Tag: health and fitness

For most of us, the ideal number of things to focus on seems to be
three.

Not sure why, but when we exceed three areas of focus or attention,
we tend to get overwhelmed.

Three is a “magical” number. From ancient times, it has been imbued
with mystical qualities.

You see it in many facets of life today. For example:

-In Christianity, we have the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy
Spirit.

-Sanchin kata – meaning “three conflicts” – is a fundamental form
in certain traditional martial arts, including Uechi Ryu (a
fighting art I have a black belt in and have studied over the
years) and other Okinawan and Southern Chinese styles. Sanchin
also refers to “mind, body, spirit” and the three basic conflicts
we each face in our lives on a daily basis.

-Here in the U.S., our Republican government is organized into
three branches: Executive, Legislative and Judicial.

-The rule of thumb for delivering an effective presentation or
speech is to organize it around three key points.

-The other rule of thumb for delivering an effective presentation
or speech is to convey your three key points at three different
times: tell them what you are going to talk about; talk about
your key points; then summarize what you just presented.

-My lucky number has always been three. My birth date is a
multiple of three (including the month, the date, the year…
AND all three combined). When playing sports, I always wore a
number which was a multiple of three. In high school and college,
this was “21”.

The number 21 was lucky for me EXCEPT FOR junior year softball,
when I dove for a tough hit (I played left field), fell
awkwardly, and broke my left arm. (I caught the ball though!)

Despite this one “exception that proves the rule”, I have
many other examples of how the number three imbues luck,
certainty and advantage into my life. That’s my story and
I’m sticking to it!

Now, how does this apply to you?

Maybe you also believe that three, or some multiple of three,
is your lucky number. Maybe you too have seen this pattern
play out in weird, wacky, sometimes wonderful ways.

Whether you have or not, you can put the power of three to work
for you at anytime, to help you achieve better results in any
area of your life.

As an example, I organize my life around three major areas:

-Family and community (I further subdivide this into my
immediate family, extended family, and community involvement);

-Business, career and finances;

-Personal development and improvement (which includes health
and fitness, self improvement and learning, AND spiritual
development)

Although I have many interests, I find it easier and more
effective to use these three areas as the focal points for
my life. Something has to fit in these areas to get attention.
Often one or more areas overlaps.

Similarly, I organize my programs and the way I teach with
three primary areas in mind: body, mind and spirit.

Each of these is critical to a happy and successful and
meaningful life. Each intersects and interacts with the other,
to the point of being dependent on each other. I mean, you
can’t have triangle without all three sides.

Likewise, any health and fitness program should address all
three of these areas, so you’re doing more than just moving
around and sweating. You’re improving from the inside out,
as well as the outside in.

(Plus it’s more fun when you’re fully engaged in what you are
doing.)

Now, let’s talk more specifically about your health and
fitness program. A powerful way to organize your efforts is
around these three areas:

-Aerobic and anaerobic capacity (heart and lungs)
-Strength and power
-Flexibility and resilience

This construct provides a very effective way to organize
your program. If you touch these three areas in each workout,
or cycle through each area a couple times each week, you
have yourself a well-rounded and highly effective program.

I’ve found that the power of three works in another way –
in the dimension of time (the “fourth” dimension).

When you embark on a program of improvement – be it physical,
educational, work-related – you’ll typically experience a
delay in results.

It’s been my experience that it generally takes about three
weeks – 21 days – to begin to see and feel significant
improvements.

I’ve experienced this in my own training and also seen it
with those I’ve trained or worked with.

With a well constructed program, you may begin to FEEL
better early on. But you may not see results right away,
in terms of pounds lost, reduction in waist size, increase
in strength, and so forth.

This is one of the main reasons people get discouraged and
don’t stick to their fitness or health programs.

Don’t let this derail you! Give it time – give it at least
three weeks.

I promise, if you stick it out and work your program, within
three weeks (21 days) you will begin to see – and FEEL –
significant improvements in your health, energy levels and
physique.

This also pertains to work and educational settings. For
example – and this is going back years now, but….

When I first started out in the financial services industry,
I worked for Citibank as an account executive. Our job
was to win new customers, as well as keep existent
customers happy. We were paid a small base salary, so most
of our compensation (which could be quite good) was
commission.

This basically meant that, if I wanted to make good money,
I had to get off my duff and do a better job prospecting for
qualified leads, talk to more people, get better at sales,
provide excellent service so my customers loved me (and
recommended me to others), and so forth.

Whenever I got serious about this, I focused on an area to
improve, buckled down an dgot to work…it took about three
weeks – 21 days – to begin seeing the results of my renewed
effort, or of the new strategy or technique I was testing or
implementing.

I knew if I just stuck with it through those first few
weeks, I would get results. Results in terms of new deals in,
happier customers, more closed deals, higher commission checks.

It never failed. It always happened.

This was a critical experience for a young lady just starting
out in the work world. It held the seeds of a very important
lesson:

The virtues and rewards of working hard, being willing to
take a risk or two, and being willing to push yourself
to get better and better.

Put the “Power of Three” to work for you, starting today.

You Can Do It!

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with
Dynamic Energy Exercise!”
www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. Whether you want to lose weight and look and feel
better…or improve your breathing and stamina so you have
more energy…or take control and transform the stress
in your life….I’ve got the programs that can help you.

For more information on specific programs available at
the Best Breathing Exercises site, visit
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com – and get started
today!

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2013

Well, the house has been empty and I’ve been knocking around here
by myself for the past week.

Our son is with my parents for a few weeks during summer vacation.
My better half had to leave suddenly to help out a family member.

Which leaves me and the pets – our two dogs and two cats.

They’ve been congregating near me, following me around so
closely, that I’ve tripped over them a few times – even the cats.
It’s almost like they are thinking, “Hey, did Karen knock off
everyone else? She’s the only one left who can feed us. We better
stay close!”

At first, the thought of some alone time was appealing. I could
spend more time on writing and on my businesses, and not have to
knock off work for family time in the evening. And it has been
great. I’ve been able to get to a few things that I just hadn’t
been able to get to before.

But I’ve also felt lonely. I miss my peeps.

My idyll will dissipate in a few days when the family members
begin to return. In fact, within a few days we’ll have a houseful
of kids. (But that’s another story…)

When I’m working, I tend to write out a to-do list for my day.
I’ve also started to “script” my day. This is a time
management practice advocated by Dan Kennedy, the well-known
small business and marketing guru.

I first heard this idea of scripting your day from Dan a few
years back. I don’t think I’ve heard much about it from anyone
else. Dan says that the to-do list is good, but it’s not
enough. It’s too easy to get distracted and have something –
or things – come up and throw you off course.

A key point of scripting is the fact that people rarely
set an end point for a task.

For example, if you’re going to write an article, or finish
reading a report, you probably have it on your to-do list,
and may even have an idea as to when you are going to start.
But many if not most people do not establish an end point,
by which they must finish the task.

And this can lead to the task’s taking longer to complete
than it should.

What’s that old saying? “Work expands to take up the time
you’re at work.”

Well, getting back to my experience this week:

At the beginning of the week, I didn’t script myself. I
figured I could work as long as I needed to, because I
wouldn’t have to break off when the family got home, to
hang out or help make dinner.

The day was like a wide expanse laid before me, with
no strict cut off time. Nice!

However, within a day or so, I found out that – goldarnit –
that old saying is correct!

Work DID expand to take up more time than it should have.

So….the last few days, I have been back to scripting my
day. While it feels more confining, less fun, and less
“spontaneous”… it also works better. It keeps me focused,
in gear, and I feel better because I get more done.

As an unreformed procrastinator, I’ve found it indispensable
to breaking through my tendencies to delay, or pick up
something else (usually easier) to work on.

I highly recommend scripting and scheduling yourself. Just
as you place an appointment into your calendar, try
adding specific tasks, or portions of tasks, into your
calendar for the day.

Be sure to give yourself some down time here and there,
to take a break, get some food, and renew yourself.

Then crack the whip and get back to work. Focus and
get it done in the time you have allotted.

Word of warning: we often underestimate how long it will
take us to complete a task or job, at least at first.
So give yourself a little slack. You’ll get better at it.

On the other hand, hold yourself accountable. If you’ve
scheduled this hour to work on something…work on it!
And nothing else.

If you’re busy and time starved – which most of us are
these days – you’ll appreciate the difference this can
make in your perception of time.

You’ll feel more in control. You’ll be getting things –
important things – done.

You Can Do It!

Karen

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with
Dynamic Energy Exercise!”
www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. By the way, I recently realized I’ve been using this
principal of scripting my time for years, in a specific
area of my life: working out. I’ve always tended to
schedule a specific amount of time to complete my
work out, and I’ve always planned what I’m going to do
in advance. So, here’s another application of this
principal that I highly recommend!

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2013

There is a concept in traditional martial arts called “beginner’s mind”. The Japanese word for this is “soshin”.

As a beginner, the first time you do something you really have to concentrate and focus in order to do it correctly.

The idea of soshin is to continue to be like a beginner when p erforming various tasks. No matter how trivial a task is, retain the mindfulness of a beginner when performing it.

Have you ever engaged in some kind of creative work, or have you ever become so engrossed in doing something, like playing and laughing with your kids, that you lost all track of time?

This happened because you were living in the moment. You truly felt more alive and energized by doing it.

It’s an incredible feeling, almost a state of flow.

This is one of the things I love about the martial arts…and one of the reasons I highly recommend it for kids and adults.

During hard training, you have to concentrate 100% on the instructor’s commands and on your movements. When sparring or fighting, you have to be totally focused on your opponent and your own strategy and tactics.

During these times, I lose all sense of obligations and responsibilites outside of the training hall.

I stop worrying about what needs to get done, or the latest problem or issue. Although these things await me, for the moment I can just …. be. And enjoy!

Performing conscious breathing, or other types of breathing exercises, can help you create these moments of presence.

When you focus on your breathing and on how your body feels in response to the breathing, you are in the moment.

And at least for this moment, you forget about responsibilities, issues, and demands.

You stop dwelling on health problems or aches and pains. And you help yourself to relax and feel calmer, more centered, and more in control…regardless of what is going on around you.

Breathing exercises and being in the moment are not instant cures for all that ails you. But awareness of your breathing and of the present moment can help you lead a calmer, more relaxed and healthier life. It can imbue everything you do with more power.

I encourage you to put these concepts to work by making them a regular part of your life.

You Can Do It!

 

 

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with Dynamic Energy Exercise!”

http://www.BestBreathingExercises.comcom

P.S. Discover how you can use your breathing to enter a state of effortless flow and power with the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course Volume 1: Invigorate and Rejuvenate. The movements coupled with complete breathing will invigorate, rejuvenate and relax your body, mind and spirit. Pick up your own program CD’s at the Best Breathing Exercises website.

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2012

Well, tomorrow is one of the least favorite days for American taxpayers.

It’s the final day to submit your tax returns without incurring a penalty – unless you have already filed for an extension. And even if you get an extension, you still have to pay what you THINK you owe by tomorrow…or be hit with another penalty.

I was reminded of tax day during this morning’s trip to our local post office. I dropped off some orders I was shipping to customers, nd couldn’t help but notice that the line at the counter was longer than normal.

When I lived in Northern Virginia, I used to ship my orders from the Merrifield Regional post office. This post office was -and is – featured on the local, and sometimes even national, news every year on tax day. It’s incredible to see people in a long traffic jam, using the improvised drive-through that the post office sets up. It beats trying to get inside, where it’s wall-to-wall people.

The post office stays open until midnight, for those brave people who wait until the ultimate last minute to do their taxes.

I’ve never understood this obsession with waiting until the last minute to mail in your taxes. Some people do it deliberately, and with pride, every year…year after year.

I guess it’s their way of “stickin’ it to the man”, not giving up a blessed cent, nor filling out those dastardly forms, until the last possible moment.

The annual tax deadline is instructive. It demonstrates how much more efficient you can be when you have a deadline — either self-imposed or mandated from some external force, such as the long arm of the tax man.

For example, I usually complete my taxes by the end of February or early March.

Because preparing taxes is such a tedious process, I break down  the overall task into smaller steps: gather the statements and records I need; organize everything; complete the P&L statement and document deductions; complete the returns on Turbotax; file everything away.

Doing this in steps involved a little time each day over a period of a week or so. Not a terrible process – but not terribly efficient, either.

This year, however, I procrastinated…and had to complete my taxes this weekend. With my back against the wall, I cranked through the record gathering, organization, calculations and statements, and completed and filed my tax returns within about three hours.Plus I also cleaned out old records and reorganized files and folders so I am better organized for the coming year.

What had taken me a week or more to get done in previous years…I completed in only a few hours this year.

Talk about the power of a deadline!

The deadline is a powerful tool to apply to any important action you want to take – or know you should take – to improve your life or your health.

As an example, you may be good about working out on a regular basis.

But you may begin your workout without a plan as to what you are going to do, and how long your workout is going to last. So you may dawdle and do less effective exercises. You may not reach the level of intensity you need to, for long enough, to propel yourself forward toward your fitness and health goals.

As an alternative, even if you have all the time in the world for your next workout (is that true of anyone anymore?), try setting a time limit for yourself.

Set a deadline of one hour from now and get going.

You’ll immediately notice a significant change in your approach. You’ll be forced to plan what you are going to do, and for how long.

You may budget 10 minutes for warming up, then move into a more intense cardio workout for 20 minutes. Then you will spend 20 minutes on strength training, followed by 10 minutes to cool down and stretch.

Of course, you can train in such a way as to combine these separate activities as well. A lot of that is driven by your breathing, and with the level of intensity you bring to each activity and exercise. This approach is what I teach in the Best Breathing Exercises programs.

With a deadline-driven approach, you don’t have time to dawdle or dilly-dally. You automatically move from exercise to exercise with more efficiency. You focus better, and you get more done in one hour than you might have achieved in two hours during your “old” way of working out.

This approach offers an outstanding way to increase the quality, intensity – and results – of your fitness program, or any other endeavor that is important to you.

You Can Do It!

 

 

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with Dynamic Energy Exercise!” http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. The great copywriter, John Carlton, is fond of saying, “The deadline is mankind’s greatest invention – because without it, nothing would ever get done!” Use this powerful tool in your own life and see how much more focused and productive you become.

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2012

When it comes to your fitness and health, you’d probably say that they are important to you.

Yet how committed and consistent are you at taking action in these two areas, each and every day?

Since I’ve been laid up after surgery and quite limited in the type of exercise I can do right now, I’ve been giving the concept of frustration a whole lot of thought. To say I’m feeling frustrated at times is an understatement.

I’m used to moving a lot, doing something every single day for my health and fitness, using physical activity and expression as a key outlet for the stress that builds up from a busy, engaged life. I’ve had to re-focus my usual activities to ones I can support now.It hasn’t been easy, but I’m beginning to get into a groove that supports and energizes me.

But let’s get back to you….

It takes a lot to make significant changes in your lifestyle, your schedule, and your attitude and outlook…changes that will propel you towards greater things in your life.

It’s a lot more comfortable to stay where you are, with what you know, and dream about “If only…”

If only I were thinner. If only I could put on more muscle. If only I could get control of this stress and anxiety and live in a more relaxed manner. And so forth…

Seeing the need to change, thinking you ought to change, even wanting to change are all good. But they don’t quite get it done when it comes to actually taking the consistent, sustained action that will enable you to reach your goals.

No, it takes something much stronger. And that something is… frustration.

Yes, that negative, nasty emotion. But it’s true, something very negative can help you make positive changes.

I used to abhor frustration. I hated the feeling. I think frustration and boredom are the two states I seek to avoid the most.

However, I realized from my own experience, as well as working with others, that you’re not reallly ready to do the things and think the thoughts you need to, until you are at the end of your rope and ready and willing to do what it takes to get out of the situation you are in.

If, for example, you get to the point that you are really frustrated with your anxiety and levels of stress, and the fact that you don’t seem to be improving…Or you are frustrated with your appearance and inability to lose the weight…then celebrate.

Get happy! Put your hands in the air and shout “Hur-rah!”

I’m serious. Because when you get truly frustrated, you are ready for a breakthrough.

You are at the point where you begin to ask yourself the right questions, and look for the information or resources that can help you.

So leverage the frustration you may be feeling and use it to help energize and support your efforts to change or improve.

Here’s one more thought on frustration: it can also trip you up.

Once you are on the path to losing weight, or gaining the upper hand on stress…you may at times experience little or no progress.

You may get frustrated at how slowly things are changing. Or you may get frustrated at yourself for slipping up or backsliding. You may think you’ll never reach your goals.

Well, once again, use this frustration as a tool to energize yourself. Don’t let it put you into a funk, or get so down that you give up.

Here’s a great quote I heard a long time ago, that helps describe this point:

“How long would you give the average baby to learn how to walk before you didn’t let him or her try anymore?”

That’s a crazy question, isn’t it? You’ll give your kid as long as it takes, and all the love and support to help them. But dadgummit, that kid is going to learn how to walk!

And think how frustrated babies and toddlers can be at times, when they are trying to master a new motor skill. But they keep at it, again and again and again, until they finally get it.

Why not apply this same approach to yourself?

You Can Do It!

Karen

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with Dynamic Energy Exercise!” http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. I’d love to help as you leverage your frustration into action, and seek the information that will help you take smarter steps towards your fitness and health goals. Visit the Best Breathing Exercises website for information on the products and programs that can help you transform your health and energy levels.

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2012

I trust you have begun 2012 in fine form.

If you’re like me, you have probably been inundated with emails, articles and other such talk about setting resolutions and goals for yourself.

I’m a huge proponent of setting and working towards meaningful goals.

But I have to admit one thing:

Goals in and of themselves are not the most important thing.

What IS important is the person you become in the process of achieving your goals.

In order to achieve more, you need to become more.What you become determines what you can achieve and realize in your life. What you become is just as important as what you do.

The real reason to set, work towards and achieve goals is your own personal growth. Growth that helps you create a better life for yourself…and have a more positive and profound impact on the people around you. Growth that helps you make a difference in your world, your community, within your circle of family and friends. Growth that is in alignment with your highest personal values and vision for your life.

Here’s the exciting thing about having a goal:

When you focus on a goal, you immediately begin improving because you have become aware of a new and exciting direction in which to take your life.

You’re already mentally and emotionally shifting in that direction.

As you think about what you would like to achieve, do, or bring into your life this coming year….think also about the type of person you will have to become in order to realize your goals.

For example, some years ago, when I set out to overcome a serious and chronic health problem – a severe case of asthma – I not only thought about the obvious goals, like reducing or eliminating the asthma attacks, or breathing more clearly, or getting off all the darn meds.

What really motivated me was picturing the kind of person I would be if I were free from asthma.

I thought about how great it would be to lose the fatigue and anxiety, to have abundant energy and confidence. To be able to participate fullbore in just about any activity I wanted to – without fear.

You may face your own health or fitness challenge. Have you set a goal and made the commitment to begin overcoming that challenge?

If so, keep in mind the transformative power of deep breathing and dynamic energy exercise

No matter what your goal is – losing weight, improving stamina, transforming stress into positive energy, becoming more flexible and open in body and mind – you can get started more quickly and easily if you put one of the Best Breathing Exercises programs to work for you.

It’s not magic, and you have to make some effort. But remember this:   “The highest reward for a person’s toil is not what they get by it, but what they become by it.”

You Can Do It!

Karen

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with Dynamic Energy Exercise!” http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. If your goals for 2012 include getting more fit…breathing more clearly..>overcoming stress and anxiety….or feeling more energetic and healthy, then you owe it to yourself to check out the Best Breathing Exercises programs.

Let me help you make 2012 your healthiest year ever!

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2012