Thoughts & Emotions = Healing or Illness

I cannot stress enough how important it is for every person on the planet to learn the art of meditation and practice the power of positive thinking.  If you can train for a marathon, body building, yoga, or any sport then you understand that the mental aspect is just as important if not more than the physical.  To achieve it you have to believe it.  Even if you have never trained for anything in your life it doesn’t matter because it is guaranteed that you still have thoughts and feelings on a daily basis.  So ask yourself what do your primary thoughts and feelings consist of?

I have been doing my routine of being thankful throughout each day on a regular basis.  This has grown into me giving thanks over my food before I eat and asking it to benefit my body in the most positive way.  Then learning to go through each daily activity with intention, whether it be washing my hands or the dishes or simply saying hello to a stranger.  Being in the present moment throughout the day and not on auto pilot.  Stoping occasionally to ask how my body feels, take a deep intentional breath and mentally check in and be aware of myself and my surroundings.  Understanding that the only point and time that really matters is this moment right now. All of these things are, to some degree, a form of a meditation practice.

It is also important to be aware of how you think, speak, and feel in day to day life.  Are you avoiding gossip, removing yourself from negative people and places and negative conversations and situations?  Are you trying to focus on more positive aspects of life and learning to avoid complaining to your friends and family about all the things you wish were different or things that caused you frustration?  Retraining the brain to focus more on positive thoughts and feelings can be the first step in healing.

I am a big fan of Jason Stephenson when it comes to finding good healing and positive meditations or a soothing sleep meditation.  The practice of meditation to sit and breath and let your mind clear and just be still is hard at first, but with continued practice the results are amazing.  With all the amazing apps for smart phones I cannot believe everyone isn’t taking advantage of the guided meditation lessons!  I love Calm and Headspace!  Incorporating meditation into your morning and evening routines can be very beneficial and help with focus and productivity throughout your day as well as reduce stress and anxiety.  The long term health benefits of daily meditation are endless and even more beneficial when combined with a regular yoga practice and a Ayurvedic diet.  Try the positive meditation with Jason Stephenson that I shared with this post and let me know what you think!

With love, health, and happiness,

Stacy

 

 

 

Time

The world around us seems to be consumed with time.  Every day we are all on a schedule from what time we get up, eat, go to work, get off work, and sleep again.  This process day after day can eventually make us feel like we are all just a bunch of hamsters on a wheel.  We think of the past and may have thoughts of guilt, shame or hurt, and we carry those negative thoughts and feelings with us.  We think of the future and we may constantly be working towards a future goal of a better job, nicer home, a new car, a great relationship, or more money in the bank.  When we tend to be consumed with thoughts of the past or goals for the future we rush through the only thing that is really important…the present moment.

Time is just an illusion and a tool to help us through our day to day lives; it is not meant to be the controlling or key factor that our lives revolve around.  We should not fear time or race against time or wish for more time but instead simply embrace the now.  So how can you move your thought process more into the present?  How can we practice becoming more conscious and appreciative of where we are right now instead of worrying about the past or the future?  Well I will list my top five practices that can help you get started and lead you to a life that is free from the worry associated with time.

Meditation:  Many people I know struggle to be alone and would really struggle with the idea of spending time alone and quiet with themselves.  However, one of the best ways to really learn about yourself and the world around you is to learn to be alone and get silent.  Quiet time for prayer and meditation is one of the most important tools to bring a person into the present moment fully.  Being able to sit comfortably in your home, with no distractions like TV or radio, and just take in the feelings within your body.  Breath deep in and out a few times and just listen to the sounds around you, smell the room, be aware of how your body feels, do you feel stress or tension in some areas of your body?  As you sit and allow yourself to be fully aware of that moment you can choose to focus on something certain that you desire or you can just enjoy the practice of being fully in the now.  You do not have to be home alone in order to do this process.  I have instructed my daughter to use this tool anywhere, especially when she is having a day where she is feeling overwhelmed or anxious.  At your desk you can just take a moment to stop and take in the sounds, sights and smells of the room around you and ask yourself how you are feeling right in that moment.  Doing this a few times a day is like hitting the reset button and simply brings you back to yourself, pulling you away from worries about the past or what you need to do for the future.  Just focus on what you can do right now.

Finding Joy in Solitude:  Bringing yourself into the present and become more conscious and self aware while finding something you enjoy and doing it alone.  Solitude is key in the process of knowing thy self.  If you like to write, paint, go hiking, do yoga, sing….whatever it is that you really enjoy; practice doing it alone and be fully in the moment with no distractions.  Pay attention to how your body feels and the sights and smells and what you hear just like you would when you are meditating.  I know people who love to read and take time each morning to read from the bible and then they meditate on the scripture before they start each day.  This combines the enjoyment of reading Gods word with the power of meditation and prayer and can be a very positive and powerful way to start the day.

A Motto or Mantra for Your Life:  Sometimes we can get so busy and lives get chaotic with work, kids, friends, family and life that we lose track of what our personal goals are in life.  It is good to stop and refocus and re-evaluate life every now and then.  It is easy to refocus when you have a mantra that you repeat to yourself that is easy to remember.  When I feel chaos in my life and things are getting too hard I remind myself of my mantras, ‘money comes easily and often’ and ‘love starts within’.  These two mantras were created because I struggle with remembering that money is not elusive and hard to come by like I was taught by my parents.  The second one is to remind me that what I think about myself will set the tone for how another see and treat me.  When struggling financially or feeling insecure in a relationship the negative thinking can creep in and that is when it is good to refocus and repeat your mantras.  Bad experiences or negative thought patterns from our past can creep into our lives now and cause problems that do not apply to the now, use mantras as a tool to remind yourself that you have learned from the past and will be better now. Repeating your mantras can be a nice focus tool during meditation as well.

Feed the Body & Rest the Soul:  Now we get into a little deeper idea for the now that will affect your body inside and out. There are two things we do everyday, or we should, and that is eat and sleep.  These are two of the most important things we will do in our lives and they will affect us on many levels.  When, where, what, how and with whom you choose to do them is very important.  Eat when you are hungry and only until you are satisfied, do not over-indulge.  Choose food that will nourish your body and make sure you give thanks for the food and the nourishment the food will provide for your body.  Focus on how the food will affect your body in a positive way.  If you believe the food will not affect your body in a positive way then you will be right and that is where negative effects like weight gain will occur.  Do not rush through meals, do not stand or drive while eating meals, do not watch TV while eating.  Give your meal the respect it deserves because you are what you eat.  Do not eat a meal with someone who causes you negative feelings about yourself or life in general.  Negativity while eating will lead to disease in the body and possible overeating or nervous stomach.  Eating in a positive and loving environment with family and friends and saying grace before and thank you after a meal is enjoyed is the best and most healthy way to eat.  The same with sleep, do not allow yourself to sleep too much or too little because both can cause health issues.  If you find you are tired all the time you need to ask yourself why, could there be signs of depression or other health issues are you not giving yourself a heathy amount of sleep?  Give yourself a peaceful and comfortable place to sleep each night with no distractions of electronics.  Make sure if you have a sleeping partner that you share a moment of appreciation and love with that person before you go to bed each night.  I think most of us have heard the wise words, never go to bed mad at one another, and those are very wise words to live by.  Being completely focused on your body and the food when eating and completely focused on your body and the peaceful and positive mantras you have set for yourself as you go to sleep each night can be life changing for your mind and health.

Give Thanks & Show Gratitude:  The most important tool for keeping yourself in the now and fully conscious is to be thankful.  Be thankful for who you are, where you are in life, what you have right now and who you have in your life.  To be truly grateful in life right in the moment is a great way to bring more greatness into your life.  If we are overly focused on what we don’t have or what we want in the future without ever acknowledging all the wonderful things we are blessed with in the present moment, then we will continue to struggle for the elusive thing we call happiness.  To be truly happy is to be content with exactly who we are and what we have and where we are in this very moment.

These basic tools are the foundation of a happy and healthy life that will help you practice each day to be in the now and lead to a happier, healthier peace within you. Always remember to choose love over hate.  Our actions, words, thoughts and beliefs reflect who we are and what we attract into our lives…keep it positive and from a place of love and respect and the world will bring more love and respect into your life.

Sincerely,

With love, health and happiness right now…

Stacy

Conversations With Yourself

You ever have a moment that frustrates you but you are unsure exactly why it bothers you so much?  The more you think about the moment you just want validation for how you are feeling, so you think you are going to call a friend and analyze things.  Have you ever considered calling that friend and then stopped?  Did you ever stop and think that analyzing the situation with someone else is exactly what you don’t need to do?  That is right, don’t talk about the things that frustrate you, at least not to other people.  The best thing you can do is talk it out with yourself and…God.

Maybe you are not a believer in the big man upstairs, that is okay, whatever you call it …the universe, Buddha, Mother Nature…we all have something greater than us that we go to in times of struggle.  Whatever you call that almighty power, I promise the conversations you have in those moments will be more enlightening than any conversation you have with that friend you were about to call.  We need to trust in ourselves to resolve our own conflict through thoughtfulness, meditation and prayer.  In these moments the biggest answers to worries, struggles and frustrations can become clear.

The truth is, the more you think about and discuss things, the bigger it becomes.  So the best thing you can do is pray or meditate upon it and then let it go.  The things you really want to be giving your energy to is the positive.  Talk to your friends about the good things in your life, the things that excite you, your goals to better yourself.  Never give your time and energy to the negative by over-analyzing issues.  I truly believe, the more you talk about something, the bigger it gets, so lets not make our problems bigger.

I have also found that listening is the best thing you can do.  So have you ever just listened to yourself?  Yes, at first thought, talking to yourself sounds like the straight path to crazy but the truth is, self talk can be very therapeutic.  If anyone knows the situation and feelings involved in the situation it is going to be you…so why not discuss the issue with yourself?  Ask yourself why you really think you are upset?  Are you assuming certain things or do you have all the facts?  Be honest with yourself, are you over-reacting or is this obviously something you should confront?  Ask yourself what advice would you give to a friend who came to you with the same dilemma?  Then take your own advice, but be very honest with yourself.

Learning to work through your problems on your own is a sign of strength.  I am not saying that you should never turn to others in times of struggle.  It is good to have a support system when things are hard and you can’t self sooth.  However, learning to work through social, mental and emotional issues on your own, through different methods, creates a stronger connection within.  Stop yourself and take a moment to take in everything around you, the sounds in the room around you, the feeling of your body from head to toe, the smells, listen to your breathing….connect with yourself like this a few times throughout the day. Learning to stop, be self aware and very present will help you stop in frustrating moments and gain composure before simply reacting.

Take time to be alone and talk things through with yourself and/or God….just talk out loud and you might be surprised just how much insight you really already have on the situation.

With Happiness, Health, Love and Great Self Talk,

Stacy

 

 

Mental Health

I believe we all have a certain degree of mental health issues.  Obviously some struggle more than others.  I would say that everyone hears voices in their head and initially you may want to argue with me, but let me explain.  Have you ever thought about a past conversation that may have frustrated or angered you?  Did you replay that conversation in your head and think about how you should have handled things differently or think of things you wish you would have said or not said?  These thoughts replaying a past event is like the brain on autopilot.  Do you ever wonder what triggered the old thoughts to even creep back in or why you still feel so emotional about the past event?  I believe this random thought process is your ego, the voice in our heads that keeps us replaying thoughts without being fully conscious.  Reliving old conversations from the past without any real purpose is a form of mental illness.  When this happens the ego is in control and never allows time for peace.

Let me give you an example, have you ever tried to lose weight?  When you decide you want to lose weight do you feel suddenly your mind is constantly thinking about food?  Do you feel a bit out of control?  Our mind is a tool meant to help complete tasks, analyze situations, and solve problems.   Our mind is not completely who we are, it is just a part of us, like our hands and feet are a part of us.  You don’t let your hands and feet go on autopilot and just take off without being aware, so why do we allow our mind?  I believe that we have lost control of our minds and in the process lost control of what it means to be at peace with ourselves.  We are a species that must medicate in order to relax whether it be with prescription pills, illegal drugs, or alcohol.  The biggest problem is not being able to shut off the constant thought process.

So what if we decided to take the control back from our ego?  What if we stopped allowing our thoughts to just constantly roll non-stop throughout the day and instead we just used our mind as needed?  Stop what you are doing right now, let your mind go silent and just intently feel your body sitting in the chair, feel yourself breathing, take a breath and smell what the air is really like, get quiet and listen intently to all the sounds around you, now look around you and really allow yourself to be aware of your surroundings and what is going on.  When you stop your mind from just being on auto-pilot and really bring yourself into the moment, THAT is the beginning of peace.  Many people talk about taking time to meditate for long periods of time but really you do not have to be in a super quiet room sitting cross legged with your hands placed in a certain position in order to find inner peace, you can do it anytime and anywhere.  Just stopping the random thought process and forcing yourself into the present moment completely, using all your senses is the best way to start the practice.

Once you start practicing the art of being in the moment a few times a day then you can progress to the next step of being aware of the ego.  When you feel your mind going to an old conversation that doesn’t really matter anymore just stop yourself. When you have those moments of riding in the car and do not really remember the last few miles, that is your mind on autopilot.  During that time your mind is probably going through a few important mental lists as well as a bunch of useless thoughts.  This is when you start really observing and being aware of what your thoughts consist of and putting a stop to the nonsense.  Having a few mental routines will help you practice being more in control of your mind instead of your mind controlling you.

I have a few that work for me, before I go to bed each night I think about the tasks that I need to complete the following day.  I plan out exactly where I need to go and what I need to do and the most efficient way to go about accomplishing everything.  I check my calendar and set any alarms or reminders. Once I run through the plan I then allow myself to relax completely by turning off my TV, and putting my phone and lap top on the charges away from my bed.

I often read a book to help my mind relax.  This is also a time to allow yourself to be very present by focusing on your breathing and starting with the toes and moving up through the legs and abdomen, chest, back, hands, arms, shoulders, neck and head being very aware of each part of the body;  maybe tightening the muscles in each area and holding for a count of three then releasing as you focus on each part of the body along with your breathing.  This is great relaxation routine and if you are having some particular health issues this a great time to focus on that part of the body as well.  If you are having digestive issues picture your stomach red and throbbing, looking inflamed and bubbling like a volcano.  Focus on the stomach and picture a light lavender color slowing melt over the stomach and dissolving the red inflammation with a cooling and calming sensation.  Picture the bubbling volcano settling into a peaceful cool lake very calm, relaxed and peaceful.  These visualizations are wonderful for focusing the mind on your body and using it as it is meant to be, as a tool to help instead of rehashing or creating more problems.

Taking control of your mind and the thoughts going through your mind can be very hard at first but as you become more aware it can be life changing.  As you get better at it you may decide to add a yoga and meditation practice to your routine.  Simply stopping to ask yourself what you are feeling can really bring you back into the present. Being aware of your body and your breathing is the best way to constantly put your mind in check and keep it from taking off without you.  The more you use your mind with a purpose and take control of your thoughts, the more efficient your life will become.  Stopping that voice in your head from reliving things from your past or worrying about your future will also be life changing.  The only difference that can truly be made is what you do right now in this moment anyway, so make it count!

Sincerely,

With love, health, happiness and awareness

Stacy