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New! An article on
Appreciation - December 11th, 2008 Article: Steps to Living with Awareness, by Lynne Cardinal Outline: Stress Management worskhops
The Power of Appreciation
Perhaps one of the great lessons that I have learned in the
last many years is the value of appreciation. Family members passed,
always too young to leave us, friend's parents passed and these
experiences lead to acknowledging the transitory nature of life.
Acknowledging this fact can create a sense of discomfort in us, as we all
seek stability, security, permanency. However it can also lead us to
realizing how precious every moment is; to honour every meeting, every
word and every smile. Experimenting with the Metta Meditation - a meditation on
kindness - leads to inner peace and quietude, to a profound sense of
satisfaction. As the tradition goes, we are first to start focussing on
ourselves, repeating sentences such as "May I be healthy, happy,
blissful", and then others, putting our attention on "May he or she be
healthy, happy, and blissful" or, "May everyone I meet be healthy, happy
and blissful'. But we wish not to omit ourselves from the equation as self
appreciation is an important tool to undo a tendency towards
self-depreciation. A tangible sense of Oneness occurs, after simply
repeating positive statements. According to the Dalai Lama it is
hard to understand why we would ever want to put ourselves down! In his
great wisdom, he is right, as it serves no purpose, except perhaps to
aggravate our level of stress.
Managing
Your Thoughts - Deep Inner Relaxation By Dr. Alastair Cunningham, director of the Healing Journey program, a scientist and psychologist, and a professor at the University of Toronto who is presently operating at the Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Canada. The stream of thoughts: "Now... we move to the next domain... meaning the stream of thoughts that passes through our minds most of the time. In a way, this mental activity is very familiar to us; it is really what we think of as "self." Yet in spite of the central importance of our thoughts, we are often not as aware of what is going on in the mind as might be expected. Mental awareness and "mental hygiene" are not taught in school! Why does this matter? Because, you will find that we largely create our experience with our minds. That is, what we tell ourselves defines what we experience. Take a relatively trivial example: If the weather is not as we would like it, we may say "All this rain is terrible;" but if we are focussed on the way our garden needs the rain, we may instead say to ourselves "The rain is wonderful"-- and our feelings, our emotions, will relfect the appraisal we make. Consider now an important example: We may walk into the doctor's office feeling fairly well and not unhappy with life, and walk out an hour or two later, having been diagnosed with cancer, feeling filled with despair and hopelessness. Nothing has changed materially, except for the thoughts in our minds. I sometimes say to patients: It's not the cancer that makes you depressed, it's your thoughts about it, what you think it implies. "That's all very well, but my cancer is a reality. It's really there, independent of my thoughts." That is true, but we have choices as to how we think: We can choose to obsess about our situation all day and become depressed, or we can choose to acknowledge it, then move on to other thoughts--and our experience is created by our choice. Let's begin getting better acquainted with our minds. Try a brief exercise, one that we use in our classes. Sit for, say, three minutes with your eyes closed, and try to "watch" or be aware of your thoughts. What did you discover? For most people, there's a torrent of ideas, impressions, reactions, with the mind jumping about from one thing to another and largely out of control. If we liken the mind to water, then in our usual state it resembles a muddy torrent, rushing down a hillside, carrying all before--rocks, trees, other debris. Sometimes it gets fixed in one channel, roaring on with a "will of its own;" it may be very difficult to stop this, as when we worry about what might happen because of cancer. Wouldn't we rather have a mind like a still lake, calm and serene (at least most of the time)? When it's still we can see down into the depths; if the surface is choppy, we can't see beyond that. "I don't seem to have much control over what my thoughts are. I can concentrate if there is something specific to do, but otherwise my mind seems to jump around, as you say. I've never thought about controlling it. That even sounds a bit sinister; wouldn't I lose my spontaneity? And if I wasn't thinking, wouldn't I be some kind of zombie?" Don't worry: The quieter you can allow your mind to be, the better you will feel. That's what meditation is about. If your mind is still, with few random thoughts, what you will experience is peace and even joy, not a zombie-like state. Ultimately, you will discover that "you" are not your mind after all, that there is a deeper or spiritual "you" behind the thoughts. However, the first step towards this discovery is to get to know your thoughts, to be aware of what you are telling yourself, and gain some control over this. If this mind-watching is new to you, and you felt you observed few or no thoughts, you are almost certainly not tapping into what is going on in your mind. I would recommend trying again, and being very open to whatever setting any limits or prejudging in any way. ... You will find that, by applying thought management
and relaxation, your mood will fluctuate much less, and that this is definitely
an improvement. Instead of "excitement" you may experience joy
and peace, which is more relevant to your healing." It is possible to download the entire document at : http://www.healingjourney.ca/resource.htm
Steps to Living with Awareness© An old Navajo Indian is telling his grandson about the fight that is going on inside him. He said it was between two wolves: one was evil (anger, greed, arrogance, regret, guilt, superiority and bitterness) and the other was good (joy, peace, serenity, humility, kindness, ease, empathy). The grandson asked: "Grandpa, which wolf wins?" The simple reply: "The one I feed".
Internally generated stress is stress that you cause for yourself. This can come from anxious worrying about events beyond your control, from a tense, hurried approach to life, or from relationship problems. As well it can come from an 'addiction' to, and enjoyment of, stress and some aspects of personality. Examples are perfectionism, where extremely or impossibly high standards can cause stress; and excessive self-effacement, where constant attention to the needs of others can lead to exhaustion. A major cause of internally generated stress in many people is anxiety. To get a realistic perspective as to what aspect of your personality depletes your energy, there are many Stress Management tools such as the SWOT test (Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunity and Threats). These tests enable you to take a good look at your situation, analyse it and address issues directly. If you are unable to attend a Stress Management workshop you can try it on your own by writing down what you consider your strengths, your weaknesses, your opportunities and your threats. Taking the time to write down your perceptions is revealing. From there you can work on practical steps to improve your life. It is important to read this list frequently and revise it if need be. Your environment may be a significant source of stress. This can come from: · Crowding and invasion of personal space Working environments are rarely perfect. However, you can often improve your environment by making simple changes that can be quite economical and which are well worth the effort. Chemical and nutritional stresses: The foods you eat contribute to the stresses you experience. Examples of stressors are caffeine, nicotine, sugar, alcohol, meat, dairy products and processed foods. Dr. Lark writes in Anxiety and Stress: «I generally recommend eating meat only in small quantities or avoiding it altogether if you have moderate to severe anxiety. Most Americans eat much more protein than is healthy. I also suggest buying meat from organic, range-fed animals, because their exposure to pesticides, antibiotics, and hormones has been reduced.» Dr. Lark. The practise of the traditional Yoga exercises (Hatha Yoga) will help reduce stress in a remarkable fashion. While doing the postures, deep breathing should be emphasised. The practise of Deep Breathing (Praanaayaam) is also essential to relieve extra tensions and stress held in the body. Oxygen is the most vital nutrient for our bodies. It is essential for the integrity of the brain, nerves, glands and internal organs. The brain requires more oxygen than any other organ. If it doesn't get enough the result is mental sluggishness, negative thoughts, depression and eventually even vision and hearing can decline. As far back as 1947 work done in Germany showed that when oxygen was withdrawn, normal body cells could turn into cancer cells. Meditation: The path of meditation is inward. It encourages you to look
within, to find time just for yourself. This will help you gain an objective
perspective of your life and ultimately to grasp the essence of your inner
self as Free and Blissful. From there, everything falls into place. Meditation
is therefore an essential tool for your own emancipation. Once you identify
with the freedom of your essential nature, then you can cope with your
daily life with clarity and detachment. Not a detachment that promotes
aloofness or coldness, but a detachment that gives you perspective and
mental clarity. As long as you are swayed by an overactive mind, filled
with desires and obsessions, you are unable to see clearly and discriminate
as to what is a good relationship, what is acceptable, when to yield and
when to simply say no. In "The Meditative Mind: The Varieties of Meditation Experience", Daniel Goleman, psychologist and frequent writer for The New York Times, summarises a number of remarkable physical and physiological effects of meditation: · Probably the single most reported physiological benefit of meditation,
indeed, of systematic relaxation techniques generally, is the drop in
blood pressure. Even the National Institute of Health (NIH) has recommended
meditation (along with salt and dietary restrictions) above prescription
drugs as the first treatment for mild hypertension. Developing a meditation routine assures you of living with greater awareness, of having a sense of growing spiritually, and above all it helps you take a step back from your daily concerns and activities and helps you reach the heart of your being. Initially it may appear difficult to develop regularity in your daily meditations, but once this is achieved you will likely be engaged in it for life. Meditation becomes a precious time, a time for yourself, and a time to regain peace, perspective and truthfulness. Perhaps, when done properly, meditation is the most important and useful Stress Management tool. Lynne Cardinal ___________________________________________ Excerpts from COPING WITH STRESS by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Mental Health Association : Physical skills : These are things you can do for and with your body. This includes making sure that you take good care of your body as well as using physical techniques to help get rid of stress. Physical relaxation techniques are useful in preventing stress and lowering your physical signs of stress. Aim to set aside 20 minutes in your day to relax. Breathing Exercises Deep breathing can be done anytime, anywhere. Deep breathing provides extra oxygen to the blood and causes the body to release endorphins, which are naturally occurring hormones that re-energize and promote relaxation. Stretching Exercises If done correctly, stretching can promote relaxation and reduce stress. Meditation Meditation helps settle the mind so you can think calmly throughout the day. The goal is not for immediate relaxation but to increase calmness. Meditation puts you in control of your thoughts by forcing you to be present in the moment and to observe your thought processes. There is no point in starting to meditate unless you intend to make it a habit; you wont’t reap its benefits unless you practice on a regular basis. In the early stages, meditate for 10 to 15 minutes once or twice a day. Increase this to 20 minutes no more than twice a day. There are several meditation techniques. 1. Choose a quiet room where you won’t be interrupted. With practice, you will eventually reach the point when you’ll feel detached from your body and your physical surroundings while meditating. The word will fade from your awareness; you’ll be in touch with your innermost self, deeply relaxed and thoroughly energized. Social, Diversional, and Spiritual Skills Social skills involve relationships. People and pets are an important source of comfort; spend more time with them. Diversional skills are distractions. These don’t require dealing with the problem directly, but are a way of taking your mind off what’s happening. Spiritual skills involve getting in touch with yourself to
find meaning in your life. Tending to your spiritual life is an important
way to dealing with stress, particularly if you experience a sense of loss
in diresction and meaning. Spirituality is not limited to religion. Take
some time to connect with yourself and with nature. A new release - a
CD on Guided Meditations with mantras, deep breathing, just sit down,
close your eyes and let yourself be guided, click
here -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stress Management
Workshops We will teach various tools to cope with our daily stresses and to understand the biology of stress. Chronic Stress is the major cause of a global epidemic of depressive illnesses and with Heart Disease are considered to be the major health issues of the 21st century. Both are stress-related illnesses. This workshop will offer invaluable Stress Management techniques, tools for life. 1. Understanding Stress OPTIONS: 7. Refuting Irrational Ideas 13. Job Stress Management Kaivalya Centre © For more information contact us at
613.721.7888
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