Living Energy Blog

Meditation (Photo credit: atsukosmith)

As all of us of a certain age begin to make our way through the latter part of life, there is much concern about retaining our ability to lead productive happy lives and continue to be independent if not productive members of society. The good news is that we are learning how our lifestyle choices can positively impact our continued health and well being. No longer is it a forgone conclusion that we will all be subject to the ravages of aging just because we have advanced in years.

 I remember years ago hearing Deepak Chopra remark that aging was a mistake. By that he meant that we did not necessarily have to succumb to many of the health issues and declining capacities that previous generations believed were inevitable. Science is beginning to show us how true his statement is–and even better it is showing us the tools and their effects on how to make this our reality.

Here is an excerpt from some research on mindfulness and how it affects the brain from Harvard/MGH.

“Perhaps one of the more intriguing aspects of Dr. Lazar’s research is the finding that cortical thickness was more pronounced in the older subjects. A number of factors, including age, sex and genetics, influence the thickness of the human cortex, with age being the leading factor. Despite the affects of aging on the prefrontal cortex, Dr. Lazar and her team found that the average cortical thickness in two regions of the cortex of the 40 -50 year old meditators was similar to the average thickness of the 20- 30 year old meditators and control subjects. This suggests that meditation may slow the rate of neural degeneration in specific locations of the cortex.”

Read the full article here: http://www.hms.harvard.edu/hmni/On_The_Brain/Volume12/OTB_Vol12No3_Fall06.pdf

This video is a great brief explanation of how meditation operates to rewire your brain to decrease stress.

Edgar Mitchell, co-founder of the institute (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Some of you may be interested in this project…

From Institute of Noetic Science:
As you may know, we have been working on a documentary film about a subject that touches everyone on the planet and offers inspiration and hope! Death Makes Life Possible explores a taboo subject from the perspectives of culture, science, theory, and personal experience.

This movie will have the capacity to help so many people, especially those faced with their own death or that of a loved one. It can begin to change the way we think about death in our Western world—and you can participate in many ways!

The Institute of Noetic Sciences and the Chopra Foundation are co-producing this feature length documentary exploring a fundamental question: How does understanding death inform our lives?

You can learn more here: www.kickstarter.com/projects/1653713334/death-makes-life-possible

There is also a great interview with Edgar Mitchell here: http://www.sopdigitaledition.com/archive/commonground0512/#/50/

Stress is a signal that we are out of balance. Left unchecked that imbalance can leads to disruptions in relationships, poor quality of life, career issues, and ultimately illness. Most people unfortunately address stress in the form of illness and accidents than in a proactive, preventative   manner. This does not have to be the case if we take a fresh look at what we need to do to take charge of our health and life. The pace and nature of the lives we lead seems to require that we all look at the stress in our lives and come up with a well thought out plan for reducing it where we can and managing it well when it cannot be lessened.

When I first began teaching stress reduction and management in the 1970’s the kinds of stresses people faced were situations that occurred in the midst of an otherwise stable life, or they were dealing with a period of time that was challenging due to life changes that had a well defined beginning, middle and end. The pace of life and the time between stressors was different than today– there was more time to unwind and recover from stress, as well as more time between stressful events.  In recent years stress has become much more widespread, unrelenting and accelerated.

The Up and Down of Everyday Life
Technology has brought us so many wonderful things, but it also has had its downside! For instance: you used to be able to take a day off, be sick or take a vacation without dreading your email in-box when you returned; multi-tasking had a much different face before social media, the internet and cell phones; expectations for productivity, relationships and leisure time were different; noise levels were different; travel was different…need we go on? The point is that we are dealing with a world that our nervous systems were not designed for and so we must address that if we are to thrive and not just survive.

Reducing or Managing Stress?

There are two categories of stress: Necessary and unnecessary. We can eliminate or reduce the sources of stress that are unnecessary through simple introspection and choice. There may be some challenges with the choice to eliminate someone or something, but ultimately it can be done. Necessary stress includes all the things that you cannot, or do not want to remove from your life. In many ways this is the category that requires the most commitment from you.

Stressors you may want to consider…

1. Toxic situations or people
   Are there unsupportive, non-nurturing people or situations in your life?
   Why are you putting up with them? (This is an important question to be answered to show you what must be done before you can remedy the situation in a healthy and permanent way).
   What do you need to do to eliminate this stress?
2. What about the News?
   Our brains do not know the difference between real and imagined. Our bodies and minds will react the same to an imagined, perceived or observed stress as to a real one….perhaps to a lesser degree depending on individual make-up but nevertheless it will react with stressful chemistry, thoughts and feelings.
   Being mindful of this helps you to make good choices about what you will      and won’t expose yourself to, or to how you will care for yourself after exposure.
3. Comparison and Competition
   These two infamous twins may be good for business, but they raise your stress hormones and are not good for your inner peace and well being. Paying attention to your self-talk and shifting it can go a long way to reducing and eliminating this      stress. Taking a more proactive stance in developing and appreciating your own unique Self cultivates an inner strength and connection that serves all areas of your life.
4. Dump the Past
   Exploring your past with its beliefs, woundings, and conditioning can be painful but is ultimately most beneficial in every aspect of your life and health. Energy techniques make it easier than ever to let go of your past and come into the present so you can have the future you dream of.5. Commit to Self Care
   Self care means putting you first so you can show up for your life and for others. A lifestyle that has your needs for rest, relaxation, fun, solitude, support, and companionship taken into account is a healthy life for not only you but for others in your circle.

Start somewhere! You do not have to do everything all at once. Relaxation/meditation is a great first step because it helps with all the others in a way that nothing else does. In our store you will find a variety of recordings that address this as well as other areas of stress and its resolution.

I think there are many more of these types of events and people than we typically hear about it the mainstream media…thankfully there are those who collect the pictures and stories so we can all share and be uplifted by remembering who we really are.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/expresident/pictures-that-will-restore-your-faith-in-humanity

What are your “Someday” promises?
If not now, when?
What do you wait for?
Is that necessary or even likely to happen?

Learning to slow down, release, relax and live in the moment is both an art and a skill. It requires a new kind of committment, some learning and the means to integrate a new way of Being into our lives—well worth the effort in the peace, joy and sense of truly living your life that it brings!

Wondering where to begin? Our recorded programs all target different aspects of slowing down, releasing srress and learning to live from a more enlivened center of Being. Please visit our store and explore the programs and find the one that is right for you.

‘Peace is like a sun that is always shining in your heart” (Buddhist saying)

Our personal energy, our inner sun is often obscured by the clouds of stress, out of reach due to a lack of skills and commitment to one’s self. Fortunately, as always, we have a choice.

Did you know that…?

• 75-90%      of doctors’ visits are for stress related conditions.
• 1      out of every 3 Americans is sleep deprived.
• 200,000      car accidents per year are attributed to sleepiness.
• $13.9      billion/ year is spent on doctors’ visits and medication for insomnia.

• Exhaustion,      overwhelm and low energy are common complaints.
• Anxiety      and depression are on the rise.
• Panic,      helplessness and hopelessness are more widespread.
• Work      place violence and conflict have escalated.
• Relationship      conflict is a pervasive problem.

These problems all reflect a lack of awareness regarding stress, its effect on mind and body and knowledge of healthy solutions

We are taught to be above it all, overlook, keep a strong front, and work harder, longer. We believe it will all go away, time will heal all wounds … “I will rest, relax, and get my life in balance, once this is over.”

To deny, minimize or ignore how we feel, what we need and what is happening within our minds and bodies is a common outcome of conditioning that teaches denial and adaptation to early warning signs of stress. Unfortunately this often means that the first realization that there is a problem is from a doctor’s office, emergency room or hospital bed!

The good news is that there is a lot we can learn at any stage in the stress cycle

 that can help to heal and create true balance in our lives.

• There are different types of stress reactions with different requirements for resolution.
• Effective stress management requires methods that reduce, eliminate and transform symptoms.
• One size does not fit all…different people and different stresses require different tools.

More on this in the next post

Can Intuition Improve Your Life Experience?

The answer is ‘Yes’! Intuition or your sixth sense is your inner guidance system  that can be used to improve all areas of your life.

First you must understand it, then develop and integrate it and finally USE it!

You probably  already have had experience with intuition ….

Have you ever known who was on the telephone before you answered it? 

Have you ever had a gut feeling that defied logic but turned out to be true? 

Have you ever known what someone was going to say before they said it?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions you have experienced intuition.

In spite of the mystery, stereotypes, misconceptions and ‘hype’ that are often associated with intuition, it is a normal human function. There are certainly people who are born with a greater ability than others, just as there are those who are born with a more highly developed athletic or musical talent.

The truth is we all have this basic skill. We have not understood how it operates and perhaps that is the reason we have not been encouraged to pay attention to or develop this ‘sixth sense’. In fact we have been taught to ignore, devalue and distrust it. This is unfortunate as it can be an enormous source of help and guidance in a variety of ways in our lives. There are many who have developed this ability and found it to be of enormous help in business, relationships, & decision making. In addition, it can be a wonderful asset to help combat stress, improve health, enhance creativity, and boost personal and professional performance.

Recently a client told me that she credits her intuition for helping her achieve the high quality of life she has achieved. I have known her for many years and know this to be true as I watched her develop, integrate and use this ability. She has created success in her marriage, business life, parenting and financial ‘world’.

In addition to this very normal NH resident, there are also many stories about famous people such as CEO’s of major companies using this skill to balance the intellectual information that they use to make key decisions & run their companies

So, what is intuition?

One way to view this ability is simply as another source of knowledge. It does not rely on the usual logical processes that our other ways of knowing do and so seems irrational or quirky to us. Fortunately, research has now provided great deal of information about the brain-body connection, how the mind operates and how the ‘gift’ of intuition can be cultivated.

Perhaps the easiest way to understand intuition is as an extension of our other senses. It travels over the same circuitry that our thoughts and feelings do. Each of us has one sense that is more highly attuned to receiving intuitive information. It may be a kind of inner voice, the ability to see inner images, a ‘gut response’, or an unexplainable but strong knowing. We all have the capacity to have one or all of these types of knowing. In the beginning it is best to work first with the one that is strongest & most natural for you.

 Developing Intuition

1. Quieting the mind; Meditation & Deep relaxation

Our everyday awareness is normally attuned to the external world and filled with endless chatter about people, places and things. It is actually quite busy inside our minds most of the time. So trying to hear our intuition under these circumstances is like having a very loud conversation when you are attempting to hear someone with a very soft voice!

Practices that allow you to move more into a quieter internal environment are essential. They help turn down the volume on the chatter, turn up the volume on the quieter inner promptings, and assist in developing a clarity that allows you to more readily recognize your intuitive voice.

 2.” Breathwork”

Learning to breathe properly helps in many of the same ways as practices that quiet and slow down cognition. They also help to provide the brain with more oxygen and this of course promotes better function of it and the nervous system. In addition, the breath can serve as a focal point to steady and discipline the mind. Both the latter skills are important as you advance in your work with cultivating your” higher mind.”

3. Imagery

Imagery aids to still, clear and steady the mind. It helps to access those portions of ourselves that are more concerned with creativity and intuition. It helps to ‘set the stage’, provide a sense of relaxation and ritual that are also supportive of the process. Imagery can be used for cultivating higher level awareness, disciplining the mind, as well as being a major pathway that intuition travels over.

 4. Energy Enhancement

The human energy system is intricately connected to the functioning of the physical systems that intuition uses. Awareness of how to build and strengthen energy significantly enhances the development of intuition.

 5. Journaling

Keeping a journal or log of your intuitive ‘hits’ can help develop confidence as well as help you to know what is not working. Because we are often in an altered state when we are accessing intuition, sometimes it is difficult to bring the information fully into everyday consciousness until you have had some practice.

A major part of healing is simply connecting with the stuck places within and unblocking the energy that has been stagnant or frozen there—releasing it to flow and nourishing our life and inner being.

 Oftentimes people believe that they need resolution around their emotional wounds—but in fact what we require is more like a completion so we can let the effects go, and reboot our nervous systems. Having done this in effect frees up frozen or split off energies and connects us more completely to our wholeness. Then our way forward is much more possible with an ease and fullness that supports our desires and goals.

 Remarkably, often once we release our resistance and stop defending or reacting to feeling the effects of the past and have progressed to completion, inner tension dissipates leaving a stronger internal bond in addition to a greater flow of energy.