Hi there All,
Apologies for not being regular this week but it has been one of those weeks when things not only didn't go as planned, but there also just seemed to be too few hours in the day to get things done.
So most of my time has been spent writing an animated movie storyline this week and while it has been fun there is a downside. You can't program your time as well because it isn't like you can just "turn on or turn off the creative juice" once it begans to flow. You have to go with it and take advantage which isn't able to be scheduled. HINT for the homeplayers (keep a pad and pen handy at all times).
There were times this week when I found myself sitting there looking out over the Harbour (Sydney) from my apartment with no clue what to write when out of no where some random thought would proceed me on a tangent for the storyline and some hours later I would look up and realize that it was dark and I had been so engrossed in doing this that I had forgotten to breathe. By that I mean be present.
One evening I eventually stopped typing at 2.30am when my eyes had had enough of looking at the words and my fingers were protesting over their over-use. Although my body was tired, it wasn't the same for my mind as it continued to "play" with the storyline. Ah the joy of creativity !
This was a very inspiring week for the me with the story as a chance meeting with an icon of the Australia TV landscape led to us sitting down to have a coffee. He had been on TV when I was growing up and it was surreal to be there sitting with him and listening to such positive energy.
He spoke and I listened. It is possible you know.
He allowed me to gain awesome insight into elements of the Australian history that I want to weave into the storyline and had probably forgotten from school (if they even taught it - which is possible as I did tend to spend a lot of time surfing - not the web but waves - instead of learning).
There was one point when we discussing the Australian "Coat of Arms" which is a crest (symbol) that is used on most Australian government legal documents. That wasn't the fascinating point but it was the way that he spoke of it and how it will play in my animated storyline that was fantastic. You will enjoy it. We brainstormed and it was great to hear someone else getting passionately involved in the creative process with me whom I respect. It was also a priviledge for the opportunity. Thank you Mr Bonner.
Later it also got me to thinking (again) of the Human E.C.O. System and how we treat our bodies so poorly. How we need to regain our "relationship" of not only understanding the body but also the implications and ways that this can happen. This I see as an immensely important part of what I hope will be a significant changing process with behaviour.
Let us imagine that for the purpose of understanding that our "Coat of Arms" is actually our skin. We wear it daily and treat it with reverance by doing wonderful things to it and buying gorgeous things to add to it. It is of course the thing that we see most when we look in the mirror and pass judgement so it is always on our mind.
We seek answers for questions that decide our daily esteem.
Am I too fat = ?
Am I too skinny = ?
Am I too blotchy = ?
Am I too old = ?
Does my hair look okay = ?
Do these shoes go with this dress = ?
For all of these answers we look to "hide" with some form of coverage or some form of disguise. We add clothes, we take clothes off, we add make up, we remove make up off, we use moisturer and sunscreen, we get haircuts, we get hair colour, we do all the things that will either hide or show our selves (skin) based upon the way we feel from looking at it.
Now imagine that we are going to change your focus and peel away your "Coat of Arms" or Skin to reveal and see what is below.
Did you just squirm ?
Do you think that you would be embarrassed at what YOU find ?
If you do you are probably not alone.
What it means though is that you are NOT looking after your Human E.C.O. System and taking care of your INNER self. We need to remember that if we peel away our skin it will show us a lot of faults. It will reveal exactly what we do to care for ourselves.
The inner self reflects the outer self.
This is why I work so hard to create that relationship of understanding and responsibility with this project.
Now I need to refuel, rehydrate and relax = the 3 R's of the Human E.C.O. System !
I just want you to think what YOU would find if we took away your "disguise" ?
Friday, November 30, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Tuesday 27th November - Fat Loss Plateau
Sorry for the few days away but I have been dealing with a personal family issue that is probably part of the reason for wanting to create both this blog and the work that I do. I will cover this in a few days when I have had the chance to better put into words what has happened.
The topic for today is the inevitable fat loss plateau we will experience when the elation of the short term goals have been achieved. I was reminded of how this can impact your mental attitude when I was talking with a friend who had decided to get not only her body into shape but also encouraged another friend of hers along for the journey. This is a great idea - buddy training is awesome.
It is a "journey" because life doesn't stop in 56 days. I use this example as I wanted to get across the impact that programs can have on your perception of "lighting the fire on fat loss" but further how to "maintain the rage on fat loss". This is the harder yet far more satisfying aspect of getting healthy.
She mentioned her friend (nearing the completion of the 56 day program that I created) had gone through an amazing transformation and while elated with his success at changing his past, he wanted to further his goals. This is all to common with human beings who go through a transformation.
They either -:
a) move the end goal posts further away as they the original finish line or
b) they forget how much success they have achieved by denying the start point in their plan.
The second one is easy to cope with IF you have taken pictures and good measurements when starting your journey - this is why we trainers ask you to do it. If you have not it is more challenging as you never want to admit to yourself that you had let yourself go THAT much and believe that with your inner dialogue along the lines of "I wasn't that bad before, was I ?".
Now what is the correct answer to that ?
It is a no win situation. I mostly took the honesty answer and said "Yes, you were" but there were times that I just wanted to help this person over an emotional hurdle and move forward so I answered "No".
The first point about moving the "end goal posts" happens as you start to see changes and want more. This is your ego talking to your "greedy gene" who tells you that you can do one or all of the following - workout a bit harder, do more sessions, limit your intake of food, not hang out with friends, and all this so that the reflection you see in the mirror is better.
How would I suggest we deal with this issue ?
I think that first off we have to accept where we have come from, where we are, where we want to go and have moments in the journey where we congratulate and reward ourselves on the efforts to date.
Now I am not going to tell you that I ever stop trying to improve. It is not in my nature to either lie or ask you to do something I wouldn't try myself. However I will temper this with the fact that I have been working on improvements every year. I have a personal goal of improving some facet of my life by 10% each year, whether it be physical, financial or emotional.
I can not always improve physically (view in mirror) by 10% but I can definitely improve internally (health status) by 10% EVERY year. LIFE is about the quality of effort you put in balanced with the quality of LIFE you desire.
You have to put the work in to get a better result.
So how do we cope with the "voice in our head" telling us that we are not good enough, or we need to try harder, or we can go just that little bit further.
All of these options MUST be balanced with reality.
When it comes to fat loss your body has what is known as a "set point". I am going to make this simple so that we all understand how our body works. When you reach a certain level of fat loss your "set point" kicks in and starts to limit the use of stored fat (use of fat for energy).
It will start to send signals to your body that you are tired so that you limit your levels of activity. It will ramp up your hunger signals so that you eat. It will do all of this in response to your current activity regime because it wants to limit how lean you get. It is perfectly normal. You will have to work through all of this as well as the emotional rollercoaster ride of "creating a NEW YOU".
This is part of your Human E.C.O. System resetting your thermostat to a new level and this will allow you to access another level of stored energy.
Hope that helps. Keep on working out, eating well and saving your Human ECO System !
The topic for today is the inevitable fat loss plateau we will experience when the elation of the short term goals have been achieved. I was reminded of how this can impact your mental attitude when I was talking with a friend who had decided to get not only her body into shape but also encouraged another friend of hers along for the journey. This is a great idea - buddy training is awesome.
It is a "journey" because life doesn't stop in 56 days. I use this example as I wanted to get across the impact that programs can have on your perception of "lighting the fire on fat loss" but further how to "maintain the rage on fat loss". This is the harder yet far more satisfying aspect of getting healthy.
She mentioned her friend (nearing the completion of the 56 day program that I created) had gone through an amazing transformation and while elated with his success at changing his past, he wanted to further his goals. This is all to common with human beings who go through a transformation.
They either -:
a) move the end goal posts further away as they the original finish line or
b) they forget how much success they have achieved by denying the start point in their plan.
The second one is easy to cope with IF you have taken pictures and good measurements when starting your journey - this is why we trainers ask you to do it. If you have not it is more challenging as you never want to admit to yourself that you had let yourself go THAT much and believe that with your inner dialogue along the lines of "I wasn't that bad before, was I ?".
Now what is the correct answer to that ?
It is a no win situation. I mostly took the honesty answer and said "Yes, you were" but there were times that I just wanted to help this person over an emotional hurdle and move forward so I answered "No".
The first point about moving the "end goal posts" happens as you start to see changes and want more. This is your ego talking to your "greedy gene" who tells you that you can do one or all of the following - workout a bit harder, do more sessions, limit your intake of food, not hang out with friends, and all this so that the reflection you see in the mirror is better.
How would I suggest we deal with this issue ?
I think that first off we have to accept where we have come from, where we are, where we want to go and have moments in the journey where we congratulate and reward ourselves on the efforts to date.
Now I am not going to tell you that I ever stop trying to improve. It is not in my nature to either lie or ask you to do something I wouldn't try myself. However I will temper this with the fact that I have been working on improvements every year. I have a personal goal of improving some facet of my life by 10% each year, whether it be physical, financial or emotional.
I can not always improve physically (view in mirror) by 10% but I can definitely improve internally (health status) by 10% EVERY year. LIFE is about the quality of effort you put in balanced with the quality of LIFE you desire.
You have to put the work in to get a better result.
So how do we cope with the "voice in our head" telling us that we are not good enough, or we need to try harder, or we can go just that little bit further.
All of these options MUST be balanced with reality.
When it comes to fat loss your body has what is known as a "set point". I am going to make this simple so that we all understand how our body works. When you reach a certain level of fat loss your "set point" kicks in and starts to limit the use of stored fat (use of fat for energy).
It will start to send signals to your body that you are tired so that you limit your levels of activity. It will ramp up your hunger signals so that you eat. It will do all of this in response to your current activity regime because it wants to limit how lean you get. It is perfectly normal. You will have to work through all of this as well as the emotional rollercoaster ride of "creating a NEW YOU".
This is part of your Human E.C.O. System resetting your thermostat to a new level and this will allow you to access another level of stored energy.
Hope that helps. Keep on working out, eating well and saving your Human ECO System !
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Saturday 24th November - 7 Day ECO-Cleansing Week E-Book
I had originally planned not to release this week seperately from the remaining seven (7) weeks that make up the 56 days of the program.
Then I was talking with a colleague who was asking me what I thought about detox programs and in particular the lemon drink version. When we spoke he said that he wanted to see and complete my version as it seemed not only healthier but it also made sense. Wow, a plan that makes sense.
Now I am from a background where although I don't profess to be an expert of nutrition I have a pretty good understanding of the body and it's nutritional requirements. To support this I work with highly schooled health professionals (nutritionists and dieticians) so it will come as no surprize that I really dislike this lemon drink option.
The "real experts" hate it and totally dismiss it as anything other than a "quick fix option" with no real long term results. They all agree that there should be a better way (so we created one) and if you are tempted to try any of these "programs" you should read on.
Think of your Human E.C.O. System.
Your body needs certain nutrients every day.
Your body functions from these nutrients being available from the daily intake of foods and some of these are not available unless you consume them every day.
If you do one of these extreme alternatives you are going to totally "upset" your natural inner balance by only providing lemon water and not too mention your natural functioning will be unable to meet your body's energy demands. Now how can that be good for you ?
People in the magazines say that they feel amazing after doing this "detox".
Let's be understand why they feel so "clean and clear".
They feel amazing because what they have done is to remove all the activities that cause their unhealthy state that required this severe action.
- They abstain from alcohol.
- They abstain from eating too many calories.
- They limit the intake of foods that are not designed to give them energy.
Wow it is an ephiphany.
By doing the right thing they feel amazing. Imagine if they didn't need to take such extreme measures. And don't be fooled this is an extreme measure. You are stopping your body getting what it needs to be function and be healthy !
Imagine if your attitude by doing this to your body was the same regard that you give to your other "possessions" like your car or your pet or your children.
You wouldn't willingly do something unhealthy for them, so then why would you do it yourself ?
We lack a clear and concise relationship with "our bodies". We judge it when we look in the mirror and this can be the basis for our esteem. We fail to note all the other aspects of our life that are given high value when we stand naked in front of the mirror and from these few moments can be the way our attitude (compass direction) is set for the day.
So why have I designed a sensible version for restoring your eco-system back to a healthier state. For all the people who look for a safe option and for all the reasons I have mentioned that I hate the other options.
How much will it cost you to get my version ....... NADA - NIL - ITS TOTALLY FREE.
I am setting this up as a FREE downloadable E-Book so that you can benefit from what "real experts" know is the better option for you.
With the "silly season" upon us it is now that we need to be most mindful of the "life choices" we make.
Do you want to get eco-friendly with your body ?
If so then now is the perfect time.
Get real and get healthy.
Then I was talking with a colleague who was asking me what I thought about detox programs and in particular the lemon drink version. When we spoke he said that he wanted to see and complete my version as it seemed not only healthier but it also made sense. Wow, a plan that makes sense.
Now I am from a background where although I don't profess to be an expert of nutrition I have a pretty good understanding of the body and it's nutritional requirements. To support this I work with highly schooled health professionals (nutritionists and dieticians) so it will come as no surprize that I really dislike this lemon drink option.
The "real experts" hate it and totally dismiss it as anything other than a "quick fix option" with no real long term results. They all agree that there should be a better way (so we created one) and if you are tempted to try any of these "programs" you should read on.
Think of your Human E.C.O. System.
Your body needs certain nutrients every day.
Your body functions from these nutrients being available from the daily intake of foods and some of these are not available unless you consume them every day.
If you do one of these extreme alternatives you are going to totally "upset" your natural inner balance by only providing lemon water and not too mention your natural functioning will be unable to meet your body's energy demands. Now how can that be good for you ?
People in the magazines say that they feel amazing after doing this "detox".
Let's be understand why they feel so "clean and clear".
They feel amazing because what they have done is to remove all the activities that cause their unhealthy state that required this severe action.
- They abstain from alcohol.
- They abstain from eating too many calories.
- They limit the intake of foods that are not designed to give them energy.
Wow it is an ephiphany.
By doing the right thing they feel amazing. Imagine if they didn't need to take such extreme measures. And don't be fooled this is an extreme measure. You are stopping your body getting what it needs to be function and be healthy !
Imagine if your attitude by doing this to your body was the same regard that you give to your other "possessions" like your car or your pet or your children.
You wouldn't willingly do something unhealthy for them, so then why would you do it yourself ?
We lack a clear and concise relationship with "our bodies". We judge it when we look in the mirror and this can be the basis for our esteem. We fail to note all the other aspects of our life that are given high value when we stand naked in front of the mirror and from these few moments can be the way our attitude (compass direction) is set for the day.
So why have I designed a sensible version for restoring your eco-system back to a healthier state. For all the people who look for a safe option and for all the reasons I have mentioned that I hate the other options.
How much will it cost you to get my version ....... NADA - NIL - ITS TOTALLY FREE.
I am setting this up as a FREE downloadable E-Book so that you can benefit from what "real experts" know is the better option for you.
With the "silly season" upon us it is now that we need to be most mindful of the "life choices" we make.
Do you want to get eco-friendly with your body ?
If so then now is the perfect time.
Get real and get healthy.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Friday 23rd November - Thought Pollution
Today I was talking to a friend about how our thoughts can be like pollution which again really fit in nicely with the Human E.C.O. System theories.
We were discussing how following on from yesterdays Blog she wanted to know if I ever have self doubt about my choices or actions.
I smiled and admitted that of course I have self doubt from time to time and my errors in life and business are testimony of that.
However I don't dwell on a choice once it is made. If it wrong I try to learn from it so that I don't repeat the error again but this will occassionally happen. That is LIFE and you have to experience this to be a whole person.
As most of my close friends know - I am not only unconventional in my methods I am not highly schooled. I left school early to join the Military but have always challenged the "normal thought process" because being both curious and non-traditional I like to understand why things must remain the way they are.
This has led to some confrontations with "experts" who tell me just to accept this and move on. Sadly for them that is the worst thing to tell an individual who revels in his undiagnosed ADD world.
People like myself are very pragmatic and "want to get it" so that it makes sense in our heads and often this will involve questioning what others tell us. It is not meant to be annoying (sure occassionally it will be) but rather it is meant to seek mental solace for ourselves.
The human body and in particular the human brain is an incredibly exciting thing. As you are reading this I want you to realize that there are synapses firing off left and right making sense of the words and then compartmentally breaking them down into understanding. It is an inner world full of as much fascination as the most incredible computer.
Now when that brain (computer) gets either overloaded (needs more RAM), or tired, or gets a virus, or gets old, or any other condition that affects it's ability to function at it's optimal you are going to know it.
Then add in the emotional content. Now you don't get this with your best computer BUT we have it inbuilt and hardwired into ours. This element can work for us or against us. BUT we are in control of it. It does not control us. They are OUR thoughts and this power needs to be exercised. It can be like an animal on a leash and if we control it well much like a well trained animal it's behaviours can be enhanced, even moreso with training.
Now most of our throughts during the day are rubbish.
I did a search on the internet and "they" say that we have anywhere from 6,000 to 60,000 thoughts each day. That is quite a disparity but it shows that some of us have way too many and this pollution causes problems.
There is a non-traditional belief that this level of having many thoughts causes the "monkey mind" meaning that the mind is out of control. That this thought pollution is responsible for a lack of clarity in LIFE.
If you are constantly thinking you are not present. You are not actually being "in the moment". Now I don't want this Blog to get too "airy-fairy" (not sure but don't think that is a medical term) but I am aware that when you sit still and try not to think you seem to slow everything down.
We have all heard that life is moving faster and faster in modern society. What about if you try to focus on controlling it and slowing it down for just this moment. Read this and then just sit there with your eyes closed and breathe in and out for 5 long breathes.
You will notice these few things :
Your breathing will slow down.
Your muscles will relax as your breathing slows down.
Sounds that you overlook everyday with your eyes open.
It is time to clear your mind, get present and get rid of some of the pollution in your Human ECO System !
We were discussing how following on from yesterdays Blog she wanted to know if I ever have self doubt about my choices or actions.
I smiled and admitted that of course I have self doubt from time to time and my errors in life and business are testimony of that.
However I don't dwell on a choice once it is made. If it wrong I try to learn from it so that I don't repeat the error again but this will occassionally happen. That is LIFE and you have to experience this to be a whole person.
As most of my close friends know - I am not only unconventional in my methods I am not highly schooled. I left school early to join the Military but have always challenged the "normal thought process" because being both curious and non-traditional I like to understand why things must remain the way they are.
This has led to some confrontations with "experts" who tell me just to accept this and move on. Sadly for them that is the worst thing to tell an individual who revels in his undiagnosed ADD world.
People like myself are very pragmatic and "want to get it" so that it makes sense in our heads and often this will involve questioning what others tell us. It is not meant to be annoying (sure occassionally it will be) but rather it is meant to seek mental solace for ourselves.
The human body and in particular the human brain is an incredibly exciting thing. As you are reading this I want you to realize that there are synapses firing off left and right making sense of the words and then compartmentally breaking them down into understanding. It is an inner world full of as much fascination as the most incredible computer.
Now when that brain (computer) gets either overloaded (needs more RAM), or tired, or gets a virus, or gets old, or any other condition that affects it's ability to function at it's optimal you are going to know it.
Then add in the emotional content. Now you don't get this with your best computer BUT we have it inbuilt and hardwired into ours. This element can work for us or against us. BUT we are in control of it. It does not control us. They are OUR thoughts and this power needs to be exercised. It can be like an animal on a leash and if we control it well much like a well trained animal it's behaviours can be enhanced, even moreso with training.
Now most of our throughts during the day are rubbish.
I did a search on the internet and "they" say that we have anywhere from 6,000 to 60,000 thoughts each day. That is quite a disparity but it shows that some of us have way too many and this pollution causes problems.
There is a non-traditional belief that this level of having many thoughts causes the "monkey mind" meaning that the mind is out of control. That this thought pollution is responsible for a lack of clarity in LIFE.
If you are constantly thinking you are not present. You are not actually being "in the moment". Now I don't want this Blog to get too "airy-fairy" (not sure but don't think that is a medical term) but I am aware that when you sit still and try not to think you seem to slow everything down.
We have all heard that life is moving faster and faster in modern society. What about if you try to focus on controlling it and slowing it down for just this moment. Read this and then just sit there with your eyes closed and breathe in and out for 5 long breathes.
You will notice these few things :
Your breathing will slow down.
Your muscles will relax as your breathing slows down.
Sounds that you overlook everyday with your eyes open.
It is time to clear your mind, get present and get rid of some of the pollution in your Human ECO System !
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Thursday 22nd November - Self Doubt into Self Belief
An interesting thing happened to me today when I was doing my Yoga.
Many things had been on my mind overnight with trying to complete work on three projects, plus being up late writing a movie script and then having a close family member in hospital knocking on the final door set up some mental blocks.
So I knew my ability to "let go and relax" for this activity session was going to be a challenge. And for a self confessed A.D.D. but never diagnosed person, all of this baggage came into the Yoga room with me.
Why did I even go ?
I knew it would be good for me.
I try and apply my personal principle of LIFE 101 - which is that LIFE will always throw up an excuse for you to get out of your commitment to your workouts. It is human nature to look for an excuse BUT my personal pro-active philosophy is that if I am looking for a reason not to do the workout - then it is likely that I need it.
So not letting LIFE get in the way this morning I showed up and settled onto my mat with a focus of "just breathing". The instructor was really tuned into my "dial" this morning as she mentioned that in order to relax and concentrate on our breathing we have to "stop having the conversations in our head". Those voices of self doubt seem to be loudest when we are the quietest.
She also mentioned that what we try to resist - will often persist.
Isn't that so true in many situations in our lives. When we worry about something (beyond our control), the problem seems to grow like a snowball rolling down a hill. Yet when we just let that snowball go and don't try to stop it then it no longer concerns or worries us.
This was truly powerful to me as I felt like my "voices" were on full blast.
As I tuned out my inner voices and focussed JUST on breathing in and breathing out, this provided the ability instead to tune in to and listen to her words and I started to feel the muscles in my body respond.
My shoulders relaxed as the tension dropped away.
My breathing became the life for my body and the pressure valve for my mind.
Of course this meant my human eco-system was again starting to show signs of life - through positive joy for the efforts of my mind being able to STOP thinking - and be clear.
I tried to imagine my mind was a glass of water.
Fresh; clear; cool; and this "picture" I decided was going to be my home-base that I would use when I was noticing my thoughts start to drift.
It was empowering to regain the space inside myself.
By that I mean we often fill ourselves up with unimportant issues as we try to cram in even more though we are already overflowing with totally meaningless things.
As this was happening another amazing situation developed.
My body started to relax and move into poses that had been in recent sessions difficult for me to get into. For example there is a series of balance poses in my Yoga that I try to concentrate to achieve stillness in.
I use this example in my book under the heading "the impatient perfectionist" - he who wants to good at everything he tries which is really just another voice in my head (the ego) wanting me to try harder.
This point is about 45 minutes into the workout and it was at this moment in the class that I noticed that I was starting to "try again". I wasn't getting any of the poses how I would have liked and could start to feel the frustration building as my breathing became forced.
Then I recalled another instructor in a previous session mention that if you are feeling frustrated then just remember this "all you are doing is standing on one leg, so is it really that important that you get this pose today ?"
No it wasn't.
In fact I was giving myself grief over this.
I slowed down my breathing and thought of that glass of water. Still, clear and serene. In no time at all my breathing slowed and my body became still.
As I was leaving the instructor mentioned how in control I seemed during the workout and I had to smile and share with her all my frustrations and we both laughed at how all this was happening on the inside and outwardly I looked at peace.
My lesson today wasn't to learn how to be a great Yoga student.
My lesson today was to learn how to be a better ME.
Many things had been on my mind overnight with trying to complete work on three projects, plus being up late writing a movie script and then having a close family member in hospital knocking on the final door set up some mental blocks.
So I knew my ability to "let go and relax" for this activity session was going to be a challenge. And for a self confessed A.D.D. but never diagnosed person, all of this baggage came into the Yoga room with me.
Why did I even go ?
I knew it would be good for me.
I try and apply my personal principle of LIFE 101 - which is that LIFE will always throw up an excuse for you to get out of your commitment to your workouts. It is human nature to look for an excuse BUT my personal pro-active philosophy is that if I am looking for a reason not to do the workout - then it is likely that I need it.
So not letting LIFE get in the way this morning I showed up and settled onto my mat with a focus of "just breathing". The instructor was really tuned into my "dial" this morning as she mentioned that in order to relax and concentrate on our breathing we have to "stop having the conversations in our head". Those voices of self doubt seem to be loudest when we are the quietest.
She also mentioned that what we try to resist - will often persist.
Isn't that so true in many situations in our lives. When we worry about something (beyond our control), the problem seems to grow like a snowball rolling down a hill. Yet when we just let that snowball go and don't try to stop it then it no longer concerns or worries us.
This was truly powerful to me as I felt like my "voices" were on full blast.
As I tuned out my inner voices and focussed JUST on breathing in and breathing out, this provided the ability instead to tune in to and listen to her words and I started to feel the muscles in my body respond.
My shoulders relaxed as the tension dropped away.
My breathing became the life for my body and the pressure valve for my mind.
Of course this meant my human eco-system was again starting to show signs of life - through positive joy for the efforts of my mind being able to STOP thinking - and be clear.
I tried to imagine my mind was a glass of water.
Fresh; clear; cool; and this "picture" I decided was going to be my home-base that I would use when I was noticing my thoughts start to drift.
It was empowering to regain the space inside myself.
By that I mean we often fill ourselves up with unimportant issues as we try to cram in even more though we are already overflowing with totally meaningless things.
As this was happening another amazing situation developed.
My body started to relax and move into poses that had been in recent sessions difficult for me to get into. For example there is a series of balance poses in my Yoga that I try to concentrate to achieve stillness in.
I use this example in my book under the heading "the impatient perfectionist" - he who wants to good at everything he tries which is really just another voice in my head (the ego) wanting me to try harder.
This point is about 45 minutes into the workout and it was at this moment in the class that I noticed that I was starting to "try again". I wasn't getting any of the poses how I would have liked and could start to feel the frustration building as my breathing became forced.
Then I recalled another instructor in a previous session mention that if you are feeling frustrated then just remember this "all you are doing is standing on one leg, so is it really that important that you get this pose today ?"
No it wasn't.
In fact I was giving myself grief over this.
I slowed down my breathing and thought of that glass of water. Still, clear and serene. In no time at all my breathing slowed and my body became still.
As I was leaving the instructor mentioned how in control I seemed during the workout and I had to smile and share with her all my frustrations and we both laughed at how all this was happening on the inside and outwardly I looked at peace.
My lesson today wasn't to learn how to be a great Yoga student.
My lesson today was to learn how to be a better ME.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Wednesday 21st November - Family based FUN
It seems an issue for most people is finding the time to be more active and get to the gym. This reminded me of the excuses that often come up when talking to clients over the years about why past attempts to lose bodyfat had failed them.
1. They had no time to spare.
2. They wanted to spend more time with their families.
I totally understand these issues but with obesity rolling along like an out of control freight train that we need to deal with here are simple facts you need to consider in relation to the Human E.C.O. Plan:
- There are 168 hours in each and every week.
- You only have to find 3 hours PER WEEK for activity on my plan.
- If you do 1 hour of activity each day of the weekend you only have to find 1 more during the week. Doesn't seem that hard does it ?
It's not but I have deliberately designed this to be a workable solution by minimizing / adjusting part of the current issue of the excessive intake of daily calories and then matching that up with an activity program to suit the goal.
Three hours per week can make a life changing difference !
Now to the issue of spending time with your family and not wanting to deprive you of that either here are some suggestions you could try.
- Enlist your family into your life changing goal which means that they will also improve their overall health.
- The three hours of activity can also include them. Your children could ride their bikes while you and your partner could walk / run.
- You could take a ball with you and play games in a park or beach.
- You could take some rope and teach your children to jump rope.
- You could take a backpack with some healthy food options, flavoured water and have a picnic halfway during the session.
Making life changing habits for ALL the family will not only ensure that there is minimal disruption to the family environment it will allow you to get healthy and provide "family time" together.
1. They had no time to spare.
2. They wanted to spend more time with their families.
I totally understand these issues but with obesity rolling along like an out of control freight train that we need to deal with here are simple facts you need to consider in relation to the Human E.C.O. Plan:
- There are 168 hours in each and every week.
- You only have to find 3 hours PER WEEK for activity on my plan.
- If you do 1 hour of activity each day of the weekend you only have to find 1 more during the week. Doesn't seem that hard does it ?
It's not but I have deliberately designed this to be a workable solution by minimizing / adjusting part of the current issue of the excessive intake of daily calories and then matching that up with an activity program to suit the goal.
Three hours per week can make a life changing difference !
Now to the issue of spending time with your family and not wanting to deprive you of that either here are some suggestions you could try.
- Enlist your family into your life changing goal which means that they will also improve their overall health.
- The three hours of activity can also include them. Your children could ride their bikes while you and your partner could walk / run.
- You could take a ball with you and play games in a park or beach.
- You could take some rope and teach your children to jump rope.
- You could take a backpack with some healthy food options, flavoured water and have a picnic halfway during the session.
Making life changing habits for ALL the family will not only ensure that there is minimal disruption to the family environment it will allow you to get healthy and provide "family time" together.
Tuesday 20th November - Stinking Thinking or Negative Thoughts
I had just finished a run this morning and was stretching in a local park. I overheard a father yelling at this son aged about 7 yrs old for doing something wrong and calling his son stupid (it wasn't hard to hear as the father was quite loud).
I felt for the boy as the park had quite a few people in it. Now you may say that there may have been a reason for his comments (note - I didn't say "good reason" as I see little benefit to bashing the boy's esteem with or without an audience).
Walking home it got me to thinking how easy it can be for us to hurt someone's feelings and esteem (whether intentionally or not) with words. I wondered if that young boy had a terrible day as a result. I am sure we have all done it, maybe not as disrespectfully as that father, but our words can hurt those we care about.
The point of Stinking Thinking (or negative thoughts) is that not only do we have the power to relive them but equally we also have the power to let them go.
They are only words and sometimes it is best to let them go which can often help us to relax and lose some of the stress from our lives.
How do we let go of this stress when these words often come from someone we love or whose opinion we value ?
Well first off, you should put as much weight in your own opinion as you do in others. You know that you are mostly a good person but this rarely has any currency or value in our esteem bank. IT SHOULD.
We should all try to make daily deposits into our own esteem bank account knowing that it can also improve our self perception. This is really important for children.
A lesson that is now taught to business managers is to try to catch your staff "doing something right" instead of just catching them doing something wrong. Equally we should try to do this with our friends and family.
Maybe if this happens we can try to change more negative thoughts into positive thoughts and lose the stinking thinking !
I felt for the boy as the park had quite a few people in it. Now you may say that there may have been a reason for his comments (note - I didn't say "good reason" as I see little benefit to bashing the boy's esteem with or without an audience).
Walking home it got me to thinking how easy it can be for us to hurt someone's feelings and esteem (whether intentionally or not) with words. I wondered if that young boy had a terrible day as a result. I am sure we have all done it, maybe not as disrespectfully as that father, but our words can hurt those we care about.
The point of Stinking Thinking (or negative thoughts) is that not only do we have the power to relive them but equally we also have the power to let them go.
They are only words and sometimes it is best to let them go which can often help us to relax and lose some of the stress from our lives.
How do we let go of this stress when these words often come from someone we love or whose opinion we value ?
Well first off, you should put as much weight in your own opinion as you do in others. You know that you are mostly a good person but this rarely has any currency or value in our esteem bank. IT SHOULD.
We should all try to make daily deposits into our own esteem bank account knowing that it can also improve our self perception. This is really important for children.
A lesson that is now taught to business managers is to try to catch your staff "doing something right" instead of just catching them doing something wrong. Equally we should try to do this with our friends and family.
Maybe if this happens we can try to change more negative thoughts into positive thoughts and lose the stinking thinking !
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