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Breathe with me!

By on March 24, 2012 in Blog

Breathe with me!

It’s amazing how improved breathing techniques can dramatically increase our energy.

We can live without food for a few weeks (not recommended), and without water for a few days (ditto), but deprive yourself of oxygen for just a few short minutes and you may not live to talk about it. Oxygen is so vital to our health and well being that we owe it to ourselves to make a concerted effort to get better at utilizing it.

In the past 24 hours you’ve taken as many as 20,000 breaths. Over a lifetime you inhale and exhale 100,000,000 times. That’s a whole lot of breathing, partner. Think about the ramifications. Imagine what a little “breathwork” could do to help your respiratory system function at more of its capacity.

No one teaches us breathing techniques when we are born. We do it naturally and effortlessly. But the modern way of life has a way of taxing that beautiful autonomic system.

A combination of high stress and a largely sedentary lifestyle has conditioned us to breathe in a much more shallow way than the original Designer had in mind. Proper breathing techniques are easy to learn, and when incorporated into a busy lifestyle, can help us to be more resilient to stress and give us more vitality every day.

Everybody, now. Inhale deeply . . .  OK, now, let it out slowly and fully. . . And again.

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Mony a mickle maks a muckle

By on February 23, 2012 in Blog

Mony a mickle maks a muckle

It’s amazing how this journey called life just keeps rolling along, with or without our consent.

This being the case, it makes sense to be sure the habits we create and reinforce are also the ones that are serves us best.

Our health, our wealth, our happiness are the result of every step we take along the way, day after day after day.

Yes, it is true that our genes, and where we live on this planet, also play a significant role in our fortune. But by and large, the single greatest factor in the results we get is … what we do with what we’ve got.

In spite of all that may be beyond our control it is within our means to create a life that is both exciting and satisfying. The key is to be steady in our effort.

Never underestimate the power of a single, inspired action, repeated consistently over time. It works whether you are running a marathon, learning a new skill, building a business, or creating a legacy.

When looking for improvement in your life, consider a strategy that places high value on activities that can be done every day. Better to devote a little of your time on a regular basis to an important task than to wait for a bigger block of time that often never materializes.

As the Scots are fond of saying: “Mony a mickle maks a muckle.” In other words: “Many little things add up to something great.”

Concentrate on what you know is right and healthy for you and put it into practice every day of your life. Before long you will see results from the things you are doing faithfully, every single day.

Here’s to a great month, everybody!

 

 

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Got Zest?

By on January 19, 2012 in Blog

Got Zest?

Have you ever noticed that the people who are the happiest are those who have a certain zest for life? They may not have a lot of money but they sure know how to live. It’s all in the approach. It explains why a janitor can have a better outlook on life than a millionaire. The difference is in the attitude.

Mowing the lawn is a chore to some. Others view it as a chance to get some exercise while improving the beauty of the yard. Same activity – two different perspectives. It depends how you look at it.

Some people are lucky to be born with it. Others discover it later in life. Some have a certain joie de vivre that is part of their personality. They’re not even aware they have it. Others develop it consciously after a life changing experience. They survive an accident or cancer or war and they feel fortunate to be alive. Every day is precious and, therefore, worthy of their enthusiasm.

Even if it doesn’t come naturally, it is possible to live each day with plenty of gusto. It is a philosophy toward life that can be cultivated. More than anything it requires that we be fully present in whatever it is we happen to be doing.

We tend to spend some much of each day with our body in one place and our mind somewhere else. We’re thinking ahead to tomorrow or replaying yesterday’s events and paying little attention to the activity in front of us. No wonder focus is in such short supply, given the “disconnect” between mind and body.

As we work at becoming more mindful, we can begin to cultivate a greater appreciation for the wonder of what we’re engaged in, right here, this moment. Even the mundane can be made to be beautiful, even adventurous, with the right mindset.

Pledge to live each day fully and with all the zest you can summon.

I hope you’ll join me on this exciting journey!

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The Treasure

By on December 10, 2011 in Blog

The Treasure

The message in The Treasure, one of my favorite children’s books by Yuri Shulevitz, is that “sometimes one must travel far to discover what is near”.

We have a tendency to keep looking for new answers to old questions (weight, finances. love, etc.) when we already know the solutions.  They’re right in front of us. The problem is we just keep ignoring them.

How many times do we have to resolve to change before we become the change?

How many plans or programs must we try in order to be successful?

Perhaps our shrinking attention span limits our ability to stick with something long enough to see lasting results. Maybe our frenetic lifestyle prevents us from staying focused on strategies that will work, if only we would apply them consistently.

The flaw is not usually in the plan. It’s in the application of the plan. The breakdown is in the follow through. Every plan can be the perfect plan, if only we will put it into practice – today and everyday.

How about dusting off a plan you’ve done before, one you know has value for helping improve your life in a meaningful way, and make it a top priority to apply it in your life, beginning right now.

Make the decision to stick with the plan for 30 days. Newly acquired habits take time to develop and become stronger when reinforced frequently.

If possible, enlist the help of a partner or buddy. The support of another person who shares your goal can make a huge difference in the outcome. The synergy created when two or more people are working toward a common purpose cannot be overstated.

Spend some time each day imagining that you are achieving your goal in vivid detail. See it. Breathe it. Feel it. Plenty of research has been done to show that an imagined experience can be as powerful on the mind as one that is real.

Much like an Olympic athlete visualizes their performance before an event, so too can you enhance your chances of success by mentally rehearsing your “victory” on a regular basis.

Saturate your environment (both work and home) with messages designed to keep you focused on your plan. Borrow a page from the advertising industry which knows so well how to influence our behavior by constantly reminding us of the things (feelings) we desire.

Display images and messages that represent the new you in strategic locations in your environment so that your plan will remain in the forefront of your consciousness.

And finally, remember the key: what you focus on expands.

Here’s to your health and success!

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