We think countless numbers of thoughts daily so it is best to be vigilant about what you are thinking. Are you aware that your thoughts can make you feel bad and that you can direct your thoughts in a way that makes you feel good? I pay attention to what people are saying to me and there overall feeling tone as well as my feeling tone and what I am saying to others. I really notice when other people are talking negatively about something and will often stop them and point that out to them in a loving way. I ask those around me to do the same when I am in their presence. It helps us both stay conscious and aware of the present moment. 

There is always going to be negativity in the world (but there is a lot of good in the world as well.) One must view the glass as half full…it feels so much better. I have had to work on my ‘head space’. There was a time when I was my own worst enemy; not now. I had my own health crisis (the inherent gift). That woke me up eight years ago but the journey goes on… there are always challenges but that is the life journey, it’s what is. Can you find the joy in it?

I love myself now so I notice thoughts that are potentially injurious to my interior space when they show up. I do not give these thoughts the space to grow and multiply; if they creep in, I am mindfully aware of them.  I then choose to direct my thought to something that feels better. It is a choice in every moment. I am far from perfect but I am self aware. Catching the thought in that moment and choosing a thought that feels better is key.

Esther and Jerry Hicks wrote a fantastic book that talks about feeling states and climbing up the emotional guidance scale in ‘Ask and It is Given’. Cindy Teevens who won the spiritual author contest with her book ‘ Alchemy – How to Feel Good no matter what’ continues on with the thread. What I most appreciated about her book was her comment about how all thoughts that keep you feeling separate lead to suffering. That is so true! That is a good filter to view your thoughts through – if they cause you to feel separate (ego) choose another thought. All thoughts that cause you to feel separate automatically create suffering. If you realize that, then you can choose thoughts that cause you to feel more connected to others – those thoughts feel better to think.

For example, if I am going to a party and  I think thoughts like ‘I won’t know anybody. I am socially awkward’ then how good will I feel when I get to the party? Not great, right? I am already in a state of anxiety because of what I am thinking before I get to the party. Those thoughts are keeping me feeling separate from others. What if I thought, ‘I really want to open my heart to people and find out about them tonight. I want to come from a loving place.’ These thoughts are coming from an ego-less space of connection. Feels better right?

Cognitive therapy is so important for your state of well being. It gets easier once you start being mindful of your thoughts. You can choose thoughts that make you feel bad and you can choose thoughts that make you feel good – your choice. Do you love yourself? Do you naturally gravitate to thoughts that ensure that you can’t be accepted or loved unless you do x, y or z? How about just accepting yourself in this moment because it feels so much better than telling yourself that you are not okay unless you are better or more (ego) – all the things that keep you feeling separate versus connected to others.

We all need to connect right now, to love others as they are, to accept them in their imperfection, that is something you choose (just like thoughts) and in that moment of accepting you send an affirmation to all your cells and your being ‘I can be loved despite my imperfections’ because I accept imperfections in others (which is the human condition). Now that is something that feels good. You can choose thoughts that make you feel good. Try it and let me know how it goes!

 

 

Breathing oxygen is something most of us take for granted and don’t pay much attention to but we should. Optimal breathing is probably the most significant factor in your overall health and longevity. The benefits of optimal breathing include positive impacts on your respiratory system such as eliminating waste through your breath. According to ‘The Tao of Breathing’ by Dennis Lewis, 70% of our body’s waste products are eliminated by your lungs. That is reason enough to pay more attention to your breathing. The circulatory system relies on breathing to carry oxygen to every cell and the more we are focused on breathing into parts of our body that are causing us distress and being more mindful, we can use our breath as a healing tool and direct it to areas of congestion or discomfort. For instance, you could breathe in healing colors like green to areas of pain.

Breathing exercises can calm the nervous system by promoting the parasympathetic branch of the nervous system (versus the sympathetic branch which is fight or flight/stress)and balance both hemispheres of the brain depending on the technique. When we have thoughts or emotions that are stressful, we tend to hold our breath or breath shallowly. This makes us feel more anxious and blocks our inherent self-regulating property that comes from optimal breathing. Bringing your attention back to your breath can focus you on the present moment and reduce the stress response. Optimal breathing also has positive effects on your digestive, urinary, endocrine system and your skin. So what are some ways you could use breathing to enhance your health?

One breath I use commonly is called the relaxing breath. I learned this from Dr. Andrew Weil’s cd’s on breathing exercises (for more info or to purchase please visit his website). To do this breath, you put the tip of your tongue against the back of your front teeth. You breathe in silently through your nose for a count of four. Then hold your breath for a count of seven. Exhale through your mouth (with your tongue still connected to the back of your front teeth) for a count of eight. This completes one full breath. It is recommended to work up to four breaths (and no more) when you feel comfortable with this technique. This is a great breath to do whenever you are feeling stressed or anxious. It helps reset your nervous system so you are in more of a parasympathetic state or calming state. Don’t underestimate the power of breathing to help with coping with anxiety or any less than optimal mood state.

I also recommend that patients just meditate on their breath. Lie down for this exercise or sit with your spine straight in a chair. Start with ten minutes and focus on your breath. Follow your breath as you inhale and exhale. Breathe from your abdomen and fill your entire lungs up with a full breath – if it helps put one hand on your chest and the other hand on your abdomen. Whenever thoughts come up that distract you from your breath, gently bring your attention back to your breath. Don’t worry if you find it challenging to focus on your breath. Your mind will show up telling you that this is boring, a waste of time or whatever thoughts are needed to take you off your focus on breathing. Just keep bringing your attention back and before you know it, the time will be up. (I use a egg timer when I meditate. You just set the time and it will go off when the time is over). It takes discipline to meditate on your breath; the payoff is a quieter mind in the long run and a state of relaxation in the axis of your mind/body/spirit plus all the health benefits that come along with optimal breathing. Start with ten minutes daily and work up to twenty minutes twice daily if you are really keen.

Breathing connects you to all of life. You need breath to thrive and be vital and be connected to your inner being. Breathing also connects you to a greater life force that energizes all things and can guide you in your life’s journey. We are all interconnected; we are all one. Remembering to breathe is the first step to greater connection to the whole.

Emotional Freedom Technique has been a wonderful addition to my mind/body medicine specialty. This technique was developed by Gary Craig, a former Stanford engineer and personal performance coach who recognized that thoughts can greatly impact well being and personal performance. EFT is a form of alternative psychotherapy that involves tapping on acupuncture points. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, harmonious flow between organs and systems is reliant on these meridian pathways and is crucial for health and well being.

Instead of inserting needles, the end points of meridians are tapped on in order to improve energy flow throughout the meridian system (which is the body’s energy bloodstream). It is not important to know what meridian is out of balance because the tapping sequence covers all the meridians. Meridian tapping techniques are an effective way of changing emotional states. Tapping these meridians while voicing positive affirmations helps clear any short circuits in your energy flow which restores your mind and body’s balance.

You really must experience EFT in order to appreciate it. A client may come in with one particular issue and after some rounds of tapping, what happens is something else that the client may not even be aware of bubbles up. So often what you think is the issue is not the root cause of the disturbance. EFT makes things more clear. It is a gentle technique that does not elicit strong emotions that are overwhelming to the client. Whatever happens to bubble up is relevant and the obvious next step in healing the current disharmony.

I love EFT because it works on anything. I have used it on chronic pain, arthritis, addictions, grief (death in the family), stomach aches, autoimmune disease, anxiety, depression, fatigue, lack of motivation, low self esteem, relationship distress, fears, phobias,and migraines with success. It is especially beneficial if you are an emotionally sensitive individual.

There is immediate benefit from using EFT. You will experience results even from one session. If you are a private person, rest assured you do not have to go into any dark history that you would rather not revisit.  Whatever is top of mind in the moment is all that needs to be briefly addressed.

I’m passionate about EFT and I hope you will come in and experience it for yourself. It is a technique that once learned can be used as a self help tool. People that endorse EFT include Dr. Deepak Chopra and Dr. Bruce Lipton, both innovative leaders in medicine and healing today.