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Quick TIps to Calm Down

Jan 4th, 2012 by admin

 

Whether you experience panic attacks or a surge of stress and tension on a regular basis, here are some practical things you can review and practice when you’re on the fly or in need.

  • Ground yourself. Picture the thoughts you have swirling in your mind as if they are the sparkles in a snow globe that’s just been shaken. Envision the energy settling, from the top of your head all the way down the centerline of your body, all the way to your feet. If you want to take it a step further, you can imagine the soles of your feet having roots into the earth. Notice the sensation of gravity whether you’re sitting or standing.
  • Look down at your feet and notice where you actually are…simple as this may seem, remind yourself that anxiety looks to the future and here you are in the present. Now inhale deeply and feel what this breath feels like.
  • Observe what’s around. Take inventory of your sensory experiences…what you are hearing, tasting and smelling? You will likely notice that you are actually feeling mostly fine and not in any clear and present danger as your mind may have imagined.
  • Tune in. Have you ever tuned into those parts of your body that are tightly clenched and silently asked what they’re in knots about? Given the opportunity, an answer will often emerge…sometimes in the form of a word, colour or symbol and you will acquire the intuitive insight your body wants you to have. Acknowledge your body and breathe into those areas where you are holding tension and consciously encourage them to let go.
  • Hummm: If you’ve ever tried to sit silently with eyes closed and meditate, you may be like many who have either dozed off or became frustrated by the bombardment of rapid thoughts. An alternate technique you can try is humming. Sit silently with eyes closed and hum a single long note ten to twenty times. You can sweeten the experience by smiling and holding a beautiful thought in your mind’s eye.
  • Create an anchoring thought: When your mind ventures down the path of ‘what if…’ or goes into fear, drop the anchor and in this case it may sound something like this: All is well….or my kids are safe….I have faith…whatever will allow you to return to your calm center.

 

 

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Seven Steps to Stressproofing your Kids

Jul 9th, 2011 by admin

 Be Proactive:

 

Stress Proof your Kids    

 

1)  Learn to manage your stress. Kids not only model after us, they are also intuitive and can sense when we are stressed. As a certified yoga instructor and strategy coach, I help my students and clients relieve tension and anxiety, on the mat and on the phone, in individual or group coaching programs. These group coaching programs are particularly unique in that they include stress relief strategies, breathing techniques and empowering visualizations and each call features an inspiring theme. There is also something very magical that occurs when you connect to and feel supported by like-minded individuals. The insights gained by tapping into the collective wisdom of the group are invaluable.

2)  Make time to engage with your kids. Busy as we are, even half an hour a day to connect, play, and listen attentively is essential and provides security and support, reinforces rapport and keeps communication lines open.

3)  Encourage your kids to regularly engage in a creative outlet. When your child plays an instrument, writes stories, draws or engages in a craft, these activities will be fulfilling, calming and therapeutic in nature.

4)  Going for a walk together and participating in a family yoga class are excellent ways for you and your kids to be active, reduce stress and enjoy quality time together. As well as improving fitness, my Coga Yoga™ classes go further offering strategies for dealing with stress anytime, anywhere and aim to enhance self appreciation.  These classes also include inspirational content with the understanding that when the body is relaxed, the mind is more open to receiving positive messages.

 5)  Limit your child’s screen time. Easier to say then do, but especially while they’re young, it is important to help your kids not become dependant on this stimulation and distraction. As they get older, it’s important to help them discern quality as compared to junky or negative input.

 6)  Teach your kids ways that they can relieve stress and, when they need to, explore together what will help them to calm down. I used to have my daughter do ten ‘joyful jumping jacks’ at her pre-school entrance before giving me a quick hug and running into class. This helped clear those butterflies that proceeded tearful good-byes. Or, they can imagine breathing in a calm colour and blowing out tension. With older kids, grounding is a useful technique that is described in a previous blog.  Another good practice is to regularly reflect on ways in which you could have both better handled a recent ‘falling out’.

7)      Have structure and agreements in place. If there are routines and roles that every family member can follow, many battles can be eliminated. Every week you can have a family meeting and review what’s working, what isn’t and discuss how to make the home environment a more harmonious one.

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The Benefits of Laughter Yoga

Dec 24th, 2010 by admin

Beat the Holiday Blues with Laughter

When was the last time you had a really good belly laugh?  If it’s been a while, don’t despair.  Joy Unlimited provides a networking opportunity as well as workshops that promise to raise the roof with laughter at work, home parties, resorts, and at live events.

These workshops include laughter exercises, empowering visualizations, dramatic play and stress relieving strategies and are designed to leave any guest or group with a natural high and a greater capacity to experience joy.

Did you know that your body doesn’t know the difference between real and fake laughter?

Check out this CNN clip to learn more.

If stress can cause a myriad of health problems, then laughter really is the best medicine.  Research has shown that laughter exercises diminish the negative effects of stress and positively impacts your health and state of mind.

Joy Unlimited: Networking in Toronto:

Are you looking for a fun way to network with others? These two hour workshops are held in central Toronto on a seasonal basis. This is an opportunity for you to network with others and participate in creating a supportive community of people who would like to break free from stress through laughter yoga, dramatic play, song and partner exercises.

  • network, build community and experience a sense of belonging
  • break through inhibitions that hold you back in other areas of your life
  • learn to laugh in the face of your inner critic
  • take a powerful break from feeling stressed and step into the present

These workshops are playful in nature and are designed to raise your vibration and leave you feeling supported, empowered and rejuvenated. At the conclusion of each workshop, a Oneness Blessing will be offered to those who are interested.

Joy Unlimited at Work: Teambuilding through Laughter

Could your place of work use a mood lift? Are you a business owner looking to boost the morale and rapport of your employees?

These workshops include laughter exercises, dramatic play, partner exercises, empowering visualizations and customized strategies to improve the level of acceptance, rapport and trust among any group. When we feel happier, all of our relationships are positively effected and doors to new and inspired possibilities open.

  • deepen rapport and sense of belonging
  • improve circulation, energy and effectiveness
  • reduce stress levels, elevate mood and enhance creativity
  • boost immune system and decrease sick days
  • create a warmer, more welcoming work environment

Joy Unlimited Parties & Live events:

Would you like to create a deeper connection in your community of family and friends? Are you a resort manager or event planner that would love to offer something unique and memorable to your guests? Hire Joy Unlimited to attend your party or live event and empower your guests with a gift they can laugh about forever.

  • Healthy & fun
  • Entertaining for all ages
  • Access and awaken your playful spirit
  • Connect at a heart level as laughter is a universal language we all share

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Yoga Interlude – Do You Struggle With Indecision?

Aug 20th, 2010 by admin

At first I wasn’t exactly sure what to write about today, I had so many ideas. Are you ever indecisive? I find that not being able to make quick, confident decisions on a regular basis can, in itself, become a great source of stress. The decisions we are required to make are ever increasing.

Do you:

  • Have trouble deciding what emails to delete?
  • What offers to follow up on?
  • What to toss when de-cluttering?
  • How to respond to a communication?

Sometimes we have so many choices it can be overwhelming. Then there are those life altering decisions that pertain to relationships or perhaps a job.  The song ”Should I stay or should I go now” comes to mind. Napoleon Hill says, ” Indecision is the seedling of fear”. Maybe that’s why many of us sit on a fence about certain things, knowing as we do that every choice we make has an outcome. Not making a decision though, has consequences too. In essence, we stay stuck. If you can’t decide what career move you want to make, for example, there really is nowhere to go. Are you satisfied with your current life circumstances? I like the following quote by Montaigne who said, ”No wind serves him who addresses his voyage to no certain port”. I’ve heard it said, “that the number one reason we don’t get what we want, is because we don’t know what we want.” The universal law of attraction requires us to know explicitly what it is we want for us to be able to manifest it. If you don’ t know what you want, try this.  Author Michael Losier offers an exercise in his book that encourages you to write down what you don’t want. Once you’ve made the list, reverse it by writing down the opposite, positive statements. For example, instead of saying, “I don’t want to waste my time”, you can flip it and say, “I want to be effectively using my time”. That’s a better way to get clearer about what you want. In the following video clip he is discussing how to attract what you want, once you’ve decided. Sometimes the reason we don’t make a decision is that we doubt that we can follow through on it. We’ve basically decided to resign….but is giving up really a viable option?  Here is a video clip of Les Brown inspiring us all to go beyond what we think we’re capable of, to work on ourselves and go for our dreams.

 

How to Live Your Dreams

In my upcoming group coaching program, ” Honouring your Heart’s Desire”,  simple exercises are taught to improve your intuition which can help you when you are faced with indecison. You can gain the clarity, support and the momentum you need to see a decision through to fruition by participating in this 12 week coaching program  If you prefer to pursue your dream through individual coaching, then I offer you that option as well.  Not sure whether or not coaching would benefit you? How will you know for sure until you’ve experienced it?  You never quite know where a single action may lead! So what’s next for you? Where do you want to place your energy, attention and focus? What would you like to create or make a committed decision about?  I’d love to hear from you. Until next time, Ali CAJZM7E5PQG7

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Stressed Out and Losing Your Sense of Self?

Aug 10th, 2010 by admin

Yoga Interlude – Creating an Inspired Life

Do you have kids? Whether or not you go to work, as a parent, there is a good chance you experience some stress on the job. Between co-ordinating schedules, multi-tasking and being in demand, what do you do to counteract the effects of stress? So many parents feel pressed for time, sleep deprived, overwhelmed with responsibility while consistently having to manage new situations on the fly. Perhaps while enjoying the summer weather, the pressure has eased up a bit but I’ve been noticing those ‘back-to-school commercials lately, have you?

One stress relief tip is to keep your sense of humor intact. Below is a comical clip from a mom who’s condensed many of our on-going parenting concerns and dialogue into an entertaining song.

Being a parent and working to keep it all together, many of us get into the habit of not listening to our own needs. While some of us push through the fatigue and plow through our ’to do’ lists, for many, our neglected needs go beyond the short term…our heart’s desires become muted. One common stressor I’ve heard repeatedly expressed, especially by moms, is their experience of a lack of purpose beyond the parenting role.

There are two powerful programs designed to help you find your purpose and live with passion. My group coaching program is based upon one of Sonia Choquette’s called “Your Heart’s Desire” and is infused with meditations and questions intended to engage your imagination and inspire your creativity. It’s called ” Honoring your Heart’s Desire” and it will begin in September as a 12 week program via teleconference.

For those who prefer individual coaching, you can experience the powerful Dream Coaching process. This is also a 12 week program that can be shared in person or by telephone. For many, our dreams that we once held in trust for the future seem to be a thing of the past. As a certified Dream Coach, I have been personally trained by Marcia Wieder. She has been recognized on Oprah as “America’s Dream Coach” and has had Jack Canfield as one of her many coaching clients.  In a nutshell, here is her ”10 step formula to achieve your dreams.”

1.      Set An Intention

Objective: To understand the power and importance of intention and for you to set an intention such as find a new job or career, or get a promotion.

2.      Maintain Integrity

Objective: To learn how to live with integrity by removing incomplete actions and keeping agreements with yourself and others. It is essential that you remove or clear up anything from your past that might be in the way of you having what you want.

3.       Live On Purpose

Objective: To understand the meaning and importance of purpose in order to live more aligned with that purpose. Dreams without purpose, even a job without aligning to your purpose, can be unfulfilling.  We can take steps to avoid this.

4.      Access Your Dreamer

Objective: To create a dynamic relationship with the Dreamer inside of you and a dream you are passionate about.  No matter how realistic you may be, there is a part of you that knows what will make you happy and what you want.

5.      Learn From Your Doubter

Objective: To create a powerful and dynamic relationship with the “Doubter” inside of you and to learn from the lessons this part of you offers. Left unattended, this is part of us that often sabotages our dreams. This does not need to happen.

6.      Believe In Your Dreams

Objective: To create a belief as a solid foundation for making your dreams come true. If you don’t believe in yourself or your dream, no one else will either. This is a life-changing step.

7.       Create Personal Practices

Objective: To learn to use all of life’s lessons as powerful tools and to create daily practices to deepen what you learn. In this work, we look at what happened and what you learned and design practices for strengthening your Achilles heel.

8.       Take Serious Steps Forward

Objective: To plan the essential action steps to insure that your dreams come true. In the end, it all comes down to taking action and the practical steps for making your dream real.

9.       Building Your Dream Team

Objective: To be able to ask for help, making your dream more easily attainable. There are resources that you already know and those who you do not know who can open doors and make your life easier. Learn essential skills for asking and getting help

10.     Live As A Dreamer

Objective: The objective is simple; create a dream-come-true life. Once you are clear about your purpose, dreams and resources, you can look at all areas of your life and decide what you want. This process works on any dream.

I’d like to conclude with a song that embodies the sentiment of both the group and individual coaching programs, as they are designed to help you feel more fullfilled, inspired and at peace. Here’s James Taylor singing his  ’ Secret O’ Life”

How about you?  Do you have unrealized dreams?  I love getting feedback here on my blog and I offer commentluv. That’s a plug in that allows you to leave a link back to your own post when you leave a comment.

Until next time,
Ali

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Struggling With Un-Achieved Goals?

Jul 28th, 2010 by admin

Yoga Interlude – Strategies to Help You Feel Less Stress and More Joy

Have you ever felt frustrated or stressed over an un-achieved goal? The feeling of wanting to accomplish or change something and not yet finding the way, can be most discouraging. I have my challenges where I feel stuck, such as keeping the space in our home organized, for example. I know there are other areas of my life where I can say “I’m just not there yet” and while it’s uncomfortable, I can recognize how far I’ve come and that keeps me in action. For some, this feeling of being ‘stuck’ over time can cause them to give up. They gradually lower their standards so they don’t have to feel the disappointment of trying and failing yet again. Rather than change their approach, they unconsciously adjust their opinion and perception of themselves to match what they conclude they’re capable of. They decide it doesn’t matter anymore and accept that things will be as they are…like it or not.

For others, this feeling of discomfort might become a driving force that keeps them overly busy. They are constantly ‘on the run’ and have no time or energy to feel and deal with the real issues at hand. They are generally good at deflecting questions and at remaining distracted in conversation and, at times, can be quite emotionally inaccessible. The problem is, if you sweep a live mouse under a rug, it’s still there. You can give up on or avoid listening to your feelings and desires but by remaining unfulfilled, anxiety can begin to stir.

I usually deal with obstacles by asking for help. I barter with a friend who is an expert at helping me get organized and I will call a coaching friend if I have something especially challenging to work through. Start noticing where you feel bogged down and think about who you can ask for help to propel you beyond those sticking points. When you courageously give your needs a voice, things begin to shift. It’s not always easy or comfortable, but neither is the alternative.

Here’s a tip on how to not be afraid to ask for help from world renowned coach Jack Canfield .

Sometimes, when we’re dissatisfied, we can become critical of ourselves. Many of us seem to have this habit of beating ourselves up. It feels bad enough to be unsuccessful at something, but when we angrily scorn ourselves, it has a detrimental impact. As you may already know, quantum physics and the law of attraction teach us that when we say things with emotion or conviction, we drive those statements deeper into our subconscious mind which impact the results we create.  So let’s say you’re angry at yourself for something minor like repeatedly misplacing your glasses. My husband and I seem to take turns doing this one. As we search through the house, we begin to affirm how we always lose our glasses and that we can never remember where we put them down.  The longer it takes to find them, typically, the more emotionally frustrated and verbally inflammatory we can get about ourselves. I have to remind myself to stop because I know this emotional verbal self abuse is conditioning my mind and influencing my body in a powerfully negative way.

In the clip below, another world renowned coach, Anthony Robbins, teaches us how to use incantations to condition our minds to be supportive versus critical. He talks about embodying a powerful state to get motivated versus frustrated. It’s about commanding yourself into a desired state rather than accepting defeat.

As a result of my training as a life coach, it has been my privilege to help people improve their self esteem and help awaken their heart’s desires to live a life of passion and purpose. Yoga Interlude is all about helping you feel less stress and more joy. The yoga helps to release stress in the body. The coaching helps to propel you into creating the positive changes that will give you greater peace of mind and contentment. The laughter workshops help to raise your vibration, grow your capacity to experience joy and engage your playful spirit.

To conclude, here is an inspirational quote from Thomas Edison; “If I find 10,000 ways something won’t work, I haven’t failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward. Just because something doesn’t do what you planned it to do doesn’t mean it’s useless”.

How do you handle not reaching a goal? I’d love to get your feedback. Here on my blog, you’ll get commentluv. That’s a plug in that allows you to leave a link back to your site when you leave a comment.

Until next time,

Ali

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Yoga Interlude – Dealing With Anger

Jul 20th, 2010 by admin

What do you do when you’re angry with someone? Do you speak up and try to clear the air or silently seethe? Maybe you’re like me sometimes and keep it alive by reflecting and talking about the situation. This week I was really challenged and stressed from feeling angrier than I had been in a long time. I felt anxious at times for having to grapple with an unresolved and uncomfortable situation. I would prefer to say I take everything in stride, but the truth is, I too need to practice being present, calm and in a positive, empowered state.

I had just spent days packing and cleaning our house so we could return to our cottage after having rented it out for the winter months. I was pretty exhausted because I cleared out a ton of clutter and was gearing up for a long awaited family vacation in our piece of paradise. We had rented our cottage out for the tenth winter and like all the previous years, we felt fortunate to have found lovely tenants with good references. This time, our tenants were a young couple with a dog and two cats. Animal lovers just like us.

Finally, we were on our way, our car packed to the brim with our two kids, two cats and summer stuff. Two hours later, we were ecstatic to pull up to our place and catch a glimpse of the lake behind. Within minutes of settling in, I walked into our kitchen and noticed our place was far from clean. Worse, there was damage on our hardwood floors, soiled carpets, rips in linens….I was livid…more work to be done!

As the list of inconveniences and damages grew, so did my stress level. The expenses exceeded their damage deposit. I couldn’t believe the state of our beautiful place! I felt deflated and discouraged. Days later, we met with our former tenants and, out of respect to them, I’ll just say, we concluded by agreeing to disagree about a few key issues. Petty as this was in the grand scheme of things, I was surprised at my reaction and to see that I was fuming.

I wasted days of our holiday being foolishly consumed and I understood that my anger was holding me captive. I knew I had to snap out of it, and the sooner the better. I understood that when the mind is upset, the body tenses up. When the body is tense there is wasted energy that fatigues and weakens us. This in turn causes us to be less patient or resourceful, more distressed and not so pleasant to be around. This was the cycle in which I found myself swirling.

Something needed to give…I did. I needed to let go and forgive. Fortunately, I knew how. I recognized that these incidences were not intentional on their part and, once I decided to forgive, I did three quick simple things to release the negative thoughts and feelings that I had been creating.

  1. I grounded myself ( as described in my previous post)
  2. I located the emotion in my body and imagined dissolving it with a colour
  3. I breathed in calm and exhaled the stress several times until I felt better.

If you don’t already know of Dr. Emoto and his work, then you will likely find this short video clip fascinating to watch. His work reveals the incredible influence our words and thoughts have on the molecular structure of water which we, in turn, are mostly comprised of.

Even though we are adults, our emotions are not typically as mature or sophisticated as our intellect. Have you noticed?  Some people believe that there is a wounded child that lives within all of us. When we feel hurt or upset, it is important to have tools to help clear the emotional charge. Of course, some things are easier to forgive than others and some people are more willing as well. I’m sure we all know someone who has cut off communication with friends or family members for days, months and sometimes years over an incident that could have been resolved over a brief heartfelt discussion.

A renowned healer, Dr. Blakely has worked with pioneering physicians for three decades in both clinical institutions and universities and she has been a leading authority on one of the most powerful methods of forgiveness. In her book Heal Your Life Now, The Alchemy of Forgiveness, she states that, “You don’t forgive others for their sake; you forgive them for your own health and well being. You forgive them so that you can move on with your life and stop reliving the past. Sometimes, the person you need to forgive is yourself.”  Even if you think you’ve rationalized an unresolved issue and have your ‘head straight’, as the title of one of her books says, ” Your Body Remembers”, and so does your subconscious mind.

There is another very simple yet powerful technique that is easy to practice and even teach to young kids. It is an ancient Hawaiian practice called the “Hoʻoponopono” A man named Stanley Hew Len, co-authored a book with Joe Vitale called Zero Limits. In a nutshell, the healing is contained in the following declarations.

1. I’m sorry
2. Please forgive me
3. Thank you
4. I love you

I found a song with the words of the Ho’oponoopono on YouTube.

Is there someone in your life you need to forgive? Do it as soon as you are ready, and you don’t need the other person present in order to do so. You will experience less tension, more energy and a deeper sense of peace.

So, how do you handle anger? I love getting feedback and here on my blog, you’ll get commentluv. When you leave a comment, this plugin allows you to leave a link back to your own site.

Until next time,
Ali

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Awakening Your Intuition

Jul 7th, 2010 by admin

4 Steps to Improving Your Intuition

Have you ever been tense without quite knowing why? I experienced that last night. This tension caused me to putter around the house and clean up a little longer than usual. It led me to deliberately go outside in my pj’s and double check that the garage and car doors were locked before heading to bed. That same uneasy feeling caused me to get to bed unusually late and surprisingly, it kept me from relaxing fully into sleep. Even though I could have taken the edge off by finishing a half a glass of wine that I had left over earlier, I handed it over to my husband instead.

I did do other things to help center myself. I used a grounding technique that I teach in my yoga classes. The grounding involves connecting the energy centers ( chakras) of the body, to the earth. Starting a few inches above my head, I imagined an energetic cord coming from my higher self and connecting down to my crown chakra on the top of my head, between my eyes, to my throat, down into my heart center, solar plexus, below my naval into the base of my pelvic bone and into the earth. This helped me get out of my head and more in my body and into the present. While that was helpful, I still felt that something was ‘off’.

‘What’s the matter?’, I wondered silently to myself. I was feeling better that my kids were well, that I was productive, getting more organized and that summer had finally arrived. I recognized this feeling but wanted to troubleshoot for the cause. I tried to get a sense of where the emotional charge lay. Like a checklist, I mentally skimmed over the recent events that were top of mind in search for a ‘bingo’ connection between my thoughts and the sense of uneasiness I was experiencing. I couldn’t find one.

I finally went to bed. I knew my feelings were trying to tell me something as this is often the case. Sometimes when I feel vulnerable like this, I’ll say a one line prayer that I learned from reading about the Peace Pilgrim. “Blessed be the night (or day)  for me and mine” and I imagine and intend a white protective light around our house and each of my family members.  I finally closed my eyes but slept as if I was listening for a newborn to soon wake me. And, an hour later, something did! But it was not a newborn. Through my pillow I could hear the slightest picking sound of my garage door below our bedroom. I’ve heard that sound before because sometimes the raccoons come to visit our green bins when I forget to lock the garage. Tonight, I knew for certain it was locked and that this was no raccoon.

I hopped to my feet and was stunned to see a man on roller blades standing just below my window with his back to me. He was unsuccessful at getting into our garage and stood tall with his attention now focused on our car. I wish I had thought to call the police first and quietly observe this stranger, so that I would have had a better description of him. Instead I reacted like a true territorial mama bear and opened my bedroom window with a roar and choice words that caused my husband to practically stick to the ceiling!

Funny, the kids didn’t stir, but this intruder skated off like an Olympic athlete in training. I did follow up with the police and, while waiting for them to arrive, I looked at the book on my night table. I paused with relief. It was a book that I had picked up at a garage sale 2 seasons ago and never opened. I had grabbed it randomly off the living room bookcase with the comforting intention of reading something an hour before bed. Title? “Awakening Intuition”

I realized, just then, that this time my feeling anxious was my intuition giving me a ‘heads up’. It was my intuition that caused me to want to stay awake late and remain clear minded before bed. It was my intuition guiding me to sleep light, helping me protect my family. A world renowned psychic, Sonia Choquette, defines intuition as our ‘inner teacher’. Here are four steps to improving your intuition and becoming more in tune with your divine nature.

  1. Be open to it
  2. Expect your intuition to inform you…check in with your heart vibes
  3. Trust it…develop a relationship with it and speak it or write it down
  4. Act on it.

Here is Sonia talking about her experience with intuition.

How about you? What kinds of intuitive experiences have you had? I love to get feedback. And here on my blog, you’ll get commentluv.  That’s a plug-in that allows you to leave a comment and a link back to your own blog.

Until next time,

Ali

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Dealing with Modern Day Stresses

Jun 30th, 2010 by admin

Using the Zoom Technique to Deal With Stress and Anxiety

“…Forty thousand years ago, stress was a good and adaptive human response; a fleeting rush of hormones that helped prepare us for any impending physical threat, like a saber-toothed tiger, for instance. But the prolonged, high-intensity stress so many of us experience today serves no useful purpose; it only damages our health in the long run and puts us at greater risk for heart problems, cancer, depression, anxiety and worsens other conditions such as diabetes, asthma and arthritis.” adapted from Dr. Oz’s website.

So, how do we deal with our modern ‘tigers without claws’ without becoming ill through literally stewing in our own juices? Dr. Oz has a checklist that includes exercise and dietary suggestions. You will find the article here. Yoga Interlude addresses the body through yoga, the mind through coaching and the spirit through laughter and helps to combat this ‘prolonged high intensity stress’ Dr. Oz describes.

In my upcoming program ‘Stop the Anxiety that’s Stopping You‘, other techniques such as visualizations, meditations and conscious breathing are offered as well. One such technique involves a visualization whereby you see yourself moving through your tasks in the moment, ‘tai chi’ style…with grace and ease, prior to tackling a project or the busy day ahead.  While I’m no expert on this martial art form, I understand that Tai Chi is a Chinese system of physical exercises that is believed to facilitate the flow of Qi (life force) in the body, promoting good health and vitality. This ancient discipline of ‘moving meditation’ employs energies that are Yin Yang opposites; softness and strength, forward and backwards, action and calm.

Assessing what energy is required in any given situation is something you may enjoy exploring. If you’re frustrated, for example and find that your tendency is to yell, maybe putting your words into quiet, calm action may be more effective for all involved. This is another potential access point to experiencing what it means to ‘go with the flow’.

My husband, who is of calm temperament and a talented musician and songwriter describes through the following lyrics – the notion of diving deeper to a place inside…

The juggler never loses track, he keeps it all in motion
He’s master in the art of time and spacing
Like a surfer in the still point on a wave out in the ocean
He remains unmoved while everything is racing….and everything’s racing

- Rick Pearson

While I do meditate and aspire to be enlightened and calm in nature, I tend to rely on my resources and strategies to keep me afloat when the waves of anxiety begin to swell. For example, the other day my youngest daughter began complaining about a stomach ache and, because of her history of being a little challenging to read at times, this kept me on edge for much of the day.  Seeing her flop around from one couch to the other with an empty bowl in hand had me concerned and trying to figure out what to do if she began to feel worse.  And off my mind went, like a racehorse. The thoughts began to fire.. ” well, am I going to need to get her to a doctor? It’s Sunday, I better get her to a clinic while it’s open…I may not have the car this afternoon…What if the doctor doesn’t help? I prefer my family doctor…What if it’s the flu, food poisoning, e-coli?’

I understand that it’s good to be prepared if possible, yet in those moments, I need to remind myself to pull back on the reigns. I used something I call the ‘zoom technique” which is a tool I created to help myself and my clients get present to the actual situation. The zoom technique is to fast forward (zoom) to the end point or greatest fear of the situation and work backwards to the present. It goes something like this: ” She’s still alive, she’s not in hospital, she’s not vomiting, she’s without fever, she’s still eating, she’s been able to show moments of enthusiasm by playing the piano… she’s had a stomach ache before and she’ll recover again.” This is one way to stop the runaway train of thoughts.

What do you do to stay calm?   I would love to get your feedback. On my blog, you’ll get commentluv. That’s a plug in whereby you leave your comment and you can leave a link back to your own blog!

Until next time,

Ali

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Stop the Anxiety That’s Stopping You!

Jun 22nd, 2010 by admin

Yoga Interlude – Feeling Less Stress and More Joy

How stressful was this week for you? Do you know what triggers you? Sometimes we can easily name our challenges. For some, it’s a financial situation, a difficult relationship, paperwork, getting the kids to bed…other times, it’s hard to put your finger on what’s causing you to be edgy or your stomach to clench. If you can identify what’s weighing on you, that’s the first step toward being able to deal with changing it.

How do you respond to feeling stressed? Do you get anxious, angry, quietly withdraw, pour more of your attention into work, take a bath, exercise? We all need a release and some are healthier outlets than others.

Are you more proactive or reactive? When we don’t acknowledge or deal with the stress we are enduring, it negatively impacts either our physical health or our emotional state or both. Feeling anxious often follows when certain stressors aren’t being handled. Anxiety can hold you back from something as simple as participating in a group discussion or stop you from bigger things like traveling. Where does it stop you?

Anxiety is an emotional response that can be overwhelming and dis-empowering for even the most successful people.

This week I want to invite you to my upcoming coaching program, “Stop the Anxiety that is Stopping You“. While I’m no doctor, I have occasionally, and needlessly, run to one in a panic. I have acquired a lot of tools to help me deal with stress and anxiety. Using the resources I will be sharing in my program, has enabled me to go from not flying for eight years to having flown more than a dozen times in the past three years.

Try this next time you feel anxious….locate where the emotion resides in your body. Then tune into that part and ask what it’s trying to tell you. Wait a minute or two for a message to come. It may come as a word, a picture or an idea. Thank your body for communicating and then breathe a calming color into that area and imagine that color dissolving the anxiety and it leaving your body as you exhale. Please let me know if you felt any shift.   Sometimes we are faced with harsh circumstances but more often we are not really in a state of emergency.

So why the anxiety? Maybe you’re feeling too stretched and have taken on more than you can comfortably handle. Perhaps it’s the headlines and global forecasts that put you in a spin. Did you know you are influenced by other people’s moods? For sure your kids are impacted by yours. In fact, there is actually scientific proof of this being so and I just read an interesting article in Oprah’s newsletter that states:

“Whatever your mood, it’s contagious! See the smiling face of a loved one, and you smile inside too. Step onto a subway train full of tired, anxious commuters, and you’re instantly on edge…..This transfer of moods happens through special nerve cells in the brain called mirror neurons… these mirror neurons actually download the mood of one person into the brains of others.

But your mood swings are more than contagious—that great mood and that sour one actually change the brains of those around you. . . either strengthening the wires that promote joy or bolstering those that cause stress. And your wires live on in the brains of your children, and their children, which is why passing on that state of spiritual connection and compassion is vitally important for your future.

The new era of social responsibility is emotional. If you’re stuck in stress, you spread emotional pollution and the extremes of action and emotion that threaten the planet.

You can read the rest of Oprah’s article here.

Yoga Interlude is all about helping you feel less stress and more joy. The yoga helps to release stress in the body. The coaching helps to propel you into creating the positive changes that will give you greater peace of mind and contentment. The laughter workshops help to raise your vibration, grow your capacity to experience joy and engage your playful spirit.

“Stop the Anxiety that is Stopping You“ is an eight week group coaching program that takes place on the phone in July 2010 and offers natural solutions to help you feel calm amidst the chaos of your busy life. Acquire new tools to become more emotionally resourceful and grow your confidence. Learn how to be present, powerful and proactive in the face of feeling anxious. See the “Events” page or contact me for details.

In the meantime, I’d love your feedback! Here on my blog, I offer commentluv. When you leave a comment, you can leave a link back to your own site.

Until next time,

Ali

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