November 24, 2008
Here are some ways you can practice meditation on your own, whenever you choose.
Internal Light
Sit in a quiet place and get in a relaxed state. Light a white candle and place it about 12 inches from you. Stare intently into the flame for about 10 minutes and then close your eyes and concentrate on the afterglow of the flame. This will allow you to quiet your mind and be open to the internal consciousness and guidance we all strive for.
Breathe deeply
This technique is good for beginners because breathing is a natural function. Focus all attention on your breathing. Concentrate on feeling and listening as you inhale and exhale through your nostrils. Breathe deeply and slowly. When you feel your attention wander, gently return your focus to your breathing.
Feel your body
My favorite technique! Focus attention on different parts of your body. Become aware of the various sensations, deliberately focus on feeling good somewhere in your body. Combine feeling with breathing exercises and imagine breathing joy or relaxation into and out of different parts of your body.
Walking meditation
Combining a walk with meditation is an efficient and healthy way to relax. You can use this technique anywhere you're walking - On a treadmill, on a path in the woods, on a city sidewalk or at the mall. When you use this method, slow down the pace of walking so that you can focus on each movement of your legs or feet. Concentrate on feeling your legs move up/down keeping your attention on the movement. Feel the joy of being able to lift and move.
Read or listen and take time to reflect
Many people report that they benefit from reading poems or daily affirmations silently or aloud, and taking a few moments to quietly reflect on the meaning that the words bring to mind. You can listen to beautiful, inspiring, relaxing music or spoken words. You may want to write your reflections in a journal or discuss them with a friend or spiritual guide.
Focus your love and gratitude
In this type of meditation, you focus your attention on a sacred object or being, weaving feelings of love and gratitude into your thoughts. You can also close your eyes and use your imagination or gaze at representations of the object. My favorite object is the infinity sign.
© Marian LaSalle 2008-2009
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November 17, 2008
Comfort foods to help you feel better NOW!
by Marian LaSalle
When feeling blue, some of us tend to soothe ourselves with comfort foods. We all know that emotional eating is not the way to feel better in the long term and yet we do it anyway. Why do we do it? ~Because we want to feel good~ AND....there's not much more depressing than the guilt we feel right after a big bowl of ice cream so, we did our research and found some foods that can boost your mood. Eaten in moderation you might notice yourself perking up.
Scientists are sharing their knowledge about foods ability to alter the production or release of neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers that carry information from one nerve cell to another. The foods you eat can affect your mood, including your level of alertness and your perception of pain.
Next time you're feeling a little blue try a different kind of comfort food.
~Oatmeal~
A warm bowl of oatmeal can help elevate your mood because it's rich in soluble fiber, which helps to smooth out blood sugar levels by slowing the absorption of sugar into the blood. Try sprinkling on a dash of cinnamon to add to the aroma.
~Walnuts~
Walnuts are an excellent source of omega-3 essential fatty acids, a type of fat that's needed for brain cells and mood-lifting neurotransmitters to function properly. I love to toast walnuts and sprinkle them over my salads. Try another one of my favorites by mixing some in your yogurt or cottage cheese.
~Chai Tea~
Chai tea is one of my favorite mood lifters. It's an Indian tea made with regular black tea plus spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and ginger. The spices also add a natural sweetness, which helps curb that sweet tooth. Also try any aromatic herbal tea for a chance to breathe in the relaxing fragrance.
~ Salmon~
In the past few years, research has suggested that vitamin D may increase the levels of serotonin, one of the key neurotransmitters influencing our mood. Salmon is also an excellent source of omega-3 essential fatty acids. Added bonus: it tastes delicious!
~ Steamed Spinach~
Warm and tasty, steamed spinach has enough folic acid to be an important counter to depression. As little as 200 micrograms of folic acid was enough to relieve the depression in clinical studies-- that amount is easily obtained in a cup of cooked spinach or a glass of orange juice.
So if it is true that you are what you eat, then why not be happy, healthy and energized by making choices that feel good in you and for you.
Always try to go organic when possible!
Comforting affirmation.....
"I listen with love to my bodies messages." My body is always working toward optimum health. My body wants to be whole and healthy. I cooperate and become healthy, whole and complete."
© Marian LaSalle 2009
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December 4, 2008
Clearing the Air
By Tonya Crews
So often times the events of our day to day living that we deem negative, land on the “replay” button of our memories, paralyzing our natural inclinations to joyful existence. Many feel the desire to figure out what went wrong and therefore allow the ugly, angry details to envelope their thoughts. Some swear of their innocence, rightness…(fill in the blank) and so, stubbornly hold tight to the justification of the quarrel, only lengthening the gap between them and their own peace of mind. What good purpose does any of this harboring serve?
Writing a letter, hashing out all of your pent up anger, frustration, resentment, etc. is a technique that some regard as a proper tool to eliminate negative emotions on your problem but I believe that will only exacerbate the past and bring it to the forefront of your now. Instead, I’d like to offer a different approach, with which you can experience a particular incident with a whole new perspective.
Write a letter and design the scenario as if it went exactly as you intended: smooth, joyful and enlightening. Embellish on the wonderful ease and comfort that accompanied every aspect of the event. Spell out all the contributing factors that caused such synchronicity and all from the vantage point of gracious hindsight. In this way, you are recreating a joy-filled story that programs the subconscious with positive “realities” and invites a stronger connection between you and Source. Your mood will be lifted immediately and you will be left with a clear understanding of the path you expect to travel down in the future.
One more note: have fun with your new story. Incorporate all the seemingly small joys that encourage the corners of your mouth to curl up, your nose to twitch and a giggle or two to escape your heart. Not only will your burdens lighten but you will experience a playfulness that attracts more of the good stuff in life.
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December 22, 2008
Positively influence your whole day
Good Thoughts For A Good Day
By Marian LaSalle
If you have ever found yourself in a bad mood because something went wrong, before you let your mood spread out in a negative way and affect your life and others around you for days to come, take time to say to yourself WAIT….. Remember this article and pause.
Create a positive vibe that can influence your whole day. I’m not asking you to put a happy face sticker over your genuine feelings, what I’m asking you to do is to allow in a ray of sunshine to heal the cause of your bad mood, feelings of doubt, fear or frustration.
Acknowledge your dark mood in an observer role. Talk to yourself about doing things differently this time and from now on. Make it a game or a fun challenge. You can even say in my old life I would have stayed in this place of feeling bad, in my new life I am choosing to think differently.
You CAN allow and accept your darkness and easily allow and accept a positive outcome too. As soon as you start to feel your blood pressure rise or your stomach to sink, STOP right then and say to yourself WAIT…. Oh that’s right I’m doing things differently now.
By changing your thoughts you can change your mood instantly. Know that things can and will change just by changing the way we think about the issues and challenging people in our lives. You can reprogram your brain to remember to start this process just like you programmed your old response. Do whatever you have to do to remember. Put up affirmations that stick on your mirrors, write yourself notes, record your voice on a digital recorder and have your friends trained to remind you when you call to complain. Whatever it takes to remember, DO IT. You can reprogram your subconscious to handle whatever is happening around you in a positive, delightful manor. Each day program your mind with positive affirmations that you know are true and have a feeling of joy and love.
This is a great way to give yourself a gift that will last a lifetime and will come in handy when you are working through tough times and hard feelings.
As soon as you wake up in the morning say to yourself, I’m doing things differently today. You will pre-set your day BEFORE anything has a chance to bring down your mood. No matter where you go, who you see, what you do, if you do whatever it takes to remember to change your thoughts, your life will get better and better.
Remember, you can change your life in more ways than you ever thought possible just by deciding to do things differently today.
I leave you today with some positive affirmations you can use to start this process TODAY.
“My positive thoughts are changing my life and it feels so good”
“All day today I will remember to do things differently”
“My possibilities are an endless source of joy”
For more positive thoughts and processes join our weekly newsletter. www.reachingnewrealities.com
© Marian LaSalle 2008-2009
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By Tonya Crews
By Marian Lasalle
Written by Marian LaSalle
By Joan maresh Hansen
June 4th 2009
Reprogram your unconscious behavior
By Marian LaSalle
Scientific data shows our subconscious programming automatically runs 95% of our lives (ref: Dr. Bruce Lipton’s book- Biology of Belief).
Most of the information in our subconscious has been programmed by well-meaning loved ones, teachers and religious leaders. Sometimes it’s people with agendas or people who don’t have the qualifications to guide and advise us. Angry or sad energy or even unsaid body language can cause us to have a lifelong negative imprint, especially when these are repeatedly ingrained in our minds. As a result of negative programming, we can develop low self esteem; have repeated failures in relationships, become unhappy, depressed or chronically ill, develop addiction issues and many more problems.
Some examples of negative programming could be: "You will never amount to anything" or " Don't risk going into business, they always fail unless, you are really lucky” or “don’t be such a dreamer, you’re wasting your time.”
If we don’t consciously reject bad information (Stay in the moment), reprogram our negative tapes or even worse, attempt something with these programs as our mindset, the only outcome can be what was programmed.
The subconscious always wins!
As we go through our lives, we create a library of events that proves to our conscious mind these untrue and irrational bits of information are actually the truth. Even if we consciously know that something is silly or untrue, the false programming wins because the mind goes back to where we have allowed this information to give us a false result.
Question the subconscious programming!
Don’t allow past programming to dictate your future. Always seek ways to reprogram those tapes. Read, get advice from a trusted source, meditate (go within), listen to hypnosis CD’s, join groups where they teach “conscious languaging”, and hang out with positive, upbeat people. Do whatever you have to do to overwrite those programs and get your conscious mind and your unconscious mind in the same vibration. Imagine a radio station that’s playing ACID rock and Classical both at the same time. It’s Chaotic!
“There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.” -W. Clement Stone
© Marian LaSalle 2009
Reprogram your unconscious behavior By Marian LaSalle
