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Have you ever been betrayed?

Have you ever had the feeling?

It knocks the breath out of you hard; you feel pain in your heart

It makes one feel like a fool

I know this is a sensitive subject to chat about, but I thought I would share my experience with you all at an age of 47...it still happens!

Do not follow where the path may lead.  Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Friendship is one of the most divine relationships of all. It carries the essence of all other relations. There are no expectations in friendship and neither are there any limits. Friendship is no less than a spiritual bond between two individuals.

True friends are hard to find and even harder to keep. With increasing dishonesty, corruption, and disloyalty, it is hard to find the right person to trust and accept as a friend. With so many people believing in gossip and cheap plots, betrayal of friendship has become very common. People are so self absorbed these days that they don't tend to see whether the friends they have are trustworthy individuals or not. Worse are those people who betray true friends because of materialistic pleasures. Coping up with friends cheating is quite hard, more so if you have no fault of yours. But, life goes on and you make new friends. You push away your hurtful past and learn a valuable lesson from it.

When friends let you down and are not there for you when you need them the most, it is known as betrayal. Sometimes the reason why friends betray you is just not known. When you are at the receiving end, you feel hurt, confused and angry. You demand answers as to why have you been betrayed for absolutely no fault of yours. The talks end abruptly, phone calls are not returned, letters remain unanswered and there is no contact whatsoever.

SHATTERED, furious, resentful, heartbroken, numb, humiliated, rejected, hurt, and NOT SAFE - these are just some of the feelings we experience when we've been betrayed.

It is ok to give yourself permission upset, hurt, ticked off, frustrated, sad and even disappointed...AND THEN MOVE ON!  Because at some point, hate, anger, sadness will CONSUME you!

You will have to come to terms with reality and accept that things were not meant to be.
Though it may seem like the end of the world, there are ways to cope up with it.

    * Determine if the whole thing was a misunderstanding. It's easy to get emotional (positive or negative) with friends and you may have rushed to conclusions.

    * Keep things in perspective.

    * Be willing to forgive despite your anger. This is key to getting past your anger towards them and not harboring grudges.

    * Consider whether or not you want to maintain a friendly relationship with the person. Many times, a friend that betrays once will do it again.
 
    * Try to relax and take some time alone. Meditate, shop, dance, do whatever you have to do to make yourself happy. You are more likely to find a worthwhile solution while doing something you enjoy.


There is no point in dragging along a friendship when you know you are not comfortable with it. End it politely and quickly and most importantly, don't regret your action. If you start feeling sorry, you are putting yourself in trouble. There is a reason for every action you take and you must have thought a lot about it before making a decision. Learn to trust your gut feelings (intuitions) and have confidence in yourself.

Remembered is that these betrayals are experiences that teach you valuable lessons in life.

Nobody's journey is seamless or smooth, we all stumble, and we all have setbacks. If things go wrong, you hit a dead end as you will...it's just life's way of saying time to change course. Every failures, every crisis, every difficult time...ASK YOURSELF...

WHAT IS THIS SUPPOSE TO TEACH ME?

NOT...

Why is this happening to me?

YET...

What is this suppose to teach me?

KNOW YOUR OWN WORTH...KNOW YOUR OWN POWER

Don't be afraid to seek help and talk about it to others. Such betrayals should not stop you from trusting people and making new friends.

Tips

    * Follow your instincts and past experiences when it comes to trusting people. There are, obviously, some people you can never trust and some people you can.

    * One of the things I have tried very hard to eliminate from my life is negativity. Negativity is nothing but toxic energy. This toxic energy can come in the form of toxic people, or energy whose only job is to suck and drain the life out of you; or toxic situations. When I find myself in one of these toxic environments, be it with people or circumstances, if I cannot turn the situation around, then I merely excuse myself and remove myself.

Live consciously, stay in the present moment. This is difficult to do if you are prone towards worrying about the future and fretting over the past.

The past has NO power and the future has NO presence

What you really want is to be surrounded by people you trust and treasure and people that cherish you.

Some people come into our lives and quickly go.  Some stay for a while, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same.  ~Flavia Weedn

I truly hope you can benefit from my journey and discover the support to get over any betrayals in your life with grace and ease.

Photo Credit © Astroid | Dreamstime.com

He references a conversation that the two of you had within the first few months of dating.  Something you said that showed him who you really were.  It was done in a joking manner, but it still was the truth.  So did that comment hold fast in his memory all these years, or did it resurface after being buried amongst the denial? 

I don't think that people necessarily change for other people.  I think there is give and take in any relationship. Change never really works out, does it?  Is there a reason why a woman suddenly shows an interest in baseball when she never cared before?  Or how about the man who tells her he likes to dress up and go out to dinner?  Seriously?  I have to assume that it has to do with acceptance.  Everyone has a need for that.  But at what price?

I honestly don't care for the cliches.  "We've grown apart", "We're on different planes", "We aren't the same people we used to be."  No, I've always been this person. I hid part of me under the pretense that I thought we were happy.  So maybe it's just easier to go along for the ride and kid yourself that you can eek out the real you in small increments.  Eventually you have gathered enough courage to really come to life, but are hit head on with the reality that it wasn't what the other person wanted to have happen.

So here you are.  Your character flaws exposed and now used against you.  All he said about you "changing" is really who you have always been.  You didn't change. You just never realized until now that, who you really are, was not what he had in mind.

Photo Credit © Andrea Rankovic | Dreamstime.com

The individual challenge for all of us?

FIND WHAT WORKS... on a regular basis!

We each have areas that we tend to be more proficient in. There are different personality types so this makes sense. And since each of us can be very different in that way we can also be very different physically.

Here is the challenge and the key - finding what works for our individual body type and metabolism. Then make it interesting and fun enough to do it consistently.

We all know that we need to eat a well balanced diet and combine that with exercise and an active lifestyle.

Professional athletes take this to a whole new level, measuring aspects like VO2 max( how their bodies use oxygen & how fast they can recover), body fat percentage, blood glucose, resting and max heart rates. The list goes on and on. But their primary goal in all of that is to find the ultimate combination to maximize their potential, turning it into a tangible result.

There are a few things that can derail us from our action plan. These are typically injury and sickness. And there is always the business of life (big excuse) so we are going to throw this one away. There...gone for good, right? Now let's assume we stay relatively healthy, ignoring soreness, stiffness and fatigue.

Now let's assume we are organized, have a game plan AND we are going to be flexible when life throws it's inevitable curve balls at us. Done.

Here's where the hard work begins. We really have to make the effort to listen to what our bodies are telling us. They are truly incredible pieces of machinery and when we tune them up by eating right and exercising and getting enough rest they let us know that we have done a good thing either by our physical appearance or by how we feel. We have energy, we don't get sick or at least not as often. It's like looking after a high end sports car. You give it the very best of fuel and attention and it performs to it's optimum. You have the best opportunity to succeed!

Do not get discouraged because it can take awhile to figure out what exactly works best for each of us. And just to make it more interesting our bodies change as we get older, kind of like a classic car, and it may take a little more care to keep it performing. Here's where the automobile analogies end. We cannot trade it in for a new model !!!!

Bottom line- it's worth taking the time to figure out what works for each of us. We all know the common sense basics, it's in the fine tuning that we can really reap the rewards. If you try one thing and it's not working quite the way you want, change it! Experiment. Try again and keep doing this until you get results because it is worth it. Not to mention how you feel mentally, you just feel good about yourself when you exercise! Mental & Physical go hand in hand.

Read Taking Action Part One

Give yourself permission...

I'm pent up. Pressure, pressure, pressure. I need to vent, cut loose. I'm always on my best behavior. I can't remember the last time I did something silly or fun, laugh out loud...Sound familiar? What does it mean to have fun? What does it mean to have a good time? "

The proper function of man is to live - not to exist." -- Jack London

Do you ever feel like the energizer bunny?

Too often we go through life on autopilot, going through the motions and having each day pass like the one before it. Going, going and going.

That's fine, and comfortable, until you have gone through another year without having done anything, without having really lived life.

That's fine, until you have reached old age and look back on life with regrets.

That's fine; until you see your kids go off to college and realize that you missed their childhoods.

It's not fine. If you want to truly live life, to really experience it, to enjoy it to the fullest, instead of barely scraping by and only living a life of existence, then you need to find ways to break free from the mold and drink from life.

What follows is just a list of ideas suggested by Leo Babauta, obvious ones mostly that you could have thought of yourself, but that I hope are useful reminders. .

Love
Perhaps the most important. Fall in love, if you aren't already. If you have, fall in love with your partner all over again. Abandon caution and let your heart be broken. Or love family members, friends, anyone -- it doesn't have to be romantic love. Love all of humanity, one person at a time. 

Get outside
Don't let yourself be shut indoors. Go out when it's raining. Walk on the beach. Hike through the woods. Swim in a freezing lake. Bask in the sun. Play sports, or walk barefoot through grass. Pay close attention to nature.

Savor food
Don't just eat your food, but really enjoy it. Feel the texture, the bursts of flavors. Savor every bite. If you limit your intake of sweets, it will make the small treats you give yourself (berries or dark chocolate are my favorites) even more enjoyable. And when you do have them, really, really savor them. Slowly.

Create a morning ritual.
Wake early and greet the day. Watch the sun rise. Out loud, tell yourself that you will not waste this day, which is a gift. You will be compassionate to your fellow human beings, and live every moment to its fullest. Stretch or meditate or exercise as part of your ritual. Enjoy some coffee.

Follow excitement
Try to find the things in life that excite you, and then go after them. Make life one exciting adventure.

Find your passion
Make your living by doing the thing you love to do. First, think about what you really love to do. There may be many things. Find out how you can make a living doing it. It may be difficult, but you only live once. .

Get out of your cubicle
Do you sit all day in front of computer, shuffling papers and taking phone calls and chatting on the Internet? Don't waste your days like this. Break free from the cubicle environment, and do your work on a laptop, in a coffee shop, or on a boat, or in a log cabin. This may require a change of jobs, or becoming a freelancer. It's worth it. .

Travel
Sure, you want to travel some day. When you have vacation time, or when you're older. Well, what are you waiting for? Find a way to take a trip, if not this month, then sometime soon. You may need to sell your car or stop your cable bill and stop eating out to do it, but make it happen. You are too young to not see the world. If need be, find a way to make a living by freelancing, then work while you travel. Only work an hour or two a day. Don't check email but once a week. Then use the rest of the time to see the world. 

Rediscover what's important
Take an hour and make a list of everything that's important to you. Add to it everything that you want to do in life. Now cut that list down to 4-5 things. Just the most important things in your life. This is your core list. This is what matters. Focus your life on these things. Make time for them.

Exercise
Get off the couch and go for a walk. Eventually try running. Or do some pushups and crunches. Or swim or bike or row. Or go for a hike. Whatever you do, get active, and you'll love it. And life will be more alive.

Be positive
Learn to recognize the negative thoughts you have. These are the self-doubts, the criticisms of others, the complaints, the reasons you can't do something. Then stop yourself when you have these thoughts, and replace them with positive thoughts. Solutions. You can do this! .

Kiss in the rain
Seize the moment and be romantic. Raining outside? Grab your lover and give her a passionate kiss. Driving home, Stop the car and pick some wildflowers. Send a love note. Dress sexy. 

Slow down
Life moves along at such a rapid pace these days. It's not healthy, and it's not conducive to living. Practice doing everything slowly -- everything, from eating to walking to driving to working to reading. Enjoy what you do.

Play with children
Children, more than anyone else, know how to live. They experience everything in the moment, fully. When they get hurt, they really cry. When they play, they really have fun. Learn from them, instead of thinking you know so much more than them. Play with them, and learn to be joyful like them.

Take mini-retirements
Don't leave the joy of retirement until you are too old to enjoy it. Do it now, while you're young. It makes working that much more worth it. Find ways to take a year off every few years. Save up; sell your home, your possessions, and travel. Live simply, but live, without having to work. Enjoy life, then go back to work and save up enough money to do it again in a couple of years.

Do nothing.
Despite the tip above that we should find excitement, there is value in doing nothing as well. Not doing nothing as in reading, or taking a nap, or watching TV, or meditating. Doing nothing as in sitting there, doing nothing. Just learning to be still, in silence, to hear our inner voice, to be in tune with life. Do this daily if possible.

Watch sunsets, daily
One of the most beautiful times of day. Make it a daily ritual to find a good spot to watch the sunset, perhaps having a light dinner while you do so. 

Break out from ruts
Do you do things the same way every day? Change it up. Try something new. Take a different route to work. Start your day out differently. Approach work from a new angle. Look at things from new perspectives.

Laugh till you cry
Laughing is one of the best ways to live. Tell jokes and laugh your head off. Watch an awesome comedy. Learn to laugh at anything. Roll on the ground laughing. You'll love it.

Make an awesome dessert
I like to make warm, soft chocolate cake. But even berries dipped in chocolate, or crepes with ice cream and fruit, or fresh apple pie, or homemade chocolate chip cookies or brownies, are great. This isn't an everyday thing, but an occasional treat thing. But it's wonderful.

Try something new, every week
 Ask yourself: "What new thing shall I try this week?" Then be sure to do it. You don't have to learn a new language in one week, but seek new experiences. Give it a try. You might decide you want to keep it in your life. 

Be in the moment
Instead of thinking about things you need to do, or things that have happened to you, or worrying or planning or regretting, think about what you are doing, right now. What is around you? What smells and sounds and sights and feelings are you experiencing? Learn to do this as much as possible through meditation, but also through bringing your focus back to the present as much as you can in everything you do.

Part of getting organized is realizing that there is never a perfect time for it and that there is power in just starting and doing. As you progress, you can prioritize your life in terms of what the most important activities are based on your individual goals.

This sounds a lot easier than it is with our daily routines of work and family duties. It is all too easy to go through the daily mundane tasks we all share and decide by days end that you have had a productive day. In fact I was just discussing this with my wife. Should we be striving to find a way to be able to outsource these tasks or should we embrace them for the purpose they serve?

What do I mean by this? Are we mentoring our kids to be responsible stewards of all that they get or will have in the future? We all should appreciate everything we are blessed with and take care to look after those things. This is just common sense, right? I do appreciate the fact that my children will know how to cook, look after their pets, sew, do their own laundry and mow the grass, just to name a few activities. These are essential life skills so that they will be able to function in life.

What about activities that really produce change that we want in our lives? Can we exchange some of the mundane responsibilities for more of the purpose filled activities that   

make life exciting and challenging? I am working on this. You see I am the personality type that finds it easy to get into a daily routine, focus on the task at hand and then repeat. This is a blessing and a curse. It can also make a person seem one dimensional really quickly. It also stops anyone from really knowing who we are and what matters to us.

I have the ability to see things through but also the stubborness to keep at it when it is not working. It is the definition of insanity 'where you do the same thing over and over and expect a different result'. Unfortuntely, my wife has seen me do this first hand and felt the failure in this along with me. "If only I work harder, longer, better.... I know things will change for the positive"... if only this were true.

Ever heard the phrase "work smarter, not harder"? This is essential if we do not want to get sucked in to the thought process that we just need to put in more time.

I am at the point where I want to maximize my time in all aspects of life.

Produce while you are at work, use every minute to it's max but know when to shift gears and focus on other aspects of what makes life so exciting! Do not define yourself by what you do but by who you truly are and what you want to become. That sounds pretty cool doesn't it?

How do we do this? How do we make extra hours in our day in a day that has a finite amount of time? I am willing to bet that we have all asked ourselves this at one time or another. The first step is to organize and prioritize your days. Include activities that are in line with your purpose, your goals. Include fun activities that are good for your soul. Pretty soon when you hit the pillow at night you have had a very satisfying day. One filled with our daily 'have to' activities but most importantly life fulfilling activities like donating time to the betterment of others, your family and keeping relationships alive and well.

Include activities that improve your health, physically and mentally and spiritually so that we get recharged and fired up!

If we do not have a plan full of small action steps this is overwhelming. I know this first hand. I am not a planner. I have to become one! My family and friends will attest to this. I can easily fool myself into believing I have had a productive day if I go to work, make some money and tuck my kids into bed at night. Don't get me wrong, I know that individually these things are a blessing in their own right. I just want more. I believe many people do too.

The first step is realizing that life is more than the mundane and being willing to give yourself a chance to benefit from all life has to offer. Embrace organization, get prioritized, begin activities that will allow you to truly become a mentor to others. Life if full of endless opportunities if we decide to open the door ourselves and not wait for someone to come knocking first!

Join me now in this adventure!!

No matter who you are, where you live, how rich you are or what your age is, life happens to all of us! However, we are all different and we need to find your own way.  
 
"One size fits all" as they say, does not apply here. There are so many preconceived notions about how life 'should' be lived.
 
How to begin: 
Transformation begins when we stretch our boundaries and ask basic questions: What's my role here? What do I really want? What are my passions? Where am I going?
 
What would your life be like if you were doing what you love, with the people you love, in places you love? It's called a passionate life and there is a simple, effective way to discover your passions so you can create that kind of life. Combine purpose, awareness and dedication to guide your future. Strategy is a necessity for victory in personal life and business. Focus on something greater than yourself and bring integrity into every aspect of life. Investigate your ideals, ethics, principles, then learn to cultivate the passion and the clear thinking which will lead you to your highest goals. Be clear about your methods.
 
"Be victorious. When we recognize our desire to matter, to make a difference, when we are in touch with the yearning in our hearts and souls to be a contribution to life, we want to be worthy of that charge. We become more aware of our talents, the possibilities that we have to make a difference in the lives around us whether in small daily actions or in large strokes. We feel a part of the world around us and want to do our part to make it a better place. We start to develop our gifts and remove the blocks to being the best person we can be".
 
If you feel you compromising, use these three steps to restore your integrity!
 
Step One: Create a Life Purpose statement that gives clarity about your beliefs, vision and desires. 
 
Step Two: Ask yourself: When your 95 years old, what will you want to say about your life?
 
Step Three: Identify where you are not being truthful in your life. 
Your mission is not where you currently are, but where you want to be. Be sure to write all of these things down in the present tense--claim it! 
 
How do you know whether you're on the right path, with the right person, or in the right job? The same you know when you're not: You feel it.
 
Each of us has a personal greatness- and because yours is as unique to you as your fingerprint, no one can tell you want it is.
 
Be mindful on purpose
 
Live Consciously, 
The past has NO power and the future has NO presence

I think we've all been there at least once.  Some of us have been there more times than we might care to acknowledge.  I'm talking about the place we end up when someone stomps on our heart; steam rolls our self-confidence and strangles our vision of ever lasting love.  The place we finds ourselves occupying after the breakup that was not our idea.  The breakup that I'm going to help you shake off, move past and laugh about sooner rather than later.

It could be that you think I have a lot of nerve saying I can fix this with my little words of wisdom.  Hey, give me a chance.  If my advice doesn't work for you, you can certainly pass it on to a friend, relative, stranger, Starbucks barista or your UPS delivery person.  Stay with me.  You can thank me later.

First, the most important element of getting past your breakup is that you must get out.  I mean out into the world.  You must leave your living situation, whatever it may be, and you must see/experience people/things.  You must lay eyes on other human beings and objects and animals and traffic and trees.  You will recover from your breakup more quickly if you don't sit at home wallowing.  Where shall I go, you ask?  I am armed with suggestions, some expected, some not.

Let's start with the unexpected.

Waffle House.  Or Huddle House or what ever the local diner, breakfast all day type place is in your neck of the woods.  You are scratching your head, aren't you?  I suggest you just go, sit at the counter, order some gourmet (??) grub and look around you.  Not only will the employees entertain you, the patrons are something to behold.  I had a really great boyfriend who loved Waffle House and he went every week.  I know that he often went alone.  For all I know he went in search of new prospects after we broke up.  (I was responsible for that one.)  This experience will make you smile and possibly laugh out loud as you recount the story of your Waffle House visit to your enamored friends and relatives.  Trust me, just go.

 
Any small art gallery.  Looking at art is good for the soul.  I don't care if your soul is happy or in the depths of breakup hell, you will smile when you look at other people's art.  The term 'art' is highly subjective.  It can be inspiring, horrific, fantastic, scary, funny or all of those things at once.  If you look at some, it will move you.  It will take your mind off the loser who dumped you or who you had to dump.  Even if you encounter an artist that you dislike, it will make you think.  And you will be thinking of something other than the breakup.  Mission accomplished.

 
Petsmart or any other pet store.  When you visit these stores dedicated to animals, chances are some customer is going to have a cute puppy or kitty cat or gerbil or snake with them for you to talk to!  You know that folks bring their pets to these stores for the sole reason that they are pining for compliments and questions about their pride and joy.  You can make a persons day by cuddling their cat or canine while you boost your own spirit and crowd out any and all thoughts of break up person!  If necessary, you can imagine the canine viciously biting break up person or the kitty cat scratching break up person's eyes out.  Plan a visit to Petsmart really soon! 
 
Other suggestions for taking your mind off your breakup include taking a class (a class in voodoo spells always comes in handy) or volunteering in your local community.  Helping others is a sure fire way to take your mind off your own woes.  Just promise me you won't sit at home wallowing.  That is just not acceptable behavior on your part.  Get out and soak in parts of the world around you that you missed while you were wrapped up in 'the relationship.'  Remember that it is proven that hope springs eternal. This is true in fall, winter and summer, too.  So take my advice, explore the unexpected and before you know it, you know who will be a thing of the past.  And by the way, you're welcome.

Photo Credit © Yuri Arcurs | Dreamstime.com

Life is full of choices. I am making a choice right now. I am writing. When I read this, it is almost comical in it's simplicity.

As people we must do. Now if you can take a goal, turn it into a plan with action steps and a time line and actually DO THEM great things grow from simple. A seed turns into a plant but only in the right conditions, with the right input and in a very orderly way.

The key is in the focused doing of simple individual steps all linked together in an orderly fashion to produce a phenomenal outcome!

Now, as humans we complicate things and get in our own way more often than not. So, how do we get passion for all we do and hold onto it, translating it into action to produce an extraordinary life?

Do not settle for what is expected. I have read many different books on overcoming, being a person of influence, excelling in life. Only to fall back into a pattern I tell myself I cannot get out of, a thought process of the average because it seems to be the easiest way. In reality it is the hardest. It takes no time at all to settle for what is deemed by the majority to be OK. The exact opposite of the top 5% rule. Running with masses is not what we should strive for.

"I've walked the road most travelled for too long."

It is not OK to make excuses!

The beauty of passion is that it does not even allow for negative self talk or excuse making. It fills your head with only possibilities and action steps. The amazing opportunity to start new every day. It's said, " life is short, get doing, act on the plans you have. Do not limit yourself because you are a miracle that was put on this earth to strive for your potential!"

The last 10 years of my life have flown by. It seems like just yesterday I was getting married to a beautiful woman in Bellingham, Wa, that we just had our first boy, Tristan, who is now 13. Now we have 4 awesome unique, young people that depend on us to teach them how to cultivate their own passions.

I believe we are accountable to show our kids through our actions how to do this. Do we always succeed? No, as I can attest to. But, do we need to refocus and challenge life daily to cultivate our own passions for life? Yes! This is my first baby step in starting what I know will be a very challenging, enlightening and fun filled experience as I embark into a new territory for me, different from that which I have known. Into an exciting arena filled with many ups and downs I am sure, but with the passion to put in the effort needed to challenge the expected.

"Yesterday was plain awful."
"You can say that again."
"Yesterday was plain awful."

Sound familiar?  Yes I know some of you say that often, but I was asking if you recognize the song?

I woke up early this morning replaying yesterday in my head.  It really was not that hard to do since every movement of my body replayed it too by reminding me how sore I am--Ouch.  Anyway---as I replayed close to every moment over and over in my head, to debrief,  I started to realize that yesterday, in my overwhelming, stressed state of mind, I kept missing the rose in all the thorns of my day.

That rose was my daughter Allison.  Allison is now 10 years old and I am really beginning to see that wisdom and ability to assess a situation and act, grow within her.  In my crazed haze yesterday she was right there with a helping hand, hug, offering of water and just a general caring.  I did notice it, but it really got under appreciated by me as I forged on to complete my tasks.

I think that happens a lot to all of us.  In our crazed haze of stresses, responsibilities, and burdens we miss the blessings.  Now more than ever we need to stop every day and identify those blessings.  We need those to help us make it through the tough times, and those times when we want to throw up our hands and scream "UNCLE".  So take time every day and look at those blessings.  They may teach us more than replaying a bad day over and over to find the message of what went wrong.  What went so right yesterday?  My blessing---My Peanut (Allison).

And to finish the above song from the musical Annie----"I Don't Need Anything But You".  Thanks Peanut. 

Photo Credit © Echoway | Dreamstime.com

Quiet brings the calm.  Meditation is the intentional quieting of the mind - allowing us to touch and hear more than the continuous thoughts of work, tasks, family, and our physical bodies.

Are you feeling overwhelmed - muscles tense - worried?

We all know that stress is not possible to completely eliminate from our lives- but we can change the way we react to it.

To manage stress - introduce balance.  Too much work requires play.  Too much input requires solitude.

There is much more going on within the silence of your spirit. 

Quiet brings the calm.

Listen to your breath and feel your heartbeat.  

Some people may like to chant a mantra.  A mantra is a sound, a word, or a group of words that is used as a tool of concentration.  These vibrations then divert the mind to allow transformation and harmony to occur.

Breathe and relax. 

Meditation has no judgments.  

Thoughts come and go.  Let them rise and diminish, like waves crashing on the beach.
 
Simple instructions for meditation

* Pick a quiet place.  You can create an atmosphere if you like, with flowers or objects that are found in nature and have a special meaning to you.

* Sit comfortably with your back straight but not rigid.  It may be on the floor or in a chair.

* Your hands are placed in your lap or on your knees.

* Close your eyes.  Or lower your gaze and eyes are half closed.

* Allow your breathing to be natural.

* As thoughts come - allow them to be like the waves.  Let them come and go.  Don't attach to these thoughts.  Go back to your breathing.

* Silence is best for healing.

Begin with sitting in meditation about 10 minutes.  If a longer time feels correct - let it come about naturally.

One result of meditating is that you are calmer and less stressed.  Tensions begin to melt and slip away.

Your body's natural healing processes can now activate.

That is why meditation improves health and well-being.

This relaxed state of meditation brings about an ability to deal with issues in your life and to keep them in perspective.

 
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