1. Happiness – It’s More than Just a Trend

    April 21, 2013

    Golden girl

    Image Credit: Marcos Vasconcelos

    by Brittany Young

    Everywhere you look, there are stories promoting yoga, meditation, and self-care to eliminate negative thoughts and stress and lead you to happiness. There are movies, books, and international movements all designed to provide the answers on how to find happiness. Even the United Nations has declared March 20, 2013 as the first-ever International Day of Happiness. But this emotion common to human nature isn’t so much a trend as it is a primary goal for people all over the world. Whether they want a change in career, an increase in personal investment to family and friends, or to take a leap of faith to travel more, individuals around the globe seek this feeling and are willing to do what it takes to get there.

    As we partake in these extreme efforts to discover our personal happiness, questions naturally arise: Is happiness innate or this emotion something that can be found? How do we get there? And once we are there, how do we preserve it? I do not claim to have the answers, but here are some things that have helped me in my pursuit of happiness.

    MINDFULNESS

    At the roots of happiness comes mindfulness. Simply being aware of our situations can be eye opening. Specifically, in our increasingly competitive society, we may fall victim to criticism and judgment, both of which carry negative emotion and may inhibit happiness. Simply take notice of what you judge and ask yourself why you judge it. Is this judgment toward other individuals or toward yourself? Awareness alone about ourselves, people, and situations is critical to our climb in happiness. Being mindful of our thoughts allows us to accept current situations.

    ACCEPTANCE

    Feelings and emotions come on naturally, and in stressful situations they may be hard to ignore. A basic example of this would be if you accidentally burn your tongue while sipping your morning coffee. You probably aren’t going to be very happy after that. That little fuzzy feeling on your tongue can be upsetting when it inhibits your ability to taste the buttery croissant and sweet blueberries to follow. Rather than get upset, consider it a reminder for the next time you find yourself in the same situation. Today, your taste buds may be altered, but is it worth the emotion? Most likely your own stressful situation causing you negative feelings is going to be bigger than a burnt tongue, but the bottom line is that you have control over how you react. Do you want to feed negative energy and self judgment for a simple accident? Acceptance and patience with a situation, thought, or feeling empowers you to make the choice!

    PERSPECTIVE

    Shifting our perspective in order to see how a current problem or situation is not as big of a deal as we think is helpful as well. In the context of life, and in the grand scheme of things, how does your present situation fit in? If you have stress or negativity surrounding this situation, is it worth it? If it is worth the stress of negative emotions, this is totally acceptable. Simply being aware and putting whatever it is you are going through in perspective may help you realize how you may or may not be acquiring the happiness you deserve.

    PURSUIT OF OUR PASSIONS

    Once we are aware of what drives us and makes us happy, the pursuit of our passions comes in. Perhaps you love sports. Get involved at a local gym, running club, cycling team, or attend a weekly yoga class. If your heart feels melodious when you dance, sing, or play an instrument, take a music class or hit that piano. Love family, friends, or travel? Identify your passion and pursue it. Do not waste your time on things that do not make you happy or move you towards your ultimate goal—life is too short.

    PRESERVATION

    Happiness. The beauty of acquiring this emotion is that every person is different. There is no right or wrong way to create it, and there is no exact science behind how each individual attains it. It truly is his or her prerogative. By practicing mindfulness and acceptance, shifting our perspective, and pursuing our passions, we learn how to preserve our own happiness. Circumstances constantly change, and monitoring our thoughts and actions moment to moment may help us maximize those positive feelings. However, I think the true secret to preserving happiness is: once you’ve found it, share it with everyone around you.

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  2. Positive Thinking? Three Steps To Adopting “Positive Mindset”

    March 28, 2013

    positive thinking

    Image Credit: Junn Kang Too

    Recently, Positive Thinking has become a fashionable and much debated topic in our society. Like any new concept, the positive mindset remains a largely misunderstood idea and sometimes it is being practiced in the wrong way. For example, many people think that having a positive mindset means everything will be okay if they ignore their problems or pretend they do not exist.

    Such thinking is frivolous. Some introspection is required to truly understand and have a positive mindset; one must explore the concept in more depth. I’ve challenged myself to do so, and have come up with the three most important aspects of a positive mindset. These three points are fundamental to applying the concept in a realistic, practical way. We can go further and say, if you absorb these three points and apply them every day, you will benefit from significant improvements in your life.

    So, please read on and consider deeply these three points:

    1. Positive thinking is about taking responsibility for your own life

    A fundamental step to adopting the right kind of positive mindset is the decision to take responsibility for your own life. You must accept that everything that is happening in your life is because of your past actions or inaction. You must stop blaming other people and external circumstances. You, and only you, are responsible for any failures in your life.
    Only you can change your own attitudes and feelings, and then can you handle other people and outside circumstances in a reasonable manner. For example, let’s say it’s raining outside, and that has put you in a bad temper. Your bad mood makes you unproductive at work and argumentative at home.  And all for what? You can’t stop the rain, but you can change your mood. That would be a positive mindset. Do you see what I’m getting at?
    You, and only you, are responsible for your life. Therefore, if you want to achieve something, you must make it happen yourself, nobody else will do it for you. Once you take responsibility for yourself, then you can change your life and start to achieve your goals. However, if you think everything is the responsibility of other people, then you are powerless, and you will never achieve anything.

    Take some paper and write down all the things that you love in your life.

    Now take responsibility for them.

    Well done. You have achieved Point One. You can be proud that you have accepted this responsibility. You are not expecting others to do it. It is YOU, who has gathered together your courage and taken that first decisive step. The good news is that now you have done this, you have control of the situation, and you can start improving it.

    2. Decide what you want

    You have now taken charge of your life and you accept that you are responsible for all your successes and failures. Good. The next step is to decide exactly what you want to do with your life. Positive thinking is mostly about really wanting to achieve your goals and desires, despite everything and everyone around you. If you come up against a difficulty or a problem, don’t just stop and stare at it. You must find a way to overcome it. You can only do that if you know what you want and why you want it. That is why we have Point Two; it is important to decide what you want.
    Stop thinking about what you don’t like and think about what you do like. Concentrate and look deep inside yourself. What are your biggest and deepest desires? Write them down. Say them out loud. Imagine them. Feel them. Visualize them! You see, you do know what you want, and I am sure that immediately you are feeling better for knowing this.
    Sadly, most people surrounding you probably do not know what they want, while they are very good at knowing what you should not want. However, your plans and objectives are none of their business. We are talking about your security, not theirs. These people are obstacles in your path to be ignored, overcome or simply gone around. Stay focused on your goals, and you will surmount all obstacles!

    3. Imagine that you already have it

    At the beginning you might have been sceptical about visualizing your desires. Now is the time to change your mind. Imagine that you already have what you want. Visualize it. The subconscious mind is very powerful! Your subconscious will start thinking about how to achieve that goal, without you realising it.

    In fact, your subconscious mind has always worked for you; you have just never realised it until now. Positive thinking is simply a method for getting in touch with, and using your subconscious mind.
    The more often you imagine that you have achieved your goals, the closer you will come to actually achieving them. Visualization is a tool that successful people use all the time to achieve their goals. If you want to join them, start doing it now!
    If you have read and understood everything written here, then you will have stopped blaming others for a less than perfect situation. By “others” we mean your boss, colleagues, secretary, the opposite sex, government, and the whole world. Now you understand that positive thinking is not an escape from problems. Nor does it mean you can ignore those problems. Instead, it means acceptance and goal-seeking. However, a word of warning – always be realistic in assessing your situation, because positive thinking does not guarantee that everything will be rosy.

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  3. Yoga Brings Positivity in You

    March 7, 2013

    More and more people are doing the downward dog than ever before. But just what are the benefits of yoga on positive thinking? And how can you incorporate yoga into a healthy holiday? 

    Img4: Psychological and physiological benefits of Yoga

    The psychological and physiological benefits of yoga

    Yoga to keep fit: For a lot of people, yoga is one of the very best things that you can do to feel good. The physical benefits are obvious. Yoga can help you relieve back pain, increase physical fitness, lung capacity and flexibility. Because yoga is all about deep breathing and stretching, it increases the oxygen supply to different parts of the body, which helps to ease tension and improve circulation.

    To relieve stress: But more than that, yoga is accepted by most psychologists as an effective complimentary therapy for all kinds of stress-related disorders. Psychological conditions like depression, anxiety, cardiac disease and high blood pressure can be alleviated with regular yoga practice.

    How, you may ask? Yoga encourages you to focus on your breath and your body, which brings you back to the present moment and stops you worrying about the past and the future. Yoga makes you feel more comfortable in yourself, more motivated and less affected by the outside world. It helps you focus on positive aspects of life and is a major contributor to your psychological well-being.

    Yoga and psychotherapy: In the US, psychologists and psychotherapists have been using yoga as a compliment to talk therapy. The idea is that it’s not only the mind but also the body that needs to be worked on. “Talk therapy such as cognitive-behavioural therapy  can be helpful in finding problem-solving strategies and understanding your own strengths and what’s happening to you, but there are times when you just need to kind of get moving and work through the body,” says Melanie Greenberg, PhD, a psychologist at Alliant International University.

    To be part of a group: Taking part in group yoga sessions can foster a sense of belonging and of being a part of something much bigger than just yourself. This is really positive. It’s a collective experience of everyone moving together, breathing together and in the end relaxing together that is rarely experienced elsewhere.

    A yoga-informed outlook: Simply incorporating the principles of yoga into your everyday life – compassion, non-judgement, spirituality and the connection between all living things – is likely to make you feel less stressed and improve your mental health.

    Enjoy practicing yoga at a yoga retreat?

    If you practice regularly, going on a yoga retreat could be the perfect healthy holiday to recharge your batteries.

    Practising twice a day in a new environment will help you break free of old patterns and familiar routines, at the same time as deepening awareness of your body.

    Spending time away from the distractions of modern society will help you find peace with yourself and inspire you to live a healthier lifestyle when you return home.

    Here are five great yoga retreat ideas around the world:

    Tilton House, UK

    Img3: Psychological and physiological benefits of Yoga

    Set in the idyllic rolling hills of the South Downs in Sussex, Tilton House (www.tiltonhouse.co.uk) regularly hosts weekend Hatha sessions for all in their yurt. Included in the package is comfy accommodation, food, massages and country walks. Its close proximity to London makes Tilton House an excellent addition on a trip to the capital. 

    The Yoga Farm, Costa Rica

    Img2: Psychological and physiological benefits of Yoga

    Yoga retreats don’t come much more picturesque than The Yoga Farm (www.yogafarmcostarica.org) near Pavone, Costa Rica. As well as yoga sessions on a deck overlooking the ocean, the centre offers surfing lessons and two healthy vegetarian meals per day. Yoga Farm is completely off grid with solar panels, a garden for growing their own food and eco-friendly accommodation.

    Les Passeroses, France

    Img1: Psychological and physiological benefits of Yoga

    Les Passeroses (www.passeroses.com) near Angouleme in south-west France is the perfect retreat for anyone wanting to practise Iyengar yoga in a rustic, rural setting. The light and airy converted barn yoga space has been voted by some teachers as their favourite place to take classes. A typical day will involve two sessions of yoga, meditation and as many philosophical discussions and cups of chai tea as you wish.

    Yoga Barn, Bali

    Img 5: Psychological and physiological benefits of Yoga

    In the mountain village of Ubud, Bali, visitors can enjoy a spiritual retreat in one of Asia’s most enchanted hideaways (www.theyogabarn.com). The centre runs seven yoga classes per day – ranging from Yin Yoga to Ashtanga – in two mud-walled studios overlooking the rice paddies. You are free to pick and choose the ones that suit you. An on-site café serves mainly raw-vegan foods, ensuring you’ll eat well and feel healthy on your trip.

    Lotus Yoga Retreat, Goa

    Img 6: Psychological and physiological benefits of Yoga

    Situated right on Goa’s beautiful Patnem Beach, Lotus Yoga Retreat (www.lotus-yoga-retreat.com) is the perfect getaway for ocean lovers looking to unwind in a natural, peaceful setting. The retreat contains at least two yoga classes per day, along with accommodation in bamboo huts and vegetarian buffet meals. Guests are encouraged to book a massage or explore Goa’s sacred temples and colourful markets in their free time.

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  4. Positive Actions for Your Physical and Mental Health

    February 24, 2013

    Enjoy Longer Life

    There are all kinds of hacks out there, hacks to work well in the office, hacks to keep that computer running on maximum capacity, but what about hacks for the body and mind? The answers are out there to promote a longer, fuller life and your emotional and psychological well-being. You don’t need to be a physician or psychologist to understand these.  Most of these answers are common sense and it won’t take a lot of work, but positive lifestyle changes are key.

    Cut out inflammation!

    Inflammation is at the root of numerous health hazards that cause the human body to break down. Heart disease, extreme weight gain, and cancer result from a state of chronic inflammation. Unhealthy life styles that include too much insulin and too much stress mean bad news when it comes to longevity. Add a lack of relaxation, sleep, and activity for a nasty combination. People who lose the battle tend to forget to have fun. The motto should be, “Play hard, eat right, and rest up for another day.”

    Change is good!

    What can we do? Make a positive change for the better. Start eating right and getting exercise. The formula for a longer, healthier life hasn’t changed. Stop worrying, any psychologist will tell you that mental health is a foundation for your physical well-being  Get moving. It doesn’t have to be intense exercise, but physical activity should be a part of our daily regimen. A morning or evening walk is a simple fix. Not only does it promote physical health, it is positive for your emotional health results as well. People have to stress less and enjoy life more. You don’t need to go to psychologist for this, just learn to be in piece with reality. Cut out the smoking, get rid of the processed foods, and sleep well. Indulge in treats now and then, such as a glass of red wine or a piece of decadent, dark chocolate. The rest of the time, eat lean meats, fresh produce, and forget about the junk. Old habits may die hard, but a longer life is worth the effort. Learn the body hacks and live well!

    This health information was brought to you by BestHealthDegrees.com

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  5. Motivation – What Works For You?

    February 5, 2013

    Motivation

    Harvey Mackay, who wrote in a syndicated column for United Features stated, “People begin to become successful the minute they decide to be”.

    Those words ring so true for the Internet Marketer. As we battle daily the desire to create the lives of our dreams; writing ads, articles, blogs, press releases, etc. to convince others that the opportunity we present is wonderful. But in the early phases where generating traffic to these campaigns seems bleak, we wane in our confidence necessary to keep going.

    So I ask again, Motivation – What Works For You?

    Your motivation must be well defined, available immediately for review and mental action, so as not to be tripped up by missteps. Each task we accomplish does not necessarily reduce the horizon behind us. These however can provide education for later steps. To learn and understand the process helps to increase our future success. Not all of us will have the ‘luck’ that some do with their ad campaigns. The chance that our words are acted on right away and a sale is made is only a promise of all the ‘gurus’ out their selling the next “best system on the internet today”.

    For the vast majority, these numbers come along slowly. Potential purchasers on the web are out their. It is just not every day that they visit our scribblings. Constantly trying combinations of words in these campaigns that will eventually bring them our way is an arduous task. Those not getting sales may have given up too soon, or just never had the deep desire. Most information seekers ( these are what I believe are on the net ) are not “Wowed” the instant your campaigns are seen. However, there can be an attitude within your writing; combining words in ways that can be remembered.

    In the book ‘Positive Thinking Every Day’ written by Norman Vincent Peale, he stated, “In every difficult situation is potential value. Believe this, then begin looking for it.”  The value of the thought, to beginning each morning with the idea that today’s actions will be the ones that work, must not leave your mind. Just as stated earlier, you really must believe that you will be successful while you are working to be. We are told many times to see our ultimate dream; see it daily to remind our minds why. Without it, what path should be taken when several choices are presented, becomes arduous to choose? And no action is then taken.

    So I ask again, Motivation – What Works For You?

    Define them, what ever they may be, and make them a habit. You will see over time, those habits become natural, without thought, and your creative side will come forth. For no person was the best immediately. Your actions will define you. I will leave you with this final quote from Steven Covey from his book, ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’

    “Between stimulus and response, one has the freedom to choose.”

    It is yours to choose, yours to embrace, yours to overcome. Success happens out there, not from behind the windows.

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