside of them. Personally, I think that's a very good strategy. When they know how to beneficially use what's inside them, then their reliance on other things is reduced. Co-operating with the skills you have and sharing your gifts with others, leads to greater happiness and independence.
It could be a metaphor for this burgeoning green, resourceful society we have around us. First locate and use what is naturally, locally, easily available and then share it. We may find it's more precious and pleasurable too.

The 3 Inside Tips for Your Well Being
As you read this you may find it's easier to go inside and discover even more of what's already available to you.

Vision

I realised that when I get excited or happy, I experience a brightness or light in my mind. It's like a white and golden light. So now, when I want to feel good or even better about something, I imagine it full or suffuse with bright light and hey presto! the magic is there.

Feeling

With any excitement comes really good feelings. These sensations can begin in my torso and quickly spread through my body to my fingertips and toes. The kinaesthetic movement feels like it sends sparks from my fingers and toes. My body feels energized and robust and my stamina improves. Whenever I want to enhance a positive experience, I notice which way feelings move and accelerate it by sending these wonderful feelings all over my body.

Sound

When I find a positive, uplifting or motivating moment I naturally hear my inner voice exclaim "That's great. I'll do it!" My inner dialogue is dynamic, powerful and motivating. It resonates all around me, as though I'm bathed in it's sound, volume, tone and tempo. When I desire more motivation I use my inner dialogue in a way that reminds me of a rock bands PA system. It rocks and I roll with it.

As you consider personal experiences of using your three skills together with any desires for your brighter future, perhaps you will bring all your resources together and create something really unique. I don't know exactly what that will be when you have it ready to share, although I'm looking forward to hearing and reading more.

Earlier posts I've written on these inner resources may be useful to you for creating more good feelings and positive experiences. Check out these three articles:
This article reveals more of our fantastic internal technology.
Here you can explore using your visual and sensational imagination.
Your inner dialogue for relaxation.

Now you've read about the benefits of the suggestions above, you may like to comment on what you do that makes you feel good, better or just wonderful.

Let me know what you think.

Thanks for reading
Jens

How to Lose Relaxation - The Stress and Tension List

2009-04-28T11:23:00.000-07:00

I asked friends to tell me of some of the behaviours and attitudes that made them feel stressed, tense or unhappy in the past. Things they could laugh about now and be happy to share. I did this to find common themes that we all successfully reversed, removed or replaced. This is a respectful, simplified and humorous list of the collated material.

People Have Unique Experiences - Sometimes Happy, Sometimes Sad
It's an unhappy, contemplative fact that many people in our world suffer. You can find statistics on numbers of people, countries, years and types of conditions including physical, social, political, psychological, economical and environmental. You may have experienced harsh conditions yourself or met with people who have. Maybe you are amazed by or respect your own and others tenacity for recovery or optimistic approach to life. I'm sure you can understand reasons for people's despair and depression due to their traumatic personal history.

Happily, there are many of us who have had few traumatic experiences in life. I believe we enjoy fruitful, healthy lives due to one or many of the following: stable society, education, adopted belief systems and lifestyles, parental upbringing, flexible approach to life, availability of work, respect and care for ourselves and others.

Anybody Can Experience Stress and Tension
However, there are people who have an uncanny ability to make themselves feel bad and worse. This can easily be done by thinking negative outcomes, events or repeating bad memories. Some people actively reduce their perception of themselves to 'bad and ruin'. In a quick period of time they can construct a 'bad' strategy to reduce their mental, emotional and physical health to the point of sickness.

I learnt for my own well being, that bad memories have no purpose beyond being a reminder of an earlier experience and 'guides' or compass points for future experiences. For example, if you've experienced any abusive relationship, you'll be aware of what others do to make you feel bad. There will probably be strong indicators of what you did to make yourself feel bad too. They are very useful examples of what to be aware of and even avoid in the future, for your own health and well being.

The Changeable, Removable Stress, Tension and Unhappiness List

Find all those statements that make you feel discomfort and stress. Repeat them to yourself whenever you want to be tense and ill at ease.

Go to places that you dislike, where you can do things you dislike but which other people say should be good for you.

Talk often upon subjects that make you feel uninspired, uncreative and even miserable .

Listen to music that makes you feel tense but others recommend because it's hip or required listening for your lifestyle.

On a daily basis, read articles that depress you and cause you to reflect on the sadness and despair in the world.

Regularly watch programs depicting violence, despair, depression just to make sure you are feeding your bleakest outlook on the world around you.

Constantly compare yourself to others you regard as more successful, intelligent, attractive or generally superior to you.

Think of memories where you suffered great emotional upset, like the break up of a long term relationship or collapse of a business. Do this repeatedly until you feel bad and consider visiting the doctor because you think you are depressed.

Adopt a lifestyle in which you are in constant competition to achieve an idealised self or state of success. Key themes you may find great difficulty in: competition to be more attractive and accepted; improve yourself or conform to an others standard; persist in trying to drag yourself to the unrealistic goals you've set.

Spend money. Spend lots of it to camouflage your unhappiness. Throw it away on items that convince you you're achieving happiness or the same status as your idol. Alternatively, convince yourself that lavish consumption is commensurate with 'successful' behaviour and buy, buy, buy. Also remember: shopping is retail therapy.

Be dishonest with yourself. Set yourself goals that are in contradiction to your real and heartfelt wants and needs. Don't sit down to notice what you really feel and think about your needs in life. Never write it down. Ignore it for best ill effects.

Set yourself a target to think about all the bad things that can happen in you life. Connect them in any bizarre way to any remote experience in your memory. Repeat frequently for disastrous effects on a daily basis.

A heartfelt thank you to those who shared their personal past as a contribution to this post.

Thanks for reading.
Jens

Stepping Into The Talent of Your Role Model

2009-04-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

Finding the skills you need from the talent you admire
This article offers you a practical and unusual way of recognising and learning some of the skills from someone you admire. It may help you overcome doubt, fear and even encourage problem solving. It has certainly helped me. I recommend using it together with real-world practices as it may accelerate your use of any gains made.

This post blossomed from an evening’s food and conversation with friends and their children. I realised that kids can give fantastic insights into how we adults can change our beliefs and positively change our behaviour.

Children and young adults will sometimes associate deeply with certain characters or celebrities and take on some of their characteristics. This may include a fashion and music style, mannerisms of speech or body posture and even a person’s attitude toward life. I suddenly remembered that this is an excellent way to explore how another’s skills or talents may be suited to you as well. It’s been used by a few self help teachers in the past and for good reason, as I’m sure you’ll discover.

Taking yourself into the Talent
The following technique is great to use when combined with your real-world learning of skills. It may help accelerate the use of that knowledge as I believe there is no substitute for real-world learning. As you know, we all share similar attributes of speech, thought, feelings and physical expression. We all know the wonderful benefits to be gained from our imaginations when we intend them for practical use.

Begin by sitting comfortably and reading the exercise below. Then go through it step by step and enjoy!

The 3 key attributes to gather for yourself are:
1. Skills
2. Confidence
3. Relaxation

Find someone whose skills or performance you will like to experience as your own. This may be a prominent public speaker like Barack Obama, Tony Robbins or Oprah Winfrey or any other accomplished person.

Take time in observing how they do, what they do. Study them on YouTube, Television, DVD or real life if you have the opportunity.

Relax whilst watching them. Absorb their movements, sounds and the feelings you get from the flow of their performance. Enjoy becoming very familiar with the way they perform.

Close your eyes and imagine them performing again. You can create any scenario you like. See them vividly going through their excellent routines.

Hear clearly what they say and more importantly, the ease and skill with which they say it. Feel throughout your body their confidence and assuring presence.

Mentally move around this person and watch them from different places. Decide which position feels best to appreciate and incorporate their talents for your own use.

Gently move into your image of the person. Pretend you are seeing through their eyes, hearing through their ears and enjoying their feelings. Make this your experience of their excellence.

Notice everything that is useful and positive about their excellent way of doing what they do.

Feel as much as you can from using their talents and have fun in repeating this for familiarity.

Gently move out from your role models’ body, having recorded their skills, assured relaxation and confidence for your own use.

Move your body gently and open your eyes slowly. Take some moments to relax further and be more aware of your own unique self. Then stand up, walk around and recall what you discovered.

When the first real life opportunity presents itself to you, practice your newly combined skills.

Remember to combine this technique with real-world learning of skills to help accelerate the use of that knowledge. I recommend you repeat this technique often to help you overcome doubt or fears. Use whenever it’s appropriate and useful to you. Change to suit your own wants and needs. It’s best practiced when you’re happy and comfortable to do so.

With your newly absorbed skills, imagine yourself doing the things you will like. Then ask yourself the following:

How much more relaxed do I feel?

How much more confident do I sound?

How much more assuredly do I move?

How much more comfortable am I when expressing my new behaviour?

This tool is all about relaxing, going inside and noticing new things and ‘realities’ for absorbing what is useful for you.
Taking a role model that you admire and enjoy watching is best. For ease of use, choose a person whose talents you can easily recognize. Notice how you can apply their talents to benefit you. Then discover your own unique expression with them. Wishing you the very best.

What were your experiences from using the technique?
Do you think this tool is useful to you?
Please let me know.

Thanks for reading
Jens

Thank you BT and VT for your inspiring examples.

Creating Pleasure from Leisure

2009-04-21T03:46:00.000-07:00

Leisure and pleasure are two nouns that sit beautifully together. They even sound 'sensation'-al when you say them. If leisure is the freedom from time-consuming responsibilities, I'm curious as to what people do. What activities or hobbies help us feel refreshed, relaxed, energized, excited or relieved? In this article I offer an attitude to activities for pleasure.

'Imagination grows by exercise, and contrary to common belief, is more powerful in the mature than in the young.' Paul McCartney
Some people and you may know a few, don’t do recreational, leisure activities or hobbies. They have ‘interests,’ ‘pursuits’or ‘occupations’. I don’t share a serious attitude toward my activities. Actually, I do because I believe they are for pleasure and I’m quite ’serious’ about that.

I was chatting to a friend during the weekend and they declared “ I haven’t got time to spend on a hobby ” after telling me all about their busy but incredibly unproductive week. I replied
“ hobbies don’t have to cost anything only a small amount of your time and the value is the pleasure you get.” I thought it was a smart reply. I even gave myself a congratulatory pat on the back.

More importantly, it caused me to reflect upon how I regard exploring new activities for pleasure. In the past, I didn't always indulge in a hobby because I would think “It’ll take ages to learn or be good at that.” That was the simple ‘red light‘ statement that stopped me from discovery. What a good way to deny yourself pleasure from expressing creativity and having little adventures. So I missed the point and pleasure of some things. Thankfully the past is where it should be. Behind me.

‘Any activity first begun has only the value you place upon it.’ Anon
Now, I regard leisure as fun, ‘light’ occassions that express what you desire and how you express yourself in the moment. Some people's hobbies have longevity and aims, some have wide reaching social goals and consequences, others are rewarding for their immediacy and the short term. Some you may even think frivolous.

However you consider hobbies, you’ll find they share this common attribute:
They are play-things for your imagination and an expression for your creativity. They are either immediate for pleasure or later for another profit.

To misquote Napoleon Hill: ‘Do not wait. Start with whatever tools you have at hand.'

The 'tools at hand' are you and your creative imagination. Whatever hobby you have from abseiling to reading and writing, somehow, somewhere you are engaging your mind and body in sensations from which you expect great feelings of well being. That’s the reward you expect from listening to your latest music download to completing your first triathlon.

Many opportunities are at hand to discover pleasures for your leisure.

Walking for relaxation and exploring new places.
Reading and listening to audio books
Singing
Meditation
Drawing, sketching anything. Doodling.
Exercising
Blogging
Restoring old vehicles
Playing an instrument
Exploring techniques for your well being
Twittering
Listening to music
Cooking with new ingredients and styles
Learning to skate
Watching foreign movies
Quilt making
Learning a second language
Living life in whatever way you choose
Travelling

For me, it’s all about manifesting my creativity in any way, at any time I choose. I can be inspired and excited by music and I’m sure you know how that feels. Reading a book can be the cause of reflection and the inspiration for a blog article. Walking and exploring new places can bring opportunities to meet new people.

The goals of my leisure are:
1. Pleasure
2. Creativity
3. Benefits to my health

Remind yourself that leisure activities and hobbies can be simple, enjoyable, time-effective, relaxing and fun. Those may be the only goals you need to begin. By changing a routine and doing the simplest activity, can positively alter your mood and change your day for the better.

What are your favourite spare time activities? Do you have the time for leisure?

'Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and follow where they lead.'
Louisa May Alcott

Thank you D for helping inspire this post. What a star!

Thanks for reading
Jens

The Magic of Your Intuition part 2

2009-04-05T11:15:00.000-07:00

Step into part 2 for using your Intuition.
This article will give you two powerful exercises to play with that I believe will encourage your intuition to 'reveal' itself. I think they'll get you into a calm, relaxed mood to accept intuitive feelings and insights.
Each exercise is simple and uses only your innate abilities. Intuition is an easy, simple, highly effective and natural process. Avoid thinking too much or trying to make it more than it is. Most importantly, have fun exploring.

A Reminder
In Part 1, I suggested that Intuition is a natural, instant, 'gut feeling', 'knowing' or 'understanding without thinking.' Furthermore I think it's a simple, fast, enjoyable ability that is available to us all.
So, your intuition may reveal itself as a feeling with meaning only to you, or a quick image or vision, or something else unique to you. You may be surprised to discover that you've had intuitive experiences at many times in life.

Exercises
Remember that intuition is a simple, instant 'result' usually requiring an initial thought or an intention. If at any time you feel something other than comfort, please stop the exercises and do something else. You can always return to them later.
Read through each one first before practising and have fun!

The Big Screen

Sit down and make yourself comfortable.

Relax in the easiest way you know how.

Close your eyes.

Have a thought of something you want intuitive information on.

Relax even more.

Imagine a movie screen or TV screen in front of you.

This will be where any intuitive images may present themselves.

Slowly move this screen closer to you until you notice an image or until it's in preferred location.

Be patient and relaxed and notice what you notice.

The Simplest Way
This involves three simple things: You being relaxed and having both the belief and intention that you can easily access your Intuition.

Sit down in a relaxed posture with your feet flat on the floor

Close your eyes.

Gently be aware of your 'inner space'.

Focus on no-thing.

If you get distracted simply say "Not this."

Return to being aware of your 'inner space'.

Enjoy noticing what you notice.

I'll just add that this last exercise can be a powerful and insightful experience! You can also use this last exercise with your eyes open whilst sat in other relaxing environments, like a coffee shop. Be flexible in your application of relaxation. Obviously heed the usual care regarding operating machinery, cars etc. I imagine you're the sensible people who do that already.

In my experience these two exercises have been most useful in giving me greater awareness of my Intuition. I hope they offer you the same practical value also.

What experiences did you have? What have you discovered about your Intuition?

Part 1 of this article showed you ways to prepare for receiving intuitive ideas or intuitive thinking. It has 3 techniques you can quickly use to remove tension or reduce the thinking that sometimes blocks Intuition.

Thanks for reading
Jens

The Magic of Your Intuition part 1

2009-04-01T10:45:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the first of a two part article on the Magic of Intuition.
Today's article will show you ways to prepare for receiving intuitive ideas or intuitive thinking. It has 3 techniques you can quickly use to remove tension or reduce the thinking that sometimes blocks intuition. Remember: Intuition is a simple, natural, enjoyable ability that I like to think is available to us all.

What is Intuition?
In my experience it's information, ideas or answers I arrive at or 'receive' when I relax and put aside logical, analytical thinking. Intuition feels natural, instant and relevant. It is often described as 'gut feeling', 'knowing', 'understanding without thinking.'
I've certainly had the gut feelings about places, events and people that were not based on rational thoughts or beliefs. Others claim to have them too. The following story illustrates this very clearly.

During 2005, a friend of mine was preparing to travel from north London to central London to catch a connecting train on the morning of the 7th July. Drinking a morning coffee he considered whether to take a 7.30am underground Tube train to Victoria Station or have a longer breakfast and catch a 8.30am Tube instead.
Whilst he imagined the longer breakfast was a good idea, he felt almost overwhelmed by bad feelings. He talked with his friend about breakfast and each time he considered staying longer, he experienced in his words: " a bad feeling rising from my stomach and across my chest and arms. At the same time my vision became cloudier or darker somehow."

He chose to take the earlier Tube train to Victoria Station. Sometime between 9.30 - 10.00am he watched reports on a TV showing images of the aftermath of the London Tube and bus bombings that morning. His later tube train would have taken him directly along one of the bomb sites at the time it was exploded.

So, the ability to notice gut feelings or intuition is probably a very good thing.

Into Intuition
This post grew from my earlier post on Day Dreaming. After talking with people about if and how they intuit information compared to reasoning or logically developing ideas, I decided to offer some practical guidelines you may find useful.

I believe few people have doubts about the faculty called intuition. I do think some people do not realise or have briefly forgotten how to access a suitable state in which to use intuition. This post is written to help show you how.

After asking people what inhibits them in using their intuition, I had the following 4 themes:

a. Thinking too much.
b. Don't believe in it.
c. Don't believe they have an ability or a lack of confidence.
d. Too much tension - often located in the stomach.

As a response I've written 3 techniques.
The first exercise will help you relax all over, remove tension from your tummy and reduce your thinking. Does it get much better than that? I believe once you're relaxed you'll find yourself more at ease and receptive to your intuition. It's a simple thing to begin now.

Please read through the following suggestions first. Then have lost of fun practising them.

Getting into the Intuitive Groove

Intuition Exercise 1
1. Sit comfortably, close your eyes and say to yourself in your most soothing, sensual voice to 'Relax.'

2. Enjoy sitting in this growing feeling of relaxation. Feel free to repeat 'Relax' or whatever words make you feel most happy and at ease.

3. Flow the feelings from the most relaxed part of your body, into your stomach or any tense area. Move this relaxation in the way that is most natural, instant and pleasurable.

4. Notice how this relaxing feeling moves, what the feelings of movement are like and what pleasurable sensations it gives, as you move it around into all areas.

5. Bathe yourself in the pleasure of this relaxation.

During this technique people may find they 'discover' intuition and it's distinctions from logical thinking. Which is a cool thing. I recommend you enjoy this relaxation often, so it becomes very familiar and almost 'second nature' to you.

The next two exercises are for those of you not completely sure whether you're intuitive or not. I believe it will help you have confidence in your innate ability. I also think it helps people settle into a suitably intuitive state. Having confident feelings that you can use your innate intuition is necessary. Here's how to get it.

Intuition Exercise 2
1. Recall a strong, vivid memory of something you know confidently happens regularly and that you confidently perform regularly.

2. This may be enjoying a walk, tying your shoe laces, driving your car, brushing your teeth, making love (that's a good thing to feel confident about), dressing yourself or anything else that comes to mind.

3. Notice everything you can about this confident memory. What image or images are there? What sounds do you hear and at what volume? What are all the colours you see and their brightness. What are all the physical sensations you recall? What are all the feelings of confidence you get in doing this?

4. Enjoy noticing all these sensations and remember them.

5. Move into the image (if you have not done so already). Imagine being there now, doing things you confidently know happen regularly and that you are confident in.

6. Bathe in these feelings of certainty and confidence. Wonderful!

Now move onto the following exercise.

Intuition Exercise 3
1. Clearly see 'another you' sat or stood before you.

2. This image of you is both relaxed and confident and now you know exactly how good that feels.

3. Be aware that 'you' are very certain in your ability to be successfully intuitive.

4. Look at the way you are, your posture, your feelings, your presence, as you use your intuition.

5. Notice everything that you need to be intuitive now.

6. Experience intuitive ideas in whatever form is appropriate, flowing into your awareness.

7. Comfortably move into the other you (if you have not done so already).

8. Share all the confidence and certainty you have from the previous exercise and have that now as you use your intuition. Take in all the best most useful things.

9. Imagine how much easier, happier or improved your life will be, with this new confidence and certainty in your intuition.

Intuition is a simple, natural, enjoyable ability that I think is available to us all. These techniques are designed to help remove blocks and encourage new beliefs. As I mentioned earlier, some people find they have intuitive experiences during and after practising any or all these techniques. I hope that's the same for you now.
Remember it's fun, easy and natural!

Part 2 of this article will appear in my next post. I'll give you techniques to enjoy an intuitive state and I like to think you'll get results. They work for me and I hope they will for you too.

Please let me know how useful you find these suggestions. Feel free to comment and share your own.

Thanks for reading
Jens

10 Steps for a Stress Less new Season

2009-03-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

Relax, spring is here and for many people it's the season to rejoice. A warmer, sunnier climate is expected to be bouncing along our way soon. Accompanying this brighter change in season is often a change in attitudes, aspirations, dreams and hobbies. Well, it is amongst many of the people I've been talking with recently and that's an optimistic response to the end of the darkly chilled Scandinavian winter.

I've created a list of activities and changes that I hope will attract, amuse and provoke even more creativity from you, for a relaxing spring season. Each suggestion comes with it's own link to a site offering you diverse ways to enjoy spring. Enjoy!

1. Enjoy relaxing in the outside world again.
Maybe you never stopped or maybe you've forgotten what a bright outside world looks like between your workplace, gym, restaurant, car and home. I love the outdoors even if I'm just strolling along listening to my thoughts, my mp3 player or the world around me. I also prefer exercising outside too and rarely use the gym.
If you enjoy walking, cycling and running outdoors here is a useful website to assist you with maps and distances to measure: Map my run

2. Discover something unique about the natural world around you.
This season with it's extra daylight and warmth (usually) is the time to venture outside and really explore this. There's a curious aspect to nature. Did you know that there are mathematical principles visible in plants, human bodies and flowers and they are often expressed in the symbolic language of art, architecture, songs, myths, folk sayings and religions? Neither did I! You can take information outside with you from this site: Golden Number

3. Write poetry for the world to see.
As you cast your hungry gaze across the blossoming landscapes of springs' new vitality...Write something wonderful about the changing daily scenes and inspirations in spring. When you want to share it, (as well as social/microblogging it) submit it to this site
Poetry Magazine

4. Teach yourself Relaxation for less stress
Learn to relax easily and quickly. Discover how to use your imagination, memory and creative flexibility for relaxation. Tell your friends and colleagues when you feel it's good for them.
Begin here with The Relaxing Zone

5. A new season, a new reason to buy new clothes
Buy clothes that reflect the new season and your new 'mood' or 'attitude'. All the fashion houses release new season clothes and all successful high street stores do the same. Feel what colours and styles best reflect you and where you want to be this season. Fashion Chicks

6. Choose different foods for your diet.
Spring greens like asparagus and plantain are starting to come out now. Yummy. Did you know that passion fruit has more fibre per ounce than any other fresh fruit? Nor did I. You can select new foods based on nutritional value (which I suspect is a novelty for some of us) This site is helpful Nutrition Data

7. Grow yourself a herb garden.
Begin planting a herb garden or a herb box (if you have no garden) and you can enjoy their fragrance before using them in your cooking. All they require to grow well is sunshine with a light, fertile well drained soil. Simple stuff. Check this site. Herb Growing

8. Volunteering
A generous way to spread spring's energetic vibe whilst building upon your recognition of need and social responsibility. You can probably think of many ways to offer your skills and knowledge to your neighbours, friends or community. This site matches people and causes Volunteer Match

9. Learn basic digital photography
Capture scenes to inspire the wonder and emotions from the daily scenes around you. Upload and share on flickr or your various blogs and profiles. If you're like me then a few hints and tips are always welcome. The next step is remembering to take the camera outside with you (note to self). Find hints and tips here Digital Photography School

10. Relax and decide upon what you don't need.
Take some old clothes and household items to a charity store near you. Consider it an important aspect of your spring cleaning. You never know what things you might discover for yourself. Find what beliefs and attitudes are unproductive for you now. Exchange them for something more conducive to well being and the blossoming of spring.
Read this for imagining yourself doing something new Tune in, turn on, take off from here

I hope these suggestions are all useful to you. Please let me know your experiences or suggestions for other activities this season.

Thanks for reading
Jens

Day Dreaming for Creativity and Relaxation

2009-03-27T11:37:00.000-07:00

Day Dream Believing
This article is written about one of my favourite activities. Day dreaming. It's a creative, focused, relaxed way to get insights for your future.
Whilst doing this you can allow anything to be possible with a free and open attitude. Day dreaming has a dual purpose. You are relaxing as well as creatively orienting yourself to gather ideas.

You'll notice I referred to day dreaming as an activity. A very pleasurable, fruitful activity.
That's because I see it as the beginning of creativity. It can be used systematically for inspiration, idea generating and seeing the whole picture as you would like it.
I find it very useful for giving me specific visual information with feelings, that confirm their appropriateness for what I want to accomplish.

To get useful results from day dreaming I suggest having four simple things in place:
1. Your direction - what you want to do. What would you love to do?
2. What you value and what you recognise as useful.
3. Goals you have decided upon.
4. Relaxation.

Begin Day Dreaming
This can be done anywhere you can sit down. Have a pen and paper available or a voice recorder to note your results.
Read through the following technique until you're familiar with it then practise and enjoy day dreaming.

Consider the following and have simple, brief answers. Use the answers as a magnet for the results you'll get from day dreaming.

What is it you want to do?

What is it's purpose?

How soon do want it?

Where will it take you in the future once you have it?

Day dreaming is for seeing, feeling and hearing the specific details within the answers. Continue into the next technique.

Relaxation.

Sit down comfortably with your back straight and feet upon the floor.

You can be looking straight ahead or slightly upwards.

In your own time, take 3 relaxing deep breaths. Savour each breath as it flows in and out.

With every gentle exhalation you'll relax more.

Notice which part of you feels most relaxed.

Gently take another deep breath and as you let it out imagine a warm and sensuous feeling growing in the area where you feel most relaxed.

With your next breath imagine that wonderfully relaxing feeling moving all around your body.

Enjoy pleasure in the deeper feelings of relaxation and imagine any tension washing away.

Every breath you take can easily deepen this relaxation.

Notice what would happen if you took this relaxation into your life.

The more you allow things to happen, the more your natural breathing will be relaxed and relaxing.

Stay with this feeling and be open to the ideas that will come to you.

Record whatever information is useful and attractive to you.

Day Dreaming Hints & Tips
In my experience a relaxed body posture is important for the best results. I have found a seated upright posture, with head up or slightly raised to be most comfortable. My eyes are gently focused at a point somewhere between my eyebrows and middle of my forehead for the quickest results.
Having the intention to receive appropriate or relevant information is useful. A playful, open attitude seems to encourage more results for me.

I'm very interested to know what you find from using this technique.

Thanks for reading.
Jens

Power Trio Videos on Consciousness and Meditation.

2009-03-25T14:30:00.000-07:00

I've been watching videos online upon some of my favourite subjects: naturally induced altered states, consciousness, meditation and something called reality (or as I prefer the 'real estate of the mind'). These are areas with plenty of anecdotal evidence and it seems increasing scientific research too.
I've included 3 videos for your entertainment. The first two have fascinating subject matters, covering experiences and opinions on the far reaching insights of the mind and it's effect upon simply being human.

The Federally-Funded Remote Viewer on Stillness and Inner Peace
A very informative video on using stillness as a basis for remote viewing, healing and ESP amongst many other things. I have never practiced RV so cannot vouch for it's efficacy in information gathering.
I do practise stillness, meditation and relaxation and in my experience they are highly effective tools for health and well being. It's an engrossing interview with Russel Targ who co-founded the Stanford Research Institute's federally-funded program that investigated psychic abilities in humans for 10 years. I hope you enjoy it. 36 mins.
Stillness, Remote Viewing and Inner Peace

The Consciousness Altering Neuroscientist on Reality
Neuroscientist Dr Michael Persinger presents a video on his perspective of the Nature of Reality and Consciousness from the experience of altered states. It's a thought provoking video that encouraged me to sit and meditate. 48 mins.
Neuroscience, Altered States and the Nature of Reality

The Short and Sweet Guided Meditation
After so much intellectual banter I feel it's appropriate to complete this power trio with a charming guided meditation for your entertainment from Youtube. Enjoy! 10 mins.
Guided Deep Meditation

Thanks for reading. Thanks for viewing.

Jens

Hypnotize yourself for well being now!

2009-03-23T09:33:00.000-07:00

This article offers a rapid way to enjoy self hypnosis or self-suggestion.
Below you will find an easy step by step process to hypnotise yourself for greater well being.
Before that, a quick explanation of why I wrote this article.

Hypnosis - my definition
Whatever I call it, this is really what it is: something related to what you probably do much of the waking day when you decide to achieve or get something done (this might range from arriving at work to feeding and bathing the kids).

You can find at least eight different academic and anecdotal definitions online. The fuss over definitions or understanding is almost laughable, except if it results in the denial of powerful resources for those in need. I like to think that defining a thing is not the same as refining it as a result of practical use. In the 21st century, I wonder if hypnotism will be accepted as self induced access to a greater mind - body relationship or will it be pulled back by intellectual caution into the basin of alternative medicine?

I have another simple definition of hypnosis: It's the way you purposefully engage your imagination, your inner dialogue, your feelings, your mind and body. The result of this engagement of your mind-body is: You have choices that you can enjoy. You're in control.
I believe the mind-body is intimately connected. For example, you meet someone you think is attractive, your mind says "oooh", your body feels "laalaa." Very simple, very effective.

I'm avoiding the area of clinical, practitioner and therapy related hypnosis for the purposes of this article. I'm far more interested in what we can do for ourselves as complimentary to other treatments or advice.

Self Hypnosis - what's it all about?
You could probably tell me! It appears to have been 'understood' in different ways through the ages. Each definition ideologically tinted or tainted by various paradigms and cultures. Uses of hypnosis are thought to stem from the ancient temples of Asclepius the Greek god of medicine through to the present day.

I strongly consider our thoughts are our responsibility. You can do with them as you please. Decide now, what type of thoughts you want to give you the feelings you desire, for the life you feel will be yours. Amongst all this change around us, when we notice our present we are more likely to find greater choice for our future. Sometimes the past can be left where it is, behind us. The beautiful thing is you do have the power, the technology, the innate skills to alter your thoughts for a wonderful change.

The Benefits of Self Hypnosis
Like so many useful things in life, the practical value of anything is in it's application. If you experience a benefit you can connect with it's use, then that is excellent because you can explore it further. If not, find something else that works.

Artists of all kinds (people with the same technologies of mind and body, like you and me) produce new music, release new movies, create new art, build new structures, care about something, give and receive love, focus thinking in new directions, are changed by new feelings.
Science claims that every part of our human physiology is constantly undergoing change. You can't think an original thought twice.

Imagine if someone listened to the same songs, watched the same movies, did the same things repeatedly over many months they'll eventually become uninspired, tired and unhappy during those moments. Oh yeah, if you're thinking 'Why change?' ' I don't need to change' I'm not saying you do. I am saying that all life is experiencing change. Changeless change. It appears very good at it.

I like to generalise the term 'successful' to 'success in being well.' I like to think this helps people search internally for more wealth in their life beyond money.
Which means many of us have more choices. Also more potential acknowledgement of success. Your thoughts belong to you because they exist in your personal space. Whether they are originally yours or were inspired from another source like a marketing campaign only you will know. The mind is a reactive tool and we can use it to very good effect for our well being. Some people claim happiness, well being, relaxation and a financial fortune from using their mind creatively and productively.

The way to rapidly hypnotise yourself
Read through the suggestions below, practise them. Then sit down, relax, close your eyes and repeat to hypnotise yourself.

Choose a belief you want for yourself. For example, you want the confidence to choose to do whatever you want. Pick something that you believe will make a positive difference in your life.

Sit down comfortably, close your eyes and relax.

Imagine yourself with your chosen belief. A healthy, wealthy attitude, a preferred situation, a fruitful life that you will one day call your own.

Maybe you want to be more loved - loving, confident, energetic, creative, generous, sexy, sociable. The choice is yours.

Imagine living a life with this belief. Experience this vividly and colourfully.

Notice what your behaviour is like. How well are you living? How happy are you? What are you attracting into your life with this new belief?

Be aware of how you are walking, standing, smiling, talking, breathing with this new image of you.

See yourself doing these things and notice the following: How are you moving? What does your voice sound like? How are you dressed? How do you talk with other people?

Be intuitive, be playful and explore what feels most appropriate.

Make any adjustments you like to increase your well being. Make the colours rich and bright, the sounds louder, the good feelings stronger.

Move into this image, if you haven't done so already. Integrate with this new attitude and behaviour you've been noticing. Let them really become yours.

Sit and savour this for as long as you like.

You will know when you've 'got it right' because your body will vibrate with pleasure. You'll feel what's best. Hear what your mind-body tells you.

What situations in your life will benefit from your new behaviour? All of them?
Take time to imagine and record what you can achieve with this new belief and skills.

This suggestion was based upon my experiences of using tools provided by the Silva Method and NLP.

I'll suggest you repeat this self hypnosis regularly. Make a normal daily schedule for it. It's simply using your imagination to benefit your behaviour to positively shape your life.
So, self - hypnotise yourself now to feel great whilst planning your future. I wonder how curious you are about how you can make your future from this present? The more you practise the technique above, the more you'll notice what is best for you.
Many of us are fortunate people to be living with the inner and outer technology available to us. Explore it for yourself and let's discover what the potential is.

Tell me what you think.

Thanks for reading
Jens

Your fantastic internal technology

2009-03-18T16:27:00.000-07:00

I wrote this article to offer my ideas and beliefs upon using the gifts and gadgetry (our minds and bodies) to help us in creating well being, happiness and just about anything else we can realistically get. It's my opinion and I like to imagine it'll be useful to you. So, let me add that this article may practically assist you in your well being. To more easily provide you with the everyday luxury of relaxation. To be calm and focus on your enjoyment of meditation.

I've provided links to earlier articles I've written (highlighted text) with step by step methods to explore relaxation, well being, meditation and personal development.

Our fantastic internal technology of the present for the future
I expect it's common knowledge that surviving and thriving or being happy and healthy requires a working knowledge of technology. We use an uber-sophisticated technology called our mind and it's peripheral hardware called our brain and nervous system. It was the first and will always be the greatest set of gadgetry we will own or operate.

Take pleasure in the fact that it's easier to use than the software programs in our computers. Instead of clicking through the help section we can rapidly ask our memory and notice our emotions and honest reflections as to whether something has been done 'correctly' or not. We can also change emotions, distort and reshape our memories to remove bad feelings that limit our enjoyment of our life. We can create beliefs to motivate us to achieve something new. We can use our internal sensational dictionary to find the words that quickly build wonderful feelings and attitudes. We can love ourselves.

The good thing is most of the hard work has been done for us. We've already had years of experience in using our internal software and we are benefiting from the biological development of generations. Let us use this to our advantage. I think it's always useful to simplify beliefs and opinions on subjects that matter. It makes everything easier to grasp and we can all feel that we understand the same things.

I'm going to briefly describe my simple ideas on how our minds operate.
Our views and beliefs of the world can be said to have 4 basic parts:
Shapes
Numbers
Colours
Habits

Generally, our minds use 3 things to create perceptions, memories and comparisons of our world. We can alter each of them to change how we feel, think and act. That's a clever thing.

Images - for many of us images appear around us physically and within us as memories all day, every day. They are composed of colour, moving or still objects and often multi-sensory. Many people even recall dreaming in images.

Location and Time - When something is remembered it's saved in a special place in your imagination. Two useful analogies are when you want to quickly find saved work on your computer you first store it as a file, in a folder within a directory. You will leave money in your home in a place you consider safe and memorable and only easily found by you.

Association - remember biting into your favourite food? When you do, you'll probably recall the taste, sensation of food in your mouth, smell, colour and pleasure.

One of the most important prerequisites for well being of any description is choice. How you create choice depends on how well you play with Images, Associations, Locations and the techniques listed below.

Choice
How we notice choices depends on our learning skills with the things listed above. Thankfully, that's easy to do and many of us are able to create choices in our lives. We can do this when our environment supports us and we are able to step into or create new environments.
Most importantly you can learn how to use your internal world - your imagination and brain to create the sorts of choices you want. Sometimes you may be in places where you'd prefer not to be. Then you have your flexibility with your imagination to make internal changes to your perception of what's happening around you. Until you can leave and go somewhere you prefer. Regardless of what personal development magic they may work, most people do not want to be in a war zone for too long if at all.

I believe you'll do very well when you use any and all the following techniques toward well being and positive self change.

Imagination - Einstein said it "embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution."
Positive Images - you'll enjoy repeating certain things and most minds and bodies like good memories.
Movement - We remember and feel movement more than still images. Make them 3D for more effect.
Humour - I believe most people like a good laugh and it's a magic tool for transforming how you feel.
Exaggeration - Over emphasising shapes, colours, movements, sounds can be fast, fun way to change our attitude and feelings and create new behaviour.
Colour - It's powerful, emotional, we wear it everyday, most if us see it every day.
Sound - what's your favourite music? the sound of your lovers voice? You hear what I'm saying?

Individually or together, they'll produce new feelings which you can play with to shape new ideas and behaviours. You are a technological marvel. We are a mind - body mystery in motion. Get familiar with using the gadgetry you were born with. Love exploring this wonder and expand it into new ways of living and sharing on this planet. Together we can be ever changing, new, different, creative maybe revolutionary in our designs for well being, harmony and positive change.

Thanks for reading
Jens

Your voice in your words for deeper relaxation

2009-03-16T15:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, someone in a cafe told me they felt stressed. They said almost the same things as my friend whom I spoke with on Friday: "I can't seem to relax. I'm stressed. I've got thoughts going around my head all the time. It's like i can't switch off."

This was important stuff to hear because I knew what they were talking about. They believed they had lost control of their inner dialogue. It's like they stopped driving the car to watch the scenery go by instead and wonder why they've left the road, hitting the barriers. I have had similar experiences in the past. I was fortunate to learn how to control it, reduce it and do something different to feel much better instead. It's good they can identity what is happening because they can now more easily help themselves.

This is the technique I recommended to them. It is a highly effective yet simple tool in using your own voice to get control and change your experiences to those you prefer to have. The most important thing to remember is you have control and adaptability for your own well being.

The quick guide
You need to gently step inside, slow yourself down, relax and turn the switch off. The cool thing is when some people discover new ways to relax they find new confidence too.
I recommend using an inner voice tonality, speed and volume that is calming, soothing and relaxing. Practice using the most relaxing tone of voice you can imagine whilst reading the following technique. You'll know when you've found your perfect voice because your body will tell you so. Your will relax with a feeling you have not felt in this way for a long time.

The Technique
When you notice the thoughts moving and any feelings of unease or stress do the following:

Imagine removing the energy from the thoughts. They are in your head so you have control now.

Slow them down. When you can notice them moving around your head, then you can slow that motion to a trickle and a more peaceful pace.

As the thoughts slow down so the feelings you have will improve. You can easily turn yourself away from stressed toward so very deeply relaxed.

Tell yourself in a calm, gentle voice to slow down and soften. Use a tonality that is rich in soothing undertones so your body automatically relaxes. It's like you are slowly and lovingly caressing something you adore.

This will also improve your well being dramatically.

Find a word or phrase that feels relaxing to you. For example, it can be 'relax' or 'bliss' or 'I'm deeply relaxed.' Find any of your own.

Only choose the words that really make your body relax and your mind calm. The sort of words that send the most wondrous sensations up and down your spine and from the top of your head to the tips of your toes.

In your soothing, calm voice repeat the word or phrase to yourself until you are enjoying the state of relaxation you want.

Enjoy this regularly. It's like eating your favourite delicious, nutritious food or meeting your best friend. You'll do it often because it feels fantastic.

Advanced technique
Exploring the use of your new relaxing voice. You can say things to yourself and direct your voice inside yourself for different effects.

Repeat your relaxing words and imagine hearing them from your right side and then your left. Then both places together. It's like you're hearing with stereo speakers.

Maybe you prefer surround sound. Imagine hearing your voice coming from left and right and from in front and behind you. Then imagine your voice from above and below.

Now, experience your wonderfully relaxing voice all around you and inside of you.

Imagine a group of singers surrounding you with a harmony of voices spreading relaxation through you and all around you.

I wonder what you are noticing and how good you are feeling.

Remember, the potential to positively and dramatically effect your well being with this technique is literally within you. It's exists between the twin powers of your imagination and your talent with your inner voice or inner dialogue. I believe we all talk to ourselves. We have our pep talks, rallying calls, admonishments, alarms and songs of love. Let's develop skills in using them wisely, lovingly, powerfully and direct them with our best intentions for well being.

Let me know what you are experiencing.
Thanks for reading
Jens

Using your Mind-Body Skills for Improved Sports Training

2009-03-13T13:29:00.000-07:00

Sport training, relaxation and visualisation are not usually considered important for the non-professional or non elite trainer or sports person. Yet have you considered that before every physical action you take, you probably visualise it, feel it in your body and most likely have some inner dialogue about it?
I'm no expert on you but if you're a healthy human being you will likely notice one, even all three of these inner functions.
Which leads me to ask: what of your mental and emotional skills in preparing for sport or exercising? This article reveals some techniques to enhance and balance the quality of your training preparation and performance.

I'm going to introduce a series of mind-body conditioning tools for you. They begin with preparation before your training or exercise and lead into you performing your exercise itself - in this example running. They will help you build a new awareness of yourself through meditation and transfer this to your body movement and attitude when training.

Goals
The first goal is for you to build a clearer sense of your form and perception and beauty of movement.
The second goal is for to either achieve more optimal performance, overall fitness or greater enjoyment and appreciation of your activity.
Furthermore, you will hopefully enjoy greater skills in visualising or imagining new possibilities and achievements.

For the purposes of this article I used running as my exercise as it's very popular and practised by many sport and exercise enthusiasts. Yes, I practised the following suggestions myself. You can use these techniques with many types of exercise. I've also used them with body weight exercises like burpees. Practice the techniques yourself to discover if they give you new limits of mental and physical fitness. Let me know your discoveries.

1. Breathing and Awareness Meditation

Sit down comfortably, relax and close your eyes.

Breathe normally through your nose.

Notice the sensations of the breath upon the tips of your nostrils.

(I highly recommend you sit and enjoy this meditation at many other times as well for general calm and well being).

Be aware of this sensation for 2 to 5 minutes. Build this from 2 minutes to whatever length of time is good for you. Remain relaxed and focus upon the breath on your nostril tips.

Afterwards you should be in a calm, relaxed or altered state from when you first sat down. Be aware of what you are experiencing in this new state. Then move on to the following.

2. Movement

Remaining in this new state, stand up and move around, gradually building up a greater range of movement.

Remember to stay or return to this state during these movements.

When you feel ready, begin slowly running. Notice what this feels like.

Return to the state when you are ready to go for a normal run and notice what the differences are between this and your other runs.

The next suggestion is to be performed on a different training session from the one above.

3. Vivid Visualisation

Vividly imagine your body being light and durable.

Maybe your body is filled with a substance that represents those attributes to you.

Clearly imagine what it feels like, what colours are associated with it and any sounds.

Carry this visualisation into your next run.

Notice if the differences are beneficial and produce improved running style and stamina.

I'd also recommend only running when you feel the 'light' effects of this visualisation are present. This will help you strongly associate the feelings with the running.

The next suggestion is to be performed at a different training session from the one above.

4. Focused Awareness and your Dynamic Imagination

Begin by sitting down and meditating on the sensation of the breath upon your nostrils for 2 - 5 minutes.

Immediately after, in as much detail as you can, imagine a quiet, bright, outdoor space where you can clearly see any objects or movement.

See a human figure running towards you in the distance. This is your perfect runner. It has the perfect injury free running style, it has stamina, agility and is obviously enjoying the run.

Importantly, it has knowledge to share with you. Observe how it runs.

As it closely approaches you, join it in the run. See yourself running with this figure or you may merge with it.

When this experience is vivid, get up and begin running for real.

Alternatively, only run when this experience of the perfect runner is most clear in your mind.

Above, I've given you 4 steps to explore exercising through your mind-body connection. I want you to enjoy this and find the different ways you can connect your 'inner skills' to your training or sporting performance. You may be searching for optimal performance, increased overall fitness or greater enjoyment of your activity. Whichever it is, I hope you find something very useful in these techniques. I'm sure you will at least have a greater skill in entering useful altered states for your well being and relaxation. That alone is a wonderful achievement.

I currently exercise regularly in a non-competitive style. Which means exercising in solitary style through short distance runs, sprinting, body weight workouts using intervals and Tabata sessions. I enjoy it. It's varied, demanding and short. I rarely exercise for more than 45 minutes. I have enjoyed playing squash and now live in an area with no squash facilities for many miles around. Boohoo.

Let me know your discoveries.

Thanks for reading
Jens

Instant Relaxation Videos

2009-03-10T13:03:00.000-07:00

I've been watching some great relaxation videos on YouTube this week and would like to present them to you here. They are all very popular with over 20,000 views for some and over 400,000 views for the most popular. Together they give you a range of visual, spoken and musical relaxation themes. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

A suggestion: when watching the videos notice where relaxation begins and how the feeling of relaxing moves through you. Be aware of how relaxed you become. Are you more deeply relaxed during and after watching a particular video?

You have the ability to repeat the experience of relaxing once you become aware of how good it feels. Simply notice and remember the wonderful sensations of relaxing from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. Notice this in vivid detail so you will remember it much more easily. From there you can allow yourself to relax more frequently and with greater ease. It's a beautiful thing!

Instant Relaxation

Relaxation Meditation Nature Sounds

Amazon Rainforest Relaxation Video

Relaxation Meditation (Sunset over the Ocean)

Body Relaxation Exercise

Relaxation Therapy

New Age Merlin's Magic Meditation Music

Which videos helped you to relax the most? Which videos do you feel give you the ability to relax again without having to watch them a second or third time? Please let me know.

Thanks for reading.
Jens

10 amazing books you'll want to read

2009-03-09T13:55:00.000-07:00

I decided to include a selection of books that I think will enhance your lifestyle or interests in personal development, self help and self improvement. At the very least they may offer you cause for reflection and creative thinking as you read the opinions of thinkers and philosophers from four continents, dating back hundreds of years.

1. The Master Key System Charles F. Haanel
This system gives opinions on so-called causes, effects, and laws that relate to health, wealth and relationship success or it's opposite. It's an 'old school' book written over eighty years ago. Basically it tells you that what is happening outside is in a direct relation to what is taking place in your mind or consciousness. The book covers everything from how to create abundance and wealth to how to get healthy. What more d'ya want! Oh yeah, I've read it was instrumental in the 70's and 80's in directing Bill Gates attitude toward success and that it was once banned by the catholic church. What more recommendations do you need? Read it now!

2. The Joy of Not Working: A Book for the Retired, Unemployed and Overworked
What a cool and optimistic title. I'm still unsure of how realistic this is for many people but it's worth a look. It's a mixture of pop psychology, self-help and motivating yourself away from industrial societies work ethic conditioning and deciding what you want and how well you can achieve and sustain it. Taken with a pinch of salt I found it a reflective document on my daily working life (work and money values, societies goals versus individual goals) and 'western societies' approach to retirement, unemployment and moving off the grid in a small way.

3. Ageless Body, Timeless Mind: The Quantum Alternative to Growing Old Deepak Chopra
He writes upon the choices we have in reducing the mentally and socially enforced aging process. Simply put, you change your beliefs you change how you age. The basis for his belief, is quantum physics and scientists like Heisenberg, Bohr and Einstein whose work I have not read so cannot comment upon. He encourages us to reinterpret our views of our mind and body and realise they are intimately bound. I enjoyed it's life affirming message.

4. Creative Visualization Shakti Gawain
One of those classic books that are sometimes overlooked in the 'spaghetti bolognese' of self help books now available but easily consumed with relish when found. This has practical, short exercises to develop a positive, creative imagination through visualisations, meditation, affirmations and more. The book's goal is to give you tools to manifest what you want. Not necessarily everything you want.

5. Tao Te Ching Lao Tzu
A wonderful little book. I particularly enjoy the insightful commentaries earlier in the book. They sound more profound and almost 'universal' in their understanding of human thought and existence. A consistently popular title amongst eastern scholars, philosophers and every day guys like me who enjoy reading something between editions of FHM.

6. 1984 George Orwell
I dropped this powerful pocket book in here because it describes a potential for society, humanity to lose their freedom, individuality and reflection upon 'truth'. It's a remarkably insightful story of a government power structure that controls information and individual thought and memory. I regard this book as a reminder to embrace the power of individuality and our ability to decide upon what we want to feel and how we want to behave.

7. As A Man Thinketh James Allen
I agree with this statement attributed to the book 'Noble thoughts make a noble person, negative thoughts hammer out a miserable one.' What you consider noble and negative will be unique to you beyond our good ol' societies conditioning. It's another old book with a style of it's time that has reached well into our current era. There's no denying that what you think effects your well being. The question is what do you attribute 'well being' to. The author suggests the unconscious mind generates as much action as the conscious mind and claims 'We do not attract what we want, but what we are. We attract not only what we love - but what we fear.' His explanation is that those thoughts which receive our attention, good or bad, go into the unconscious to become the fuel for later events.

8. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience Mihalyi Czikszentmihalyi
People in a state of 'flow' are those who feel engaged in the creation of something larger, of being in the 'zone', 'ecstasy' or whatever synonyms are available for doing something well. The claim is that people who generate their own flow experiences who will tend to be happier. The author says that the best moments do not happen by chance, according to the whim of external event, but can be predicted to occur when a specific activity is engaged.

9. Caravan of Dreams Idries Shah
Wonderful stories allegedly collected from Sufi sources dating back hundreds of year. I enjoy re-reading their humour, simplicity and insight into human nature/psychology and the search for meaning in life and love for something greater than what is apparent with our basic senses.

10. Heal Yourself with Medical Hypnosis: The Most Immediate Way to Use Your Mind-Body Connection Dr. Weil and Dr. Gurgevich
A great audio book discussing the physiological mechanisms behind the mind-body connection, and stripping away the ridiculous shroud that in the 21st century still darkens the practice of hypnosis. It offers a concise historical account of hypnosis with some case studies. There are also trance induction methods, trance deepening and a full session of self-healing with hypnosis.
If it's your first introduction to hypnosis then I believe it will be an enjoyable and valuable one.

Let me know what you think.

Thanks for reading
Jens

Getting rid of that pain

2009-03-06T11:32:00.000-08:00

This article highlights 3 ways in which we can help ourselves reduce or even remove small pain like backache, toothache, knee aches. I'm labelling them as Well Being 1, 2 and 3. It is to be used as a compliment to your lifestyle and any therapy or medication you may take. The cool thing is there are no side effects. You are using your own brain to remember and restore feelings of health.

Small, regular experiences of pain can be distracting at best and debilitating at worst. I'm assuming that you realise pain is an important sensation for you to notice. It is your body telling you that an area needs rest, recuperation, healing and maybe even rehabilitation. Listen to it and seek medical advice if necessary. Normally we only experience pain briefly before the body repairs itself and returns to a normal, pleasurable state of health. Of course some people do experience chronic pain or more dramatically debilitating pain as a result of injury.

People notice and respond to different sensations. People also explore themselves and their potential in different ways. I hope you can easily use these techniques to control sensations in your body. I recommend practising and playing. It's the best attitude for me when I'm curious about something new and untested. Please remember to adapt them to suit yourself. It's about self exploration, personal development and well being.

This article is concerned with small, brief pain as it is written from my experience of using the techniques to remove them. It may be useful for people experiencing chronic or severe pain too. Please let me know if this is the case. I always recall the 4 Rs with regard to my health and healing: Relaxation, Rest, Recuperation and Rehabilitation.

The feelings of pain may return for a variety of reasons. Use these techniques to reduce or remove them when they return. I hope they work very well for you too. Do these exercises if you feel happy and comfortable in doing them. Rarely, people may experience something less than comfort or curiosity and I always recommend they stop and do something else they prefer. Believing you can alter your bodies sensations to improve your feelings is a huge step in the direction of improved well being.

Well Being 1

Remember what it feels like to have healthy normal sensations in the area of your body currently experiencing pain.

Vividly recall what healthy sensations are like in every detail you can remember.

To help you, consider the following.

Notice if there is any colour associated with the healthy feelings.

When you make the healthy colour brighter does it increase good feelings?

Notice if there is any movement associated with the healthy feelings.

When you increase the healthy movement and spread it into the surrounding areas does it reduce the pain?

Notice if there is any sound accompanying it also.

When you increase the healthy sound does it increase good feelings in the area of your body where the pain was?

There may be many more things you notice. Remember and record them in detail in your imagination because you will use them again soon.

If you haven't already done so, infuse the area concerned with these good sensations of health.

This may be enough to dramatically reduce or remove the pain.

Remember what level of change you have made that is optimum for reducing or removing the pain and replacing it with normal healthy feelings.

I recommend you then settle into relaxation or use this technique to increase your well being.

If you still experience pain practice this next technique. It is presented in two different ways because either may be sufficient in reducing pain. Feel free to adapt all these techniques for your own benefit. The following tool is designed to reduce pain.
Use my suggestions as a guide only. If they are not reducing pain then use or explore something else that will.

Well Being 2

Notice if the pain has an image with colour, size, feeling, sound, movement or any other attribute you think is appropriate.

Take some time to notice what the attributes of pain are. Then begin changing them to reduce or remove pain.

For example, reduce the colour to a thin, washed-out pastel like appearance.

Reduce the feeling in the same way as a hand stroke across your arm gradually fades away.

Slow any movement down so it stops.

Lower the volume of any sound associated with this until it can no longer be heard.

Reduce the image to the size of a pin head or so it disappears completely.

Do this until the pain is gone or reduced.

Then place the normal healthy sensations from the first exercise in the area of your body now free from pain.

A variation to the ending of this is:

Take the changed feelings of pain and move them to the palm of your left hand and allow it to fall way like fine grains of sand in a strong breeze.

Then place the healthy feelings you remembered into your right hand, sending them through your body gathering more healthy energy and revitalisation before they settle into the specific area of your body.

The third technique is similar to the last one but with an added feature. You will first rate the feeling of pain and do this again later to self assess the level of reduction of pain.

Well Being 3

Rate the painful feeling on a scale of 1 to 5

Make an image of the pain. Notice where the image is. Notice any colours, movements, sounds. Change them as you did in the previous exercise.

After changing each attribute (and there may be as few or as many as you notice) rate the overall feeling on a scale of 1 to 5.

If it has reduced but is not a 1 or 0 then continue to change the attributes further.

If after the next scale it has not reduced further, send the changed painful feeling into your left hand and away from your body.

Place the healthy normal sensations in it's place as in previous exercises. Again rate the level of change. Ideally it should be at 1 or 0.

I hope these suggestions for more healthy, healing sensations and the removal or reduction of pain are very useful for you. I hope you can integrate them into your lifestyle.

The suggestions I've made are based on the use of the imagination to create changes to well being using the brain and body's capacity to adapt and heal itself. They've worked well for me and I believed they would when I explored my way of using them. I'm fortunate in that I have never experienced serious illness or debilitating injury or pain.

I'm a big believer in using our own innate, imaginative skills for well being and health to compliment whatever assistance we need from our societies' medical and health authorities.
I think it's crucial to our well being that we take responsibility for our health and our actions. Sometimes we do not have a choice about what is put into our environments. We can have greater choice in how we use our minds and bodies to create the inner and outer environments we desire.

Thanks for reading
Jens

Dig your roots for relaxation and meditation

2009-03-04T13:09:00.000-08:00

This is a great meditation to get you feeling relaxed, calm and refreshed. It's simple, imaginative and it works very well. This is another useful 'awareness' meditation. Use it anywhere you are not driving or operating machinery. You can successfully get the benefits whilst at work, sat in a cafe, on public transport, at home in front of the TV or computer.

After you have read the following suggestions close your eyes and practice this meditation.

Begin by sitting comfortably with your back straight and head balanced naturally with your eyes looking forward.

Place both your feet flat on the floor.

Breathe naturally through your nose and relax.

Imagine 'energy' or 'roots' moving down from the top of your head to the soles of your feet.

Now imagine the roots moving down from both your feet into the ground below you.

Move those roots deep into the earth below.

Allow them to travel as far and as deep as feels natural to you.

Keep this process comfortable and avoid forcing anything.

When the 'roots' stop moving, sit still and notice what you notice. Sit quietly for as long or as short as you like.

Simply notice what you notice.

When you are satisfied with sitting still, then you can use your imagination again. Still having your 'roots' in the earth below, you do the following:

Imagine nature's revitalising powerful energy entering your body via the roots.

The energy will travel into the soles of your feet and move a natural easy-flowing course through your body.

Intend the energy to move from the tips of your toes to the top of your head and everywhere in between.

Have the intention that this natural energy will infuse every part of your body including it's organs, bones, capillaries, blood vessels, cells with revitalising power.

Sit and enjoy this for as long as you like.

In the future you may like to be aware of some other features of this exercise.
How relaxed do you become? How still do you become?
What is the colour or colours of the energy? Where does the energy move? What speed does the energy move? What are the good feelings it gives you? Where do you feel the energy will be best used inside you? What more do you want from this?

Curious about discovering how easy it is to be still in meditation? Then use this breathing meditation to explore more.

Remember to sit quietly, feet on the floor, back straight and relax. Then visualise roots spreading down inside your body, from the top of your head through your feet into the earth below. Use this whether you are sat at home, sat on a plane, train or the 34th floor of a tower. It doesn't matter where you are but what you are capable of doing to relax, meditate and feel good.
It's your imagination for you to use any way you like. I hope you really enjoy it.

Thanks for reading,
Jens

11 steps for a change

2009-03-03T11:10:00.000-08:00

1. Begin your day with a few positive, energising, self-endorsing statements. For example, in the morning saying phrases like "I'm feeling wonderful!" "I'm relaxed and alert" "I'm enjoying a great day" is obviously going to be more positive for your immediate well being than habitually repeating things like " Oh, I'm too tired" "I've got to drag myself to work in an hour" "I can't be bothered today".

2. Say your positive statements with enthusiasm even if you're feeling tired and notice just how quickly you begin to feel better. The amazing thing with using your voice like an actor on stage or film is you can feel the different effects your voice has on your body and attitude almost immediately. It's one of the most powerful everyday tools for creating good feelings.

3. Wear different coloured clothes than you normally would. If you normally wear lots of black, white and red add some colours like yellow, blue, green and pink. Spring and summer are good seasons to explore colour themes for your wardrobe. You can buy cheap t-shirts, shirts and shorts and if you don't like wearing them give them to a charity.

4. I'm adding this one because it's useful, practical, obvious and heavily overstated in the self help genre. Differentiate between what is achievable and what is an unrealistic goal. Focus upon the achievable. Focus upon what is most important. Alternatively, just do what you want to do and have fun!

5. Change your diet by exploring different food types. For example, choose a morning to eat fruit and some nuts instead of bread or packaged cereals and notice if you feel different or have more energy. Listen to what your body tells you when you eat new foods. Your body is your own precious automatic, regenerating feedback machine. So use it with loving care.

6. Discover how many different, new or exotic varieties of food are available to you. Maybe vegetables are exotic to you. If not exotic then maybe a little rare in your diet. What does your local grocers or supermarket stock? What are the differences in cost? How exciting can you make a new dish? What music will you listen to when making a particular dish? Consider tastes, smells, cooking time, ways to cook and who to cook for to help make eating more exciting and healthy.

7. Be yourself. What does this really mean? Whatever happens and whatever you do, who else can you be? It's often a ridiculous suggestion for someone to make. I prefer " Be True to Yourself". I only put it here because some friends said they like to read "Be yourself" and it means "Be true to yourself." I'm a crowd pleaser!

8. Read a book that attracts you and stimulates your imagination or satisfies an interest or hobby you have. Alternatively become a write yourself. Start a blog. Write poetry or songs. Begin a blog with poetry.

9. Turn off the TV, computer, Ipod or any other device that you habitually allow to consume your attention. Take control and enjoy doing something else for a change. There's plenty of alternatives to choose from.

10. Begin exercising. I'm sure you're as surprised to find this here as I am to find myself including it. Go walking, cycling, running, workout using your body weight. There's lots of online information on exercising. Go take a look. You do not need a gym to get fit and healthy. Foremost you need yourself, your imagination and your motivation.

11. Be quiet, relaxed and still. These are three natural states of being. Have fun in exploring them and write down what you discover about each. You may be fascinated by what you find. They may even positively change the way you perceive life.

Thanks for reading
Jens

That's what I want!

2009-03-01T13:43:00.000-08:00

This article will look at what we want and how to begin organising our thoughts and ideas at the beginning of the day.
Decide upon what you want to experience more of during the day. You can't always have vehicle-free roads or ecstasy inducing moments or large lotto winning surprises. We can decide to experience certain feelings more frequently. We can even decide to experience more events in our lives when we are prepared to go into environments that support them.

We can first build 3 things:
1. Clear insights into what we want
2. Strong beliefs about new things we want
3. Test the beliefs to see if we really want them.

This is not about wealth creation but about attracting more 'wealth' of daily experience. Although I'm sure it can be used in conjunction with wealth creation strategies and tactics.
It's really about:
1. Building expectations inside yourself.
2. Developing the ability to notice the things you want in the world around you.
3. Creating vivid experiences and good feelings inside yourself.
4. Organising your imagination to give you enthusiasm and motivation toward useful things.
5. Deciding what good, useful things you can get today.

I'll elaborate more on the above to give you greater scope for exploration and expression.

1. Decide what you want more of....
that you know you can achieve either today or sometime this week. For example 'feel happier more often', 'laugh more with friends', 'put money regularly into a saving account', 'flirt more with women/men', 'design a plan for my future goals, achievements'.

2. How do you know something is or will be important to you?
Do this simple exercise. Imagine a scenario where you already have the thing you want. You've got it or you're already doing something you want to do.
What are you noticing?
Does it feel good? Your body will tell you this automatically.
What benefits can you list as a result of doing this activity or having that thing? If you've no benefits at all and it doesn't feel good then it's probably useful to choose something else.

If you're struggling to remember what it's like to feel good and make good choices...
Do you remember a time when you were happy?
Do you remember a time you did something or bought something that made you feel good afterwards and maybe for a long time afterwards?
What did you experience in the build up to and during the good decision?
What made you decide to do the thing that made you feel so good?
Where do the feelings start and where do they travel?
Can you make those good feelings even stronger and longer lasting?

3. When you find a thing or many things you want, vividly imagine two scenarios.
Attracting them into your life.
Living with them already in your life as a common occurrence.

4. Decide that you can enjoy more things or different things in your life and be realistic.
You may not win the lotto this week but you can enjoy the expectation to win especially if you play the lotto. Otherwise why waste your time and money? You may want a better car and being realistic may mean cleaning, repairing and part exchanging your old car for a new model. You may benefit from reducing other financial outgoings and adopting small changes in your lifestyle, like reducing clothes shopping, buying healthier foods, walking more and reducing fuel costs, stopping smoking, in consumer terms the list is flexible and nearly inexhaustible.

5. Consider this.
To enjoy vivid, body tingling realistic expectations, it's good to know that the things you can achieve tomorrow or next year are really available.
Where are they found in the world?
Who already has them?
How do I get them for myself?
Discovering much more about these things will help you decide if they are accessible and neccessary for your happiness and well being.

6. This is how you begin creating good experiences inside yourself for the activity you want to do.

Imagine yourself beginning the activity.

Create a large image of yourself. Make it life size if that's more comfortable or powerful for you.
See yourself smiling broadly and being happy and relaxed performing the activity.

Now make that image into a movie. See yourself performing, hear what you hear and feel what you feel.

Increase the colours, sounds and take time to notice your happy feelings as well as the 'physical' feelings of you accomplishing the activity.

When you have the movie as you like it, move fully into it if you have not already done so.

Imagine you are there really accomplishing whatever activity you want to do well.

Enjoy some moments there and really allow those sensations to 'soak' into you.

Imagine the rewards you will receive, however big or small, once you are really performing the activity.

Now, imagine the rewards you will receive, however big or small, once you have accomplished it. These rewards may be emotional like relief, happiness or relaxation or financial or anything else that's positive.

7. Organising your thoughts and internal experiences on paper or computer.
Create lists for what you want or need. There are two (really, many) ways of developing a list. One list can show firstly what is achievable or necessary and moving toward what is desirable and is expected to take a longer period to achieve. The second is to start with what is realistically achievable and move toward what is fantasy.
When your creating the list, establish a time line. Begin with what you can achieve now during the coming week then progress to the month and every 2 or 3 month period. You may prefer to list items on a weekly basis, bi weekly or monthly. You can decide upon many variations and alter them whenever you like.

You may be wondering what all this has to do with relaxation. Sometimes we relax when we notice more choices in our lives and opportunities to change in the way we want to. The post is concerned with creating choices with the imagination to help notice more choices available to us in our every day world. When we have the flexibility to 'see' more, we can feel more too and this may help in listening to discover more of what we really want. So decide what you want. Discover the best way for you to do that. Then explore your world around you and notice more of what you choose. Have fun!

Thanks for reading
Jens

Still chillin' after all these years

2009-02-28T11:38:00.000-08:00

Walking the dog in the forest early this morning I noticed something remarkable. Stillness.
The forest was 'still'. I was unable to see any movement or hear any 'forest' sounds. Even the sound and the sensation of the wind was absent. I could clearly feel one thing: how still it was. I considered that even after so many years the forest still chills. In my experience being still and being relaxed are two very different things. Both create their own distinct senses of well being. The difference between them is like understanding there is something like a holiday as you leaf through a vacation brochure and really noticing the space your holiday destination lays in whilst you're there.

Many years ago some friends and I drove to a picturesque sea side town and arrived at about 2am. We walked to the beach in the moonlight and the first thing we noticed was the quiet and the stillness. It was an all pervasive stillness. It was beautiful. We felt we responded automatically to this stillness around us by becoming still ourselves. It was like you move from being 'sat' in your head or body sensations to noticing more from a very comfortable 'stillness'. The experience was as if all things were touched by this because we are all still inside of us. We also recognised that if being still can be so quickly noticed then we can notice ourselves being still more often.

To experience being still now, remember a time where you found yourself becoming stiller.
This may have been the result of a place or person you were with or activity you were doing.

Notice your experience of stillness.

Where does stillness exist?

As you sit still, do you notice if stillness has a beginning or end?

Are you quickly still or is it a gradual process?

What do you notice as you sit still for longer periods?

Do you begin to close your eyes?

Is stillness stiller now?

Play with this. Discover if certain words or sensations or memories are a trigger for you quickly being still.
If you would like to associate words with being still then simply do so. Once you are still you can say words or phrases to yourself that accentuate stillness. In the future when you want to be still you can repeat the words or do whatever you did originally that worked so well.
Enjoy being still.

Thanks for reading
Jens

How to prepare your place for relaxation

2009-02-25T12:58:00.000-08:00

....and then make it a relaxing place.

This is a purposefully misleading title. It's not about preparing your home or personal living space for relaxation. It's really about 3 more important things:

1. Your Life
2. Your Mind and Imagination
3. Your Brain and Body

The 'bizarre' thing is some people don't think those 3 fundamental, innate attributes you have (and I hope enjoy) are important enough to want to creatively explore and enjoy more of them. Enjoying them in a way that is unique. Individual. Now, that is a different thing altogether because I'm not writing about you choosing a different haircut and holiday package from your friends. I'll ask you this one thing: When did you decide and create what's best for you, before you accepted what someone or some branded idea offered you?

I know it's a slightly provocative introduction but I want to get a message across that many people, myself included can remind ourselves to be more uniquely creative. At that same time caring for our own well being, so we can better care for that of others.

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for." Barack Obama

So, if you've already decided what's best for you and want to now accept what someone is offering you, please read on.

Relaxing and inspiring places and faces
The following points are given as a guide towards a place in yourself that is more naturally relaxed, as you design the world around you to compliment that experience repeatedly.

Pick places and moments in your daily life where you can practise relaxation.

Decide upon times in your future where you can benefit from relaxation and greater well being, to your advantage.

Write and expand and practically develop ideas that make you feel useful and creative.

Consider how you're life will change as a result of relaxing more.

Surround yourself with friends and locations that encourage well being and relaxation within you.

How will relaxation benefit you and you're family and friends?

Introduce yourself to people who appear relaxed and dare them and dare yourself to enjoy a conversation.

Do you vividly remember times in your past when you were most relaxed?

Go and discover music, books, poetry, films, art that may be relaxing for you.

What do you imagine relaxation will give you now that you do not have already?

Do you believe you can deeply relax?

If you're someone persuaded by science and research, find articles on meditation, relaxation and neuroscience.

All of the above will stimulate some sort of relaxing response either during or after the event or at both these times. Maybe you will be experiencing states of relaxation quite spontaneously!
I believe the above handy hints and tips provoke some enjoyable and relaxing changes in life. They're normally very easy to do.
It's basically a long way of saying "think well for yourself, think well about yourself".
Make yourself a more relaxing place.

I want to mention a blog that I read. It's useful and very popular. It covers areas like organisation, simplicity, acheiving goals and its called Zen Habits. There's no indication buddhist monks are involved.

Thanks for reading
Jens

Banish negative thoughts associated with small illness and boost your well being

2009-02-21T05:46:00.000-08:00

How to persuade yourself that having a cold or stomach bug is an opportunity to feel good.

I was struck with a cold yesterday. A brutal man sized cold. Head spinning, lethargy inducing, gut-wrenching man cold. The sort I would call a flu except certain tough and perceptive women remind me that the flu is usually much more debilitating.

I admitted to walking the dog and sweeping the yard clear of snow in the morning. Just those two activities tired me out and I regard myself as a fit and healthy individual. Anyway, the point of this post is that I began telling myself I was ill and shuffling around like a 112 year old. Not a good choice of action when you want to recover quickly and enjoy the weekend. I realised that we can lose a little flexibility in our beliefs about ourselves and inadvertently promote feelings or environments that are not to our benefit. Unless of course you do want to chill out in bed, snoozing and watching DVDs on a laptop. Anyway, I didn't feel like I was progressing to better health. I was allowing other things to consume my attention and they were restful but not recuperative.

When you're ill you know it because your brain and body tells you so by producing sensations not normally associated with feeling fit and healthy. I see no sensible reason to compound it by repeatedly telling yourself you're sick and exaggerating a problem instead of positively creating a new scenario to help yourself recover. Unless you want to convince the boss you should have the day off work.

It's your health and it's your choice

The words ill and sick lose their usefulness when they are no longer required for their descriptive purposes. When it is obvious you are 'ill' or 'unwell', use the word 'unwell'. It has a more positive connotation than 'sick' or 'ill'. It suggests a prior time when you were 'well' and therefore the possibility of being 'well' again. It's a good place to start your recovery, as it's something you can use with conventional medicine that only has positive side-effects.

I had to be vigilant whenever someone asked me "how are you?" "are you still feeling ill?" "Ooh you look rough!" (as opposed to "you look like a nice bit of rough"). Otherwise I found myself descending into the ill-feelings their questions were provoking in me. In contrast, when someone asked "are you getting better?" or "how much better are you feeling?" I found the feelings I had were less 'ill'. This made me curious and I explored how I could help myself recover or at least feel much better right now. I found the following helped enormously.

You can do this now

When I noticed that I was picturing myself being 'ill' I would make that picture smaller. Then drain all colour from it and whiten it completely. The last thing I would do is move it far, far away into the distance until it automatically disappears.

When I heard myself repeating in a sickly voice: " I feel rough" "This is bad" I would make the voices ridiculous so it was difficult to take them seriously. Then I would reduce the volume until they were barely audible then move them far, far away into the distance until they disappear. You may prefer to reduce the volume until the sound disappears. Remember to use whatever feels best for you.

When you've happily removed the unnecessary negative stuff you can begin to add more positivity to your experience of being unwell or ill. It's very achievable too.

Remember a time when you were healthy and happy. Clearly see yourself moving around doing the things you do when you are healthy. Exaggerate the activity. See yourself with amazing, limitless energy.

Find some words or phrases that represent health and well being to you. For example, " I feel great" "I'm fantastic and wonderful". In an energetic, powerful voice say them to yourself. Make it a surround sound experience if the effect is better.

I recommend you experiment with the two suggestions and find what works best. Tell yourself to remember and practice this the next time you are 'ill' or 'unwell'.

As a final point I will add that relaxation is often a cool place from which to think well and feel better. Click on Relaxation to explore clear step-by-step suggestions for you to deeply relax.

Casting thoughts upon our human technology and well being

2009-02-18T13:12:00.000-08:00

Too much thinking at night, she said
I got an email from a friend in England today. In it she tells me she is currently on a doctor's prescription for 'my head' and 'my stomach'. I wondered why, because when I lived there I wasn't aware of her taking anything. She replied and told me she was having difficulty sleeping. She thinks too much at night and this combined with her three jobs, as a mother, an accountant and a wife is possibly contributing to her stomach upsets. I'm sure this scenario is nothing unusual today.

Baby Steps to Well Being
What I did find unusual was that she had not searched for ways to help herself beyond advice from her doctor. I am aware that some doctors do suggest CBT Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Yoga and Mindfulness Meditation, which is a very good thing. It's 'baby steps' in the right direction. Upon reflection (and a little research into the accessibility of prescribed drugs to reduce symptoms) I suspect there's a huge number of people without resources to practical self help information.

We have a huge amount of self help resources for well being available to us. Just take a look at your local bookstore or the internet. There appears little effort in my opinion to market it as being practically useful (as opposed to an intellectual resource) on a daily basis. I believe we have to begin educating people in the schools. Give children the opportunity to know they can enjoy a remarkably creative resource between their ears. Teach proficiency in it's use for well being, as often as children are taught maths and science. 'The Self' is the most important subject they have.

Thinking with our own natural technology for well being
I hope that very soon people start to realise that they were born with a fantastic technology in their brain and body. Many of us are fortunate enough to use it well during our lifetimes but how many of us know how to use it creatively for our well being. The mind is a potentially marvellous resource for many experiences in the brain and body. Sometimes you have to grab the reins of a runaway horse and guide it into the best direction you prefer to travel in. It's simply an important matter to use it in a way that promotes healthy and happier experiences. It's either this or do what you've always done. Of course, if that's what works well for you, then I congratulate you and ask that you share with us the things you do so well.
Thanks for reading.
Jens

Not even, but almost the top 10 Self Help Books

2009-02-16T11:06:00.000-08:00

I decided to find which books I could rate the 'best' for offering results oriented information and practical exercises which are easy-to-read. I could then 'test' them myself in the shortest time.
My criteria covered the spectrum of self help, mind and body and self improvement books and believe me it's a very broad spectrum indeed.

I've kept them un-numbered because in my opinion they're all useful books. I've no idea what's going to be most useful to you. They are all, except one, available online at the popular stores. These are the titles of what I found.

Master your Memory Tony Buzan
Want to remember facts, figures, shopping lists, information for exams, your partner's name? Then this book is probably for you. I'm using it to remember new words in a foreign language.

Guide to Trance-formation Richard Bandler
From the man who co-founded NLP - Neuro Linguistic Programming in the '70s and continues to teach it to this day with Paul McKenna. It's a book of his entertaining opinions and stories leading into exercises to 'take charge of your brain' and feel good. Very good.

The Secret Rhonda Byrne
You've probably heard of this already. It's popular, inspiring and well crafted. It claims to offer advice to help you achieve health, wealth and happiness. I haven't won 'big' on the lottery yet. Available in audio.

Change Your Life in Seven Days Paul McKenna
The guy's on top of his game. He's had success with television shows, books and cds, seminars and so I naturally assume he knows what he's writing about. Clearly written with great exercises. Has CD accompanying the book.

Never Gymless Ross Enamait
A book for those of you who don't like gyms or the idea of entering one. This is dedicated to home-based workouts. It's rich with body weight exercises for strength, endurance, and speed. You may lose weight too. If you want to curl dumbbells for hours a week in your bedroom, avoid this book. If you want to get fit and feel healthier, grab it now. You'll need to go to his website to purchase. Just google him.

How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci Michael J. Gelb
It's a surprisingly inspiring and motivating book. Good presentation with the usual assumptions and inferences about how an historical figure lived his life. Importantly, it may encourage you to think differently for more satisfying results. Available in audio.

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success Deepak Chopra
This small book has been around for years but it's a definite 'feel good' manual for your imagination and way of living. Available in audio.

Psycho-cybernetics Maxwell Maltz
This book has been around for even longer than the previous one. One of the first books that focused upon creating images and movies in your imagination, to help you clearly see and program what you want before you go out and get it. Available in audio.

Tapping the Healer Within - Roger Callahan
An informative, practical book with clear exercises from the founder of TFT - Thought Field Therapy. It primarily uses tapping points on the body to help reduce and remove anxiety, stress and phobias amongst issues.

I don't have a number 1 book. I've found all of them useful at some time, in some way. One other reason they're listed here is because I still consider them useful and enjoyable to read. Maybe this list will help you decide on a book for yourself or a friend from amongst the many pop psychology and self improvement titles.

Now that you've read the list, you may have a warm, curious desire to explore some 'self help' techniques. Then I highly recommend you click on the links below.
Relaxation
Feel Good
Meditation

I hope you find the exercises in the links beneficial. I also hope you find the list of books interesting too.

Thanks for reading.
Jens

Every Breath You Take.....Relax and Revitalise

2009-02-14T13:27:00.000-08:00

A healthy mind has an easy breath. - Author Unknown

Dynamic Breathing
Breathing has been a powerful, integral practice of many systems of self development from the present to the distant past. It's been claimed to aid everything from concentration to out-of-body experiences to relaxation, revitalisation and weight loss.
I certainly feel revitalised and relaxed after practising the breathing technique described below and I find my concentration improves too. I also believe my stamina during exercise has improved. Many people will find that persuasive enough to begin practising. The focus of this post is upon relaxation and well being.

This breathing exercise I'm going to describe is what I call a 'dynamic' one. I was taught it 11 years ago and it's still great for encouraging relaxation, revitalisation and concentration.

Begin this for short durations only. Up to 5 minutes is good. You can build up to 20 minutes or more if you wish. It is your responsibility to care for yourself. If at anytime you feel less than relaxed or happy when practising this style of breathing then please stop immediately. Get up and do something else. When you wish to return to this breathing then do so. I normally breathe in this style for 15 - 20 minutes a day.

Dynamic Breathing in 3 parts

1. Inhalation
2. Hold
3. Exhalation

For each part you will count to 4. Each 4 count will be of the same duration. For example:
1. As you're inhaling, count to 4.
2. During the hold count to 4.
3. While you're exhaling count to 4.

Keep all counts to 4, of the same duration.
Use your most comfortable duration for the 4 count.
Keep it relaxed and as comfortable as possible. Leave any stress and strain for weightlifting.
Practise this at a time of day when you will be alone or left at peace.

Begin!

Make yourself comfortable in the best way you know.

Settle onto a straight backed chair or seat. Your torso will be upright, straight and relaxed. Your head will be normally balanced. Both your feet will be flat upon the floor.

Decide whether you want to either breathe through the nose, or inhale through your nose and exhale via the mouth.

When you are seated and relaxed begin inhaling. You will be breathing from your stomach. Remain relaxed as you breathe as this will give you a more enjoyable and I believe, a more beneficial experience.

When you're breathing in your stomach will expand, your neck, shoulders, back and legs are relaxed.

When you're holding the breath your body is to be relaxed.

As you're breathing out, your stomach returns to its 'normal size' or contracts whilst your body is relaxed.

You have completed one cycle. Remember to count to 4, for the same duration, for each part and relax and enjoy.

As you breathe through this cycle remain focused on the counting. If you lose count, stop, stay nice and relaxed and resume breathing from the inhalation again.

I hope you find this as beneficial and revitalising as I do. Keep on reading and look out for the next in my new series of posts on Meditation.

For breath is life, and if you breathe well you will live long on earth. - attributed to a Sanskrit Proverb

Thanks for reading.
Jens

Give yourself a Body Tapping, Eye Rolling, Affirmative Way towards Well Being

2009-02-12T14:26:00.000-08:00

EFT and TFT
I was reminded yesterday of a technique called EFT or TFT, that claims to have been proven effective for reducing and removing phobias, emotional distress, stress and even addictions. You'll probably agree with me that this is quite a roll call of achievements. I'd like you to decide whether it will be useful, so I'll describe more of it here.

The original founder of the technique of TFT is Roger Callahan. His book 'Tapping the Healer Within' describes this health technique in easy to follow, step by step processes. His first success with this tool was with a woman who had severe water phobia. TFT has lately been popularised as EFT by Gary Craig, which he states is a needle free version of acupuncture. Both claim you can learn and apply this tool immediately and I agree with them. What prompted me to explore this several years ago, was the statement that thousands of people worldwide have used TFT to conquer fears, remove compulsions, reduce anger and anxiety and overcome grief from 'broken' relationships amongst other things.

Being sceptical of the many 'therapies' or 'treatments' being advertised, I was attracted to the idea that I could put it into practice almost immediately and I could also research the scientific results claimed in the book. More importantly, I quickly put TFT to the test and found it worked for me. It also worked for other people I showed it to. Oh yeah, I will add there are no known side effects and no known risks. So if you like adrenaline rushing, edge of the pilot seat experiences this may not be for you. If you prefer potentially fast acting tools for your well being, read on.

An overview of TFT to arouse your curiosity
Roger Callahan has written that TFT (Thought Field Therapy) represents an revolutionary advance in the way psychological disturbances or negative emotions are managed, removed and replaced. Furthermore, he claims his discoveries have received strong scientific support through the technology called HRV (heart rate variability).
As I understand it, HRV is the beat-to-beat alterations in heart rate and is sensitive and responsive to acute stress. I've read that HRV is used medically for its ability to predict survival after a heart attack. The higher the HRV the greater the prospect of survival. Allegedly, some studies have shown a link between negative emotions, such as anxiety and hostility and reduced HRV. Obviously, TFT claims to dramatically improve HRV and theses changes can take place in minutes. In my opinion, something claimed as this effective is worthy of further exploration, especially as much is freely or cheaply available.
See below for links to sites offering more information.

How do I use TFT, EFT.
1. You think about a personal concern that is troubling you.
2. You quantify the emotion on a scale of 1 - 10.
3. You tap on specific points on your body in a sequence. This includes points on your face, torso and hands.
4. Later, whilst tapping on your body, in this case normally your hand, you also move your eyes in specific directions.
5. You rate the level of change you experience - ideally has the concern reduced or been removed.
6. Your focus is to naturally remove or dramatically reduce the emotional upset so you can quickly improve your well being.

The Free Basics of EFT
The basics for you to begin EFT are available for free on Gary Craig's website, EmoFree.com and here is the link: http://www.emofree.com/

Roger Callahans TFT website: http://www.tftrx.com/

I highly recommend you visit PluginID. It's a blog by Glen, about practically tapping into your 'core self' and plugging into your own identity. I recently subscribed and found my reminder of EFT with an excellent strategy for its use. It also has a link to EmoFree.
Here's the link to Glen's PluginID blog: http://www.pluginid.com/1million-using-eft/

Wishing you success. Thanks for reading.

Develop Your Voice for Deeper Relaxation

2009-02-10T13:24:00.000-08:00

You may be thinking "What sort of post title is this?" Let me tell you.

I guess, we have a new thought or an old one, strolling across the landscape of our minds every second. I think we need to decide what thoughts can stroll on and, which ones we save for later and, which we send off in another direction.

Let me show you how to easily create the best thoughts, for the best type of feelings. This is a tool you can use in many different environments. It's a useful tool, so I recommed becoming familiar with it. A good way to quickly accomplish this is by doing the following.

In this example I'll focus upon Relaxation. 'Joy' I hear you yell. Well, 'Joy' will be another state you will be able to create after reading this.

Discover Your Special Words

Here and now, find a number of words that are most relaxing to you. In other words, begin saying to yourself (internally) words and phrases that make you feel relaxed. Go on, you know its ok to talk to yourself.

Sit down and write the words which you feel will relax you most.

Enjoy some time developing the phrases or the one, two, three or more words that your body immediately enjoys relaxing to. It's important that you find and repeat words that automatically create good feelings of relaxation.

Then repeat them to yourself. Do this internally because I want you to explore more of your internal voice and the fantastic sounds and effects it can begin producing.

I'll give some examples of words and phrases here:

Relax
I'm Relaxing
I'm Relaxed
I'm Relaxing More
Every part of me is Relaxing Deeply
I'm Much More Relaxed Now

Of course, you can naturally choose whichever words suit you best.

A slight diversion but it can be to your benefit.
When you have your most relaxing words, then begin playing with the following suggestion.
To get the most benefits from this you'll really have to let yourself create a range of voice types in your imagination. I apologise to those of you who enjoy this range already. I had to create them using something like this.

Remember the voices of as many individual singers as you can. Notice everything you can about their voices. Run through the different sounds from each voice and notice any textures, tones, pitches, speeds and feelings.

As you recall the different voices, you can notice they produce different feelings in your body. Maybe these feelings will be in different places, maybe the same. Sometimes you'll hear one singer's voice in a different location in your 'memory' compared to the voice of another singer.

Notice and remember the voices with the most powerful effect upon you.

How to design your own beaultiful, relaxing voice for a change

Say your chosen relaxing words using your own voice in the most soothing, comforting way. 'Soothing' so the sensation you feel is like 'mmmmmm'.

Now say them in the sexiest voice you have. Your voice pours with so much sensual passion you can even smell it's fragrance.

Now say them in a voice that wraps luxury around every syllable.

Hear your favourite film star's voice. Does she or he speak with a voice that is sensous, relaxing and is easy to play within you?

Which was the most relaxing for you? Choose this and repeat it.

Slow it down or speed it up if it makes you more relaxed.

Make the voice 'deeper' or 'higher' to explore how this may produce deeper relaxation.

Notice the direction of your voice. When you change it's direction what do you notice?

If you make it a stereo sound or a surround sound what do you notice?

If you like, invent your own 'worlds most spohisticated sound machine' in your mind. More of that in a future post.

When you have the most relaxing words, combined with the most sensually relaxing voice spoken at a soothing speed, then please repeat this to your heart's content. Afterwards please send me a comment upon how relaxing this is.

I'm strongly hinting at you enjoying this and being imaginative here. For some readers you may be breaking new ground. Good! I certainly was when I first used this. My discovery was fantastic in helping me relax deeply and I still use this regularly.

Thanks for reading.
Jens

A Voice for Good Feelings

2009-02-08T13:23:00.000-08:00

"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it." Rumi, a 13th century Persian poet.

In today's post I'll tell you a sound way for switching from bad feelings to those bubbling, soothing good ones. This will develop in the next post, so keep reading.

Various peoples' voices have been described as 'diamonds dipped in caramel', 'the velvet fog' and 'a thousand tingling bells.'

I heard someone on the radio say that where ever a thought goes, a chemical goes too. This had me thinking more about what I say to myself (inner dialogue) and the way I say it. What I say creates feelings in my body that are simplistically put, pleasant or not. I know this because I'm hearing and feeling the experience everyday.

Using your Voice for a Change
To clarify this you can do a simple exercise. Only progress so far with this, as you feel comfortable in doing. If at any point it's less than good for you, get up, do something else. You can always return to it again.

Remember a time when someone said something to you that made you feel 'bad'. I wont bother giving any examples, as you can probably find some from your schooldays or other institutional gatherings.

Now as you remember that time concentrate on the sound of the voice.

Notice what happens when you hear this voice. What feelings are you experiencing?

What does it sound like? How loud is it? What speed is it spoken? What direction is it moving in?

Change the voice to a different one - a voice that immediately sounds ridiculous. For example, it can be slobbering and incoherent or a voice from a ridiculous cartoon character - and there's plenty to choose from.

Now reduce the speed of the voice and decrease the volume so its barely a whisper.

Now move the voice far away from you, in the direction you feel is best. Move it as far as you want, so it is difficult if not impossible to hear. Maybe it's disappeared.

What improvements are you noticing in your feelings?

Read on to Create Even More....

Remember something a person said to you that made you feel good or wonderful. Alternatively, say something to yourself that has the same positive response.

What does it sounds like? How loud is it? What speed is it spoken? What direction is it moving in?

When you hear this voice what happens? What feelings are you experiencing?

Play with the volume of this voice. Increase or decrease it, to spread those good feelings.

Change the direction of the voice if it helps you experience good feelings more intensely.

If it's really good, imagine what you can feel wrapped inside the voice.

Repeat the word or phrase and remember, how good it feels to speak to yourself in this kind of voice.

Read my next post, to hear even more imaginative ways to use your voice for relaxing experiences.

Self Dialogue - Video Links

2009-02-07T08:02:00.000-08:00

Today, I've chosen three video links for your entertainment.
The first two illustrate a growing belief and knowledge, that what we say to ourselves can have dramatic effects on the way we feel and think. The emphasis here is on precisely exploring self talk to make you feel good and to build other 'states' that will be useful in your daily life. I'll also post at a future date on my experiences of this and offer suggestions for you.
The third link is to a website with a growing selection of videos upon many topics of self help, health, well being and even 'mysteries' and 'conspiracy theories'.

1. The first video is of Marshall Rosenberg. He describes, 'how modern medicine can sometimes misdiagnose depression as a chemical imbalance, and explains how such diagnoses seldom look at the internal dialogues we all have that can lead to our feeling depressed.'
This is the link to the video at bigpicture.tv
http://www.bigpicture.tv/videos/watch/8e296a067

2. The second video is from a clip on youtube, taken from a Tranceforming NLP seminar given by Nick Kemp, using NLP to demonstrate how to access instant confidence.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5wwub_AUCU
Check out his website at http://www.tranceformingnlp.com/

3. The third and final link is to the Conscious Media Network. Most videos are free and there is a growing selection. Their mission: 'To educate the global community with crucial information that will develop empowered and responsible individuals.'
http://www.consciousmedianetwork.com

I hope these prove both entertaining and informative. When you've watched one or all, let me know how provoking or useful they are.
Thanks for reading. Thanks for viewing.

A Space to Fit Your Needs

2009-02-05T12:46:00.000-08:00

I was chatting today with a friend from a language course I attend. I told her about an exercise I used, which helped create in me a sense of peace and comfort when travelling on crowded trains to and from work. It went something like this.

The Shape of Things to Come

I would imagine a cocoon or circle around me.

I would give it a colour that immediately gave me a sense of either peace and comfort or security and warmth, or even a colour that made me feel more energetic. I would imagine any colour which produced in me feelings I needed at that moment.

Then I would notice it's thickness and decide to increase or decrease it, only if necessary. I would again notice how tangible it was and decide whether I felt happy with this or if I wanted to alter it again.

It would have clear definition, encircling my whole body and feel absolutely natural and complimentary.

The Ipod of your Imagination

From this space I would include any sounds that would enhance the feelings I wanted. So if I wanted to feel calm and alert I may imagine a soft humming noise that would literally be softening.

Importantly for me at that time, was the discovery that I could ask myself what noise I needed for the desired effect. I used my imagination like an ipod set to random on your most favourite pieces of music.

However I decided it needed to be more specific than that. So I imagined that when I asked, my imagined ipod would automatically play the most desired and appropriate music. It still works like a treat simply because I want it to.

Since I had created this music centre, I could also adjust the volume, tone, bass to suit my needs. Often I was very happy with the first choice.

Finally, I decided how comforted I wanted to be and who and what I would let into my 'space/awareness.' Remember I was on a train, and didn't want to be so self absorbed that I missed my stop or ignored a friend boarding the same train.

This great tool would remain for whatever time period I wanted it to. As a result of having created it once, I can more easily recreate it and embellish it with all sorts of cool design features and 'widgets'.

I hope this will be useful to those of you who look for varied ways to relax and compliment your day. Give it a go and tell me what you think.

Thanks for reading.

Into Your Future with the Easy 7

2009-02-03T13:10:00.000-08:00

Continuing from yesterdays post 'The Easy 7 to Relaxation' I want to offer some ideas upon how to make relaxation easier to experience and thereby be more of a normal state for you.

This will rely upon you practising yesterdays post and making relaxation a 'real' experience.
I believe once you relax well you always remember just how good it feels. Otherwise so many people would not be asking how to relax more deeply, more frequently. Some people just forget the simple techniques for relaxing and remember the actual relaxation. That's a good thing because, its like having a car ready-to-go and temporarily forgetting where the ignition is, where the accelerator and brakes are and where the mirrors are located. You know how easily you'll find them.

The imagination is a wonderful thing for relaxation and today's post will build your relationship with it. When you recall points 6 & 7 from The Easy 7 to Relaxation, you'll see they involve you imagining an increasingly relaxing future for yourself.

Remember those great feelings of relaxation from The Easy 7 to Relaxation.

Simply, find the place or time in your future where you will most like to be relaxed.

Notice where that is. Notice where the image is. For example, is the image of this time directly in front of you or behind, or to the right, to the left, up or down.

What do you see yourself doing in this image? What are the colours in it? What are the sounds? Is it moving or still? Noticing these things, helps you connect more strongly with a future you.

See and feel yourself being relaxed in that image of a future time and place. Savour this image. See yourself moving around, being very relaxed, very confident (and the two are usually related in my experience).

See events occurring in the way you will like them. See yourself reacting to events in a way that makes you feel better and more relaxed.

Imagine the rewards you will receive, however big or small, once you are really performing the activity.

When you are happy with what you have created, begin adjusting the image (only if this feels comfortable to do so).

You can make it larger, brighter, more colourful, louder or quieter if you prefer. You may prefer to keep the 'original settings.' Play and explore.

When you're very relaxed and I hope very pleased with your new creation of a future you, remember it, repeat it and change it if necessary.

Now you've found one future time and recreated to suit your well-being, you can explore lots of others. Remember to build in preferred feelings of being wonderful, relaxed and confident.
Encourage your imagination to be your best friend. Sometimes a little wild and crazy, sometimes highly creative, sometimes nurturing and adoring. The cool thing is, it's your private world and no one else has to know what you're doing in it.

Wishing you the very best success with this.

A gentleman by the name of Tad James introduced the art of Time Line Therapy to a wide audience and this post used a very small part of that tool. I also used some experiences I have of practising Psycho-Cybernetics created by Maxwell Maltz.

The Easy 7 to Relaxation

2009-02-02T13:29:00.000-08:00

Years ago, finding ways to deeply relax could be a time consuming effort. You would search papers, buy magazines and visit the local library or sports centre. Now we have the speed and multi media celebration of all things diverse and colourful that is the internet and blogging.

I share this post so you can apply the following techniques quickly and easily. I find they are designed to help enter a state of relaxation quickly and easily.

Remember a time you felt most relaxed.
Remember that time in clear detail. Close your eyes and vividly savour every relaxing detail.
If you haven't already, move into that moment, being in the experience as if it's happening now.
Notice everything that makes you feel more relaxed. Make the feelings deeper throughout your body. See what you see, hear what you hear to encourage those relaxing sensations.
Focus on the wonderful sensations in your body. Feel what area is most relaxed, what direction relaxation moves in and send it through your whole body.
Think about your future as you enjoy this relaxation and imagine yourself over the days, weeks and months.
Clearly see yourself with this relaxation, living your life in specific situations at home, travelling, at work and wherever and whenever suits you best.

This technique is to be practised until you feel the pleasures of relaxation you want. It can then be repeated more easily when you desire those pleasures again.

This is my adaptation of a relaxation technique taught to me many years ago on an nlp course. I understand it was designed by the co-founder of nlp, Richard Bandler.

Thanks for reading. Send a comment to share or to let me know what you think.
Share this post with your friends and colleagues when you think it will benefit them.

About The Relaxing Zone

2009-02-02T12:20:00.000-08:00

Welcome to The Relaxing Zone - a blog that helps people add relaxation, meditation and well being to their lives.

Bringing Relaxation and Well Being into Life

My name is Jens Upton and I've been meditating for over 15 years and I enjoy exploring various change technologies, self help or so-called self improvement practices. I have attended excellent NLP trainings and also practice methods from Psycho-Cybernetics, the Silva Method and various meditation practises. They are as much hobbies as lifestyle choices and I consider them fun and very useful. I'd like to offer you what I discover in a clear, step by step practical way.
I began blogging in 2009.

In 1993 I was desperate to find a way to deeply relax. I was also curious to know what is 'spirituality' that people speak of, but were unable to give me a satisfying answer to. After only a short time, I found someone to teach me a style of meditation that just 'clicked'. I continue to meditate to this day. It's simply wonderful!

Just in case you thought 'I bet he lives on a mountain retreat and uses the local village cafe for blogging', I'll admit to living in a town, near a big city, enjoying making a living with the bright lights, loud music and the fun of meeting people.

Why The Relaxing Zone?

This site is designed for helping people learn the skills for relaxing deeply, feeling good and meditating. It's a broad area and it will cover many themes. I read somewhere that 'the secret of love is in seeking variety' and it describes something of my attitude to this blog. I'll appreciate your comments on my articles. I also ask you to share your experiences and knowledge and promote this potential for people to discover even more well being.

Thanks for reading.

Please stay updated with The Relaxing Zone and subscribe via RSS or via Email with the links upper right on this page.

Videos on my blog

2009-02-01T12:56:00.000-08:00

I've added a Relaxation and Meditation video bar at the bottom of The Relaxing Zone blog front page.
This shows both google and youtube video images and clips of various people talking about, you've got it, meditation and relaxation.
You can click on an image and it will open up into a small player and begin the selected video. The blog page will remain in the background. You can also right click on the blue text beneath the small player and this opens the video in a new tab at its source page (either youtube or video.google).

I put them on my blog when I remembered that people find motivating and useful information from different sources. It is the online, wireless, multi-media culture we have here. So together, let's enjoy using it for our own benefit and for that of others.

My Opinion of the Videos
I've looked at many of the videos presented on the bar. I've also downloaded some onto my ipod
so I can listen to them whilst walking my dog.The features I look for in video, audio or written presentations (relating to relaxation, meditation and self help) are the following:

Are the goals or directions of the presentation given clearly.

Does it provide you with practical ways to attain goals for yourself.

Is this information provided clearly and simply so you can quickly act upon it.

The videos at the bottom of my front page have been uploaded to google/youtube from various sources. Some are talks given at Google Tech. Others are individual presentations or organisational presentations of which I have no affiliation and no known association with. I simply believe that some of the information may be useful to you. Generally, the videos contain nuggets of motivating and practical information that I imagine you can put to good use. Notice, that I wrote 'nuggets'.

I hope you enjoy the videos and as always, please comment.
Stay reading, stay relaxing.
Subscribe to my blog at the links provided. Thanks.

Standing Up on the Job

2009-01-31T13:48:00.000-08:00

This post features a relaxation tool that you'll perform standing up. Obviously, be seated if its necessary for your health. You'll be able to follow the suggestions to their relaxing conclusion anyway.

I've chosen this because many men and women have said they are on their feet for large parts of the day. I also considered that many people are stood in queues at bus stops, airports, cinemas, bars, supermarkets, concerts, at the kitchen sink or emptying the dishwasher. I'll stop there because I'm exhausting my examples. Hey, at least I'm honest.

The aim is for you to experience really wonderful sensations of relaxation whilst standing.
Believe me, it can be done. Enjoy exploring the sensations you can create in your body. It's all about being naturally creative. Take yourself slowly through each suggestion. Savour each moment and believe you will relax more deeply than you have before. Doing this will help you relax more easily, again and again until it becomes a useful habit.

Take yourself slowly through each suggestion.

Stand in an upright (back comfortably straight) posture, facing forward with eyes gazing straight ahead.

Place your feet flat on the floor, a comfortable distance apart.

Have your arms hanging loose by your sides. Your shoulders relaxed, your back relaxed and your legs relaxed. Your head will be balanced naturally.

Notice what it is like to be stood wherever you are.

Notice what's in front of you. Notice what is to the sides of you. Notice what is behind you without looking.

Be aware of the sensation of your feet upon the floor.

Now, gently focus upon yourself. Be casually aware of the way you stand. Notice the way your whole body feels.

Notice the way you breathe.

Using a soothing, calm voice tell yourself to soften and relax.

Notice what part of you is most relaxed. Then double those feelings.

Notice how good this feels and send those feelings around your body.

Simply let those areas relax more.

Relax your eyes. Relax your vision.

Notice the way you breathe. Soothingly tell yourself to relax.

Focus gently upon a place between your eyebrows and the middle of your forehead.

Now you decide how far you will go in exploring this further.

You can easily abbreviate this to suit your lifestyle and daily needs. I will post a variation of this exercise at a later date.

If you enjoy and benefit from these suggestions or are simply more curious, then either subscribe via email to your email account or via feed to your reader or blogg.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy a great weekend.

Lay down on the job

2009-01-29T11:39:00.000-08:00

Read below for an exercise that's so easy you'll be practising it whilst lying down.

It's designed to help you be aware of how you breathe and what your breathing feels like in this often used natural position. You'll be laying down as if you are preparing for sleep or taking a 'nap'.

Remember, it's likely that you use a significant proportion of your 24 hour day sleeping. Most people get good sleep, which usually means they feel rested and quickly become alert after they have awoken. Some people don't rest so easily and one of the reasons amongst potentially many, may be their quality of breathing and relaxation.

Lie flat on your back on a floor.

Relax your body, allowing your arms and legs to spread or 'flop' out in a relaxed manner. You will know what positions for your arms and legs are most comfortable.

Now, be aware of your breathing. Let your body breathe all by itself. You've been doing this all your life, so you're already skilled in letting this happen.

I expect you're noticing that you're stomach is rising and falling with every inhalation and exhalation. How does this feel? Natural? Healthy? Relaxing? I certainly hope so.

What are you noticing about your breathing?

For those of you requiring more comfort whilst lying on the floor, please place a light pillow under your head and under your knees or wherever best to suit you. Be as comfortable as you want because this may help you notice more from this exercise.

You may prefer to experiment with using cushions and without.

Now, lay flat upon your back on your bed, head upon a pillow if you normally use one. Repeat the same exercise. How does this compare to your experience with the previous exercise?

It may be that your breathing naturally from your stomach and less from your chest. How does that feel? As you are comfortable, feel free to lay there and continue breathing. I realise you've probably decided to do that anyway.

Count your blessings

2009-01-28T14:07:00.001-08:00

This post is a cool breathing relaxation or meditation.
In yesterdays post you observed your natural breathing whilst concentrating on the tips of your nostrils. Today you will be counting your exhalations of breath. Not the inhalations, only counting the exhalations. Curious? Then please read on.

This practise is designed to improve your concentration and your ability to 'allow some things to be as they already are'.
Allow your body to look after itself, let it breathe naturally and easily. Encourage this process by relaxing as much as you like. Some people easily relax even more when they prepare themselves to sit quietly and meditate.
See my Relaxation posts if needed. Take your time and enjoy yourself.

Sit comfortably with your back straight and your head looking forward.

You can say to yourself that you're 'going to sit quietly and with such skill that this will be fun.' Well, I like saying things like this to myself. It works.

Close your eyes when you're ready to begin.

Observe your natural cycle of breathing - inhalation and exhalation - through the nose.

When your are ready, count "one" to yourself as your exhale.

Count "two" the next time you exhale.

Count "three" on your third exhalation.

Continue this counting upto either your 5th or 10th exhalation of breath.

Once you have reached either 5 or 10, resume the counting from 1.

So, it begins - count "one" to yourself as you exhale etc.

You may discover this quite an easy exercise or you may find yourself counting upto 8 or 14 or 22.

The practice develops concentration and relaxation. Have fun!

Thanks for reading and feedback to me your discoveries.
Click back again for more relaxation.

On your breath cycles

2009-01-27T12:24:00.000-08:00

I'm placing this breathing exercise under 'Meditation' and 'Relaxation' because it eases me into relaxation and boosts my concentration.
It's a simple exercise and suitable for most places, though obviously avoid operating vehicles and machinery. It is quickly effective, by which I mean you'll likely notice a difference (and a positive one I hope, if not stop doing it) in your sensory perception of your surroundings.
It can be performed in a short space of time or for as long as is comfortable to you. As with my other suggestions, the only highly valuable equipement you need is you!

I recommend sitting comfortably with your back straight and comfortably upright.
You will be inhaling and exhaling through your nose in your natural manner.

Gently close your eyes and relax.

Now simply be aware of your breathing. It'll be flowing in and out quite naturally as you focus gently upon it.

Place you awareness to the tips of your nostrils and the sensation of the breath moving in and out.

Keep your focus on the tips of your nostrils.

Simply allow your breathing to do it's natural cycles.

Relax, enjoy your breathing and whatever else you notice.

Do this for 5 to 10 minutes or longer, if good for you.

You might think it sounds kinda simple. You're right. Practice it to know for yourself how effective it will be. If you like it, keep on using it. I'm interested to know your experiences when you're happy to share.

Thanks for reading and tell your friends and colleagues about therelaxingzone.blogspot.com.
Jens

Love is in the air

2009-01-26T11:59:00.000-08:00

This practice is a very simple and powerful demonstration of how are intentions can rapidly change our feelings, thoughts and our awareness of our body.
It can also help change our appreciation of the people and wider world around us.

I have peformed it at times of anxiety, anger, stress and even shortly after being told my father had died.

You can use this to help yourself be more comfortable and accepting of a place or of people you know. Your object of attention may be something or someone you feel is deserving or even undeserving of your love. Remember what you experience, or write it down if you prefer.

You can do this whilst seated, stood or lying down. I usually find 'eyes closed' is more 'dramatic' and thereby I notice and enjoy much more of the experience.

Begin by softly telling yourself to relax and by using one of my relaxing exercises if neccessary, under the label 'Relaxation' in this blogg.

Pretend your sending out love from yourself into a person or place. Direct your love with intention and believe that whatever you send it to, shall recieve.

Notice where the source of love is coming from. For example is it your heart/chest area or your whole body, or somewhere else. Notice whatever you notice.

Clearly see your intended recipient either surrounded or imbued or both, with your love. Avoid anticipating a reaction. Just direct your love and see it clearly moving and reaching the recipient.

Take pleasure and savour the feelings and experiences of doing this.

You will know or feel, when you are satisfied.

After a pause, you may find this so good, you want to continue with a variation.

Simply, send love from yourself with the intention for it to go where it will. Take an opportunity to be surprised. Allow whatever happens to happen and notice and remember.

I'm sure you can create variations of this to make you feel good. When you stop, gradually make yourself more familiar with your surroundings again.

Take care and come back for more special suggestions to make you feel good and relax.

Uniquely You - an Awareness Meditation

2009-01-26T11:35:00.000-08:00

In my opinion this is something of a 'classic' meditation or awareness practice. It's all about you becoming more aware of you! It's very easy to do. It's normally enjoyable and often insightful. It will assist you in developing concentration and relaxation as well. What more can you ask for? Apart from a lottery win, of course. Well, ask for that too!

Remember that as you go through each step, Notice what you notice. Return your focus to the areas mentioned if a distraction occurs.
Allow whatever happens to happen. Avoid prediction and take pleasure in this. Go on, you know you can.
For beginners in particular: as soon as you feel satisfied or anything other than comfortable, take a pause, then return.

Relax in the best way you know how and if you prefer, go through one of my Relaxation techniques in this blogg.

Sit comfortably. To close your eyes is preferable.

Allow your back to be relaxed, upright and place both your feet on the floor. Prepare to enjoy yourself.

Tell yourself to relax some more and use that special voice you have. The voice, that when you use it your whole body automatically relaxes even more.

As you gently focus upon relaxing, your body relaxes and your mind follows further still. Then it's easier to be aware of what's happening now. Tell yourself to maintain and return to awareness even if distracted.

Gently place your awareness on the area around your groin or reproductive area (safe and simple language, hope you appreciate it).

Be calm and quiet and relax. Notice what you notice. Keep your focus of awareness there for a comfortable period and repeat this for each point listed below.

Now, place your awareness on your navel area. Do this for a period and notice whatever you notice.

Next, focus upon your solar plexus. Simply be aware of this location.

Rest your awareness upon your chest, heart area. Again, notice whatever you notice as you gently rest your attention here.

Next, put your awareness on the throat area and with ease, notice whatever you notice.

Now, settle your focus on the area between your eyebrows and middle of your forehead. Notice what you notice.

Place your awareness on the top of your head. Focus there and simply 'be aware'.

Once you're ready to stop, do so and take notes of experiences and insights if you wish. Make yourself gradually more familiar with your surroundings again.

Have fun and keep on returning to view my posts.
Thanks for reading.

You're easy guide - Preparing to Meditate

2009-01-25T06:22:00.000-08:00

Here you'll get very useful suggestions for when you sit to meditate.
They can make meditating even more enjoyable and insightful.
I prefer to keep suggestions as simple and effective as possible. I also prefer to keep it sat in the real world. The most important general points I can give you are:

1. Relax
2. Be comfortable
3. Enjoy yourself
4. Keep focussed
5. Explore
6. Discover

Make an annagram from the 6 points if it helps you remember. With a little practice you'll soon demonstrate them when you meditate.

The following are guidelines often given to frequently asked questions.

Beginners to meditation may prefer to use quiet, comfortable places to meditate. You can sit in a comfortable chair, on a sofa, the bed, on the floor, anywhere that you feel is comfortable. It's not necessary to sit cross-legged or with your legs behind your head or in an advanced yoga posture that appears only possible to perform after several lifetimes practice.

Avoid meditating on either a completely empty stomach or an overly full stomach, unless that is what you're comfortable with of course. Most people I meet prefer to feel comfortable, focussed and content. So, look after yourself in this matter as only you know how.

Beginners or anyone else for that matter, including me, may prefer little or no noise and no distractions. From a practical aspect, you'll quickly develop the skill to focus in your meditation and naturally any distractions will be avoided.

When sitting to meditate, make sure your whole body is as realistically comfortable as possible at that time, in that environment. With practice you'll quickly have the ability to meditate in different locations. I've meditated on trains, in my car on motorway service stations, at home with music booming around the apartment, as well as in idyllic locations. The one common experience is that the 'quiet' comes from me! And that ladies and gentlemen, is a wonderful thing.

Simply sit upright. There are no special body, leg, arm and hand postures. Obviously, lay down if it's necccessary. Some people are laying prone due to health issues. For many people, lying down is associated with sleep and 'napping'. Sleeping, napping are not meditating.

Practice your ability to focus. You will receive plenty of encouragement and suggestions here to assist you in developing this. Thinking is not meditating. Daydreaming is not meditating. Meditation is easier and can be more insightful than that. Don't take my words for it. Meditate.

Begin regarding your meditation as a fantastic opportunity to explore yourself and reap benefits of well-being along the way. It's a holiday whenever you want it.

Looking for Meditation tools and techniques? Then read and practice my posts on Meditation regularly.

Thanks for reading and please post your feedback.

Meditation and Neuroscience - A Positive Pairing

2009-01-25T04:27:00.000-08:00

Last year I saw a short article on www.guardian.co.uk that read 'Firms as varied as Reebok and PricewaterhouseCoopers encourage their workers to meditate.' 'The main benefit is stress release and relaxation. Once you get seriously into it, it becomes a skill, a workout for the mind.'

More recently I read this article at health.usnews.com:
There's nothing like economic calamity to focus the mind. But instead of obsessing over your job security or declining 401(k) balance, try diminishing your stress with a new assist from a very old tool: meditation.

Naturally, I explored a little further into the unfathomable data stores of the internet and here are some of the treasures I brought back.

Time magazine online www.time.com, reported that daily practice of meditation thickened the parts of the brain's cerebral cortex responsible for decision making, attention and memory. With advanced brainscanning technology, researchers are showing that meditation directly affects the function and structure of the brain. It changes it in ways that appear to increase attention span, sharpen focus and improve memory. By simply focussing on an image or sound or on one's breathing, the practice seems to exercise the parts of the brain that help us pay attention.

An interesting aspect of the next study I include, is the subjects were Boston-area workers practicing a Western-style of meditation. A research scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital, presented preliminary results that showed the gray matter of 20 men and women who meditated for just 40 minutes a day was thicker than that of people who did not.

Another study mentioned on the time site was of an associate professor of biology at the University of Kentucky, who had college students either meditate, sleep or watch TV. Then he tested them for what psychologists call psychomotor vigilance, asking them to hit a button when a light flashed on a screen. Those who had been taught to meditate performed 10% better—"a huge jump, statistically speaking" the professor said.

Finally, www.time.com also printed that meditation seems to help regulate emotions, which in turn helps people get along. 'One of the most important domains meditation acts upon is emotional intelligence—a set of skills far more consequential for life success than cognitive intelligence.'

At www.investigatingthemind.org, is an article upon recent studies that are showing that '...meditation can result in stable brain patterns and changes over both short and long-term intervals that have not been seen before in human beings and that suggest the potential for the systematic driving of positive neuroplastic changes via such intentional practices cultivated over time. These investigations may offer opportunities for understanding the basic unifying mechanisms of the brain, mind and body that underlie awareness and our capacity for effective adaptation to stressful and uncertain conditions.'

Psychology Today reported upon researchers at Harvard Medical School who used MRI technology on participants to monitor brain activity while they meditated. They found that it activates the sections of the brain in charge of the autonomic nervous system, which governs the functions in our bodies that we can't control, such as digestion and blood pressure. These are also the functions that are often compromised by stress.

At www.psychologytoday.com recent research indicates that meditating brings about dramatic effects in as little as a 10-minute session. Several studies have demonstrated that subjects who meditated for a short time showed increased alpha waves (the relaxed brain waves) and decreased anxiety and depression.

In a study published during 2000 in the journal Stroke, 60 African-Americans with atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, practiced meditation for six to nine months. (African-Americans are twice as likely to die from cardiovascular disease as are whites.) The meditators showed a marked decrease in the thickness of their artery walls, while the nonmeditators actually showed an increase. The change for the meditation group could potentially bring about an 11 percent decrease in the risk of heart attack and an 8 percent to 15 percent decrease in the risk of stroke. They looked at a group of people who had meditated for four months and found that they produced less of the stress hormone cortisol. They were therefore better able to adapt to stress in their lives, no matter what their circumstances were.

A second study, published last year in Psychosomatic Medicine, taught a randomized group of 90 cancer patients mindful meditation (another type of practice). After seven weeks, those who had meditated reported that they were significantly less depressed, anxious, angry and confused than the control group, which hadn't practiced meditation. The meditators also had more energy and fewer heart and gastrointestinal problems than did the other group.

I hope this is motivating news for those of you who like reading results of research into the interests you enjoy in life.

Of course, I will add that there is nothing to compare with your own experience on meditation.
Check out more of my posts on Meditation and Relaxation.
Take care and thanks for reading.

Relax, just do it!

2009-01-24T13:29:00.000-08:00

I was asked today, where and when relaxation would be useful.
I'll be honest, I regarded this as a silly question. I looked at the person asking and said "Are you being serious?"
I'll admit to feeling relieved, when they replied they were serious. I suppose we both wanted to be taken seriously. So, this post is based upon what I spoke about. Read it and it could make sense to you. Act upon it and you can feedback to me what you think.

There's usually one or more reasons for a person to believe learning or relearning relaxation will be good for them. It is usually related to health and well-being. I'm most interested in giving anyone the tools to relax as quickly as possible so they can experience any benefits unique to them. The internet is a great space for that.

Decide where you feel more relaxation would be useful to you. I like the answers "all the time" or "as often as possible." How realistic these answers will be depends of course on your lifestyle and attitude. We all have different demands placed upon us at different times and accordingly different exercises will suit those times. Again, it's unique to you.

Realistically, you will likely have certain situations where you want to relax more, for example, at work, at home, on a blind date, during sex, on public transport, to help you get ideas for a book, between sprints on a training session. The lists is huge and ever growing.

Read my posts, practice what you read, so your mind and body will together discover what works best and so you can more easily recall what to do and how to do it. You are really discovering ways of using your thoughts and emotions to create changes in your body and behaviour. I think that sounds like you have a very powerful tool to practice with.

Have an attitude of 'I'm playing with cool things' or "I'm daring to pretend" or "I'm exploring something new" or " I want to discover more wonderful things about me." You get the idea.

I repeat, play with suggestions and exercises. The cool thing is no one has to know your practicing with these tools. I like to think they will notice positive differences in you as a result of practice.

Make the suggestions and exercises your own. We all have thoughts, emotions, bodies, yet they're all unique therefore individual and still they respond to very similar patterns which is why these suggestions will be of use to you.

Consider just how deeply relaxed you can become. I mean, how far will you enjoy exploring? During your free time I strongly recommend you take those opportunities to play with my suggestions. When I was researching and developing techniques for myself I often practised at work as well as on crowded public transport systems. Believe me when I say, it was far more preferable than stressing out over sales targets, getting tense about reaching clients in time, or being annoyed at the crush on the sardine-tin trains.

Simply allow yourself to notice whatever you notice when you relax or practice other suggestions. You'll discover and learn far more easily this way. Prediction can be left for economising your finances and reading the horoscopes. No joke, I sometimes read mine. I know the difference.

What do you imagine you can do when you're more relaxed? Will you enjoy greater well being? To answer these questions, you will have a memory of relaxing in the past. The memory will be experienced both in your mind and your body. Almost simultaneously if you take a moment to notice.

There is a funny thing I noticed many years ago. When your mind relaxes, your body does too. When your body relaxes, your mind does too. Have fun and I hope you really enjoy reading my posts. Let me know how useful they are to you.

Thanks

Tune In, Turn On, Take Off From Here

2009-01-23T10:09:00.000-08:00

Hiya,
today's post arrives as a result of a cool exercise I performed earlier. This created a growing feeling of powerful motivation toward something I had avoided earlier.
I'm also appreciating a secondary effect which has been to positively change my beliefs about the activity.

Imagine yourself beginning the activity.

Create a large image of yourself. Make it life size if that's more comfortable or powerful for you.

See yourself smiling broadly and being happy and relaxed performing the activity.

Now make that image into a movie. See yourself performing, hear what you hear and feel what you feel.

Increase the colours, sounds and take time to notice your happy feelings as well as the 'physical' feelings of you accomplishing the activity.

When you have the movie as you like it, move fully into it if you have not already done so. Imagine you are there really accomplishing whatever activity you want to do well.

Enjoy some moments there and really allow those sensations to 'soak' into you.

Imagine the rewards you will receive, however big or small, once you are really performing the activity.

Now, imagine the rewards you will receive, however big or small, once you have accomplished it. These rewards may be emotional like relief, happiness or relaxation or financial or anything else that's positive.

I hope this will be very useful to you.

Yes, part of the title 'Tune In, Turn On...'originated with the late Timothy Leary. Never met him, although I have heard some of his talks on the matrix masters podcast. The main content I practice and change for myself, after discovering techniques during research into NLP as created by its co-founder Richard Bandler. Very useful stuff.

Have a great weekend!
Tune in, turn on and return here to read more relaxing, self powering posts.

Smile, it's a relaxing world inside and out.

2009-01-22T13:02:00.000-08:00

You're only a hot smile away from relaxing.

We know the power of the happy smile is in it's ability in encouraging people to relax and feel happier. Internationally, it's one of the best understood feel-good languages of the body. It breaks barriers across cultures, beliefs, geography, education and social status. The beauty held in a smile not only creates good feelings in the smiler but makes those it's directed to feel good as well.
Here and now, you can enjoy a wonderful smile. Go on, I dare you.

Sit, stand or lay down comfortably. You may close your eyes or keep them open.

Imagine another you, smiling a genuine and beautiful smile. The kind of smile that 'lights up' and seems to grow larger in your mind. The kind of smile that becomes a radiance with light dancing in your eyes.

Now, send that smile into every part of your body. In your head, trunk, arms and legs. Send it into any part of you that feels tense or uncomfortable.

Imagine that smile going into every organ within your body. From your brain to your reproductive organs, from the top of your head to the tips of your toes.

Allow that smile to travel throughout you in the way that feels absolutely best at this time.

Now, smile into every part of your day, into the memories of past days and into the future of your many tomorrows.

Now, I Imagine your real eyes are smiling, the corners of your mouth raising and you're noticing those feel-good sensations flowing wonderfully through you.

Continue with this until your either in ecstasy, deep relaxation, both or ready to return to work.

Relaxation, well-being and weight loss?

2009-01-20T12:02:00.000-08:00

Relaxing regularly may be a key to maintaining weight loss.

From the research results of a team at the University of Otago, New Zealand.

I read an article published yesterday on www.news-medical.net stating results suggest that women are more likely to keep weight off if they practice relaxation techniques. The research was done by a team at the University which says on its website that it is the top research Uni' in NZ.

In a two year follow-up of a ground-breaking research project, they suggest that non-dieting interventions to improve overweight and obese women's health and well-being have a longer-lasting effect if they include relaxation training.

The researchers conducted a study involving 225 Dunedin women with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 28 - the women were placed on one of three 10 week intervention programmes which all aimed to help women shift their focus away from calorie counting and body weight, towards sustainable lifestyle changes that enhanced their well-being, regardless of weight loss.

The most striking result was in the non-dieting intervention that included intensive training in relaxation techniques and at the two-year follow up, these women were the only ones to maintain the psychological and medical symptom improvements they showed at the end of the first year.

Good news! This is something more to encourage you to relax.
Read my next post on the relaxing zone.

Have fun!

A quick and easy relaxation thats deep, natural and legal too

2009-01-19T12:38:00.000-08:00

Relaxation is a wonderful experience, again and again
I imagine some people really deeply, relax. I imagine many people can relax deeply when they know how. The purpose of this blog is to give you regular, easy to use, effective techniques for relaxing deeply, meditating and feeling good. The labels to the right of this post will guide you into areas of your choice.

I meet plenty of people who tell me, they've either forgotten how to relax or never felt the relaxation they believe they're capable of enjoying. It's useful to know that we can relearn the best things as quickly as we forget the most useless. It's just like, when you soften as you lay down and allow the warm waters of your bath to soak over you. Many old pleasures and new sensations come together in a moment.
If you could bring them together by reading and practising the suggestion below, I'm sure you'll remember to use them in your future too.

Now, discover how deeply relaxing this is
Some lucky people tell me they're naturally relaxed and I think that's something we can all create for ourselves. Here is one of the most effective relaxation techniques, in my opinion, and you can put it into practice today!

Remember a time in your life when you were most relaxed.

Or imagine a special moment when you experience such deep relaxation that every part of you is at ease and feeling just wonderful.

In a soothing voice tell yourself to slow down some more.

Now, see yourself clearly, relaxing deeply . Notice what you look like from your head to your toes as you body relaxes.

Explore how deeply comforting this is. The more you notice yourself relaxing, the more you soften and feel comfortable everywhere.

See what you see as you relax more, hear what you hear and feel all the good sensations you are feeling.

Move into that image of yourself, if you have not done so already.

Increase these feelings of relaxation in the easiest way available to you, now.

Notice what part of you is most comfortable. Where is the most relaxed place in your body?

Now, tell yourself to spread those relaxing feelings through your whole body.

Have these wonderful feelings spread from the top of your head to the tips of your toes.

When every part of you is more relaxed then double those feelings.

I wonder if you've ever felt so relaxed before.

Feel how good this is now, so in the future you can easily enjoy these wonderful sensations again. Now, say to yourself in a slow, gentle voice: "Relax" "Every part of me is deeply relaxed." But you probably know that already. And enjoy! Thanks for reading. Jens

Please read and subscribe, to continue developing your enjoyment of relaxing, meditating, feeling good and smiling more at the world around you.

Great news. Relaxing is easy!

2009-01-17T14:30:00.000-08:00

The good news is relaxing is easy.

Below you will read a 'classic' way of encouraging yourself to quickly relax.
It is a simple and very effective guide to relaxing deeply. I've used it for myself and with other people to great effect.

It is something you can play with and modify at your leisure.
Add or remove words or sentences to suit you. Repeat them to suit you.
Some people experience wonderful, refreshing relaxation by simply repeating the word "Relax" in a slow, gentle, soothing way.

Deep Relaxation

Begin by sitting comfortably and notice the way your body rests.

Start by repeating the word relax to yourself in a slow, gentle, soothing manner.

When ready, tell yourself to begin relaxing from the top of the head to the tips of your toes.
Using a speed and tone of voice that will help you relax.
Usually a softer, slower speech is of great help. Notice whatever you notice.

Gently say to yourself:
"My head is comfortable and relaxed"
" My face is relaxing."
"My face is softening."
Repeat as appropriate.

Notice the feelings of relaxation.

Softly say to yourself:
"My eyes are relaxed"
"My jaw and chin are relaxing even more"
"Relax"
"My whole face is relaxed."

Notice how much more relaxed you are becoming.

"My shoulders and arms are relaxing"
"My chest and stomach are relaxing naturally"
"My whole body is relaxing more"
"My whole body is deeply relaxed"
Repeat as appropriate. Notice whatever you notice.

Say to yourself:
"My body is relaxing more. As one area of my body is relaxing, all areas of my body relax".
Follow the same process for your legs and feet.

Gently say to yourself:
"I'm relaxing my thighs and calves"
My legs are more relaxed"
"Relax"
" My feet and toes are relaxing more"

Then double those wonderful feelings throughout your body.
It is easy now you can do it. Allow your body to follow your instructions. You are in control.
Remember your body normally does its best to take care of itself automatically.

Say to yourself:
"I'm deeply relaxed"
"I'm slowing down"
"Relax"