“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm,

but to add color to my sunset sky.” ~ Tagore

"Believe in yourself and what you are capable of. Your resilience becomes evident in your strength, gratitude, and heightened spirituality and in your resolve that you can and will rise above any problems that have brought you to this point, as well as any that you may face in the future." ~ Margaret Stockley

Four Key Steps to Silencing Self-Talk

Scientists at the University of Toronto-Scarborough have studied the important role that the inner voice plays in controlling impulsive behavior.

They examined inner conversations such as “keep running when tired, stop eating even though you want one more slice of cake, or don’t have an argument.”

In one test, participants were shown different symbols on a computer screen and were told to press a button if they saw one type of symbol and to refrain from pressing the button if they saw a different symbol.

There were actually more “press” than “don’t press” examples in order to make the act of pressing the button an impulsive and repetitive response.

Repeating a word over and over in order to gauge any impact on their ability to do the test also blocked the participants “inner voice”. The repetition prevented any self-talk that would aid self-control resulting in impulsive behavior.

Researchers suggest that the correlation between mindfulness and self-regulation is perhaps the least surprising of the findings reported in mindfulness studies, because your level of mindfulness will in fact predict self-regulation in all aspects of your life.

The research shows that it is not possible to control behaviors that you are unaware of therefore mindfulness may increase not only awareness of your own personal behavior but it may also improve your ability to self-regulate your behavior beginning with your thoughts.

In yoga philosophy there are progressively four states of the body and mind that an individual gains mastery over:

• first is control of the physical body
• second is control of the breath
• third is control of the senses
• and finally there is control of the mind.

Conscious awareness of thoughts, feelings, and emotions quietens the internal chatter of imaginary conversations and halts the playback of events based on interactions with other people that did not go as expected or was based on an imagined “sensing” of how other people felt.

The consequence of rising to external influences or emerging thoughts creates erratic spikes in emotions, feelings, and reactions, which in turn affect the energy that flows in waves through each of us.

With awareness, the senses enable us to be mindful of what we are thinking and feeling; whether we are demonstrating empathy for example, or whether our actions or non-actions are appropriate.

Simply put, mindfulness enables you to discern what you are thinking first and to respond accordingly, with no more speaking (or doing) before you think.

This heightened level of awareness also teaches the body and mind to relax by monitoring the senses fully and expanding mindfulness in all mental and physical activities. It allows you to release attachment to outmoded beliefs and use a clear perspective based upon what you actually perceive rather than having living life clouded by bias or emotions.

When you practice the action of awareness you will end up with the results of your conscious choices.

Affirmations
When you are exposed to a specific event, it is how your mind reacts that determines the response, rather than the actual event itself. When you are aware of the power of your intention and how it shapes yourself and the world around you, you recognize how uncontrolled emotions can keep you tied down in the very place you are struggling to get away from.

The past has no hold over me

I am in control of my thoughts and emotions

I make conscious decisions to follow one path or another

My life is brimming with bright choices and overflowing with joy and happiness.

Reverse Gratitude

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of the virtues

but the parent of all others.” Cicero

Your thoughts produce emotions in response to sensory information, memories, or anticipation of future events which in turn trigger a physical response.

Thoughts about public speaking for example, can produce a dry throat, sweating palms, and a racing heart in some people while others look forward to addressing a large group of people; feeling relaxed, excited and positive anticipation when they think about the future event.

Positively reframing memories and current events promotes hope for the future. There are several methods that can be implemented and one that I use and share during seminars is called “Reverse Gratitude.”

Reverse Gratitude
Instead of thinking about 3 things every day that you are grateful for, pause and consider different aspects of your life, whether it is possessions or relationships, and think about how you would feel if a particular object or person was no longer in your life.

It is especially useful when struggling to come up with reasons to give thanks or express appreciation, particularly when the mind is drawn to past conversations or comparisons that cultivate a cycle of negative feelings.

This helps to highlight what you actually have need of, what you value, and releases the full range of genuinely grateful feelings to events that brought you to where you are now, to lovingly appreciate what you have in life, and to live in hopeful anticipation about what the future holds.

Affirmation

May you and I be happy

May you and I be well

May you and I be at peace

Getting What You Think You Deserve

“Out of the endless possibilities in life, we only choose among those we believe we deserve.”

In my yoga studio, one of the lessons students learn is to value each moment.
No one moment is more important than the next and the journey is just as important as the destination.
Set yourself up for Success by living THIS moment in the present to your maximum potential. Then the next moment will ALSO be lived to its fullest potential, and then the remainder of your life!

Thoughts crystallize into habits, which either pull you away from your vision of where you want to be or solidify into your success.

Think about what you want, plant this vision firmly in your mind, and believe that it is within your scope of possibilities to actually achieve.

Let each moment be filled with positive steps that lead you forward to an amazing destination overflowing with joy, happiness, and daily triumphs.

There ARE no limits to what you can do. 

The Best 5 People In Your Life

Living an Uplifting Life

Jim Rohn said: You are the average of the 5 people that you spend the most time with.

Who are the best 5 people in your life?
Who upholds you?  Who lets you down?
Look at who is currently in your life and whether they support you or disparage your ideas and thoughts.
When you are surrounded by negativity it is hard for positive ideas to flourish.
Decide who you want to have in your life and who you want to spend time with.
Positive people will encourage your choices, ideas, and in-turn you will be happy in their company and they in yours.

I recognize who is helpful to me

I will stay true to my beliefs

I will seek out and find an environment that uplifts and supports me

Change Your Brain In 8 Weeks

~Going With The Flow~

Changing Your Brain In 8 Weeks
In a study that appeared in the January 30, 2011 issue of Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, a team led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers report that participation in an 8-week mindfulness meditation program appears to make measurable changes in the regions of the brain that are associated with memory, sense of self, empathy and stress. This is the first study to document meditation-produced changes in the brain's grey matter.

Study participants took part in the program at the University of Massachusetts Center for Mindfulness, focusing on nonjudgmental awareness of sensations and feelings and state of mind.
A set of MR brain images were also taken of a control group of non-meditators over a similar time interval.

The meditation group participants practiced mindfulness exercises for an average of 27 minutes per daily and their responses to the mindfulness questionnaire showed significant progress compared with their pre-participation responses.

The MR images, which focused on areas where meditation-associated differences were seen in earlier studies, found increased grey-matter density in the hippocampus, known to be important for learning and memory, and in structures associated with self-awareness, compassion and introspection.
Reductions in stress also were correlated with decreased grey-matter density in the amygdala, which is known to play an important role in anxiety and stress.

No changes were seen in the control group.

The study team reported that the act of practicing meditation changed the brain, increasing well-being and quality of life.

Going With The Flow
Multi-Sensory Meditation involves training the mind and body to aware of the input from the senses and to remain detached from the emotions and experiences that arise.

When the 5 senses are involved, strong emotions can create a powerful attachment within the subconscious to past events and the fear associated with similar future experiences.

Multi-Sensory Meditation develops your natural ability to remain impervious to the variability of daily life. This acceptance of the “flow” literally creates new neural pathways within the brain, equipping you with the skills to shift from a downward cycle of negativity to one that is up-beat and filled with positive vitality.

It promotes an awareness of attachment leading to a successful release of negative thoughts and feelings. The mind is no longer flooded with overwhelming thoughts and feelings that determine reactive responses, but rather, there is intention and awareness in every moment creating a happier and healthier way to live.

By highlighting the connection between the senses, memory, consciousness, and awareness patterns of behavior change, resulting in a focused mind and a calm and energized body.

Contact me for more information about Multi-Sensory Meditation and how to learn it.

Affirmation
Your own internal dialogue can and will influence the way that you shape your own actions and ability to self-motivate. Positive self-talk directly impacts future actions with the power to produce healthier and more productive behavior.

I now surrender to the Universal Flow

I accept what is happening and trust that all will be well

I am at peace with all that surrounds me

No Pain - All Gain! Train the Brain to Remove Pain

During meditation and yogic breathing techniques, brain wave patterns change.

Scientists from The University of Manchester have found that people who meditate regularly find pain less unpleasant because their brains anticipate the pain less. The study was published in September 2010 and showed that meditation reduces the emotional impact of aches and injury.

In the study, pain was administered via a small laser and the threat of pain was also anticipated as part of the research.

The scientists found that the prefrontal cortex, the region of the brain known to be involved in controlling attention and thought processes when potential threats are perceived, was more active compared to non-meditators. The experienced meditators also perceived the pain as less unpleasant relative to controls.

The more experience that a meditation practitioner had, the more the individual was able to distance themselves from anticipation of soreness, both reducing the expectation of and the negative appraisal of pain.

Meditation trains the brain to be more present-focused and to spend less time anticipating future negative events, reducing the recurrence of depression which makes chronic pain considerably worse.

Other studies have demonstrated that the pre-frontal cortex thickens as a result of meditation and thickening of this area of cortex is also shown to protect a person from sensitivity to pain.


Meditation Reduces Pain

During meditation and yogic breathing techniques, brain wave patterns change from beta waves to alpha waves. In addition, both hemispheres of the brain and the body become balanced. In most people, one side is slightly more active than the other e.g. being left or right-handed, but balanced sides also mean that your creative, physical, and logical abilities are equal and productive.

During the alpha state, the brain produces endorphins, natural pain-reducing hormones that are also responsible for a feeling of wellbeing and calming awareness throughout the body. Endorphins are the “feel good” factor involved in maintaining a positive quality of life, aid in controlling the body’s response to stress and in the regulation of growth and gonadotropin hormones.

When the mind is balanced, the whole body is affected.

Multi-Sensory Meditation which we teach, via classes and seminars, positively impacts your internal and external perception, your awareness of possibilities, and by promoting an optimistic mental state enables you to be free from negativity. In its simplest form, it is your own way of distancing your mind from the hustle and bustle of everyday living. You give yourself permission to relinquish the thoughts, demands, and pressures coming at you from the outside as well as from within, releasing attachment to the familiar path you traveled on before and experiencing the peace of the moment.

Guided Meditation
See previous postings on the website on the basic method of How to Meditate

Train The Brain To Remove Pain
Begin by following the breath from the tip of the nose into the base of the lungs and follow the breath out again.
Notice the body
Begin at the base of the body at the right side
See the right foot then the left
Move slowly over each area of the body, without becoming attached or associated with any particular area
Notice how each part of the body feels
Notice what you sense, smell, touch, hear, see, experience

How does your body feel with your surroundings; do you feel supported by the earth, does your body and heart feel open or closed
Travel with conscious awareness from the feet to the crown of the head
Begin to release awareness of your body, one limb and area at a time
Recognize that you are not your body
As you release awareness of having a body, you release awareness of areas that have pain as well as areas that are pain-free
With practice you learn to disassociate your Self from the confines of the body




Affirmation
Thoughts have their own unique energy. Use the power of your words to create only that which is positive for you.

See yourself as strong and healthy. See healing energy passing into you. See yourself doing all the things that you are now physically able to do. You move lightly, filled with vitality and the knowledge that all is well.

I am filling each cell with light and creating a new body

Affirmations For Following Your Life Path

 Follow your chosen path.

No journey is possible if you don’t believe that you will ever reach your destination.
Even the most rugged vehicle equipped with a state of the art navigation system will keep on driving in circles and weaving its way around the wrong routes if not provided with a clear purpose or idea of which direction to head in. Eventually it will run out of fuel, forced to stay put.

Strengthen your resolve to not let yourself be affected by detractors or to give up following your chosen path by living each moment of every day with purpose and peace.

Use affirmations either as part of your meditation practice or carry them with you and repeat them throughout the day whenever you catch yourself thinking a negative thought.
Over time, your affirmations will have a positive effect and transform not only your behavior but generate an assuredness of self-worth and contentment.

My inner glow is not dulled or discolored by what is happening around me

I do something every day to enable me to stay on my chosen path
 I am a beacon of pure energy radiating on the world

helping others by the brightness and power of my light

I am ever expanding my awareness and opening my senses to the opportunities that surround me

The Power of Your Intention

Actions are a reflection of your thoughts.

The Power of Your Intention
You are an energetic 'power house' and your influence on others is strong. Keep your intentions set on the 'Highest Good'. Use your ability to energetically uplift the energy of others.

When you are exposed to a specific event, it is how your mind reacts that determines the response, rather than the actual event itself. When you are aware of the power of your intention and how it shapes yourself and the world around you, you recognize how uncontrolled emotions can keep you tied down in the very place you are struggling to get away from.

Conscious Choices
You have the wonderful ability to think positively. It is a conscious choice to ensure that your thoughts and subsequent action are doing their best for you and for others. Whether you call it positive thinking or an affirmation, as long as you believe that it is working then it will have the power to make a difference.
Use whichever words best meet your own needs and purpose each day.

The past has no hold over me

I am in control of my thoughts and emotions

I make conscious decisions to follow one path or another

My life is brimming with bright choices and overflowing with joy and happiness.

New Year Affirmation

There are NO limitations to your possibilities.
With a vast array of promise and potential to choose from, ask yourself if you are shrinking from what you really want because you are making mediocre choices based on what you think that you deserve.
Promoting a positive mental state frees you from disorder and chaos while opening your Self up to myriad of opportunities.

My thoughts are under my control
I remain unaffected by negative surroundings and attitudes
I look for and find the best in other people
I see my life anew

A New Attitude
What do you believe about yourself, your relationships, and the world around you?
Where does the information come from that enables you to form these beliefs?
Your beliefs create your life! They form the foundation of all that you think and do. Your beliefs are believed by the mind whether they are real, or true, or even false.
The beliefs that YOU hold are what you use to lead you whether you are aware of them or not.
Reinforce positive beliefs like love and altruism that strengthen and sustain you and enable you to be a constructive force to the world around you.

I believe in myself and what I am capable of

I can soar as high as I can imagine.

Today I choose to believe rather than hope.