ABOUT THE AUTHOR Brian Luke is just a normal guy living a normal life. He lives with his incredible, beautiful family, in Suffolk England with two rescue dogs, Buddy and Bella. Brian has had a varied career, joined the British Army Air Corps in March 1990 and travelled around the world including, Germany, Ireland, Canada, Poland, Kenya, Bosnia Herzegovina, Italy, Spain and Iraq. As you can guess some of those places were for operations and others were for adventure training to develop team and life skills. Brian served just over 17 years, then decided to leave to start a new adventure in, "Civilian life," or the real world setting up as a sole trader, delivering interactive virtual tours for businesses in 2007 just when Google Street View came to the UK. It was exciting and hard work especially when the recession hit in 2008, this caused a rethink on how on earth was I going to earn money to pay the bills. Brian eventually worked in photo editing, then moved onto front of house coordinating, working in a nuclear power station, restaurants, then found retail as a customer experience manager, then an assistant manager in an out door clothing shop to then join a supermarket store as a trade support manager. So Brian wrote his first book,A Better Way to Mental & Physical Well-being, just over 10,000 words in September 2020; but this was inspired by the journey Brian experienced when he faced up to the hard reality that he was not coping with life suffering with outbursts of anger, depression, drank and ate too much and basically living a life that was, if continued would of caused self destruction and a very different life to now. Brian discovered, Rhonda Byrne's, "The Secret," on Netflix, in 2012, this led to reading the book, getting the journal. Then he took control of how he was living life, started to learn about Qigong, conscious breathing techniques, our emotional needs, Autonomic Nervous System, healthy lifestyle that include, food, exercise, meditation. Wim Hof Method and Brian regularly practices cold water therapy on the coast of Suffolk, just dipping in the sea throughout the year.
Brian's writing started off as a blog because it was a great way to remember all this knowledge as Brian's memory is at best bad, then started, "A Better Way," Facebook page. Brian continues learning about belief systems, cultures, diet, lifestyles, well-being and in general anything that helps with improving ones own happiness, fitness and outlook on life. So a normal guy who has a passion for mental and physical well-being that he hopes will be able to give hope, inspire and motivate anyone that may be experiencing what he himself has conquered. Enjoy! Within this book I have put together a 30 day self care journal for you to use if you wish. This then follows onto my main take away, gratitude and positive thinking, the law of attraction and how to use it, understanding your emotional needs and the mental health continuum. Then I touch on the importance of understanding what Insulin resistance is and how important it is to control this hormone. I personally control this via intermitting fasting and being aware of what foods spike my insulin. Find out more in my last book, You Wanna Take A Ride? DESCRIPTION A journey of discovery that started out by getting help for anger management, depression and a lack of appreciation for life. This led to discovering what support was out there when I was at my lowest in life. I hope this knowledge encourages and motivates you to enjoy discovering and starting something new, exploring new ideas, experiences, and a desire to seek more knowledge; So that it helps you as it has myself reach your own personal goals one step at a time. I discovered the following; Rhona Byrne's, "The Secret," this opened up my curiosity to learning about gratitude and the law of attraction. Then through social media, the internet and books I learnt about Hindu and Tibetan monks, Indian Gurus, His Holiness the14th Dalai Lama I built upon practicing gratitude, mindfulness, understanding awareness, concentration, energy in the form of frequency and vibrations, which all led to the following;
I was introduced to breathing techniques to help with anxiety, stress and depression first via Qigong energy cultivation then The Wim Hof Method. With these initial influences in my life this motivated me to start taking responsibility for my own mental and physical health. Becoming a friend of Suffolk Mind I learnt about emotional needs, the mental health continuum. I studied and became an advocate for mental health in the workplace. I took up running after at least 10 years through the amazing NHS app, Couch to 5K. I discovered more about The Autonomic Nervous System and how to influence the ANS through various techniques. Food is a love of mine to a point I don't need to be hungry to eat something lovely, I knew this was not good because it was showing in all the wrong places; So I started to learn more about food, controlling hormones and the benefits of intermitting fasting; I gained control of my weight and feel great. So.. do you wanna take a ride? This question and the name of the book was inspired from the movie, "Contact," starring Jodie Foster because once you understand what these words mean within this book you will truly be, enlightened, in my personal opinion. Join me on this journey of discovery learning all about positivity, gratitude, awareness, mindfulness, your own emotional needs. Understand; stress, anxiety, depression and all the other mental health conditions along the mental health continuum, but...more importantly how to cope with and beat them. Understand and learn about the Autonomic Nervous System, the power of the breath, healthy lifestyle choices, food, exercise and maintaining a positive outlook on your life. This knowledge impacted positively on my life therefore I'm sure there will be something within these pages to motivate and encourage you to improve your health both mentally and physically and create a life that you love. So take a breath and enjoy the ride. With thanks, Brian.
30 DAYS TO BUILD BETTER SELF CARE HABITS
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Advice from María Sabina a Mexican healer and poet. “Heal yourself with the light of the sun and the rays of the moon. With the sound of the river and the waterfall. With the swaying of the sea and the fluttering of birds. Heal yourself with mint, neem, and eucalyptus. Sweeten with lavender, rosemary, and chamomile. Hug yourself with the cocoa bean and a hint of cinnamon. Put love in tea instead of sugar and drink it looking at the stars. Heal yourself with the kisses that the wind gives you and the hugs of the rain. Stand strong with your bare feet on the ground and with everything that comes from it. Be smarter every day by listening to your intuition, looking at the world with your forehead. Jump, dance, sing, so that you live happier. Heal yourself, with beautiful love, and always remember … you are the medicine.”
30 Days To Build Better Self-Care Habits
If you have this workbook.
Goals emotional
It means that you want to learn how to take better physically, or other wise, emotionally, spiritually, care of yourself. Whether selfcare is an experience from the inside out. that must be practiced So before we dig into all of these aspects, ask yourself what your personal goals for pursuing better selfcare are?
physical
How are you looking to improve your life through self-care habits? What would you specifically like to work on to take better care of yourself?
family
health
My Ideal Routine Throughout this 30 day self-care journal you will be exposed to and experiment with many different self care techniques.Some will make you feel good and some won’t be as effective for your specific needs.When you try something that makes you feel good and decide to integrate it into your daily or weekly routine then make a note of it here.
Daily routine
Weekly routine
Monthly routine
DAY 1
Deep Breathing Deep breathing or meditation is a simple tool that can reduce stress and anxiety and help you calm down and think more clearly and become more mindful. This technique has been around for centuries and it provides instant relief when you are feeling stressed. Over the next 30 days, try to spend a few minutes each day doing meditation. You can find many guided meditation videos on YouTube or you can do the following exercise. •Lie down or sit down (either cross legged on the ground or on a chair with your back straight). •Breath in through your nose and let your belly slowly fill with air. •Breath out from your nose for one count longer than you breath in. •Focus on your belly as you breathe in and out slowly. Try to breathe from your stomach instead of from your chest. •Now, imagine the air going from the lungs all the way to the fingers and toes until it travels back up again. •Image the air entering your body is filled with calm and piece. The air leaving your body removes all stress and tension from your body. Even if you don’t spend time meditating each day you can do deep breathing anywhere and any time throughout the day –even sitting in your chair at work. The next time you feel overwhelmed or stressed, try this technique. Doing this for just five minutes will help you relax and focus on the task at hand. Meditation is an important practice for health and wellness because it can help relieve stress and anxiety by focusing on deep breathing techniques which allow you to relax better.
DAY 2
The way we speak to ourselves has a significant impact on our self-esteem and decision making.
How Are You TalkingTo Yourself? Write down the negative things you’re always saying about yourself. Then, write down three positive things about yourself for EACH one. Make habit of doing this every time you catch yourself being negative to yourself. What Do I Say About Myself? What Is TRUE About Me?
Many of us say the meanest things to ourselves without even thinking about it. However, words have power and when you hear something often enough, you will start to believe it!
What Do I Say About Myself? What IsTRUE About Me?
This affects your emotions, how you interact with people and how you see yourself. Take sometime to reflect on yourself-talk.
What Do I Say About Myself?
Do you automatically call yourself stupid when you make a mistake?
What Is TRUE About Me?
Do you reinforce something like “Oh, I have a terrible memory, ”by continually saying it? Would you talk to someone you care about the way you talk to yourself?
What Do I Say About Myself? What Is TRUE About Me?
DAY 3
Priorities VS Procrastination Sunday
When it comes to selfcare, many of us find it very easy to make excuses to put it aside for one reason or another. Selfcare can seem unimportant, selfish, or a waste of time in a given situation. However, procrastination of selfcare means that you aren’t making yourself a priority as you should be. You can only go so long without doing things to help better yourself. Would you ever just keep driving your car without putting gas in it? Probably not! Even if you did, it would just stop after it ran out of gas. Then you would be stuck wherever it broke down--making it even harder to get the gas you should have put in in the first place. You can’t do anything as well as you really could if you aren’t taking care of yourself FIRST. If you never stop and prioritize self-care, you might find yourself in an even more difficult situation than you would by just making the time for it.
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Chart out your regular schedule and find-or MAKE-the time each day to practice some kind of self-care. Whether it’s just taking a break to read a book, working on a hobby you love, taking a long bath, journal, etc., find a time each day dedicated to self-care. Then, make sure you prioritize that time! It’s not optional! Putit in your calendar above and keep that appointment!
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Notes
DAY 4
As you start to work through some of the mental blocks and thoughts that stop you from really pursuing self-care, it’s going to bring up a lot of emotions. It may even cause any past trauma or experiences that have impacted how you approach self-care to come up. Therapy is an excellent idea to help work through deep-seated issues, but journaling is a great way to work through things on your own as well. What kind of memories, feelings, or thoughts have come up since you started on Day1? Have you noticed specific thoughts or emotions coming up more since you’ve committed to selfcare? Have specific memories come up that you can trace back as to why self-care might not have been as important in your past? Or maybe none of this is happening, and you’re feeling really good and balanced about starting this journey! What ever the case maybe, use this space to be honest with yourself, and reflect on what’s been going on inside of you since the first day of this journal.
Journaling Your Thoughts and Feelings What is the pursuit of self-care bringing up for you?
Why do you think the above has come to the surface?
What can you do about this?
Don’t Beat Yourself Up
DAY 5
Self-care is all about
Get up and stretch
showing yourself lovein healthy ways. It shouldn’t feel like a chore or be something that you dread. When these feelings come up, it’s usually because your mindset might still be off-kilter. Try not to over stimulate yourself as you make the time to do things for selfcare. Keep in mind that this is something you’re doing for YOU and only you. Self-care is part of loving yourself, so self-care might become something unenjoyable if you have trouble with that. Keep in mind that there are a TON of simple ways that you can practice self-care. It doesn’t have to be a big production, or anything crazy. Start small, and take it one day at a time. On this page there are some ideas for simple acts of selfcare you can try. Take a look and fill in how you feel about each one as you do them. There is room for you to come up with a few of your own as well!
Drink water
Take several breaths just ensure the exhale is longer than the inhale
Observe your surroundings for things to smile about
Go outside
Tell your self you’re awesome & you are having a great day
Call a good friend just to chat
Look up at the sky/out over the ocean
Join an online group about something you enjoy
Buy yourself something small
DAY 6
Reaffirm Your Goals With Affirmations Goal
Remember your GOALS from Day 1? Go back and check those out real quick. You can also add to them if you like! Today, we’re going to turn those goals into affirmations we can speak out to setup our minds and emotions for success. We’re also going to go over some general affirmations you can say to yourself as well. After you’ve filled in the spaces below, take time every morning to say a few of the affirmations to yourself as you prepare for your day. The way we start our days often dictates how the rest of the day will go, so it’s important to do this first thing. To turn a goal into an affirmation, simply state it as a personal fact. For example, if one of your goals was to make more time for yourself, you would say, “I will make enough time for myself today and everyday. ”We know that words are powerful, so speaking these custom affirmations to yourself will help set the stage for you to achieve your goals!
Affirmation
Examples of affirmations:
• • • • • • • • •
Try to make them more specific and personal. I am strong. I am smart. I matter. I am worthy of love. I love myself. I can handle anything that comes my way today. I am capable. I will succeed today. I have a positive mindset.
DAY 7
Just Do It Doubts
Now that we have done all the mental and emotional preparation for self-care,
it’s important to understand one more thing. You have to keep moving forward! It can be easy to stop now and just give up. However, this would make you miss out on all the other parts of improving your self-care! Now is the time to break down any final walls that hold you back and, JUST DOIT! I believe in you and I know you can do this. Write down any lingering doubts you might have, and then cross them out. You can also follow that up by saying the opposite of your doubt. For example, if your doubt is, “I don’t deserve self-care.” scribble that out and write,
“I deserve self-care.”
Replacements
DAY 8 Journaling is a form of self-care and reflection. The practice of journaling can be beneficial because it allows you to express your thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment. The benefits of journaling include: better sleep, improved relationships, increased optimism and happiness, and reduced stress. Journaling can be used as a form of selfcare in times when you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed out. It is also beneficial for people who have difficulty expressing themselves verbally or in writing to use journaling as an outlet. When you write in your journal try to turn your negative thoughts into something positive by writing them down on paper and transforming them into positive selftalk.
Journaling
DAY 9
Practice Mindfulness Body
The benefits of mindfulness are often overlooked but it is important for our mental health. Mindfulness is an effective tool because it allows us to live in the present moment -acknowledging what's happening around us without judgment or expectation, which can help lower stress levels and improve overall well-being. When you are present in the moment, you are aware of what’s going on around you and attentive to your thoughts and emotions. This can have a significant impact on your life because it will allow you to react to what is happening in the present instead of living in fear or unnecessarily worrying about things that haven't happened yet and might not even happen.
Lie down and close your eyes. Visualise each part of your body from your toes to your head. If thoughts enter your mind, acknowledge them and continue with the exercise.
Surroundings Spend 1 –2 minutes looking around you and noticing everything in your surroundings. Don’t be judgmental. Don’t describe the things you see but acknowledge that you see and notice them.
Sounds Close your eyes and listen to the sounds around you. Don’t describe them as enjoyable or annoying but take note and notice the sounds that you didn’t really notice when you were not actively listening.
Objects Take any object and really observe it. Look at it from close, touch it, feel it, taste it (if it is editable). Notice things you have never really noticed when you didn’t take the time to study it.
How did you feel?
DAY 10
We all have things that have happened in our past that we might not like to think about. However, these things impact our present whether we like it or not. If we never deal with them, this impact is usually very negative. Whether it is a trauma, a conversation, or a mistake that happened, it’s important to go back and make peace with it. This will allow you to move forward and build your future on a healthier foundation. It can be difficult and sometimes, seeing a therapist helps. Consider whether you should seek outside help as you work through these prompts.
Deal With Your Past What are some regrets, traumas, or just plain painful things in Your past that you avoid dealing with?
How have you seen these impact your present?
Notes
Deal With Your Past What have you done to make peace with these things?
If you’ve only forced down the memories, how can you start making peace with them?
What advice would you give someone you care about that has gone through the same thing?
Notes
Deal With Your Past Have you taken that advice yourself?
Would you consider therapy?
Why or why not?
Notes
DAY 11
Negativity Is always going to be around
Learn To Focus On The Positive What negativity have you found yourself focused on for a long time?
us... From news to lousy weather, to personal problems and everything in between, it can be hard to remember that there is good all around too. While we shouldn’t completely ignore anything negative, it’s important not to focus on it. The healthiest way to process negativity is to accept it and then move on from it. Dwelling on it can throw you in a vortex of depression, anger, and even more negativity. Even in the most difficult seasons of life, there is always something positive to balance it out. Learn to see this balance and appreciate even the smallest good in the midst of the bad. This will help you carry inner peace with you and help give you strength as you live the rest of your life. Use this journaling opportunity to reflect on how you can learn to shift your focus into a more positive direction.
What new negativity have you been focused on lately?
Notes
Learn To Focus On The Positive Can you identify the positives that balance out these negative things?
If not, what are some separate positive things happening right now? (These can be as simple as your favourite snack being on sale at the store or finding a good parking spot!)
Is finding positivity difficult for you? Why?
Notes
Learn To Focus On The Positive Describe one or more situations when things seemed bad and turned out for the better.
Do you commit to trying to be more positive?
Write down that commitment here:
Notes
Allow Space For Your Feelings
DAY 12 Yesterday’s practice of focusing on the positive
On a scale of 1 to 5,how well would you say you avoid suppressing your feelings?
does not mean that you
1 Completely suppressed –you do not allow this emotion;
shouldn’t allow yourself to
5 Completely open–you allow this emotion in, process it and let it go.”
feel any kind of negative feelings. Feeling your emotions is HEALTHY. What’s not healthy is when you focus on anyone emotion. This includes both positive and negative emotions. Everyday, we feel hundreds of emotions over all the stimulus we receive. Whether from a social media post, work, friends, family, etc., we are continually processing everything we experience throughout the day. This triggers all kinds of emotions over a very short amount of time. It can be hard to let yourself sit with all these emotions individually as they occur ,but you must process them. Not allowing yourself to accept and let goof emotions can trigger you to suppress your emotions subconsciously. Doing this can cause a lot of health issues--both mentally and physically. Use the space to the right to reflect on how you process your emotions and whether you should improve on how you allow space for your feelings. Rate each emotion and then make a note on why you do or don’t allow each feeling.
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5
Anger
Why?
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Anxiety
Why?
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Contempt
Why?
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Contentment
Why?
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Disgust
Why?
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Envy
Why?
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Excitement
Why?
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Fear
Why?
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Friendship
Why?
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Grief
Why?
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Guilt
Why?
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Indignation
Why?
Allow Space For Your Feelings Notes
On a scale of1 to 5, how well would you say you avoid suppressing your feelings?
1 Completely suppressed –you do not allow this emotion; 5Completely open –you allow this emotion in, process it and let it go.” 1
2
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5
Interest
Why?
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Joy
Why?
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5
Kindness
Why?
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Love
Why?
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Pity
Why?
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Pride
Why?
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Sadness
Why?
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Self-Hostility
Why?
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Shame
Why?
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Shyness
Why?
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Surprise
Why?
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2
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Trust
Why?
DAY 13 Believe it or not, other people’s emotions can have a huge impact on you and how you live your life. However, balance is important; and while you should be considerate of others, you should not take everything they feel personally onto yourself. Taking on the emotions of others and your own is a sure fire way to give yourself burnout. It also doesn’t allow you to balance your emotions properly; which we learned the importance of earlier this week. Of course, if someone is happy with you for whatever reason, this is great! Just make sure you don’t obsess about always making sure they stay happy with you. On the other end of the spectrum, if someone is directing a negative emotion towards you, learn to take it with a grain of salt. Obviously, if you’ve directly done something against this person, take responsibility, make it right and move on. However, be sure that you don’t take on that negativity and guilt for an extended period of time. Forgive yourself, if they don’t, that is not your fault as long as you’ve done everything you could to make it right. Everyone is dealing with their own issues and it’s important to understand that sometimes you might be the unfortunate person they project those issues onto. Use this page to reflect on how you process other people’s emotions whether they’re directed at you or not.
Don’t Take Things Personally How do you react when someone directs a negative emotion at you?
Why? Is this reaction healthy? If not, what can you do to change that?
How do you react when someone directs a positive emotion at
you? Why? Is this reaction healthy? If not, what can you do to change that?
Do you take on negative emotions that are not directed at you?
Why? Is this reaction healthy? If not, what can you do to change that?
Do you take on positive emotions that are not directed at you?
Why? Is this reaction healthy? Do you take on positive emotions that are not directed at you?
DAY 14
Self-acceptance is a vital part of self- care.. Self-acceptance means acknowledging and accepting that you are who you are. That includes accepting all your qualities and traits both positive and negative.
Accept Yourself For Who You Are I felt good about myself when
I am proud of myself for
In the last year I accomplished
My most important achievement is
DAY 15
Our relationships are a reflection of what we allow for ourselves. This means that how you allow people to treat you is also the bar you have for treating yourself. How do the people around you make you feel in general and about yourself? Do you feel lifted up, lighter, and refreshed after being around them? Or do you find yourself drained and exhausted and regretting being around them? If this is a mostly negative answer, it might be time to consider cleaning out your circle! Most of us have three circles within our whole circle: the outer circle being acquaintances you hardly ever see, but you know them; the middle circle being friends, family and coworkers you hang out with or see sometimes; the inner circle is your closest family and friends that you trust the most. In the section on the right, fill in the two circles with names of people you know. One circle should have people that lift you up and the other should have people that bring you down. Under each, write down why you placed each person where you did. Be very honest with yourself for this exercise.
Relationships Positive Circle
Negative Circle
DAY 16 Boundaries are a vital part of self-care. You have to set them and keep them set with yourself and the people you surround yourself with. A boundary can be anything from simply saying no to a request, to flat out not allowing something to happen in your presence. Think of yourself like your house...You wouldn’t let someone come in and break all your favourite dishes, would you? That’s a boundary! People MUST be polite and respectful when they’re in your home. The same should hold true with what you tolerate for yourself. Do not allow people to speak down to you, disrespect you, lie to you, abuse you, etc. This is a GOOD and HEALTHY practice to get into. You do not deserve to be mistreated and you are allowed to confidently draw the line against that kind of behaviour. This can be difficult to start doing, especially if you have a habit of letting people walk all over you. However, it is vital to your selfcare journey. Understanding your value means that you can see when others don’t and address it. Lookback at your Negative Circle from yesterday and make a list of what put each person in that circle. Be as specific as you can and then see what you can do about each of these unacceptable behaviours.
Don’t Be Afraid To Set Boundaries Name
Reason
What To Do About It
DAY 17
Chances are, some of the things you wrote in the list you made yesterday involved talking tot he people that make you feel low. However, sometimes, this isn't enough to make people change their behaviour towards you. This is when it’s important to know when it’s time to let go. NOTE :If you are being physically abused, or feel that your life is at risk for any reason, contact your local authorities immediately and relocate to a safe place if possible. Outside of physically abusive and other dangerous situations, it is usually relatively simple to let go of relationships that refuse to stop tearing people down. Of course, you may want to communicate with these negative people to give them a chance to change. This is fine, but you need to make sure that they respect the boundaries you set for them and communicate how their behaviour impacts you. Most people will not realize they are hurting you and will change immediately as they become more mindful of that. Keep in mind this is the response of most people. Some will refuse to respect your boundaries or respect you. These are the people you need to let go of. This looks different for everyone. You may decide to slowly taper off how often you see them until they fall out of your circle. Or you can take the more direct approach and simply cut them off of all social media and in person interaction. It’s entirely up to you. However, you must do it when necessary. Know that you are allowed to choose who comes into your circle and that you are worthy of being treated with the same respect you give to others. Use the space to the right to write out your steps to letting someone go from your life.
Know When It’s Time ToLet People Go How many times will you talk to someone before you decide it’s time for them to go?
What do you do or say when someone crosses a boundary you have set?
What behaviours are so unacceptable that they result in an immediate let go?
What is your process of letting someone go?
Are you hesitant to let anyone go, no matter what they do?
Know When It’s Time ToLet People Go Why?
What would you advise a close friend to do if they were being treated the way you are by some of your Negative Circle?
Have you followed this advice in your own life? If not, why?
Notes
DAY 18 When it comes to enforcing boundaries, family is probably the most difficult to deal with
Family Is Not Immune To Boundaries •Who is someone in your family that you find it difficult to express yourself to? What would you say to them if you weren’t afraid?
How can you work on being more open with this family member, so they
However, it is important to hold them to the same standards as the rest of your circle. Unfortunately, family is often held the least accountable for their behaviour, while also most likely to hurt us. This is why it’s very important to be communicative about your boundaries, feelings, and needs when it comes to your family. Sometimes it’s hard, but it’ll be worth it to get everything out in the open! Letting things fester and get bottled up can lead to unhealthy out bursts and even fallings-out. If you find it difficult to express yourself to your family, use the space here to workout why; ; and how you can work on opening that line of communication. Doing this and following through will lead to healthier relationships with your family; and help you to build confidence in showing yourself-care and love.
will understand your boundaries?
•Who is someone in your family that you find it difficult to express yourself to? What would you say to them if you weren’t afraid?
How can you work on being more open with this family member, so they will understand your boundaries?
Notes
Be Kind
DAY 19
How do you treat your friends?
While it’s important to stand up for yourself and set How do you treat your co-workers? boundaries with those in your circle, it is also necessary to behave in away that earns that kind of respect. You cannot be a rude, hateful person and expect others not to give that behaviour back to you. Like the way you allow people to treat you, the way you treat others reflects how you feel about yourself. Use this space to reflect on how you treat those around you--whether they are part of your circle or not.
How do you treat your family?
How do you treat people in the service industry?(servers, repair people, retail workers, etc.)
How can you improve on these if needed?
Notes
is very possibly one of our most turbulent relationships of all. Headlines and other posts can provoke all kinds of emotions in a very small amount of time. Just five minutes of scrolling through social media can make you feel drained and exhausted for the rest of the day some times. It can also sometimes feel like you can’t say what you genuinely feel online without getting backlash from someone or another. All in all, social media is very important to balance vigilantly. While it’s a fantastic way to stay connected to people and groups that aren’t local, it can also become a terrible cycle of negativity. Think about how you feel after looking through your socials. Do you find it to be something that refreshes you and boosts your mood? Or does it drain you, and make you feel dragged down? Use this space to reflect on your social media habits and see if you need to clean out your friend/follow lists. Make a list of which platforms you use and fill in how each makes you feel with the chart. Then, make notes about how you can purge your socials and make changes to create a better relationship with your
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DAY 21 Most of us are either looking for love or have found it already. A romantic relationship is something many find themselves having a tone time or another. However, self-care is an important part of having a healthy romance. The better you know how to take care of yourself, the more prepared you are to care for your partner as well. Whether you’re looking for love or already in love, a little self-care can still work wonders! When you’re caring for yourself, it helps you to be more open, positive, nurturing and healthy for your relationship. Practicing proper self-care also helps to show you what you want and need from a romantic relationship. It can also show you how you and your partner can practice self-care together and grow even more healthy as a unit. Whether you’re in a relationship right now or not, use this space to list out the things you want from a romantic relationship, as well as what you can bring into it. If you’re in a relationship, note whether it is living up to your list…If it isn’t, it might be time to talk with your partner to build a better relationship together.
Romance Needs Self-CareToo What do you want from a romantic relationship?
What do you need from a romantic relationship?
If you’re in a current relationship, does it live up to the above? If not, what can you do to change that?
DAY 22
Taking care of yourself physically is the final aspect of self-care. Making sure your body is healthy and well taken care of is so important! If your body isn’t healthy, your mind and spirit can’t be either and vice versa. All aspects of self-care work together to make sure you as a whole person are as healthy as possible. What does physical self-care look like to you right now? What are your physical self-care goals? Are you working to reach those goals? Why or why not? Use this space to reflect on your physical selfcare, write down what you want to accomplish with it and how you’re going to do that. We’ll be using the rest of this week to create a schedule of the different aspects of physical self-care, so be as detailed as you can!
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DAY 23
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Hygiene involves all the ways you keep your body clean on the outside. Bathing, brushing your hair, taking care of your teeth, trimming your nails, etc., are all examples of practicing self-care with hygiene. What ever you do to care for your physical appearance and cleanliness is hygienic self-care. This is important to keep up with because when we aren’t clean or in touch with our bodies, serious health issues can occur. A minor cut can become infected ,hair can become matted, teeth can become diseased and your overall chances of getting sick will spike-- you get the idea. If you find yourself struggling to practice good hygiene, use the space here to create a daily schedule for yourself for when you’ll practice it and how.
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DAY 24
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So diet is a huge part of physical self-care. If you’re filling your body with bad fuel, you won’t be able to properly take care of yourself or the rest of your responsibilities. Eating healthy foods and staying hydrated is how you can practice self-care with your diet. Talk to your doctor, and/or a licensed nutritionist if your body has any special needs or a lot of allergies, to find out what kind of diet is best for you, specifically. While the right diet for you can vary, the amount of water we all need is the same concept for everyone...Take your weight in pounds, and drink half of that in ounces each day. For example, if you weigh100 pounds, you would need to drink 50 ounces of water daily. Use the space below to create a meal plan for yourself. Don’t be afraid to be creative! Find recipes that are good for you and that you will still enjoy; and don’t forget to add in healthy snacks and water for each day as well. You can reuse this again and again, and planning it out will help you stick to a healthy diet that’s good for you.
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DAY 25 Sleep is necessary but not always the easiest to achieve For everyone
The average adult needs between seven and nine hours of sleep every day to function as efficiently as possible. Lack of sleep can cause a lot of health issues, and can also make even the simplest tasks more difficult. When you don’t get enough sleep, your brain and body functions slow down, and it gets harder to think clearly and handle your responsibilities effectively. Getting enough sleep is very important, so making sure your schedule can facilitate that is a way to practice self-care. A few ways you can improve your sleep are: Unplugging an hour before your bedtime. This means no screens in bed
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and just taking time to wind down without any extra stimulation. - Avoiding caffeine and sugar for about 3-5 hours before bedtime. This ensures that you aren’t keeping yourself awake with energy you don’t really need. - Make sure your bedroom is a peaceful place. A comfortable space can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep. Use the space below to set up a schedule of getting ready for bed, making sure you have enough time to sleep for 7-9 hours, and list out any bad habits that you need to quit to improve your sleep.
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DAY 26 Exercise paired with a proper diet keeps your body healthy and strong. Staying active helps improve heart health, muscle strength, joint health, and even mental health and more! Speaking with your doctor and/or a personal trainer is a great way to find out what kind of workout style is best for you. It’s also important to note that if exercise isn’t something you’ve kept up with in the past, you need to start small and not push yourself too hard. Doing a little bit every day and slowly building up your endurance is the best way to practice self-care with exercise. Everyone’s limits and abilities are different, so use the space below to schedule out your fitness goals for a month. Write down what kinds of exercises you want to do, how long, and when for each day. Don’t forget to take it easy on yourself at first and consult with a professional to get tailored advice for you.
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Keeping up with regular check ups and appointments is another way you can practice self -care. It is also essential to go to the doctor when you notice anything off with your body . Lumps, new marks, chronic pain, slow healing, blur red vision, anything that comes on suddenly, etc.. are all reasons you should see your doctor. However, we all need regular check ups for different things, and these need to be kept up with. For example, if you wear glasses, you should see the eye doctor every year to monitor your eyes’ progress. Or, if you’re a female, you need to make sure to see a gynaecologist periodically to check your reproductive health with pap smears and mammograms. We all have different needs, and we must see the right doctors for these needs. Use this space to write down the doctor’s appointments you need to make for your health this year .
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DAY 28
Your Space
Make sure your home/space is clean and decluttered The state of your living space is a reflection on how much you care for yourself as a person. Cleaning your room, keeping things organized, arranging your workspace and even making your bed is all part of taking care of your living space. When your space(s) is clear, you can more easily find things you need, you don’t have to worry about tripping over things, you don’t have to deal with the issues that come from messiness. Clutter leads to all kinds of issues from pests, to mould, to stress and more. However, having a cleaning schedule is important for keeping up with this part of selfcare. Use this space to create your own cleaning schedule, so you can show yourself love by making sure where you live is clear of clutter and other messiness.
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DAY 29
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DAY 30
Reflection What have you learned about yourself over these 30days?
It’s your last day of This 30-day self-care journal! Congratulations for getting to the end! Today is a day for you to reflect on what you’ve learned so far, and to set your intentions on keeping up with the good habits you learned over this month. Use the journal prompts to do this…
How do you feel today versus Day 1?
Remember one step at a time, one task at a time and do it well. How will you continue forward with any of he self-care habits you’ve learned?
GRATITUDE & POSITIVE THINKING
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RAISE YOUR MOOD, VIBRATION, FREQUENCY The moment you shift how you think about yourself and your circumstances both you and those circumstances will begin to change. Be it negatively or in a positive way. I’m sure you’ve heard the idea that our thoughts somehow shape the reality we experience, that negative thoughts influence the world around us and bring about negative circumstances; while positive thoughts somehow bring about positive circumstances. Like attracts like, your thoughts create feelings and emotions that in turn vibrate out into a physical manifestation. Well an entire industry of motivational speakers has been created around this premise. Bob Proctor, Rhonda Byrne, Dr. Joe Dispenza just to name a few. Almost all of us have been exposed to the tenets of positive thinking but if it works so well, then why isn’t everyone who attends these seminars and reads these books rich and successful and most of all happy? If all we need to do is to think positive thoughts we should be able to create a positive world almost overnight. This is where you have to think it and feel it, the latter being the most important. You have to feel it in your heart and gut, truly believe it otherwise it will not work. In other words you have to connect your thoughts to your heart and raise your mood, vibration, frequency. Here is a discovered philosophy that I’ll share with you along with a set of tools and practises I think will not only be a tremendous benefit but will literally allow you to become your potential and derive the maximum pleasure out of life. But before you just jump in you have to have and practice gratitude on a daily basis for the rest of your life. To do this I have always said that the techniques that I discovered in, “The secret,” by Rhonda Byrne are the best that I have used and continue to use. So to change your mindset I highly recommend that for 28 days you get yourself a gratitude journal and start writing ten things each day that you are grateful for. The reason it is best to do this is so that it starts changing your natural negative thinking into a more positive mindset. I know because it has changed my life for the best.
Much of what I’m about to share with you will seem simple in concept, the best ideas usually are and so I should warn you that there’s a tendency to view these simple ideas from a surface level without really internalising and practising them. Therefore I recommend that you set time aside for yourself and practice these techniques at least three times a day. Each time you practice these ideas rather than using your rational intellectual mind which analyses things to death, use your playful risk-taking side and make the effort to incorporate these tools into your daily life. The reason I’m asking this of you is because I know that most of you will read this once and you’ll never really use the knowledge and that’s ok it just means you are not ready yet. I want you to use this stuff to practice it and internalise it. You see it takes a commitment, a conscious commitment to make positive change occur on a subconscious level. The tools and reprogramming processes must be used to make them work. Look, here's something I want you to realise right now: the old you will do everything in its power to prevent change. It will come up with excuses for not carrying out these practises, it will procrastinate and make excuses for not using these ideas and programs. Even if they’re good for you and the reason why you’ll do that to yourself is because the old you is comfortable it has a built-in survival mechanism to protect the status quo. That’s why change is so difficult and it’s also why positive thinking on a surface level always fails millions. Millions of people attend positive thinking seminars or buy books and courses each year. Yet very few derive lasting benefits from them. If you’ve ever attended any of these seminars or read any of these books you’re usually high from the motivational uplift for about two days then you go back to your old self again. Listen it isn’t that the material isn’t valid or doesn’t work it does, it’s just the positive thinking and motivational stories deal only with your conscious mind. That conscious mind is not the engine that powers your life; rather it’s the subconscious or the unconscious portions of your mind from which your behaviour and attitude spring going directly into the unconscious and rewiring how you think about yourself. Your future is the key to permanent and lasting change.
Ok let’s begin first off let me give you the philosophy behind this program and also answer the question of just how our thinking and beliefs on a subconscious level affects our wealth, our health and our success or failure. In any undertaking let me tell you something that sums up rather nicely the point of all of this. “What we believe determines what we make true.” Let me say that again to you, “What we believe determines what we make true,” our perceptions of reality, how we think about ourselves and the world around us, what we look for and what we take to be true is determined by our beliefs. Believe you can change reality or at least the reality that you experience I’m saying is it through your beliefs you form your reality. Here is a story to emphasise the point; A very successful and very wealthy real estate entrepreneur started without a single penny in his pocket and he was able to amass a great fortune in only a few years with a simple philosophy of faking it until he made it. He convinced himself on a subconscious level that he had already acquired a great fortune when in fact he was really broke; in his mind he became a millionaire the circumstances that brought about that reality then followed. Now I’m sure that you’ve heard similar stories. What we take to be true on a subconscious level becomes our reality now does that mean that skill and luck don’t play a role in wealth and prosperity, well money-making skills are learned and begin with a desire and a belief that it’s possible. Remember what we believe is based on our perceptions and what we perceive depends upon what we look for and what we look for depends upon what we think. We all know of those people who seem to be exceptionally lucky. It is created out of a core belief that good things should happen; it’s an expectation. Expect to be lucky and you will be as simple as that.
Now you’ve probably seen this happen to you all the time but in reverse you know when you tell yourself that you’re having a bad day and sure enough you do what we believe determines what we make true and that’s the entire premise of this idea. What I’m telling you here is nothing new in fact it’s very old, philosophers and great thinkers have been saying it for thousands of years the Roman philosopher, Marcus Aurelius said, “Our light is what our thoughts make of it.” Napoleon Hill said exactly the same thing in, “Think Grow Rich,” everyone’s sense has said the same basic idea but that doesn’t necessarily help you make it work better. See you’ve got to break through an encrusted mind script that’s made up of years of negative programming that’s why we’ve created mind development tools. The purpose of these tools is to deal with the issue of beliefs and behaviour at the deepest levels of your being and to anchor these new beliefs into your subconscious. Where your beliefs are formed and reinforced by your perceptions and thus made true to create lasting change you must Re-program the core set of beliefs that forms how you think and perceive your reality inside our subconscious minds we have scripted what we see as the truth. It is difficult because the first seven years of your life you are like a computer gathering information from all around you, your environment, your experiences so that you then know how to conduct yourself to survive in your environment or more importantly your society. Remember what we accept to believe as true is true or becomes true. Any evidence contrary to our core beliefs is discarded or perceptually modified by our brains. So if you’ve been told all your life that you’ll never amount to anything or believe that being wealthy is something beyond your grasp then that is the mind script, mindset; it is welded into your subconscious and then that’s the reality you will experience. Now let me give you a very simple and very powerful tool that you can use to create the reality that you’d like to experience, to attract wealth and prosperity to bring forth loving, positive relationships, to make you shine, glow and achieve in every area of your life.
It’s a process I call visionary. What is it? Well it’s a program of mental rehearsal of future events that anchors successful images to positive emotions through a simple visualisation technique. I use this every morning to plan out my day so that it is a positive experience, because no one wants to have a bad day, week, month or year. It also programs the subconscious to bring forth a desired goal into reality. Now you’re probably familiar with visualisation techniques and perhaps you’ve experimented with them in your life. That’s good most people try it for a while but then they give up; usually for two reasons; The first is that the old you creeps in again with excuses for not changing also because you may not have been doing it right so you never really noticed any positive feedback to justify continuing doing it. Well I’m going to give you a super simple solution that’s going to work incredibly well, but it’s up to you to use it and there are three steps in the process before I give them to you let me give you a bit of a tip you must set up a regular time each and everyday for your visionary session. We’re talking about five minutes a day, five minutes and you can achieve any worthwhile goal that you desire, morning or night, it doesn’t really matter. Just give yourself the five minutes you’re worth it. Now these five minutes must be exclusively devoted to the visionary process. Be excited. Okay are you ready for a session; Get into a comfortable position, close your eyes and with your eyes closed roll them upwards slightly as if you’re trying to see the centre of your forehead. Listen to yourself breathe, focusing your attention on slowly taking deep breaths and on the sound of the air coming in and out of your lungs. Feel yourself relaxed. Do this breathing exercise five times; it will only take 45 seconds or so.
As you focus on your breathing this is a simple relaxation exercise that will immediately alter your consciousness putting your brain into an alpha state. In fact if you were to hook yourself up to an EEG machine while doing a simple procedure you would see an increase in alpha wave production emitting from your brain in only 45 seconds. There are five basic types of brain waves that range from very slow to very fast. Alpha waves fall in the middle of that series of waves. Your brain produces these waves when you’re awake but not really concentrating on any one thing.The waves simply indicate that you are in a state of wakeful rest. You know there are seminars that charge a lot of money to teach you this. Okay so you’ve learned how to induce an alpha brainwave state in 45 seconds the next step is; To pick out an image of a past memory where you were extremely happy and really get in touch with that experience it doesn’t really matter what it is or when it happened the point is to conjure up a winning feeling or a positive emotion that you can then use to connect with your image of a future event. Perhaps this is an image of the moment you remember falling in love or receiving a standing ovation during a high school play. Go back into your past and pull out a very specific event that you will relive in every detail. Feel the paths on your back, the loving adulation, remember the voices, the smells, the colours as you recreate this scene. let yourself re-experience all of those winning feelings. What you’re doing here is bringing forward into your consciousness a positive emotion that will psychologically become connected with a future goal in your subconscious. This has the effect of anchoring that desired goal into the subconscious mind, so that it’s energised, it becomes a subconscious reality. Now making it happen is really quite easy because if the subconscious mind believes it, it will alter your perceptions and will look for it to make it into a reality. I’ll talk more about that a little bit later. Okay once you’ve relieved that positive moment and felt those winning feelings welling up inside of you the next step is;
To envision the future goal that you want to achieve as vividly as possible it can be through a mental picture, a word, a musical note, a taste in fact any sensory image that you can think of. Each person is different, some people respond better to pictures while others to words. The key point here is to see yourself as if you’ve already achieved that goal. Whether it’s in the form of a picture, or feeling, or words. If it’s money, see yourself as already having it. Perhaps the images are of you going to the bank with a big deposit or you’re sitting at your desk at work piled high with hundreddollar bills. Smell the money, roll in it, throw it in the air, see yourself walking down the street wearing the finest clothes, driving your dream car, hearing the whispers and comments of your friends, wondering how you ever got so successful. If you’re a student taking a test see that big red mark across the top of your exam, if you’re a salesperson see yourself actually closing the sale, if you’re giving a speech see the audience clapping for you and telling you what a wonderful job that you’ve done. Let’s say you want a vacation home on Cape Cod or in Malibu, picture yourself walking through the front door noticing the colour, the texture of the walls, the lawn, the roof, the reception area. Go ahead and walk through the entire home in your mind filling in the details exactly as you would like them to be in your reality, give your images as much richness and detail as you possibly can and don’t worry if at first your images are a bit fuzzy the process improves with practice. Tie-in sounds smells and touch; in fact the more senses and the greater the specificity the more ammunition that you’re giving your subconscious mind to believe it and then to act on it. Nikola Tesla used to visualise all of his ideas and inventions down to the very smallest of details and this avoided countless prototypes; they just seemed to work from the start, amazing. Okay you get the idea now let’s review the steps here; First you get comfortable, close your eyes and roll them upward focusing your breathing for five breaths. Second, recreate a winning feeling by bringing forth a positive image from your past and reliving it for a minute or two.
Three envision your future goal as if you’ve already achieved it and do a mental rehearsal of that event or objective with as much colour and detail as possible. Now there’s one last thing that I want you to do at the end of every session that may seem a bit strange at first but it’s very powerful and very important. When you open your eyes I want you to say the following out loud, “I now allow myself to have………” and then fill in the blank with whatever it was that you want, then say so be it. This simple statement to yourself affirms the goal that you’ve just programmed and releases it. Why release it? What you want to do after affirming it is to release it and not dwell on it. Dwelling on something is like telling your subconscious mind that you don’t really believe that it’s possible. It’s like wanting something so badly you know when you want something too much and that you’re afraid that you’re not going to get it. This is what I call choke syndrome or blocking. When you try too hard you choke/ block on it and it’s a very easy thing to do. People who wish for something fall prey to this all the time; however if you visualise it you’ve already created it. Now release it and let it go, by letting go of it you’re actually programming in your subconscious the belief that you expect it to happen and dwelling on it only creates mental doubt that you believe it’s really possible. There’s something else too, you must believe that you deserve it and not feel the least bit guilty about it. For many of us we have an unconscious guilt about being happy. You need to remove those feelings from your subconscious once and for all. Why would we feel guilty about being happy? Well it’s because somewhere along the line our parents, our schools, our churches, our cultures or our friends have programmed us that we have to suffer to be happy or pay a price for happiness or that just when things are starting to get good they all turn bad.
Well that’s all a lot of rubbish, people say those things because they themselves have a belief system of limitation and lack. They believe at a core level that they don’t deserve success in happiness, so why should anyone else. Most people think that happiness comes out of being successful or having good health, when in fact the reverse is true. Happiness is not something that’s earned or deserved happiness is simply a state of mind. By which our thinking is positive, a good share of the time. If you wait until you feel deserving of having pleasant thoughts about your life you’ll end up convincing your subconscious that you’re undeserving of happiness and the result is you’ll be unhappy and unsuccessful in most of your undertakings. It’s not selfish or wrong to be happy, regardless of where you are in life, so be happy. Happiness is a means to an end, success, well-being and it’s also an end, we all desire happiness. It is not something that happens to you, it’s something that you cultivate, that you determine and control. If you’re waiting for happiness to happen to you you’re going to have a long wait. Instead leapfrog to it right now. How do you do that? Well it’s really very simple by being and acting happy even when you’re not. It's what all winners do and it’s what you should do and do it now. Here are the three components that will allow you to create the mental habit of being happy the majority of the time and winning in every circumstance that you encounter. The first aspect of this is to not allow any outward experiences to influence you, about how you think about yourself you do this by changing the way that you react to circumstances; instead of being a participant in a circumstance be apart from it. Let’s say you’re a salesperson and you make sales and you create commissions for a living and you just spent the last three months of your time and money putting together a major deal
and it’s just getting ready to close, when your prospect backs out at the last minute. Your commission was big and you see it all going down the drain before your very eyes and you say to yourself, “I just knew this was a lousy business. Why did I ever go into this business in the first place? People are rotten now I have to start all over again.” Whoa wait a minute, timeout stand outside of this picture for a moment the circumstances are that the deal fell through but how you react to it will have everything to do with your happiness and the success of future deals instead of moaning and feeling helpless make a conscious habit of reacting aggressively and positively towards threats and problems. Don’t let it affect you personally, it's just another deal in a world that’s full of deals; move on to the next one. When you can mentally control the circumstances and never see failures as failures you’ll be amazed at how much easier life will become. Every human being that’s alive is presented with challenges and obstacles; it's only how we perceive them that makes them negative or positive. As the 14th His Holiness The Dalia Lama says, “It is always better to be optimistic, because it feels better.” Stay in a positive mindset as much as possible because it does feel better. The second component of this concept is to consciously practice living your life in the present, not the past nor the future. Stay in the now. You can envision the future, the way that you want it to be in your visionary sessions but don’t make the mistake of living in it. The secret of being alive and always happy is to experience the present. Think back for a moment of the happiest times in your life. I’ll bet those were moments that you were totally absorbed and focused in the present and you were happiest because you felt so alive, so in touch with the experience of living. You weren’t thinking about the past or the future because you were too busy living in the now, this is one of the secrets of truly happy people; they’re absolutely absorbed in the feeling of being alive. Taoism and Ekhart Tolle always tell us to focus on the present because that is your life, the now. Let me give you an example that almost anyone can relate to: making love is perhaps one of the most physically and psychologically satisfying things you can do.
Why? Because your energy is so focused, so concentrated in the moment that the feeling of being alive is incredibly intense for you. By living your daily life with focus and concentration you will not only perform at your best but the intense pleasures you will derive from just living will dramatically increase and there’s a simple way to go about doing this. The famous author Ray Bradbury to help him focus his daily writing he had a sign and he put on his desk that said, “Don’t think, don’t try, just do,” That’s really what it’s all about thinking and trying to give your subconscious the wrong message just by doing your subconscious autopilot will automatically steer you in the right direction. Wim Hof, also when he talks about his cold water therapy and nature it is all about that moment, the now, about allowing the body to do what the body does. You don’t think about the past or the future. You are focused on the now, it really is quite liberating and that is why I personally practice cold water therapy. The third and final point I want to make here is for you to make happiness a habit. Link it in with your self-image regardless of your fears, anxieties and circumstances, make happiness the choice that you pick and see yourself as happy. Focus on the details of the moment and take the time to love and appreciate the magnificence of the world around you by affirming life and moving forward through life’s experiences with an attitude that says yes to all the circumstances that you encounter. You’ll program your subconscious to deliver a meaningful and joyful existence, it’s true and it’s not that difficult if you don’t think or try; but just do. You know science is just now catching on to the immense powers of the mind; powers to spontaneously heal disease, powers to overcome extreme handicaps both physical and psychological empowers to live a life filled with joy and happiness. You know we spend hours in a gym conditioning our bodies to look and feel their best but very little time developing our most valuable resource, our minds and the more you condition your mind for success the more you will have.
Computer programmers have a term they use called garbage in and garbage out. A badly programmed computer is doomed to spit out bad information and that’s the same with your mind. Make a point of using these techniques on a regular and consistent basis and do the visionary exercises on the little things as well as the big things that you want. You’ll be amazed at how effortless it will make your life and finally why not just for the heck of it create a habit of being happy all the time. Make a conscious decision to take aggressive action in the circumstances of your life and resolve to become the best that you can be. If you are not feeling happy, a really good way to raise your vibration, your mood is to sing out loud, or do a positive thing that makes you happy and not detrimental to your health. These simple things will have a dramatic effect on your reality. follow these techniques, join A Better Way Facebook page and one year from now I guarantee you’ll be totally amazed at the transformation and a positive direction that your life takes. Be happy, strong and healthy. The following works, studies and practises have been told throughout history that reinforce the power of; ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Gratitude. Affirmations. Manifesting. Desire. Mindfulness. Positivity. Compassion & Kindness.
Take the parts that work for you and read them over and over, put into practice the techniques, they are designed to enrich your life which in turn will radiate to others close to you, family, friends and work colleagues. Then just then you will start seeing positives in your life and that of others you will be living the life you deserve of happiness and abundance. Living a true noble life being happy, strong and healthy. Here is a concise, definite, resultful plan, with rules, explanations,and suggestions.
THE UNIVERSAL LAW OF ATTRACTION THOUGHT VIBRATION
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7 THINGS THAT AFFECT YOUR VIBRATION FREQUENCY FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF QUANTUM PHYSICS Vibration in quantum physics means everything is energy. We are vibrant beings on certain frequencies. Every vibration is equivalent to a feeling and in the world "Vibrational", there are only two species of vibrations, positive and negative. Any feeling makes you broadcast a vibration that can be positive or negative. 1 – THOUGHTS Every thought emits a frequency to the universe and this frequency goes back to origin, so in the case, if you have negative thoughts, discouragement, sadness, anger, fear, all this comes back to you. This is why it is so important that you take care of the quality of your thoughts and learn how to cultivate more positive thoughts. 2 - THE COMPANIES The people around you directly influence your vibration frequency. If you surround yourself with happy, positive and determined people, you will also enter this vibration. Now, if you surround yourself with people complaining, gossiping and pessimist, be careful! Indeed, they can reduce your frequency and therefore prevent you from using the law of attraction in your favour. 3 - THE MUSIC Music is very powerful. If you only listen to music that talks about death, betrayal, sadness, abandonment, all this will interfere with what you are feeling. Pay attention to the lyrics of the music you listen to, it could reduce your vibration frequency. And Remember: you attract exactly what you feel in your life. 4 - THE THINGS YOU LOOK AT When you look at programs that deal with misfortunes, dead, betrayals, etc. Your brain accepts this as a reality and releases a whole chemistry into your body, which affects your vibration frequency. Look at things that do you feel good and helps you vibrate at a higher frequency.
5 - THE ATMOSPHERE Whether it's at home or at work, if you spend a lot of time in a messy and dirty environment, it will also affect your vibration frequency. Improve what surrounds you, organize and clean your environment. Show the universe that you are fit to receive much more. Take care of what you already have! 6 - THE WORD If you claim or speak wrong about things and people, it affects your vibration frequency. To keep your frequency high, it is essential to eliminate the habit of complaining and bad talking about others. So avoid drama and bullying. Assume your responsibility for the choices of your life! 7 – GRATITUDE Gratitude positively affects your vibration frequency. This is a habit you should integrate now into your life. Start to thank for everything, for the good things and what you consider to be bad, thank you for all the experiences you've experienced. Gratitude opens the door for good things to happen positively in your life.
THE LAW OF ATTRACTION Many people don’t fully understand the law of attraction. They think it is a magical process where you wish for something and it appears. They give it a try and it doesn’t manifest and then they assume it doesn’t work. The law of attraction isn’t as simple as that but it does work. Just like the law of gravity works even though you can’t see it. The law of attraction works based on your vibrational frequency. When you are negative or unhappy your vibrational frequency is low and you attract more of the same negativity. When you are positive, happy, and grateful your vibrational frequency is high and you attract more positivity. WHAT IS THE LAW OF ATTRACTION? In the book, “The Secret,” Rhonda Byrne describes, “The law of attraction” and how you can use it to live the life of your dreams. The law of attraction states that like attracts like. Positive thoughts will attract more positive thoughts and negative thoughts will attract more negative thoughts. Your thoughts, emotions, and desires are what made your life as it is today. Anything that has or hasn’t happened to you is a result of your thoughts and emotions in the past. Anything in your life today is there because you manifested it in the past – whether it is something good that was caused by positive thoughts or something bad that was caused by negative thoughts. Basically, you create the circumstances of your own life. You are responsible for what you create in your life and what you attract. HOW DOES THE LAW OF ATTRACTION WORK? Everything in the universe is continuously vibrating. Each object vibrates at a particular frequency. If you look at something, it might appear to you as a solid object but it isn’t actually solid. Our brains take the waves that an object projects and turn it into a solid object. To see the waves you would need a special tool. This isn’t only true for objects. For example, sounds are just vibrations that our brains translate into sounds. Even colours are vibrations that vibrate at a particular frequency. So, basically, everything in the universe is vibrating at different frequencies.Your thoughts emit a frequency, and they have their own vibrations. The law of attraction works when your thoughts emit a frequency that attracts the things you want.
THE HERTZ VIBRATION SCALE Every person on this planet is vibrating at a very subtle hertz frequency rate or their personal vibration analysis. We have a base metabolic rate when at rest, but when events start happening in our lives and our emotions are engaged our vibrational rate changes rapidly and often dramatically. The human emotional vibration analysis frequency ranges, illustrates the vibrational analysis hertz frequency rate of the range of higher to the lower emotions. As the vibration analysis rate gets lower our breadth of consciousness and ability to deal with things positively is reduced, limiting your perception of the narrow band of reaction. 700+Hz 600Hz 540Hz 500Hz 400Hz 350Hz 310Hz 250Hz 200Hz 175Hz 150Hz 125Hz 100Hz 75Hz 50Hz 30Hz 20Hz
Enlightenment. Peace. Joy. Love. Reason. Acceptance. Willingness. Neutrality. Courage. Pride. Anger. Desire. Fear. Grief. Apathy. Guilt. Shame.
When caught in a lower vibrational frequency of operating, things can seem hard to overcome. However, in today’s world, we are very fortunate to have many tools, therapies and information available that can powerfully help us. Choosing in a determined fashion to observe yourself in how you react when in situations and objectively look at why we felt and reacted that way, to seek ways to dissolve those negative emotional hooks to past events, empowers us to greatly improve our life experiences & to live in a much happier state.
When living usually in an emotionally higher vibrational state most of the time your interactions with others dramatically improves, you are much happier, wider options and opportunities appear. How do you ensure that your energy vibrations are at the right frequency? There are a number of ways to ensure that your energy vibrations are at the right frequency such as visualisation (via journaling, a manifestation board (vision board), etc). The quickest way to raise your vibration is through; ● Exercise. ● Meditation. ● Laughter. ● Practising gratitude. This is Quantum Physics, everything vibrates within and around us, like attracts like. EVERYTHING IN THE UNIVERSE VIBRATES One of the greatest scientists ever, Sir Albert Einstein said "everything in life is vibration". There is nothing in the universe which does not vibrate. Every single atom, molecule, each bond between atoms, all the particles in the universe, our body, earth, all stars, galaxies and even the whole universe are all in constant vibration, they all are vibrating at a certain frequency. The string theory also saysEverything in the universe is made up of extremely small, one dimensional vibrating objects known as strings. It is the vibrational state of the string which is responsible for mass, charge and other properties of the matter. These strings are the smallest thing in the universe. As all the things are made up of these tiny vibrating strings, It means everything present in the universe vibrates at some frequency. According to the greatest genius of all time Nikola Tesla, “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.”
Let's take some examples- Do you know that our whole universe vibrates at the frequency of 432 Hz and our home planet Earth vibrates at a frequency of 7.83 Hz. This is the natural frequency of the earth called the Schumann resonance. The natural frequency of earth protects all living things on the earth, therefore it is necessary for us. This is the reason why astronauts carry a Schumann resonance generator in space to keep them mentally and physically fit. You might have observed; how our mood changes according to the type of music we listen to. We may feel happiness, sadness, energetic or different types of emotions depending on the song or music. You might not know that, there are certain frequencies that can change our feelings, moods and even physical health. For example, if you hear a low frequency of around 19 Hz then you will start to feel fear. Although humans are unable to hear such low frequencies, since the audible range of humans is from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. But still around 19 Hz frequencies will produce feelings of anxiety and fear without anyone being able to hear. In the same way, you will feel relaxed and calm in the presence of 432 Hz frequency. Not only this, 432 Hz frequency has many healing effects on your mind and body. This shows how our body reacts to different frequencies. Our human body vibrates at a natural frequency of 7.5 Hz, which is quite close to the natural frequency of the earth. Do you know that there is a specific frequency associated with a particular emotion? What is the emotion? Emotion is simply e + motion. Which means energy in motion. Higher frequencies means higher vibrations. Which corresponds to a high energy state. In the chart you can see that good emotions have higher frequencies while bad emotions have lower frequencies. In the state of Enlightenment the frequency is highest which is more than 700 Hz. And the emotion of Shame corresponds to the lowest frequency of vibration or lowest energy which is equal to only 20 Hz. At the highest levels of frequencies like 700 Hz or more, our mind enters into the state of superconsciousness.
Superconsciousness is a blissful state of self realisation. This egoless state is beyond the conscious and subconscious states of mind. Friends, I found some interesting things in this chart which helped me in understanding life in a better way scientifically. Especially the frequencies of peace, neutrality and desire drew my attention. Observe that the frequency of peace is the second highest frequency after enlightenment. It shows how peace is at a higher level than even joy and love. It means when you are calm, cool and at peace then you vibrate at higher frequencies in comparison to a person in love or a person enjoying pleasures of worldly things. So it's clear by the science also that obtaining a peaceful state is more blissful than running after worldly pleasures. Second emotional frequency that I found interesting was the frequency of neutrality. Look at the chart and observe that the frequency of neutrality is 250 Hz which is higher than the frequencies of courage and pride emotions. It means you vibrate at higher frequency or higher energy when you are in a neutral state. A neutral state frequency is higher as compared to the frequencies of states of courageousness or the moments of pride. Another frequency of emotion that surprised me is the frequency of desire, 125Hz. Look at what place this frequency of desire is present in the chart. It will show you how bad this seemingly harmless emotion of desire is. It has a lower frequency than even anger. We all know how uncontrolled, wild and mad a person becomes in anger. On the other hand, the emotion of desire seems so silent and harmless. Then why the emotion of desire is not desirable and is present at a lower position in the chart. Why is it more evil emotion than the obviously evil emotion of violent anger. Actually desire is the root cause of all evil emotions and the main cause of sorrows in this world. All actions good or bad first start with some desire in our mind. Anger also arises from unfulfilled desires. It's not philosophical, the science of our body says it, which can be seen in this chart of frequencies of emotions. As now we know everything in life is vibration, even our mental state and emotions. Therefore what type of person you are, your personality, your nature and behaviour also depends on types of frequencies that predominate your brain.
There are repetitive patterns of neural activity in the central nervous system which are called neural oscillations or Brain waves. Now I will tell you some very interesting things about brain waves and their type. The brain contains billions of neurons and these neurons are connected, on an average, to thousands of other neurons. So you can imagine how complex this network of neurons is. When small electrical current passes through the neutral network, communication takes place between the neurons. When a large number of neurons are activated simultaneously during communication between the neurons then electric pulses are produced. These electrical pulses can be detected and analysed by placing electrodes on the scalp. This is called as (Electroencephalography) or EEG in short. Brain waves are categorised into five types based on the frequency of oscillations of the electrical pulses. These types are; ● ● ● ● ●
Delta Theta Alpha Beta Gamma
The delta brain waves correspond to lowest frequency and highest amplitude electrical pulses while gamma brain waves represent highest frequency with lowest amplitude pulses. Here it should be noted that all types of brain waves are present in the brain at the same time but a particular type of brain wave is generally predominant while performing a certain type of activity. Let's discuss each type of brainwave in short; Delta brain waves- Delta brain waves lie between the frequency range of 0.1 to 3.5 Hz. They have the lowest frequency and largest amplitude. These brain waves are more noticeable when we are sleeping in a dreamless state. It is considered the healing state. Delta brain waves are dominant in infants up-to one year of age. Information contained in the unconscious mind is accessed through delta brain waves. When the level of delta waves increases, the person becomes less aware of the physical world.
Theta brain waves- They have a frequency range of 4-8 Hz which is higher than delta brain waves. Theta Brain waves are a repository of emotions, memories and sensations. It belongs to the state between wakefulness and sleep. These brain waves are related to the subconscious mind. Theta brain waves are strongest in dream states. They are found in prominence during deep meditation and daydreaming and also when the mind is at deep rest, insightful and in a lower conscious state. Theta Brain waves are more easily detectable while performing some simple tasks that do not need our attention like brushing teeth, taking shower etc. Alpha Brain Waves- Alpha brain waves are in the frequency range of 8-12 Hz. These brain waves are strongest when we are fully relaxed, mentally and physically. Our mood is calm and our brain is conscious. They are more noticeable when our eyes are closed. Alpha brain waves seem to bridge the conscious and subconscious mind. Alpha Brain Waves are observed more while performing activities like yoga or tasks that involve creativity. Beta brain waves- Beta brain waves belong to the frequency range of 13-32 Hz. These brain waves are more easily noticeable while we are involved in active thinking, problem solving, decision making or active conversation. Frequency of beta brain waves is higher than that of alpha but their amplitude is lower. In this state our brain is fully alert and awake. Gamma brain waves- They fall in the frequency range of 32 - 40 Hz which is highest in comparison to the frequencies of other types of brain waves. Gamma brain waves are found in every part of the brain. Gamma brain waves are found more in the brain when we use the brain to its maximum capacity and are involved deeply in problem solving and calculations. They are more noticeable when heavy processing of information takes place between the neurons in the brain. So these were the 5 different types of brain waves. Now you can understand how vibrations are everything. How everything is controlled and made up of vibrations. We all, including living or non-living things are nothing but simply vibrational energies.
LIKE WILL ATTRACT LIKE The law of attraction is based on the idea that like will attract like. Similar frequencies will be drawn together. Therefore, if you want to bring something into your life, you will need to vibrate at its frequency. When two things match the same frequency, then they are magnetised together. You control your vibrations. Therefore, you can vibrate at any frequency. Now, since the law of attraction causes similar things to attract and you control your frequency, you can use this powerful tool to bring things to you by vibrating at their frequency. However, you cannot try to bring things to you if you don’t vibrate at the right frequency. Therefore, you need to control your mind to change your frequency before you can attract whatever it is you want to attract. Once we do change our minds to vibrate at the right frequency then our physical reality will reflect this same vibration since it is our mind that controls our physical reality. To put it simply, everyone creates their own reality. The law of attraction works all the time. Every minute of the day you are creating your reality. Each thought creates your future. Therefore, if you want to change your future, you will need to change your thoughts. HOW THE UNIVERSE IS SENDING YOU SIGNS AND WHY If you are consciously pursuing something; putting all your belief, thought and intention into it, the universe will send you signs of confirmation that you are on the right path. Remember that this works with both positive and negative, as the universe does not know the difference. It merely sets out to manifest whatever it is you want. It can show up as synchronicities, people showing up at the right time, epiphanies, repetitive signs you start to notice as you continue on your path. All of these things are confirmation of the direction your already headed in, essentially acting as a mirror to yourself. When you start to see these signs show up in your life, you are able to attract to you what it is that you want by magnetising it. Everything just seems to feel 'right' and flow smoothly.
YOU WILL ATTRACT THE THINGS THAT YOU FOCUS ON Whatever you pay attention to and focus on is what is going to come back to you. The problem is that this will happen whether you are focusing on good things or on bad things. If you focus on good positive things, then that is what you will attract. However, if you focus on bad negative things, then that is also what you will attract. The law of attraction works all the time whether you are aware of it or not. Whatever you think and feel is what will determine the energy you are sending to the Universe. When you think about something an associated emotion responds to that thought and automatically emerges. It is sometimes easier to detect emotions than thoughts. For example, sometimes we are sad but don’t remember which thoughts made us sad. Sometimes, when we consciously try to recall which thoughts went through our mind before we started feeling this way we can suddenly get a better understanding of what caused our emotions. THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT NOT WHAT YOU DON’T WANT If you don’t want something to happen then don’t think about it. The law of attraction works either way. Therefore, your mind can either manifest or sabotage your intentions. When you spend time worrying that something will happen you are focusing on that and increasing the chances that it actually happens. If you don’t want to be in debt, then don’t focus on debt. Instead, focus on wealth and financial abundance. See how to manifest money If you don’t want to be alone, then don’t focus on loneliness and despair. Focus on love and relationships. Even if we don’t consider the Universe. Negative thinking will not help you reach your goals. When you think positively, you will have a clearer vision of where you want to go and what you want to achieve. It will make you more confident and capable. Limiting beliefs are thoughts one has that you can’t do something or that it can’t be done. You need to get rid of these limiting beliefs to manifest your dreams.
WHAT HAPPENS IF WE CANNOT CONTROL OUR NEGATIVE THOUGHTS? If random negative thoughts pop into your head, try to replace them with positive affirmations and work on changing your mindset. If these thoughts are minor, then don’t worry about them too much. Minor thoughts about unimportant things do not trigger emotional responses as do dominant thoughts (about more important issues). Also, the law of attraction does not work instantly. Manifestation requires focus over time. Time passes between your thoughts and their manifestation. This time enables us to ensure that our desires are real and not just a whim of the moment. Since our thoughts are essentially what control our circumstances, our goal is to completely master our mind and control and focus only on positive thoughts. This requires complete awareness of your thoughts and control of them every single day. This isn’t something that comes naturally to most people. Practising mindfulness and meditation can help you be more aware of your thoughts and gain control over them. Once you manage to do this, you will be a much happier person. You will no longer focus on the minor negative aspects of day-to-day life. You will focus on positive things such as your dream life, gratitude for the great things you have in life and you will be more aware of where you want to go in life and what your goals are. POSITIVE THOUGHTS BRING POSITIVE RESULTS When you are feeling positive, appreciative, happy, and excited then you send out positive energy to the Universe. However, when you feel sad, angry, hate, disappointed then you send out negative energy to the Universe. The Universe responds to the energy you send out. When it is positive you will get back positive energy. However, when it is negative you will also get back negative energy. The Universe doesn’t judge your energy and decide what you need. It simply responds to your vibrations by providing more of the energy you are sending out. Therefore, you have to make sure that you are sending out the right vibrations. Your energy has to match the things you want to bring into your life. If you focus on positive affirmative thoughts and positive feelings, your emotions will also attract events that will bring even more happiness and positivity to your life.
HOW TO USE THE LAW OF ATTRACTION
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The law of attraction works when you focus on what you want in life, embrace positivity and erase negativity. HOW TO USE THE LAW OF ATTRACTION The law of attraction works when the following things happen: The person focuses their thoughts and desires on whatever he wants frequently and over time. The person attracts the desired outcome. The person acts with determination. For example, if you want to manifest money, you will need to feel and think that you have money to actually get it. Once you do that, your vibrations are going to attract the same vibrations back to you. You have to continuously send out the feelings, thoughts, and energy that bring money into your life. Therefore, if you feel abundance, are appreciative of what you have, excited to receive the money you want then you attract vibrations of abundance. On the other hand, if you think you are in debt and feel sad, worried, stressed then you will be sending out negative energy that will just attract more debt. This works for anything you want to attract. If you want to attract love and happiness then you want to create vibrations of love and happiness. You can use the law of attraction to attract anything you want to bring into your life. Everything you want exists somewhere in the Universe. All you need to do is to send out energy that vibrates at the frequency and it will be yours. The Universe doesn’t see things as big or small. You get whatever you attract no matter how big or small it is. If you focus on a small amount of money or a big amount of money you will get it but you will need to vibrate at the right frequency. Before we can raise our energy vibrations we need to be in a balanced state of mind. A balanced state of mind is achieved through appreciation and gratitude. We need to appreciate what we have before we can ask for more. Make gratitude a part of your life. As mentioned above, positive thoughts create positive energy. Therefore, it is very important to have a positive mindset. You can manifest anything you want through the power of positivity.
WHAT CAN THE LAW OF ATTRACTION PROVIDE YOU WITH? According to "The Secret," the law of attraction can provide you with whatever you want with no limits. The world is a place with unlimited love, opportunities, and financial abundance. There is a supply for every demand and there are enough resources for everyone. By taking advantage of the law of attraction, you can create your own life script. There is no limit to what the law of attraction can provide you with – it can give you anything you want including health, money, love, success, relationships, or self-fulfilment. Anyone can use the law of attraction anytime they want as long as they understand its principles and apply them correctly. Even if someone doesn’t understand the law of attraction or isn’t aware of it, it will still work. However, they might not get the results they desire since they don’t know how to use the universal law. There are many people, usually successful people, who apply the law of attraction without even being aware of it. These people often have specific traits: they are extremely positive, always look at the bright side of any situation, are grateful for what they have, and are constantly visualising their success even before it happens. Others need to actively remind themselves to apply the principles of manifestation and block negative thoughts when they pop into their mind. It should be noted that the Universe has a natural resistance to wishes or desires that spring from ego or greed. It is much easier to manifest things in order to be of service or to help others. DO I HAVE TO BELIEVE IN THE LAW OF ATTRACTION? If there is resistance to the idea that you can attract the things that you want in life then you will not be able to manifest them since your frequency will be off. The major difference is that you have to give something, your time, energy, action to achieve your manifestation and focus on your desire with gratitude and kindness in your being and doing. Write when you are feeling good or in other words on a higher vibration. Enjoy creating your future by being in the NOW.
Since manifestation is the process of getting into vibration with and attracting to you the things you desire in your life, before you start using this manifestation method, it is important to figure out what it is you truly want in your life. Where do you want to be? What makes you happy? What type of relationship are you looking for? Use manifestation to get the thing that you most want and need in life. You might want to start with a small request at first but you can keep using manifestation to eventually get whatever you desire. IMPORTANT: DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT TO MANIFEST First, decide exactly what you want to manifest. You can create a manifest list since the Universe has no limits and you can manifest anything. However; ● Start with one thing you want to manifest. ● When you do this for the first time it is often better to start with a smaller request. ● Make sure your desire is backed by inspiration and service. ● Think about what you desire and why you desire it. ● If your desire is shallow – if it’s about serving your ego, or backed by fear – this technique won’t work. ● If your desire inspires you or brings joy to you and others then it will manifest. CREATE YOUR MANIFESTATION AFFIRMATION Write down one affirmation that presents your desire as if you have already received what you want to ask for. It should be up to two sentences and phrase it in the present tense even though you have not yet received what you are asking for. It should also express emotion or gratitude. For example, if you are asking the Universe for £1,000 then you can write, “I am so excited to receive £1,000." IMPORTANT: The best way to manifest is when you appreciate what you have. Feeling appreciation for everything around you, both the good and the bad, keeps your energy vibrating at a high, positive frequency.
Since the Universe returns the same energy you give off, including gratitude in your affirmation will help you attract more of what you want. For example, if you are looking for love, your affirmation could be, “I am thankful for finding my soulmate and bringing love and happiness into my life." Use words that make you feel the sensations that you want to bring into your life. You want to feel exactly how you will be feeling when you get whatever you want to manifest. BELIEVE THAT THE UNIVERSE WILL MANIFEST YOUR DESIRE Be confident that the Universe will make it happen. You cannot force your desire into the world, but you can help the Universe bring it into being. Always work toward your goal from a place of joy without stressing about the outcome, or worrying about whether or not it will manifest. Have faith in the Universe. IMPORTANT: FEEL APPRECIATION, GRATITUDE, AND EMOTION When you write your affirmations you should feel appreciation, gratitude, and emotion. To help you feel gratitude and appreciation, get your favourite notebook or journal and write 10 things that you are grateful for now and then on the opposite page write in the present text 10 things you are grateful for in the future, intentional gratitude, (the affirmation). Each day, for 28 days, continue adding gratitude statements, of appreciation and love each day. This will help you feel love. The feeling of love is the highest frequency you can emit. The greater the love you feel and emit, the greater the power you are harnessing according to The Secret. If you are struggling with the feeling of love or appreciation then a great hack is to close your eyes and think of a memory that makes you feel love, be it, thinking of a time a family member or friend helped you in a difficult situation. The moment you had your first kiss with the love of your life, etc.. LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO MANIFEST YOUR DREAMS Look for opportunities to go out and find ways to manifest your dreams. If you are looking for love, sign up for dating apps or ask your friends to introduce you to people.
If you want more money, then think of ways to make money, find a job or start a business. Don’t just sit back waiting for things to happen. Instead, work together with the Universe to turn all your dreams into reality. THE BRAIN: A BROADCASTING AND RECEIVING STATION FOR THOUGHT • Every human brain is both a receiving station for the vibration of thought. • Every human brain is capable of picking up vibrations of thought which are being released by other brains. • The subconscious mind is the “sending station” of the brain, through which vibrations of thought are broadcast. • The creative imagination is the “receiving set”, through which the vibrations of thought are picked up from the ether. • The medium of contact between the finite mind of man and infinite intelligence, and for this reason, it is a mixture of both the mental and the spiritual. • Emulate the great, by feeling and action, as nearly as possible. • All men have become what they are, because of their dominating thoughts and desires. • I knew that every deeply seated desire has the effect of causing one to seek outward expression through which that desire may be transmuted into reality. • Your own thoughts and desires serve as the magnet which attracts. • Somewhere in the cell-structure of the brain, is located an organ which receives vibrations of thought ordinarily called hunches. • Nearly all great leaders, such as Napoleon, Bismark, Joan of Arc, Christ, Buddha, Confucius, and Mohammed, understood, and probably made use of the sixth sense almost continuously. The major portion of their greatness consisted of their knowledge of this principle. • The starting point of all achievement is desire. The finishing point is that brand of knowledge which leads to understanding, understanding of self, understanding of others, understanding of the laws of nature, recognition and understanding of happiness.
WHAT ARE YOUR EMOTIONAL NEEDS & THE MENTAL HEALTH CONTINUUM?
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WHAT ARE YOUR EMOTIONAL NEEDS & THE MENTAL HEALTH CONTINUUM? WHAT IS YOUR NEEDS MET? Your Needs Met is all about giving you an understanding of what it means to be emotionally healthy, why it is important and how emotional health supports physical health. Most of all, Your Needs Met is about us working together to create emotionally healthy places to enjoy living and working in. WHO IS YOUR NEEDS MET FOR? Your Needs Met is for you, your family and friends, and work colleagues. Your Needs Met is for anybody with emotional health and that means everybody! WHAT IS EMOTIONAL HEALTH? Emotional health describes how we feel – whether stressed, contented, anxious, happy, depressed or calm – and how we can cope with the challenges and demands of our everyday lives. Just like our physical health, our emotional health changes all the time. To be emotionally healthy we need to have our emotional needs met in a balanced way – just as we need a safe home and the right kind of food for physical health. WHAT ARE EMOTIONAL NEEDS? We know when our physical needs for food, drink, air, sleep, shelter and exercise have to be met, because we feel hunger, thirst or tiredness. Hunger, thirst and tiredness are the body's way of telling us to eat, drink or go to sleep. Most of us find it harder to tell when our emotional needs have to be met. However, the more we learn about emotional needs, the easier it is to tell when they need to be met and what to do about it.
OUR NINE EMOTIONAL NEEDS INCLUDE: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Security – to feel safe and secure. Control – and to recognise what we can’t control. Attention – to give and receive it. Emotional Connection to others. Community. Respect – feeling valued by others. Privacy time and space to ourselves. Achievement. Meaning & Purpose.
SECURITY Security means feeling safe in the place that we live, work or study. When we feel safe we think clearly and respond to events sensibly while coping with change. When we feel unsafe we can become very stressed and find it difficult to think clearly about meeting other needs. CONTROL To meet the need for Control we need to feel that we have some say over our lives and personal choices. A healthy way to meet the need for Control is to take personal responsibility for what we can influence, while accepting that there are some things we cannot control. ATTENTION Attention is a form of nutrition – too much and too little is bad for us. As we grow, we learn how to share attention – to give and to receive it. By sharing positive attention, people, families and communities grow and become healthier.
EMOTIONAL CONNECTION Emotional Connection means having a relationship where we are accepted by another person in a way which lets us be ourselves. COMMUNITY Community and feeling that we are connected to both other people and the wider society, is vital for emotional health and wellbeing. We are social beings and need to belong to groups in which we are valued. RESPECT Respect is connected to the need for Community, because to be valued by others, friends, colleagues, peers and the wider world helps us to understand your role within the community. PRIVACY We also need to have Privacy and enough space and time to reflect and learn from past experiences. ACHIEVEMENT The need for Achievement is met by learning new skills and becoming competent in our work, hobbies and relationships. Learning new skills is the cure for both low and high self-esteem. MEANING & PURPOSE Having a sense of Meaning & Purpose allows us to cope with suffering and keep going when life becomes difficult and stressful. We meet the need for Meaning & Purpose by being stretched mentally and physically in one or more of three ways:
Learning new mental or physical skills such as studying a language, an academic subject, obtaining a profession, or practising a sport or a craft; Helping others through commitment to raising a family, working in a team, running a business or volunteering and having a sense that we are connected to something larger than ourselves, which we have a duty to serve. This might be met through commitment to a religious, political or social cause, but for some people it may take the form of a philosophical or spiritual quest for scientific or experiential truth. “Emotional health depends upon having a life that works to get our physical and Emotional needs met.” YOUR INTERNAL (INNATE) RESOURCES In this section we are going to look at our own resources – the tools and skills – which help us to meet our emotional needs. Our internal resources include: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Rapport Memory Pattern matching Emotions Rational Thinking Dreaming Imagination Observing Self
We will also look at how mental health issues can arise when our resources become damaged or when we don’t know how to use our own resources in a healthy way. We all come into the world with a set of innate resources – tools and skills – which we use to help us meet our physical and emotional needs.
For example, the resource of Rapport is used to form relationships with people so that we can meet the needs for Attention Emotional Connection and Community As newborn babies we use Rapport to form relationships with our parents so that they know when we need Food & Drink, Sleep, Movement (being rocked back and forth) and attention which we find comforting when we receive it. As our relationships develop, so too do our Rapport building skills and to help us respond with empathy we begin to use Imagination to guess how other people feel. Our innate resources are not fully developed when we are born, but as we learn from experience and add to our Memory store, our resources grow and we become better equipped to meet our needs. For example, when we learn the rules of Rapport, we know that people are usually more likely to give us attention and respond positively if we give them attention and respect by saying please, “thank you, smiling genuinely and making eye contact (although the rules of Rapport may vary between cultures). All of our learning enriches our Memory, and adds to what we understand about ourselves – our personal history – and what we understand about how the world works. When we really understand something we have knowledge of how to do things without having to think about it – we know automatically and we can rely on unconscious Pattern Matching to do the job for us. For example, when we walk into a room we know to go through the door because we have a pattern for a door, which allows us to recognise what a door is and what it is for without having to think about it.
“Emotions which are too strong stop us from thinking clearly.” All Pattern Matches are coded with Emotion. When we know how to meet our emotional needs, we can do so calmly. However, when we are not so sure – in other words when the right Pattern Match is missing – our Emotions become aroused to get us to take action – to move away from or find a solution to the problem. Rational Thinking allows us to put the brakes on strong Emotions and not act on impulse – so long as Emotional arousal is not too strong – in which case we lose access to Rational Thinking, and Emotion takes over. Even when Rational Thinking does the job of putting the brakes on, Emotions we have not acted upon still need to be discharged. This takes place at night during Dreaming. While Dreaming plays an important role in keeping our brain healthy, we need the right balance between dreaming and deep Sleep. Too much intense dream sleep can leave us feeling tired and lacking in energy when we wake up. When Imagination and Rational Thinking work together in balance, a very special innate resource comes into play – the Observing Self. The Observing Self is our sense of awareness which allows us to step back and look at the bigger picture. This allows us to look at solutions to problems from different points of view and to become more objective. As we become more skilled at meeting our needs we can also help others to learn how to get their needs met too. For example showing a child how to cross a road safely meets the need for Security teaching somebody a skill, like how to cook or how to draw, gives them a chance to meet the need for Achievement and if they refine this skill and become recognised for it their needs for Respect and Meaning & Purpose are met too.
WHAT STOPS US GETTING OUR NEEDS MET? There are three barriers which may prevent our emotional needs from being met. These are as follows: 1. THE ENVIRONMENT If the environment we live or work in is unhealthy as in having to endure abuse, a dysfunctional family, living in a threatening neighbourhood or working for a bully – it can prevent us from meeting our needs and securing emotional health. Stigma around mental health can be an environmental barrier to addressing unmet emotional needs. 2. MISUSE OF RESOURCES Misuse of our own internal (innate) resources can prevent us meeting our needs; misusing the Imagination to worry about past or future events can cause depression and anxiety, for example. Relying on rigid black-and-white thinking to make decisions can prevent us from learning how to respond to new challenges, become more responsible, and achieve meaningful goals. 3. DAMAGED RESOURCES ● ● ●
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Our resources can be damaged as a result of; Poor diet and not getting enough nutrition. Genetic reasons, as is the case with Autism or a predisposition to psychotic illness; Poisoning from using drugs or alcohol; or Physical accidents or psychological trauma including, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) It may be that we need help from health professionals to address damage to our internal resources. In the next section, we will look at the mental health continuum, and how the misuse of our internal resources or damage to our internal resources can give rise to mental health conditions. “Do the environments you live and work in give you a chance to get your physical and Emotional needs met?”
WHAT IS THE MENTAL HEALTH CONTINUUM? Mental health conditions used to be thought of as discrete illnesses However, most experts now agree that they exist on a continuum. Having a good state of wellbeing sits at one end of the continuum, where people feel able to cope with challenges without becoming overwhelmed. Feelings of stress, which all of us will experience at sometime in our lives, are the crossover point at which there is the risk of developing more serious mental health issues. Exposure to stress or experiencing feelings of distress over a lengthy period of time can leave us vulnerable to developing anxiety disorders and depression, it can also have a negative affect on our physical health. If anxiety disorders or severe depression are not addressed, there is a greater risk of developing the symptoms of psychotic illnesses, particularly If the sufferer has a genetic predisposition towards chronic mental illnesses. WHAT IS STRESS? Stress is any pressure or accumulated pressure that is too much to cope with comfortably. It is important to remember that being stretched and being stressed is not the same thing. Being stretched by learning, for example learning a skill like cooking or studying a language is an important part of a healthy life. As well as affecting our emotional health, anxiety and stress can affect our physical health Physical complaints and conditions which may have a stress component include: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Asthma and eczema Angina and heart disease Headaches and migraines Chronic pain Skin complaints High blood pressure Irritable bowel, Peptic ulcer Stroke Rheumatoid arthritis
If you are experiencing any of these conditions it is important to seek medical advice.
STRESS & OUR INNATE RESOURCES As we look at the different conditions which exist along the mental health continuum, we will see how our internal resources work when we our emotional needs are poorly met. Here is John’s story: John has some difficult financial problems, Using his Imagination and Rational Thinking alone, he cannot find solutions to these problems, and as a result his needs for Security and Control are poorly met Unsurprisingly, John’s Emotions become strongly aroused in response to a perceived threat. Unable to find a solution to his financial problems that day, John goes to bed and tries to forget about them. Because his needs for Security and Control have been aroused, John’s Dreaming is more intense than usual because it needs to discharge a lot of Emotion Needless to say, John doesn’t have the best night’s Sleep. “Emotions we have not acted upon need more intense Dreaming to discharge. Too much intense Dreaming leaves us feeling tired when we wake up.”
WHAT IS ANXIETY? When people are exposed to stress over a long period of time, they can begin to feel anxious and risk developing anxiety disorders. Signs Symptoms of anxiety include: ● ● ● ● ● ●
Disturbed sleep Depression Anxiety disorders Burnout-becoming overly involved in work Alcohol consumption or the taking of drugs to cope or to alleviate feelings of anxiety
Anxiety disorders include: ● ● ● ● ● ●
Insomnia Unrealistic fears and worries Panic attacks Phobias Obsessive compulsive behaviours Post-traumatic stress reactions
It is important to seek medical advice if you are experiencing any of these symptoms or disorders. WHAT ARE ANXIETY DISORDERS? The symptoms of Anxiety arise when we use our Imagination to worry. The Imagination is a powerful resource which allows us to think about how to get our needs for Security and Control met in the future. However, when worrying becomes a habit, a Pattern Match for anxiety is stored in our Memory. This Pattern Match can be triggered even when there is no real threat to our needs for Security and Control, and then strong Emotion and feelings of anxiety can prevent the sufferer from meeting their needs in healthier ways, and destroy their quality of life.
“Imagination is a powerful problem solving tool. Constructive use of the Imagination helps us plan how we get our emotional needs met. Destructive use of the Imagination for worrying, needs more intense Dreaming to discharge stress, and negatively affects the quality of our Sleep.” WHAT IS A PANIC ATTACK? Panic attacks are experiences where the sufferer experiences overwhelming feelings of anxiety and physical symptoms. which can include: ● ● ● ● ● ●
Shortness of breath and/or choking sensations Irregular heart beat Sweating Shaking or trembling Chest pains Feeling sick
Panic attacks occur in response to a perceived threat, whether real or not – often the sufferer can be unaware of the cause In other words they are a response to an unmet need for Security. If our needs for Security and Control are poorly met, we can become what psychologists call hyper-vigilant. This means that the Pattern Matching part of our brain is constantly on alert for any kind of threat to our safety or need for control. To get us ready to move away from danger our Emotions for fear and anxiety are turned right up. To protect us from the perceived threat, the body reacts by releasing adrenaline and speeding up our breathing.
Panic attacks our innate resources understand the relationship between panic attacks and our innate resources, let’s look at Jane’s story; Two Years ago, Jane was a passenger in a motor accident where an oncoming car crashed into the car she was travelling in. Jane didn’t suffer any physical injury and was discharged from hospital having experienced a minor shock. In the present, Jane has arrived by train to meet a friend who collects her by car. Jane gets into her friend’s stationary car and immediately begins to feel anxious. For no apparent reason, Jane begins sweating profusely and hyperventilating. As she hyperventilates, her shortened breaths exhale oxygen before her lungs have had the chance to absorb it, and the ratio of carbon dioxide to oxygen in her bloodstream goes up. The lack of oxygen makes her feel light headed and the arteries in her neck begin to constrict, which makes Jane feel as if she is choking Jane has to get out of the car and find somewhere to sit down with her friend before she can calm down. Jane feels embarrassed about the whole episode because there seems to be no rational reason for her panic attack. What has happened to Jane is that the Pattern Matching part of her brain has matched the Memory of the car accident from two years ago to the present. Although the situations seem different all that the unconscious Pattern Matching part of her brain can see is that the colour and model of the car- a red Ford Fiesta – is a match for the oncoming vehicle in the accident she experienced two years previously. The Pattern Match is coded with the strong Emotion of anxiety, which overrides Jane’s access to Rational Thinking and triggers a panic attack.
INSOMNIA AND SLEEP Insomnia is an anxiety disorder which affects the sufferer’s Sleep. A person suffering with insomnia may find it difficult to get off to Sleep, may wake up often throughout the night, or wake up too early and then find it difficult to get back to Sleep. A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP Sleep is both a physical and an emotional need. The right kind of sleep is vital for our well-being. A healthy adult needs about 7 to 8 hours sleep a night, and a little less as they get older. Studies of sleep show that there are broadly speaking two different kinds of Sleep: slow-wave or deep sleep and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Deep sleep is the Sleep needed to repair the body and at least four hours every night is required to maintain our physical health. REM sleep is the phase when most Dreaming takes place and the right amount keeps us emotionally healthy. Every night, Dreaming discharges the Emotions that we have not acted upon the previous day – anger at a friend or desire for chocolate cake when we are dieting, for example. In this way our Emotions are restored to their normal level of arousal. However, if we are very Emotional, perhaps from worrying too much, we need more intense Dreaming sleep to discharge emotion, and get less of the deep Sleep we need to wake up feeling refreshed. REM sleep also requires more energy; dreaming lots can cause us to wake up feeling tired and lacking in motivation. Not surprisingly, if we are spending a lot of time dreaming and not getting enough deep sleep, we are likely to feel worse in the mornings.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO GET BETTER SLEEP? ● ● ● ●
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Learn and practice relaxation exercises. Work on getting your needs met – so that there is less to worry about! Go to bed and get up at regular times. Make sure we have blackout curtains so that we are not woken up earlier than we need to be during the summer months. Avoid drinking caffeine in the second half of the day. Avoid watching TV or surfing the internet surfing in the two hours before we go to bed. Avoid using smartphones in bed. Make the bedroom a good place to sleep, no computers, gaming consoles etc. If you are having trouble getting off to sleep, do not stay in bed for longer than 20 minutes. Get up and do a really boring task for 20 minutes, then go back to bed. If you are still awake after another 20 minutes, get up and repeat the task.
PHOBIAS A phobia is a fear which is triggered by coming into contact with a specific object, place or situation: it can be a particular type of animal, such as a dog, spider or snake, heights thunder storms or water, situations flying in aeroplanes, lifts or enclosed spaces; the sight of blood or injections. Symptoms of phobias include; Extreme feelings of anxiety, and sometimes panic attacks Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) Obsessive compulsive disorder where the sufferer may experience recurring thoughts, impulses or mental images which are distressing. The sufferer may feel compelled to perform behaviours or routines that they feel will help to manage their distress. ● ●
People suffering with OCD may believe that the routines and behaviours they have adopted for example excessive hand washing or carrying out a sequence of actions – will prevent unwanted events from occurring in the future. Because the symptoms of OCD are triggered by raised stress levels, ensuring that emotional needs are met in healthy ways reduces the likelihood of symptoms being triggered. POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) Post-traumatic stress disorder arises in response to events which are perceived as life-threatening. Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder include: ● Upsetting memories of an event. ● Recurring dreams about the event. ● Strong reaction to events which are a Pattern Match to the original event. ● Angry outbursts when a Pattern Match is triggered. ● Reliving the event through flashbacks or hallucinations as if it was happening in the present. ● Difficulty falling or staying asleep. ● Irritability or sudden outbursts of uncontrollable anger. ● Difficulty in concentrating. ● Hyper-vigilance. ● An exaggerated startle response, for example, jumping at sudden movements or noises Your GP may prescribe medication or recommend therapy for the treatment of PTSD. WHAT IS DEPRESSION? People experiencing depression may appear to be down and flat. However, depression is a highly Emotional state. When we become Emotional we are less able to think clearly – access to Rational Thinking is reduced which is why people experiencing strong depression often find concentrating on tasks or making decisions difficult. Using the Imagination to worry about unmet emotional needs turns Emotions up. This means that more intense Dreaming is needed to discharge Emotion, which leaves people feeling tired when we wake up. Becoming stuck in this cycle of worrying about unmet needs and waking up feeling exhausted and lacking in motivation is what gives rise to depression.
A first step towards lifting depression is to learn and practice relaxation exercises to improve the quality of our Sleep. Calming our Emotions down also helps us to regain control of our Imagination, so that it can be used to plan how we get our emotional needs met more effectively. The following are the most common symptoms of depression If you experience four or more of these symptoms for most of the day, every day for more than two weeks, you should seek help from your GP: SIGNS & SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
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Tiredness and a lack of energy. Sadness that doesn’t go away. Difficulty in concentrating. Not enjoying things that are usually pleasurable or interesting. Feeling anxious all or some of the time. Avoiding other people, sometimes even close family and friends. Feelings of helplessness and a lack of hope. Sleeping problems: difficulties in getting off to sleep or waking up much earlier than usual. Finding it hard to function at work, college or school. Loss of appetite. The loss of a sense of meaning and purpose to life. Self-harm.
OTHER KINDS OF DEPRESSION ●
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Postnatal depression affects some mothers after giving birth. During the first couple of weeks, many new mothers may experience mild feelings of anxiety and a lack of confidence, but postnatal depression is more intense and lasts longer Sufferers exhibit many of the symptoms common to depression. Seasonal affective disorder or SAD is associated with the start of winter and can last until spring when longer days bring more daylight. When it is mild, it is sometimes called ‘winter blues. SAD can make the sufferer feel anxious, stressed and depressed. However depression is described, it can be alleviated by ensuring that, as much as possible, we meet our emotional needs.
In cases of bipolar disorder and other clinical diagnoses this should be done in conjunction with your GP and prescribed medication.
WHAT IS BIPOLAR DISORDER? People diagnosed with bipolar disorder formerly known as manic depression experience swings in mood from periods of overactive, excited behaviour known as mania or the manic phase, to deep depression. Everybody experiences mood shifts in daily life, but with bipolar disorder these changes are extreme. Between the severe highs and lows sufferers can experience stability; some sufferers see the manic phase as positive, because they can be very productive as a result of the energy and creativity that comes with it. In some instances bipolar sufferers may experience visual or auditory hallucinations, or, have strange and unshared beliefs or delusions. WHAT CAUSES BIPOLAR DISORDER? There is no agreement about what causes bipolar disorder, although genetic factors and stressful life events both seem to play a part. Management of the symptoms includes; ● ● ● ● ●
A combination of prescribed medication. Taking regular exercise. Good sleep habits. A lifestyle which meets emotional needs in balance. Relaxation exercises.
Being able to relax is an important skill we all need to help us manage stressful events and strong emotions. Being able to relax helps us to think more clearly, when we are relaxed we can imagine changes to the way we react and focus our minds on meeting your needs in healthy ways. As with anything worthwhile, it is important that we practice relaxation skills on a regular basis – not just after or during an event which has triggered strong emotions. By building opportunities to relax into your lifestyle, you will feel calmer, improve your ability to cope with stress, place less stress on your immune system and help yourself to sleep better.
A FEW PRACTICLE TECHNIQUES TO HELP ENGAGE THE PARA SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM TO RELAX
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This next section of the book touches on these subjects that are covered in a more comprehensive way in my book, You Wanna Take A Ride? You can also find more information on my Facebook Page, A Better Way. Feel free to join, I welcome all. THE AIM Is to help you become happy, strong and healthy. A Better Way is all about positive mindset so we are mentally and physically stronger. ● To encourage you to use gratitude on a daily basis, this will change your mindset. ● To encourage and Cultivate your energy levels through various types of exercise and practices. ● To practice breathing techniques that help with mental and physical wellbeing. ● Encourage the use of apps that are very beneficial to mental and physical wellbeing. ● Improve and support your commitment to your desired goal.By using various types of medium Through this Facebook group you encourage and support each other in your progress of your commitments (positive opportunities) I am Brian, welcome and enjoy your journey. ●
MUSCLE TENSION RELAXATION The important principle behind this exercise is that if we tense our muscles and then let them go slack, they must relax and if the body relaxes (because it is connected to the brain) – the mind must relax too. Here are the stages of this simple exercise. 1. Choose a part of your body that you are easily able to control, perhaps your hands or feet. 2. Then begin to tense the muscles in that part of the body, for example, forming tight fists with your hands and squeezing all the air out. 3. Hold that part of your body tensed for say 10 seconds, then allow it to relax and focus on allowing any tension to pass. 4. Repeat this exercise for as many times as you need until you begin to feel calmer and more relaxed.
7/11 BREATHING Our brain communicates with our body to alert us physically when needed and also to relax us. This works by changing the pattern of our breathing; when we need to be alert, our breathing speeds up preparing us for flight or fight; when we need to relax your breathing slows down and the “out-breath,” becomes longer. The good news is that we can take control of our breathing pattern to help us: 1. Start by placing your hands on your stomach and breathing in, filling your stomach up with air and holding it (many of us tend to shallow breathe most of the time). 2. Then breathe out more slowly than when you were breathing in. It is the “outbreath,” which stimulates the relaxation response. 3. Repeat this process, counting to 7 in your mind when breathing in, and to 11 when breathing out. The number doesn’t really matter so long as the out-breath is longer than the in-breath. For a really effective exercise, when you know how to do both exercises, combine the two, tightening your muscles when breathing in and relaxing them when breathing out. Remember, practice makes perfect. But if it works it’s good enough. Find out more breathing techniques on A Better Way Facebook page
WIM HOF METHOD BREATHING Wim Hof Method breathing is simple and easy — everyone can do it! Just follow the steps below. We recommend practicing right after waking, or before a meal, when your stomach is still empty. Note that WHM breathing can affect motor control and in rare cases, lead to loss of consciousness. Always sit or lie down before practicing the techniques. Never practice while piloting a vehicle, or in or near bodies of water. STEP 1: GET COMFORTABLE Assume a meditation posture: sitting, lying down — whichever is most comfortable for you. Make sure you can expand your lungs freely without feeling any constriction. STEP 2: 30-40 DEEP BREATHS Close your eyes and try to clear your mind. Be conscious of your breath, and try to fully connect with it. Inhale deeply through the nose or mouth, and exhale unforced through the mouth. Fully inhale through the belly, then chest and then let go unforced. Repeat this 30 to 40 times in short, powerful bursts. You may experience light-headedness, and tingling sensations in your fingers and feet. These side effects are completely harmless. STEP 3: THE HOLD After the last exhalation, inhale one final time, as deeply as you can. Then let the air out and stop breathing. Hold until you feel the urge to breathe again. STEP 4: RECOVERY BREATH When you feel the urge to breathe again, draw one big breath to fill your lungs. Feel your belly and chest expanding. When you are at full capacity, hold the breath for around 15 seconds, then let go. That completes round number one. This cycle can be repeated 3-4 times without an interval. After having completed the breathing exercise, take your time to bask in the bliss. This calm state is highly conducive to meditation — don't hesitate to combine the two.
So, 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟑 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲. 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏 #𝟏 𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 This way you’ll be able to have your body focus more on brain power, instead of processing your food. (this is called intermittent fasting) This will immensely help you with your energy-level, productivity, and many other things like overall health (as the body is healing while “fasting”). I would recommend anyone to do fasting once in a while to see how you’ll feel. Also to eat less carbs in the morning for better state of mind, start by doing 16 hours of just water. 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏 #𝟐 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐄 This is the name of the game when it comes to my way of becoming more disciplined and energetic when it comes to your lifestyle & mindset. You can not be in the cold, and be tired. Same goes for if you get out of the water, you’ll literally have unlimited energy. I am and will be still doing them (mostly) daily for this one reason. 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏 #𝟑 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇𝗪𝐎𝐑𝐊 Did you know that breathing is the best way to become more happy, and energetic (yawning basically means that your brain is low on oxygen) Super interesting as you are able to control your breath everywhere, and anywhere. Which means you’ll literally always have this button with unlimited energy, focus, and happiness. Better known as 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱. Life’s so simple if you make it simple, the enemy of simpleness is COMPLEXITY Taking on every project, and getting overloaded and overwhelmed with things that did not really matter at the end. Just saying, that if you’re able to 𝐅𝐎𝐂𝐔𝐒 on a few things in your life. And only take 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 on the things that are important to you (not others), you’ll live a successful/happy/strong/healthy life!
INSULIN RESISTANCE POSSIBLY THE MOST DEADLIEST DISEASE ON OUR PLANET
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INSULIN RESISTANCE – POSSIBLY THE MOST DEADLIEST DISEASE ON OUR PLANET Take a step towards an important goal, however small. It claims many times more lives than cancer and most people who have it don’t even know it. We’re going to talk about how it does its damage? Why is it so poorly understood? How can you protect yourself? This disease because it’s directly linked to all those mechanisms, it further causes these diseases. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
It causes cardiovascular disease. Heart disease. It causes strokes. It causes dementia. It causes kidney failure. Is the leading cause of kidney failure. Blindness. Amputations. It further contributes to cancer. It interferes with the body’s ability to defend itself against cancer If you have a serious infection it increases the risk of you dying from that infection.
All in all it’s been estimated that this disease is involved in over 95% of all the generative diseases. What Is This Mysterious Disease? It is insulin resistance. For some of you, you go, “Wow! Insulin resistance I had no idea?” Others are going to go, “What? Just insulin resistance?” To understand what insulin resistance is, it is the most devastating disease we have ever had on the planet and it is the most costly both in financial terms, human suffering and then someone might say, “Well you have to die of something. All those diseases you listed they’re just old people's diseases.”
True but it is also a matter of dying longer because with insulin resistance and all those degenerative diseases people spend 10, 20, 30 years dying during that time they suffer tremendously more than a healthy person and their quality of life suffers. During all that time they can’t do the things that they want to do they’re on medication they need help and so forth so it’s about the quality of life in terms of energy, mood productivity all those things that make life worthwhile; then of course on top of all that it is also causing more deaths than anything else if we looked at some of Deadliest diseases; ● Around the world we have; ● Cancer at 9.5 million ● Heart disease 17.9 million ● Hypertension 7.5 million ● Stroke 5 million ● Diabetes 4.2 million One of the biggest misconceptions about diabetes and insulin resistance is that you either have it or you don’t; but in fact it’s just a matter of how much of it you have. WHERE ARE YOU ON THE CONTINUUM? The continuum goes all the way from diabetes to prediabetes to optimal diabetes is.They have to draw the line in the sand somewhere so they decided that when your hemoglobin A1c when your long-term average glucose is 6.5 or higher, corresponding to an average glucose level of 140 mg per deciliter then they say now you are diabetic, now you have the diagnosis of a diabetic and you could go a whole lot higher than 6.5, people have 10 and 12 and 15 also when they’re diabetic. They diagnose you as pre-diabetic if your hemoglobin A1C is between 5.7 and 6.4 and if you are pre-diabetic then they expect you the average pre-diabetic will become diabetic in 5 years.
At the other end of the spectrum is optimal and optimal A1C is 4.8 to 5.1. Mainstream medicine thinks that 5.3 to 5.6 is still perfectly okay because you’re not 5.7 yet or 6.5 yet but here’s the thing to understand that if you are not optimal if you are in the 5.3 to 5.6 range then you are slipping, you are on your way towards more insulin resistance. Because if you're insulin sensitive then you are stable, you're leading a lifestyle that you can maintain and your body isn’t moving away from there but if you’re moving away from there then it’s just a matter of time and how quickly you’re going to get there. So that’s why we want to pay serious attention and listen to anything 5.3 or up. Then we look at the prevalence. How common is this? ● ● ● ● ● ●
In the UK 1 in 15 people have diabetes. That's 4.7 million. 1 Million of that number have type 2 diabetes don’t even know. 30 million people in the United States have type 2 diabetes. Around the world it’s 463 million people with type 2 diabetes. They’re expecting that to double in the next two to three to four decades. Somewhere around a billion and when we look at the people who are slipping we’re probably talking about 300 million people in the US and probably at least 2.2 billion people around the globe.
Why do we say that? Because insulin resistance is the primary cause of weight gain and we have over seventy percent of the US population is overweight and more than a third of the world or around a third of the world is overweight today. Here is how the numbers of obesity have progressed in the United States from; 1800 where it was virtually non-existent. 1900 started happening but then, ● 1960 post-war and on it has been an exponential growth. Explosive exponential growth in the 1960's and the reason is that it takes a few decades. We talked about how it takes five years to get from insulin resistance to full-blown diabetes. ● ●
It probably takes 15-20 years to get from very mild insulin resistance to diabetes so there’s about 15-20 years and while the United States is the world leader among large countries in terms of diabetes, obesity and overweight.This is how it’s progressed from 1990 to 2020. The rest of the world is only a matter of time how far they’re behind because the tendency is exactly the same so we want to talk about how to fix This. ● ● ●
What Does Insulin Do? But first we have to understand what does insulin do? Where does insulin resistance come from?
When you eat food it gets in your digestive tract which digests the food and breaks it down into smaller particles and then once the particles are down to molecular size they get absorbed into the bloodstream; but they can’t get from the blood to the cell without insulin. That’s the job of insulin. That’s why insulin is absolutely necessary. Type 1 diabetics who can’t make insulin if not diagnosed and treated will die because they have nutrients in the blood but they can’t get to the cell. So insulin is not a bad thing but it’s all about Balance. One of the biggest reasons insulin resistance is such a big problem is that it’s so poorly or incompletely misunderstood; if you look it up online then you will see that insulin resistance is when cells in the body such as muscle fat and liver stop responding. They don’t respond well to insulin. But the question is. Why? When you hear a statement that the cell isn’t responding well then why is it just arbitrary that the cell is just being stupid? Or does the cell have a really, really good reason for starting to resist insulin? The body is infinitely smart, every cell in the body is attempting to return to homeostasis (balance) everything is flowing according to an intelligence in the body. So there’s always a perfectly good reason why the body does what it does. What if we don’t understand?!
That if we think that the cell is arbitrarily stupid and one day it responded and the next day it doesn’t respond to insulin. Then we might try to force it anyway and that’s called medication. So if the cell doesn’t want what the insulin is providing, if the cell says, “Oh I’ve had enough!” The cell says, “I’m starting to resist!” But we force it. Now the question is. Do you think that we’re moving that cell closer to health or away from health? Are we improving the health of that cell by violating its wishes? Or are we actually hurting that cell? I think it’s pretty clear that when you force it, when you try to interfere with what the body is doing; sort of impose your will. Let’s look at it one more way about insulin resistance. What would you do? Let’s say your house is the cell and then one day a salesman (insulin) shows up and it has been a really long time since you had someone knock on your door, so you’re all excited to go and open the door.You ask the salesman, “Hey what you got there? That looks really interesting. You appreciate the visit and you have an exchange of information and maybe you buy something. So that’s all good; but what if he shows up again, after he completed the sale he shows up again five minutes later! Now you go, “Hey what’s going on here?” You’re a little suspicious, you’re starting to hesitate a little bit and then what if he shows up every 5 minutes for the next several days!! Then I think you would get a little bit upset, you would tell him to get lost. You would start to resist that sales person. Same thing with telephone cold calling, I don’t know about you but 90% of the time the phone rings; it is a computer calling me with some fabulous offer of credit or car insurance. I have to admit after so many of those calls you hang up you block the number and then 30 minutes later the same computer calls on a different number so I don’t respond.
Now I’m starting to resist those telephone calls and that’s exactly what’s happening to the cell when the insulin is trying to overdo it. When there’s too much insulin then we start resisting it.So insulin resistance is resistance to the action of insulin and when your cell starts to resist that action of insulin, that’s a physiological adaptation, the cell is trying to return to balance (homeostasis). Have you noticed how fat tends to get blamed for everything? That’s because nobody wants excess fat on their body, it is unhealthy and it’s burdensome. It's kind of in the way, it’s heavy lugging it around, people don’t like excess fat on the body. But is it the root cause if you have a lot of fat? It is because you have too much fat stored and you don’t have enough metabolism, you’re not burning enough of it off. That in turn depends on increased lipogenesis it’s not just what you’re eating in terms of bad it is how much fat is your body making, that’s what lipogenesis making fat and if you don’t have much of a metabolism then you’re not breaking down the fat enough, so you have decreased lipolysis and both of those are a direct result of insulin resistance. because the more insulin resistance you have the more insulin the body is going to try to make, to control blood sugar so insulin goes up but insulin is only the result of blood and now here is the root cause the blood sugar is a result of sugar and starch.
FAT IS NOT THE CAUSE
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FAT IS NOT THE CAUSE Everybody blames it on fat but the fat is not the cause it’s the end result the cause is sugar, starch, blood sugar and insulin. How can we be so certain of that? Because we know what causes insulin responses, if we put an index value of a hundred on sugar and starch then protein produces about half as much of an insulin response and fat produces virtually zero, it’s in the single digits.Furthermore, protein and fats are very satiating. They keep you full for a long time, but sugar and starch makes you hungry. But some people are still not convinced because there’s some studies that say that fat cells are more insulin resistant. When we measure the signaling molecules from fat cells and how fat cells behave there is more insulin resistant so the fat must be the problem.Well, it may look like that but the fat didn’t make the fat cells fat the insulin did. It’s really sad; it’s just like when we’re shaming the fat we’re blaming people with excess fat for being lazy and gluttonous. Well now we’re blaming the fat cells we’re shaming the fat cells, “Bad fat cells you shouldn’t be insulin resistant,” well we made it fat with insulin because there’s, ● ● ●
The sugar starch that causes. The insulin that causes it. The fat storing.
Now we have the end result is a fat, insulin resistant fat cell that we can shame; just like we shame people with excess fat. I think those are pretty convincing arguments and the experience of a lot of people who are doing fasting and ketosis and low carb are having excellent results. You would think that the information would get out but when we check with the World Health Organization (WHO) about the cause of obesity they say, “That it’s too many calories, it’s an increase in calories, people are eating more calories from fat and sugar than they did in the past. They are less active.”
So what do they suggest that we do about it? Well they say reduce the calories from fat and sugar.Now, they’re 50% right and they’re 50% absolutely wrong because the fat is not the problem” unless you’re eating poor-quality fat. Sugar is an enormous problem, it is the primary problem. So when they say to reduce the calories from sugar that’s the right thing to do. not the fat but then they say increase calories from fruit,vegetables, beans and Grain, vegetables are totally okay if you’re eating non-starchy vegetables, leafy greens, cauliflower Etc. But basically what they’re saying here is reduce calories from fat and carbohydrates and increase calories from carbohydrates, carbohydrates, carbohydrates and carbohydrates. That is how you go from insulin resistant to diabetic. So what can the healthcare system do about this devastating disease? In the United States in 2020 they will spend over 4 trillion dollars on so called “health care” I put that in quotation marks because it’s not healthcare it’s sick care, it’s symptom treatment and they’re spending over $12,000 per person and that’s average out on the people without so many problems also. But despite all that money spent more money than anywhere else in the world they have; ● ● ● ● ●
More diabetes. More heart disease. More arthritis. More high blood pressure. More metabolic syndrome.
Then they’ve ever had before and as time goes they spend more money and the diseases become more prevalent. Why is that? Because the treatment is for symptoms only, not the root cause. They don’t understand the root cause, they’re not interested in the root cause, they’re interested in treating symptoms.
Do you need more reasons to reverse insulin resistance? Well there was a recent virus that got a lot of people’s attention it’s called the coronavirus and the interesting thing is that there’s certain risk groups that have very, very low risk and their other risk groups that have very, very, high risk and other than age, insulin resistance is the primary factor in the biggest factor in age is that more elderly people are more insulin resistant. But from these low to the high-risk groups that can be a hundred fold difference in death rates; a hundredfold hundred times more likely to die if you have a high risk than if you’re in a low-risk. That’s pretty substantial and virtually all the risk factors identified outside of specific age have to do with insulin resistance.We have to understand that pathogens are opportunistic; they take advantage of a weakened host, that’s why they can be a hundredfold difference. So What To Do About Insulin Resistance? Now we’re ready to talk about what to do.But why couldn’t we just go straight to that? Why couldn’t we just list out the things to do? Give me the bottom line? Because if we don’t have the reasons if we don’t understand the depth of the devastation. If we don’t understand the scope of the problem and the mechanism then we’ll take that final list and we’ll try it. You know what try means? That means there's absolutely no way we’re going to go through with it, we are going to try it for a few weeks and then we’ll be back to doing what we did before. Once that starts sinking in then it starts making sense and you can make changes for life. Prevention is easy, it’s about insulin not calories. It’s not how many calories you eat, it's what sort of foods trigger insulin. Because those foods will make you eat more and trigger more insulin and so on and so on. The simplest rule of all when it comes to diet is eat real food.
That’s it. Eat it the way nature made it, eat single-ingredient foods, put it together yourself as much as possible and avoid fake food. ● ● ●
Don’t eat fake food. Don’t eat processed food. Packaged foods, foods with additives and 37 ingredients.
Because man-made food isn’t food, it looks like food, it almost tastes like food sometimes, but it doesn’t nourish your body. It interferes with it, throws things out of balance. The biggest reason fake food hurts you is that a lot of it is full of sugar and fructose especially and it also is full of processed starch, then there’s a ton of other things they throw in there like MSG, artificial flavours, preservatives, chemicals and colours and all that. But if you are insulin sensitive. If you are in balance then this is basically all you have to do to prevent insulin resistance. If you already are insulin resistant now you need to reverse it and that’s not quite as easy but it’s still simple.You just need to do all of these steps above. It’s the same rules but you have to add a couple of more and do all the above, plus you go on a low carb / keto diet. You have to go lower in carbohydrates than someone is just trying to prevent it, because you’re already many years or even decades into the process, into the physiological adaptation of pushing that sell toward insulin resistance. The second powerful tool in addition to low carb it’s not one or the other, you want to do both is intermittent fasting you eat less than 6 meals a day and then you go to three meals and then you go to the one or two meals and you figure out where you’re going to get the results.
IT IS ABOUT INSULIN
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IT’S ABOUT INSULIN So all of the things that were looking for in diabetes and metabolic syndrome, all the things associated to belly fat to visceral fat to the so-called dangerous fat it is all about insulin, it’s about the hormones that create the storage and when you feed the body a good stable solid food, a stable fuel source. Then we reduce the insulin and improve all these markers so the number one absolute best way and the only way to lose belly fat forever is to do it by reducing insulin resistance because insulin is the hormone that puts the fat there and you do this by reducing the sugar, by reducing the carbs and by increasing the fat; But not the plant fats not the safflower oil, corn oil and the soybean oil, you do it by increasing the saturated fat which is a stable neutral good fat, it doesn’t get oxidized it is inflammation neutral whereas all the plant oils are high in omega sixes which means that they promote inflammation through an inflammatory pathway. You reduce the carbs you reduce the frequency of meals because everytime you eat anything you stimulate a little bit of insulin. The longer you go without food the lower the insulin is allowed to drop, don’t be afraid of saturated fats, eat a good amount of saturated fats and monounsaturated fats from a good source like extra-virgin olive oil. The only word of caution is that when you hear that something is described as good don’t think of it as a superfood don’t think that the more you eat of it the better everything is going to be and it doesn’t matter if it’s saturated fat or blueberries or chocolate or turmeric or garlic. Eat a moderate amount. Eat what fits into your diet. ● Eat until you get full. ● Practice intermittent fasting. ● Cut your carbs. ● Fill up with fat until you’re full but don’t think that when you’re full it’s going to get better, if you eat a little bit more okay we’re not talking about that. Get that idea of super food out of your head it’s just fuel, it’s good fuel if it’s natural it’s bad fuel if we messed with it, if we destroyed it, or altered it,or pulverized it, in other words processed foods; then it’s not good anymore but if it is resembling the way we got it out of the ground or off the tree or we hunted it down then it is a good food. ● ●
REDUCING INSULIN RESISTANCE ●
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If you’re going to lose belly fat for good it’s not about the number of belly crunches, it’s not about the number of calories it’s about reducing insulin resistance. Low-carb diets have been shown to increase insulin sensitivity and reduce insulin levels in people with obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Apple Cider Vinegar may help prevent high insulin levels after you consume meals or foods high in carbs. Reducing calorie intake by portion control or counting calories can lead to lower insulin levels in overweight and obese people with type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome. A high intake of sugar in any form has been shown to increase insulin levels and promote insulin resistance therefore reduce sugar intake. Aerobic exercise, strength training or a combination of both may help increase insulin sensitivity and lower your levels. Some studies have found that adding cinnamon to foods or beverages lowers insulin levels and increases insulin sensitivity. Replacing refined carbs, which are digested and absorbed quickly, with slowerdigesting whole foods may help lower insulin levels. Avoiding prolonged sitting and increasing the amount of time you spend walking or doing other moderate activities can reduce insulin levels. Intermittent fasting may help reduce insulin levels. However, study results are mixed, and this way of eating may not suit everyone. Soluble fiber, especially from whole foods, has been shown to increase insulin sensitivity and lower insulin levels, particularly in people with obesity or type 2 diabetes. Lose Belly fat, also known as visceral mentioned earlier or abdominal fat, is linked to many health problems.Losing belly fat can increase insulin sensitivity and help reduce your insulin levels. Several studies have found that green tea may increase insulin sensitivity and decrease insulin levels. The long-chain omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish may help reduce insulin resistance and insulin levels. Avoiding excessive amounts of protein, especially dairy protein, can help prevent insulin levels from rising too high after meals.
SOCIAL CHANGE AT THE BASE A DHARMA TALK BY THICH NHAT HANH
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SOCIAL CHANGE AT THE BASE A DHARMA TALK BY THICH NHAT HANH Today is the 27th of March, the year 2004, here at the Deer Park Monastery for our Colours of Compassion Retreat.When Nelson Mandela came to France for his first visit the Press asked him what it is that he would like to do the most. And Nelson Mandela said, what he would like to do the most is to sit down and do nothing. He said that since the time he was released from prison he had been so busy! He's had to meet so many people, to do so many things, he didn't even have the time to breathe, to sit down. So his deepest desire is to sit down and do nothing. To sit down and do nothing is sitting meditation. And those of us who practice sitting daily, we are much more lucky than Nelson Mandela. To sit down and do nothing seems to be easy. Seems to be enjoyable. But I'm not sure if he was given the chance to sit down and do nothing if he could do it. I doubt it.He had never learned how to sit and do nothing. This is difficult. Not so easy. Because when you sit things begin to come up. And you have to know how to take care of them. Therefore for sitting meditation you need some guidance. Sitting meditation can be wonderful. We can get in touch with the wonderful aspects of life. We can get in touch with the wonders of life within and around us.For our nourishment and healing we just sit there and enjoy. And many things are enjoyable like your inbreath and our out-breath. You breathe in, you enjoy your in-breath. You breathe out, you enjoy your outbreath. You focus your attention on your eyes, and you find your eyes are still in excellent condition. Breathing in, I'm aware of my eyes.Breathing out, I smile to my eyes. My eyes are still in good condition. I only need to open them in order to get in touch with a paradise of forms and colours. So my eyes are a wonder of life. If I continue I touch many wonders of life in my body and in my consciousness. All are miracles, all are wonders of life. My heart. Breathing in, I'm aware of my heart. Breathing out, I smile to my heart. My heart is a wonder. My heart is there to maintain my wellbeing.
My heart works non-stop, day and night in order to assure that I continue to be well. I have the chance to go to sleep, to rest, and my heart continues. Many people don't have a heart like mine. And their deepest concern is to have a normal heart. So that they won't have things like strokes. And when I breathe in and I embrace my heart with my mindfulness I find out how wonderful to have a heart that functions well.That is one basic condition for my well-being, for my peace. I realise by embracing my heart that I may not have been very kind to my heart. I smoke, I drink,I give my heart a difficult time. Many difficult times. And that is enlightenment, that is awakening. I decided to take good care of my heart. I stopped smoking. I stopped drinking. And so on. And this is the practice of love directed to my heart. And when I know how to deal with my body in such a way, I am kind to my body. I take good care of my body. And there is well-being and peace in my body. I learn how to eat, what to eat, how to drink, what to drink, in order not to bring toxins and poisons into my body. And that is the practice of mindfulness, of consumption, of eating. Breathing in and out, I can also get in touch with the pain and sorrow in me, and around me. And with mindfulness I can handle them well, and help to transform them. So mindfulness has two functions: to handle the positive, refreshing and healing things so that I can get nourishment and healing. I have to get in touch with the Pure Land of the Buddha, the Kingdom of God my true home. And mindfulness helps me to do so. We have learned that the Kingdom is available in the here and the now. The Pure Land also, with all the wonders of life inside and outside. So part of our practice is to get in touch. And then part of our practice is when we get in touch with the negative things like; ● ● ● ●
Anger. And fear. And pain. And sorrow, inside and around.
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Mindfulness helps us to recognise them. To embrace them. And not to let them overwhelm us.And transform us into a victim. Not only the Kingdom, the Paradise, is available.
But Hell is available, in the here and the now also. That is why mindfulness practice helps us get in touch with both. Get in touch with the Kingdom in order to be nourished. And get in touch with Hell, in order to protect us and transform. And the Four Noble Truths that we talk about are about that. The first Noble Truth is Ill-being. That is Hell. Hell in the here and the now. We cannot say, "No Hell does not exist." It exists! It is there, very solid. The third truth is Well-being. It is there! You cannot say that well-being is not there. You have to get in touch. Well-being is there but we do not recognise it. We don't know how to get in touch and to profit from it. You cannot say that the blue sky is not there. You know very well that the blue sky is there. But do you profit from it? You know that the mountains are there. Beautiful, majestic. You cannot say that they are not there, as wonders. But maybe you are blocked by your suffering and you cannot get in touch. I used to talk about my toothache. When you get a toothache, you suffer. Especially during the night because no dentist is open at that time. So you have to continue to suffer. And in the morning they will open and you have a chance. And during the time you suffer you get a kind ofenlightenment: that not having a toothache is wonderful! But there are many days when we do not have a toothache but we do not enjoy our non-toothache! Our nontoothache is well-being. But you don't know how to recognise it and enjoy it until you have a toothache. That is why you cannot say that well-being is not there. It is there!But you are not used to getting in touch and to profit from it. The Kingdom of God is there, available. But you are not available to the Kingdom. The Pure Land of the Buddha is there, but you are not available to the Pure Land. This is a pity!
That is why the practice of mindfulness helps you to go home to the present moment and get in touch with the third Noble Truth. The third Noble Truth is not a hope in the future. It is a reality that is in the here and the now. Those of us who practice Pure Land Buddhism deeply know that the Pure Land is not in the West and in the distant future after we die. No. Those of us who practice Pure Land, whether we are Chinese, or Vietnamese, or Korean, or Japanese, we know that the deepest teaching of Pure Land is:That the Pure Land is in our heart,in the here and the now. And if we have mindfulness we can touch the Pure Land right now and right here. Pure Land in my heart." That sounds very familiar. "Pure Land in the here and the now."This is very familiar. Hien Phap means;"Here and now,”"Things that are happening in the here and now can be touched."And in modern Chinese it is written– it is pronounced as: "dang xia jing tu". The Pure Land in the, here, in the present moment. In the Christian tradition we can find the same teaching: that the Kingdom of God is at hand. It is available. Whether you are Baptist, or Methodist, you can practice the same kind of practice. The Kingdom of God is available. And because you don't get in touch that is why you are running after the things you consider to be happiness namely; ● ● ● ● ●
Fame. Wealth. Power. Sex. And so on.
So whether you are a teacher in the jōdoshū tradition, in the Pure Land tradition, or in the Baptist tradition, or in the Zen tradition, you can offer your people nothing less than the Kingdom of God. Nothing less than the Pure Land of the Buddha. And you have to embody that teaching, that practice. You have to live in the Kingdom of God, as a pastor, as a priest, as a monk, as a minister. You have to embody the practice of living happily in the here and the now. So that your teaching will be true teaching. And when the people come to practice with you they are able to taste the taste of the Kingdom. They will abandon their attempt to run after the objects of their craving, namely power, sex, fame, and wealth. And this is the basic practice.
When we confirm that the Kingdom is available, that well-being is possible, we also confirm the existence of the practice that can make the Kingdom available. That will make well-being available, right here, right now!And that is what we call the Noble Path. Noble Path, The Eightfold Path reveals the Kingdom of God so that we can get in touch. And if the teaching is good, the practice is good, you get it right away! If you are a good practitioner one in-breath is enough for you to go into the Kingdom. You only make one step and that is enough. But sometimes there is a habit of energy pushing you out of the Kingdom. You want to run. And that is the habit energy that has been transmitted by former generations. But you resist. You say, "No! I don't want to get out of the Kingdom. I want to stay in the Kingdom." Therefore you use your mindfulness and protect yourself, and continue to touch the Kingdom with every breath, with every step. Last year we offered a retreat for members of the Congress on Capitol Hill. And members of Congress learned how to practice mindful breathing, mindful walking. Before the winter retreat here we got a letter telling us that there are members of the Congress who are now practising walking meditation on Capitol Hill. They reported that they're so busy! They have to meet with so many people! And it's difficult to keep the practice but the easiest practice they can still keep is the practice of walking, mindful walking. And that congressman said that from his office to where he has to go he always practises mindful walking.No thinking at all. And he survived by that practice. No thinking, just breathing and walking.That is why we have to stick to the Kingdom, to practice, to the Kingdom, in order to protect ourselves. We have to get in touch with the Kingdom. And the path helps us, the path offers us the Kingdom, and offers other people the Kingdom. And that is why it is called the Noble Path. You are noble not because of your race but by your way of living. And the Buddha said that very clearly: ● If you practice Right Thinking, your thinking is noble. ● If you practice Right View, your views are noble. ● If you practice Right Speech, your speech is noble. ● If you practice Right Action,your action is noble. And I can call you, Your Nobleness. Your Holiness! Your Nobleness! Because the element of nobility is there!
Everytime you produce a thought that has the element of understanding and compassion in it, that thought is noble. Everytime we say something and if it carries compassion and understanding, that speech is noble. You don't have to try to convince yourself that you are noble. You just demonstrate that you are noble. In three aspects: ● Thinking. ● Speech. ● And action. And nobody can deny that you are really noble, a noble person.And this is what the Buddha said:, “You are noble because of your way of life, and not because of your blood.And the word, "Noble Path," is very clear. And when you practice the opposite, you follow an Ignoble Path. ● Wrong View. ● Wrong Thinking. ● Wrong Speech. ● Wrong Action. That opens Hell, opens the door of Hell for you and for other people. Wrong Perceptions. Wrong Perceptions that bring about; ● Hate. ● Anger. ● Fear. ● Discrimination. Wrong Perceptions are in the realm of thinking. Our consciousness is like a television set with many channels. If you want the channel "Hell" you push on the button of the Ignoble Path and you have Hell right away. And if you want "WellBeing" you push on the button of the Noble Path. Our store consciousness preserves within herself all kinds of seeds. The Sanskrit term is "bija". There are wholesome seeds and there are unwholesome seeds. According to Mahayana Buddhism there are 51 varieties of seeds that can bring about 51 mental formations. And we have learned that the seed of anger when touched, will manifest as a mental formation called Anger. When the seed of mindfulness is touched it manifests itself as a mental formation called Mindfulness. Mindfulness of Anger
And we learn that if the seed of anger is too potent it can manifest itself very easily, very quickly. ● The seed of violence. ● The seed of despair. ● The seed of fear. And that is why the practice of mindfulness is to prevent these seeds from growing everyday. Everyone has a seed of; ● Anger. ● Despair. ● Fear. ● Hate. And if we allow that seed to be watered, they will become strong. We will suffer, and we'll make the people around us suffer. That is why a Peace Treaty was signed by a couple. Each one promises that he or she will not water the negative seeds in him and in the other person. This is a very beautiful practice. Of peace, of happiness, called the practice of selective watering. We have seen that the practice does not need a long time. Half an hour of practice can already change the situation. You practice watering the good seeds in you, you practice watering the good seeds in her, or in him. And fifteen minutes, twenty minutes after, you and the other person feel much better. And if you know how to do it everyday the situation will change. You have to sign a treaty of practice and if possible you sign it in the presence of many friends. The Peace Treaty is signed in Plum Village by many couples. And between father and son, mother and daughter also, in the presence of Sangha. And after signing, they practice and they report to us. It's a very effective practice. According to that practice not only will you refrain from watering the negative seeds but you make the commitment to water the good seeds in the other person and in you. The Sangha is the Buddhist community; it is the men, women and children who follow the teachings of the Buddha. The term, which in Sanskrit and Pāli means “collection” or “assemblage,” a group of people living together for a certain purpose, has come to have two different referents."And the other person will make the same commitment to refrain from watering your negative seeds.
But try to water the good seeds in you everyday. You practice like gardeners for each other. The person you love is your garden. You have to take good care of your garden. And if the garden yields flowers and fruits you are the one to enjoy. THE SECOND NOBLE TRUTH CONSUMPTION The Buddha and his senior disciples like Shariputra like to talk about the Second Noble Truth in terms of consumption Consumption The Buddha spoke about four kinds of foods, four kinds of nutriments. The first kind of nutriment is called; ●Edible foods. You take it in by the way of the mouth. And the Buddha urged us to consume only items that bring about lightness, healing, nourishment into our body and into our mind. And the second kind of food is called; ● Sensory impressions. This kind of nutriment comes through the way of; ● The eyes. ● Ears. ● Nose. ● Tongue. ● Body and mind. You consume by reading articles. When you read an article you consume. And that article may contain a lot of toxins like; ● Craving. ● Violence. ● Fear. ● Discrimination. ● Hate. When you watch television, you consume. The TV programme may be full of poisons. When you drive through the city, you consume. Because what you see in terms of advertisements, what you hear about in terms of advertisement are also items of consumption You don't want to consume but they force you to consume. Driving through the city you have to see these kinds of publicity. And that is why mindfulness helps us to protect ourselves by the practice of mindful consumption and that is the object of the Fifth Mindfulness Training.
Our young people watch television several hours a day, maybe two, three or more. Because their parents are so busy. And while watching television,they allow the seed; ● Of craving, ● Of violence in themselves to be watered. They keep growing and growing, and this is very dangerous. Even conversations may be highly toxic. What the other person says may be full of hate, or despair and after one hour of listening to him or her you feel paralysed! So many toxins she said!And that's why don't listen too much to that kind of conversation. And if you're a psychotherapist it's not wise you spend all day listening to the suffering of the people. Because you have seeds of suffering in you and if you continue to listen to them the seed of suffering in you will be watered again and again. And someday you'll get sick. And you go to another therapist.And that is why the practice of a therapist is to devote enough time to get in touch with paradise. There must be hours for him or her to practice; ● Walking. ● Sitting. Getting in touch with the wonders of life for their nourishment and solidity.So that the therapist will have enough strength to do the work of listening to suffering. And you have to know your limit. If your capacity is to receive six persons a day, don't try to do more than six persons. You will burn out. Your suffering will increase to the point that you cannot, you will not be able to continue. That is why as a therapist you have to practice like this– get in touch with the Third Noble Truth. Get in touch with the refreshing and healing elements to nourish yourself. Using mindfulness to look deeply into the source of Well-Being, practice mindful consumption so that the negative seeds in you will not be watered.
We have six doors to guard. We have to post an inspector,a soldier in front of each door. ● The door of eyes. ● The door of the ears. ● The door of the nose. ● The door of the tongue. ● The door of the body. ● The door of the mind. And do not allow the enemies to penetrate into your citadel. That is the practice of mindful consumption. ● You select the filmYou select the article. ● You select the music. ● You select the kind of conversation. That will not bring toxins and poisons into yourself. This is the practice of self protection and the protection of your family, of your community. It's very urgent! STEP NUMBER ONE; UNMINDFUL CONSUMPTION THE FIFTH MINDFULNESS TRAINING The basic practice for you and for your community. If you don't then they will grow very big and they tend to push the door of mind consciousness to come up. Usually we say that store consciousness is like the basement and mind consciousness is like the living room. And anything you don't like you put in the basement. You want to keep the living room beautiful. But the blocks of suffering in you don't want to stay in the cave, in the basement. If they have become so strong they just push the door and settle here without your invitation. Especially during the night when you have no means to control they push the door and go into mind consciousness. And during the day also the violence, the craving, the hate, The anger is pushing hard.Because you have allowed them to grow everyday by the way of unmindful consumption. And that is why you try to resist! You try to close the door very firmly. You set up a kind of embargo here. You don't allow them, you repress them. And how do you repress?
You try to fill up your conscious mind with other items. And you do that by consumption. You don't feel well. You feel that it's coming up. So you play the music to keep the mind busy. You pick up the telephone and talk. You take the car and drive out. You turn on the television. You do everything in order to keep the living room occupied so that these blocks of pain have no chance to come up. That is the policy that many of us adopt. And the market outside provide us with many items so that we can bring into the living room and fill it up always twenty four hours a day in order for-You're afraid that they will come up. And you know something? The thing you consume, like the television, like a novel, they may also contain a lot of toxins like; ● Craving. ● And hate. ● And violence. And while you are consuming like that these poisons fall down into store consciousness.And make these blocks of suffering grow. Because they are the fruit of unmindful consumption in the past. And now unmindful consumption in the present moment continues to make them grow stronger. And this is a very, very dangerous situation that is why the first step is to stop these kinds of unmindful consumption, preventing these seeds that are already born not to grow anymore. The first step:mindful consumption. And you have to discuss the strategy for mindful consumption; with your beloved one, with members of your family.You have to meet in an emergency like the cabinet of a government to meet in an emergency to discuss a strategy for self protection, protection of the family, of the couple. Mindful consumption is the object of the Fifth Mindfulness Training.
SECOND STEP; IS TO PRACTICE TOUCHING THE POSITIVE You don't touch the negative, instead you try to touch the positive. Look at the blue sky. Breathing in, I'm aware of the blue sky. Breathing out, I smile to the blue sky. And you touch the blue sky, and the blue sky touches you. Breathing in, I'm aware of the mountains. Breathing out, I see the mountains are wonderful. You touch the beautiful mountains, the blue mountains touch you. There are so many things that are beautiful. Refreshing and healing, get in touch. The Kingdom is available, get in touch with the Kingdom. Listen to a Dharma talk.A Dharma talk can water many good seeds in us. When you attend a 7-day retreat everyday you hear a Dharma talk. A Dharma talk is a kind of rain that falls into the soil of your store consciousness and comes and waters the beautiful seeds that you have in it. And sometimes during a Dharma talk you feel that a good seed in you sprouts! And become a flower of freshness, of joy. So in a retreat the rain of the Dharma always helps you touch the wonderful seeds in you. And then practice mindfulness of; ● Breathing. ● Of walking. So that the seed of mindfulness grows, the seed of joy grows. And allow these (negative seeds) to have a chance to sleep. Don't give them the chance. Don't consume like you did in the past. And if someone comes and is about to touch them (the negative seeds), Say, "Please, no!" "Don't touch these seeds in me." And when the seed of mindfulness and joy in you is strong enough, when these seeds of mindfulness and joy are solid enough you take the third step. THE THIRD STEP; YOU REMOVE THE EMBARGO And allow them to come up, one by one. Because if you allow them, if you repress them too long by the way of unmindful consumption you create a situation of bad circulation of your mind, of your psyche. They want to come up and yet you repress them. And that is why you create blockage, a situation of bad circulation.
And that is the strategy of the majority. We are afraid of them coming up. That is why we occupy the mind with items of consumption. ● Television. ● Novels. ● Music. ● Food. ● And drugs. Because we know that we are not able to handle them, we use these kinds of things. We try everything in order to repress. And it is like the blood in our body. When the blood in our body does not circulate many symptoms of illness will manifest. There are many painful spots in our body; ● We get a headache. ● The pain on our shoulders. ● We have all kinds of sickness because the blood does not circulate. The same is true with the blood of the mind. When you block your mind and not allow these mental formations to come up you create a situation of bad circulation and slowly symptoms of mental illness will appear. And when you go to the doctor they don't find any cause (of sickness) in your body and yet you suffer in your body. And that is why it's dangerous to practice this kind of suppression by the practice of consuming That is why the third step should be taken. We allow our anger, our fear to come up. Usually we are afraid of doing so. Our strategy is to run away from our suffering. We have no courage to come home to ourselves and confront the suffering. The Buddha advises us to go home and take care of our suffering. If you know how to practice the second step you have enough of this energy of mindfulness in order to do the work of recognition and embracing. In sitting meditation you may allow your anger to come up. And you have mindfulness in order to recognise, embrace, and look deeply. ● Breathing in, I know anger has manifested in me. ● Breathing out, I embrace my anger with all tenderness. ● Breathing in, I know that anger is still in me. ● Breathing out, I am taking good care of my anger.
Like a big sister holding the younger sister. Like a mother holding a baby. Even if you have not seen, you have not practised deeply enough in order to see the nature of your anger and transform it, your anger will lose some of its strength. After having taken a bath of consciousness, of mindfulness. That's exactly what you do-● You allow your anger. ● Or your fear. ● Or your despair. To take a bath of mindfulness and after that, after five, ten, fifteen minutes, they will come back down to store consciousness a little bit weaker, just a little bit weaker because of the bath of mindfulness. But you have to offer a bath of mindfulness. You have to know how to practice; ● Mindful breathing. ● Mindful smiling. ● Mindful walking. To continue generating the energy of mindfulness in order to embrace whatever comes up.Your fear, your anger, your despair.And after some time, having been embraced, they go down here to their home. And if you can do it once you are no longer afraid of their coming up. And you say, "Next time when they come up,I will do exactly that. I'll practice mindful breathing, mindful walking, to have enough of this energy of mindfulness and I'll embrace it like I have done before." And they will go down and a little bit weaker.My dear friends, if you don't believe that you are strong enough and your mindfulness is strong enough to recognise and embrace your pain, then ask a brother or a sister in the practice to come and sit close to you. Holding her hand, asking her to help you with her energy of mindfulness, and together both of you will recognise the pain in you and embrace the pain in you for three, five, ten, fifteen minutes if needed.You need a copractitioner when you are weak. She will lend you her energy of mindfulness. And if you have several brothers and sisters in the community you are no longer afraid. Because the boat of the Sangha will keep you from sinking into the river of suffering. Collective mindfulness is strong enough to hold your pain and your sorrow.
That is why taking refuge in the Sangha is very important! Especially when you are a beginner and your mindfulness is not strong enough to recognise and embrace your suffering and give your anger, your despair a chance to take a bath in that energy of mindfulness. That is the energy of the Buddha. And after you have been able to do it once you have the confidence. You are not afraid. So you open the door and then blocks of suffering will come up and be taken care of and go down like this. And you restore good circulation.And symptoms of mental illness will go away.And this can be practised as a group, as a community. That is why it's very important that you set up a group of practitioners in your area. And you master the techniques of; ● Mindful breathing. ● Mindful walking. ● Mindful sitting. And you learn how to touch the Pure Land, the Kingdom of God, everyday.The practice should be joyful.The practice should deal not only with the suffering but with the happiness. And you know that happiness, the Kingdom, the Pure Land, is available in the here and the now. The practice should be balanced.The Fifth Mindfulness Training shows us the practice of mindful consumption of edible foods, and the practice of mindful consumption of sensory impressions.Last week we had a retreat for Hollywood entertainers. And we told them that we need them to help us with the practice. They should try to provide us with films that water the good seeds in us. And it would be very helpful if they refrained from making the films that water the seed of;Anger, violence and fear in us.They listened very very deeply. Because they have a good seed of wisdom in them. So during that retreat I did my best to water the seed of compassion and understanding, responsibility, in these people. And let us continue to help them.The third source of nutriment that the Buddha talked about is called volition (the power to make your own decisions). The deepest kind of desire that we have in ourselves. Because the life of a person is motivated by that desire. If you don't have any desire you cannot continue to live. The desire may be very wholesome, or very unwholesome. Siddhartha Gautama who became a Buddha, was motivated by a very strong desire: to transform himself and to help the world. He was supposed to become a king, a politician.
But as he observed, he saw that his father was very helpless. Having the power of a king in his hand but he was helpless. There's a lot of corruption, lots of difficulties, misery in the country and with that political power he could not do much. Because there are; ● Afflictions. ● Fear. ● hate. ● Violence. ● Anger. In them, politicians are very limited in their power to act. So Siddhartha did not care about becoming a king and having a lot of power. That's why he left the palace seeking a path to transformation and healing. And that desire was so strong in him that he was able to undergo many hardships and finally he succeeded in becoming an enlightened person with a lot of understanding and compassion. And he did not feel tired at all during the 45 years of teaching, practising and helping people. And he helped everyone. Kings, ministers, rich businessmen, and scavengers, slaves, he helped everyone! And he accepted all kinds of people in his noble Sangha. In his Sangha there's no caste. There's no race. There's only a race of enlightenment. The noble Sangha.You are the noble Sangha of the Buddha. You are the beloved Sangha of the Buddha. No discrimination. And if you practice mindfulness, concentration, and insight you bring the element of nobility into your daily life. That is why the Sangha is called a noble Sangha. If your deepest desire is to have; ● A lot of fame. ● A lot of sex. ● A lot of consumption. That desire can bring you a lot of suffering. That is why we have to look deeply into our deepest desire to find out whether it is wholesome or unwholesome. If you are motivated by a desire to transform yourself, and to help your people, your community to transform, to bring joy and hope into their life,to live in the spirit, in the wisdom of non-discrimination, capable of protecting themselves from complexes and suffering so that your community will be a powerful instrument for social change, then you have the best kind of volition.That gives you an infinite source of energy.
You become very alive, very dynamic in your daily life. And you make your community into a dynamic community because your community also has the deepest desire for social change. Social change,social justice, equality can be obtained with the transformation of our consciousness, of our collective consciousness. Because consciousness is at the base. If we are not capable of changing ourselves; ● Our way of thinking. ● Our way of perceiving. If we are not free from wrong perceptions, then any kind of action no matter how direct they are, will not bring the kind of result we want. Actions like sit-in, teach-in, pray-in, Wait-in, Will be meaningful only when they are born from our freedom, our compassion, our understanding. If you have the wisdom of non-discrimination, if you have the energy of understanding and compassion then these kinds of actions can bring about the result very quickly. Social change is only the outcome of the change of our consciousness. Then this is why this practice should be done right away! ● In our family. ● In our community. ● In your community of Pure Land practice. ● Organise to do it. ● To practice it in your family. ● In a community. ● In your church. Baptist or not, you practice the same. The same kind of practice. Getting in touch with the Kingdom, everyday, several times a day. Learning how to handle the suffering individual and collective, for transformation and healing. These are the basic practises. PAnd if you succeed in transforming yourself, your community and then social change will come about very easily.And many people looking at you, looking at your way of life, see that you embody the practice; ● Of non-discrimination. ● Of compassion.
They could join you. And you'll have a lot of allies. Even if they do not belong to the same kind of culture. And this is the point that we have to discuss in our dharma discussions.One day a leader of a Native American community came to me. We met in Vermont and he invited me to join him in speaking to Europeans and others, speaking about the plight, the suffering of Native Americans. To draw the people's attention in the world to that suffering. I invited him to sit down and to have a cup of tea with me, and very slowly, I tried to tell him: that the first step is not that. The first step is that he goes home to his community and helps his community to practice. These kinds of basic things. Like the Five Mindfulness Trainings; ● Creating brotherhood. ● Sisterhood. ● Awakening. To free ourselves from wrong perceptions, from wrong discrimination, from discrimination. Because discrimination does not only exist in them. Discrimination does exist in each of us. We have both Hell and Paradise in us. They also have Hell and Paradise. So if we are capable of touching paradise and transforming hell in us, we will be able to help them touch the paradise in them and transform hell in them. They are no longer our enemies. They are the people we want to help.But we have to help ourselves first.It's not a problem of protesting. Because we can see them as victims of their wrong perceptions, of their own ignorance, and fear, and violence. And that is why to me it's very, very crucial, it's very urgent to go home to ourselves and to our community and begin the real practice. The practice of mindful consumption– so that we can heal our body, we can heal our consciousness, our mind. This kind of practice, of mindful consumption, ● Not to use alcohol. ● Not to use drugs. ● Not to use items of consumption; Like television programmes, books, that can bring toxins in us, is at the base at the foundation of our practice.And at the time when our young people no longer use drugs, and consume these toxic items, we become a living Dharma talk.
We can come and help those still in prison because of the fact that they consumed drugs, committed violence, because they had violence in them but they did not know how to handle violence in them that is why they go into prison. We have to try ways to come and help them.In my tradition, in the ancient times, Buddhist temples worked in farming: agricultural Zen, "No work, no food." So we farmed our land and supported our community. And we went to the government and we asked them to hand over a number of prisoners. We made the commitment to teach these prisoners. We accept them into our community. We would give the work for them, farming to do, and they learned the practice of the Five Mindfulness Trainings. And the government, the authorities, believed in the Buddhist tradition because we had succeeded many times to transform, to teach our prisoners. And finally we helped these prisoners to get married, to have a plot of land, to build a house, and to start their life. In the past we had been able to do things like that. I think in our time we can do things that are similar. The young men and women who have so much violence and fear in themselves,and also their seed of craving is big, they don't know how to handle these seeds. They committed crimes. They have done wrong things. They got into prisons, and they should be helped. We should have a programme to help them to transform. We could talk to the government, to the correction institutions, that there are better ways to help a young person to transform than to put him in prison. We can organise communities of mindful living. We can guarantee for these people. We can help them transform and become good citizens of the society. This is in the scope of our practice. The practice of mindful living, practises of transformation and healing. This practice described by the Buddha is not only to help the individual. In fact the Buddha urged us to practice this as a community. And when the community embodies the spirit of the Dharma, then the community can have an impact on society and produce social change. And it looks like each monk, each lay person in his beloved Sangha, becomes a kind of social worker. Social worker in the broadest sense, broader meaning. When you can help a person to see his path and to get motivated by the desire to transform and to do good, you are a social worker. When you organise a dharma discussion or a day of mindfulness and help people to touch the Dharma, to taste the joy of the practice of peace, well you are doing social work. So the spiritual and the social realms are not separated.
Whatever you can do in the spiritual realm will benefit deeply the social realm and so on. There is the fourth nutriment called consciousness. Consciousness as food.The Buddha said; “That everything comes from consciousness. And when consciousness is taken care of, when wrong perceptions have been removed, consciousness becomes wisdom. And our way of thinking, our way of feeling, determines everything.” One person may have a feeling like fear, like anger, and if that person is an artist or a writer, he can share his fear and anger with other people. And together they create a collective feeling of fear, of anger. And when fear has become collective, and anger has become collective, it is extremely dangerous.The September 11th event created a lot of fear and anger at the same time. Not many people helped us to understand our fear, our anger. To embrace them and look deeply into the nature of our fear or our anger.And our government (USA) has acted on the foundation of that collective fear and anger. It is very dangerous. The war on terrorism has forced us to look for the worst in people. In the Buddhist tradition, the Buddha reminds us that everyone has Buddha nature. Everyone has the Kingdom of peace inside. And there is a bodhisattva who goes around and tells people, "I do not underestimate you. You are a Buddha, to become." And that is his message:Everyone has Buddha nature. But the war on terrorism is seeking the opposite. Every passenger on a plane could be a terrorist. If you have travelled in the last few years you know. They are not looking for your Buddha nature!They are looking at you as a potential terrorist. And when a culture goes like that, it goes wrong. Yet not many people, not many of us wake up to that reality. A writer --if you got an insight of interbeing and the wisdom of nondiscrimination, you know the noble way, the noble path of realising peace and touching joy, you can write a novel or a story that can influence people and will create a collective feeling of brotherhood, of awakening. And you can provide people with a kind of consciousness food that is healthy. Because as a writer, as a filmmaker, as a teacher, as a parent, you can change consciousness! You can create a collective consciousness that goes in the right direction. Consciousness that contain elements of understanding and compassion and non-discrimination. If you live in a society where everyone believes the same thing, you'll believe the same thing.You go to an art exhibition. And you feel you do not understand any painting.they don't look beautiful to you. But everyone says, "Oh how beautiful! How beautiful!"
And you see the price, very high! And you are forced to believe they are beautiful! And that beauty is a fabrication of collective consciousness. And you know the stock market, the value of the stock market is purely an invention of the mind. It has no ground reality! And that is why it's very important that you not associate with the foolish one! With the people who have so much fear and discrimination. You have to seek a community, for a neighbourhood where people are thinking in terms of compassion and understanding. And allow your children to live in that environment. Who cares about the fourth kind of nutriment: consciousness. And therefore your community should be organised in such away that a sane, healthy kind of food will be provided.Not only edible food, sensory impression food, wholesome desire, but also a healthy collective consciousness. And that discourse of the Buddha about the four kinds of nutriments is very, very important. ● Edible food. ● Sense impressions. ● Volition. ● Consciousness. It should be studied and put into practice because mindful consumption seems to be the only way out. And should be the object of study of all departments of nutrition. We need the time to come together. To go deeply into these matters. There is a way out! We should be able to have the time to build our Sangha. Sangha is the only safe place for us and for our children. And in the context of Sangha we sit down and practice looking deeply into our situation. And Sangha is the place where we can generate the energy of mindfulness, concentration. We can get the best kind of insight that can be the torch lighting our path. The path of transformation and healing that will lead to social change. If you want, if you think we can do it, then we'll have to organise a longer retreat. This retreat is an opportunity for us to come together and to realise how important this kind of practice is.
In 1956 Doctor Ambedkar organised a ceremony of transmission of the Five Mindfulness Trainings in Nagpur, India. He was an untouchable. He had been, and his ancestors had been victims of discrimination for a long time, millions of years. And he found in Buddhism a path of non-discrimination. He saw, he realised that the Buddha is a friend. Simply because the teaching of the Buddha is the teaching of non-discrimination. Whether you are noble or not depends on your action, your way of life, and not your caste. So he organised an ordination ceremony for people to receive the Three Refuges and the Five Trainings. And there were half a million people who took the Three Refuges at the same time in that morning in Nagpur. I have been able to go there and help the untouchable Buddhists in India.They want to invite me again for a day of mindfulness. There may be 300,000 people attending the day of mindfulness. They have taken up Buddhist practice as a refuge because they feel more comfortable in a teaching that is all-embracing. But the political will although is strong, although the political will for change is strong, the practice is not real and strong enough. Most of the people embrace Buddhism because they believe that Buddhism can offer a chance for social change, for social justice. And the act of taking the Three Refuges and Five Precepts is an act of --has a lot of political meaning in it.But to me, it is the practice, the basic practice that will bring about real emancipation! ● Political action is not enough! ● Social action is not enough! ● There should be the real practice! ● The solid practice! And I urge you my friends to go home and begin right away! The basic, solid Practice of transformation and healing in our family, and in our community. Political social change will be possible, and will be much easier when we have that foundation of practice.
So this is a little of what I and a Better Way are all about, I
hope you enjoyed the read and throughout the booklet you were able to take something away to practice in your own daily life. The main take away from this read is to really think about how you think and to use gratitude, not just now and then but
everyday. Create positive affirmations to create a great day, week, month, year and ultimately a great life. Feel free to join A Better Way Facebook Group Read more inspiring articles that started the whole process here at A Better Way Blog
Some of my favourite Guides, tools and activities Thank you, Thank you, Thank you Brian Luke
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