health and wellness – Page 4 – Resilient Edge Wellness

Exercise as Good as Medicine for Several Ills

October 3, 2013kvanness01

Hey – some exciting news!

Just the other day, a report from the Harvard Medical School came
out confirming something that scientists have been trying to prove
(or disprove) for some time:

Exercise is AS EFFECTIVE as drugs at preventing diabetes and repeat
heart attacks.

AND….exercise is potentially even BETTER THAN medication for
preventing additional strokes, if someone has already had a stroke.

One of the study authors at Harvard said, “Exercise is a potent
strategy to save and extend life in coronary heart disease and other
conditions. We think exercise can be considered as a viable
alternative or in combination with drug therapy.”

We already know that exercise is very helpful in improving other
conditions, such as high blood pressure, depression, cognitive
issues – even response to cancer treatments.

And when it comes to overall health, energy levels, mood, feelings
of confidence and wellbeing, exercise wins out any day over any
drug or prescription med.

So why is it that so many people don’t take advantage of nature’s
best medicine? Why do so few of us exercise regularly and
consistently?

Why, as a nation, is our overall health getting poorer, our waist
lines getting larger, our butts getting wider, our rate of chronic
lifestyle diseases – such as heart disease, diabetes, and high blood
pressure – getting worse and worse…even as the number of medicines
explodes?

And by the way, if I see one more commercial pushing one of those
erectile disfunction drugs while I’m watching football with my 9 year old,
I’m gonna scream. Sorry guys, but I just don’t want to have to explain
that subject to my son. He’s a little young for that discussion.

And, as you can imagine (and probably remember), as a 9 year old
boy, he doesn’t have any problems in that area. In fact, I’m sure
he could never even imagine having any problems in that area!

But I digress. Actually, not too much, because a proper, regular
exercise program can help with ED.

OK, back from my rant….

As with any new self improvement effort, when it comes to improving
our fitness and health by embarking on a regular, consistent
exercise program, I think most of us get overwhelmed by the thought
of how much we will need to do, how much damage we have already
done, how far we are from where we want to be…and how much
work and effort it will take.

We psyche ourselves out, fling up our hands and say, “Maybe I’ll
start on this some other time”.

Then we rationalize our procrastination….with reasons like “I’m
just too busy right now”. Or “But I’m so tired, I just don’t have
the energy right now”. Or “I need new workout clothes, or new
running shoes.”

Yet deep inside, we know our “reasons” are a bunch of bullshit. We
are copping out, plain and simple.

Remember, you don’t have to solve your whole life problem today.

You don’t have to lose all 40 of those excess pounds today. You
don’t have to walk three miles today. You don’t have to do 50
pushups today. You don’t have to eat perfectly today.

All you have to do today is….a little. Take it “one day at a
time”. Move some. Make some healthier eating and drinking choices.

Keep it simple. Go for a walk. Do some pushups and situps. Stretch
and breathe.

Get moving immediately. Don’t give yourself the chance to start
coming up with excuses.

Just get started today. No matter how small or brief the step,
take it!

Taking action immediately helps you begin to build the momentum,
satisfaction and pride that comes from successfully following
through on a challenge.

As Goethe said, “Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.”

All you have to do to get going toward substantial changes in your
life is to take that first step. This simple thought is one of the
keys to how I have structured my programs.

I know from experience how incredibly difficult it can be to
put aside the head baggage and laziness and self-doubt…and
just get started. So I’ve organized my programs to be easy and
fast to learn. And I’ve structured the sequence in each one so
that you can complete it in about 10 to 15 minutes – yet still
benefit mightily from it!

You see, when you discover how to harness and leverage your
breath, you know how to make any type of exercise or activity
easier to do, while giving yourself much much better results.
You unlock inner powers and abilities you didn’t know you had.
(Or maybe you suspect you have, but don’t know how to put them
into play.)

Approaching exercise and a new fitness program – or improving
on what you are already doing – can be fun and exciting, not a
reason for dread or self-doubt. See what I mean, check out
the Best Breathing Exercises programs and put one to work for
you right now.

You Can Do It!

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

P.S. If you’re interested in improving your fitness, enhancing
your health, and rocketlaunching your energy levels, you’ll
want to check out my programs. To help you get off to a quick
and easy start, I highly recommend two of my most popular
programs: The Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course,
Volumes 1 and 2. You can learn more about them at the
Best Breathing Exercises website.

Use the Power of Three To Accelerate Your Results

September 20, 2013kvanness01

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!

Self Scripting to Beat the Clock

July 26, 2013kvanness01

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!

Do You Need A Time Out?

July 18, 2013kvanness01

“Do You Need A Time Out?”

If you have (or had) young kids, you’ll find that phrase familiar.

I’ve used it more times than I care to remember. However, my son
Miguel is getting older (turning 9 in a few weeks, I can’t believe
it!), so I’m hoping I won’t have to say it too many more times.

I don’t think I’ve shared this with anyone in these email tips – I
may have mentioned this in my print newsletter once (which, by the
way, I will be starting up again soon) – but, parenting Miguel has
been, and can be, quite stressful.

You see, he was diagnosed with ADHD. He’s somewhere on the autism
spectrum (fortunately at the high functioning end, but no
professional we have worked with can tell us exactly where). He
also has some sensory integration issues.

Any parent or grandparent with kids “on the spectrum”, or with
ADD or ADHD, knows that there is high co-morbidity, or common
occurrence, of these conditions. In other words, if a kid has one
one of these things going on, they probably have others going on
too.

We always felt that Miguel was a little different, even from his
earliest weeks. He was difficult to comfort. He would sometimes
have a tough time settling and getting to sleep. His expressive
language skills developed a little late.

I remember when his first preschool teacher approached me about
having a conference.

I thought, “Wow! His first year in school and I’m already being
called in for a conference? This can’t be good!”

This preschool was run by our church, where they offered
“classes” two mornings per week for toddlers. I enrolled Miguel
because it seemed like a nice, well-structured program with
plenty of playtime.

I probably should have waited a year, but something
instinctively told me to start working on certain things early,
such as socialization, being able to adapt to a learning
environment, being OK with not having mommy around, and so
forth.

Anyways, Miguel’s teacher was almost apologetic when she met
with me. I guess she expected me to take offense at what she
had to say. She told me she noticed some things she thought
were significant, and that I should consider having him
evaluated.

You could tell she had had this conversation before and had to
deal with pissed-off parents, who didn’t want to hear anything
negative about their kids.

I quickly put her at ease and told her that our family also
suspected something significant was wrong.

However, I have to admit: hearing it from a professional put a
sort of finality on it. Like, no more dismissing it as
“something he will grow out of”, or maybe it’s not as bad or
significant as we feared.

I mourned for a few days. I processed what we were facing, and
I enlisted my family’s support – which, of course, they were
happy to give. And we got busy.

It’s not always been easy. In fact, at times it’s been
massively frustrating. As in pull out your hair, get in a fight
with your spouse, want to kick the cat (well, not the cat part)
massively frustrating.

Raising a kid on the autism spectrum- with ADHD to boot! – can
be quite challenging.

At times, I let the stress get to me. For awhile there, I was
runing around as a single mom, working full time, trying to run
another business on the side (in my “spare time”), and parenting
a kid who needed lots of time, attention, routine and structure.

Later, I was blessed to get back in touch with the love of my
life, and we have been parenting Miguel together. So I’ve had
more help. And Miguel has had the benefit of another parent who
loves him.

Also, my parents and brother have always been very supportive
and very involved with Miguel. So we are very lucky.

For awhile there, my work demands lead me through a period of
heavy travel, which added to my stress and guilt. My constant
comings and goings sometimes disrupted the routines and rhythms
that are so critical for kids like Miguel, whom the slightest
change can set off.

During these years, there have been times when I’ve put less
time – or no time – into my own self-care. I’ve ignored my own
advice (!) and dropped my fitness regimen. I’ve barely kept up
with my breathing and energy practice.

I paid the price.

I quickly learned that this was a terrible mistake. If I don’t
take care of myself, no one else will. And I won’t be present
for my son and the rest of my family like I should be.

It’s similar to when you are flying with your kids. What does
the flight attendant always tell you? “In the event of an
emergency, put on your own oxygen mask first, then put on
your child’s mask.”

Exactly!

While our journey is a work in progress, I am happy to tell you
that we’ve seen remarkable changes during the 9 years this
litle angel named John Miguel has been on Planet Earth.

Miguel is intelligent, enthusiastic, with an infectious smile
and laugh. He’s got the cutest little dimples when he smiles.

He loves to read. He loves building things, like Legos. He
loves his Xbox. He likes to shoot his BB gun, play soccer,
and play army or special forces. He wants to be in the
military, then maybe become a police officer.

He’s doing great in school. He’s active in sports. He has
a few buddies he likes to hang with, and he’s popular with
his classmates at school and at the after school academy he
attends.

He still requires a high level of diligence, attention and
energy – but that’s OK. Because we love him and are so very
proud of him.

And because I can’t imagine life without him.

I’ve shared all this with you because I want you to know that
I get it – I GET IT! – when you say you don’t have the time,
or don’t have the energy, or are just too overwhelmed with
life right now to start a new fitness or health regimen.

Even something that requires only a small investment of time –
like most of my programs – can seem out of reach when you feel
like you have little to no time for yourself.

It’s easy to get caught up in the stress and pressure of your
day. You may start the day with great plans and positive
expectations. But invariably things pop up that take you out
of that “constructive” mindset.

It’s easy to get frustrated when this happens. It’s hard enough
to stick to breathing practice, or a nutrition plan, or an
exercise program, as it is. When life throws in extra obstacles,
it can make you feel like you will never achieve your goals.

Well, I don’t have the magic answer that will make all those
challenges, obstacles, and energy depleters go away.

But I do have a suggestion for how you can “take back” most or
all of your energy and focus. It’s something I learned – then
had to re-learn, because I blew it off for a few years – and
it really works.

Put yourself in time out. And practice a few minutes of deep
breathing.

Doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Just sit (or stand) and
gradually slow and deepen your breathing. At the same time,
focus your thoughts internally, on how you are feeling.

You can actually breathe into the stress and tension by
breathing into the tight spots in your body.

As you breathe into these tight spots, imagine every breath
is unlocking or melting them away, bit by bit.

Every inhalation surrounds them and infiltrates them.

Every exhalation releases them and carries them away.

A few minutes of this type of breathing and visualization
will naturally relax you. It will help you focus more positively
and constructively on what is really important in your life.

And it can help short-circuit any destructive behaviors –
like over-eating, yelling at your kids, being cranky with
your spouse, or kicking the cat – which may have become your
method for coping.

This is no panacea. It’s not going to work 100 percent of
the time.

But it’s a lot more pleasurable than the alternatives. And it
helps you assert control over your life, and your behavior, in
a very powerful and intelligent way.

You Can Do It!

Karen

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

P.S. Whether you wish to improve your energy levels…enhance
your ability to manage stress…or you’re finally ready to lose
weight and stick with a healthy nutrition and fitness
program….

Your best strategy is to get centered and focused with the
magic of proper breathing. The Best Breathing Exercises programs
can help you do just that. For more information on the program
that could be just right for you, visit the Best Breathing website.

How Your Failures Actually Help You Succeed

July 15, 2013kvanness01

If you’ve failed to achieve your goals or objectives during the
first half of this year – or, if you’ve accomplished less that you
had hoped you would by now…

Relax. This is actually a good thing.

I know this sounds counter to what we all normally think. We
realize the first half of the year is over, and we may not be
anywhere close to where we wanted to be at this point. This is
not a good thing…or is it?

Goals and actions such as starting a new health and fitness
regimen so you feel more energetic and lose that extra weight…or
leveraging conscious breathing to assert more control over your
thoughts and reactions, so you feel less stressed and hectic all
the time….

These are worthy efforts that aren’t necessarily easy.

The path to these end states, the process itself, is fairly
straightforward. Simple, even. But not easy. The path requires
time and sustained effort.

As I discussed in my last tip, if you’re thinking, “It’s
already July and I’m already behind, so maybe what’s the use,
I’ll just cave on my goals like I did in previous years”….

Stop that train of thought! Flick on the red flashing lights
and pull the brake handle.

Oh yea, and take a deep breath. Maybe several deep breaths.

Relax.

You’ve still got plenty of time for course correction, plenty
of time to get it together and reach those goals…or make
significant progress toward them, which is the hallmark of
success.

One of your first steps to getting back on track should be an
honest assessment of your mindset.

Your mindset drives everything.

A common affliction – one of the banes of humankind and
significant achievement – is the fear of failure. A few years
back, after much introspection, I realized that this has been
a significant issue for me.

Fear of failure means you’re more worried about what other people
will think if you try something and can’t do it, or aren’t good
at it. It can hold you back from trying new things, developing
new skills, taking risks.

It can manifest itself as always playing it safe, sticking with
the routines and habits you know so well today. It’s that loud
voice in your head telling you not to commit 100 percent to
a goal, because that way, if you don’t achieve it, you have
an out or an excuse.

I could go on and on about how fear of failure holds us back.
I think everyone has it to some extent or another. Unfortunately,
we pound it into our kids’ heads too, if we’re not careful.

You can’t just magically click your fingers and rid yourself
of this fear of failure. But you can shift your focus to a new
mindset…one that shoves failure thinking to the side.

Researchers who study the secrets of high performance have found
that an individual’s mindset is one of the most important
predictors of success and achievement.

If you predominantly have a “fear of failure” mindset, you’ll
worry about what other people think, you’ll be more needy for
social confirmation, and you will likely not push yourself to
try something new outside of your comfort zone.

And…you will stagnate, not get any better, maybe even give up.

On the other hand, if you switch your thinking to a growth
mindset, you will leverage the driving force to master skills,
improve yourself, and do better today than you did yesterday.

It seems weird, but a little failure can be the key to success.

Having to overcome adversity or failure, or things taking longer
than you “think they should”, can be the rocket fuel that
fires you up and launches you to ultimate success.

So, as you face the rest of this year head on, don’t let your
negative self-talk – that monkey chatter, as they call it –
get in your way. Replace it with growth thinking. See your
efforts as a challenge – a positive challenge.

And allow the challenge to fuel a sense of urgency.

It’s so easy to get complacent. The path of least resistance
is to throw up your hands and say, “Oh well, guess I won’t
achieve [insert your goal here] this year. Guess it wasn’t
meant to be. At least not for me.”

Don’t settle for this. You deserve better!

And when I say deserve, I say it with the same intention as
Churchill when, during World War II and the height of the
Battle of Britain, he told England to “Deserve victory!”

He didn’t mean England was good and Nazi Germany was bad and,
therefore, England deserved to win.

He meant, let’s make damn sure we do everything we possibly
can, to the ends of our resources and endurance, to EARN
victory.

Earn your own personal victory this year! Stay the course,
or get back on course, and keep moving in the direction you
have set out for yourself. Honor the commitment you have made.

I’d like to share a piece of advice from the Hagakure, an
old Japanese book of wisdom written by a famous Samurai,
Yamamoto Tsunetomo (1659 – 1719).

He discussed the four vows he had taken, and that he advised
every Samurai to take. They included: commitment to the way of
the Samurai: commitment to one’s work; faithfulness to one’s
parents; and to develop compassion and act for the sake of
Man.

When I first read this passage, the next part really captured
me. Yamamoto says:

“If one dedicates these four vows to the gods and Buddhas
every morning, he will have the strength of two men and will
never slip backward. One must edge forward like the inchworm,
bit by bit. The gods and Buddhas, too, first started with a
vow.”

Edge forward, inch by inch. Never slip backward.

There are less than six months left this year. Let’s git
crackin’!

You Can Do It!

Karen

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

We’re At The Midway Point of the Year. How Are You Doing?

July 5, 2013kvanness01

Did you know that, every 6 to 7 months, every cell in your body is
replaced?

Just think, by late December, you will have an entirely new body
at the cellular level.

We’re just past the midway point of this year. How are you doing?

Have you achieved some of the goals you set for yourself? Are you
making progress toward other goals and objectives that ultimately
lead to your dreams, and the ideal life you visualize for yourself?

If not, what’s going on? What has been keeping you from making the
progress you’d like to make?

Believe it or not, you’ve still got plenty of time for course
correction, plenty of time to get it together and reach those
goals…or make the significant progress toward them that is the
true definition of success.

Our body’s renewal at the cellular level clues us in to a great way
to think about the rest of this year.

Instead of thinking only of what you want to accomplish, or what
you have to get done…think also in terms of renewal.How can you
begin to renew yourself; to become the person you want to be; to
do the things you want to do; to move closer to the life you
envision?

How can you get that old energy and enthusiasm back; or get it to
begin with, if you never had it?

Many people – myself included – often look at their progress, or
lack thereof, and chastise themselves.

You probably do this too.

You dwell on your inability to stay focused, to be self-disciplined.
You wonder, “Why, why, why do I continue to procrastinate on
important things, even though I know getting them done will
make such a huge difference in my life?”

Not to sound like a softie, but….Stop being so hard on
yourself!

Chastising yourself will not get you anywhere.

Better to honestly assess how you’ve handled certain things
during the first half of the year, and figure out – again,
honestly – the specific things you need to change or do
differently to get back on track.

As you do this, try out this idea which as helped me a lot in
transforming bad habits or developing new, good habits:

As you think about an unwanted habit, such as eating too
much, or procrastinating on important projects, or wasting
energy on negative thinking….approach it constantly with
this question:

“Will this thing I am about to do (or think) strengthen me
or weaken me?”

If what you are about to do – gobble down some cookies;
blow off the hour of focused work you said you would do;
react negatively to a new idea – will weaken you….then
don’t do it.

Step away from the ledge. Take a deep breath or two. Tell
yourself you’re better than that.

If what you are about to do – eat a salad instead of potato
chips at lunch; coax yourself into that project by committing
to work just 15 minutes on it; open your mind and heart to
considering that new idea or new approach – will strengthen
you….give it the green light, jump right in and – as they
say here in Texas – “Git ‘er done!”.

Key point: How you envision or position your actions (do
they strengthen me or weaken me?), and how you talk to
yourself about your desires and goals, has a massive, albeit
unconscious, impact on the quality of your actions…and
therefore on the quality of your results.

Don’t think in terms of denial, discipline, gotta get
going, etc., etc.

Think in terms of renewal, getting better, getting stronger.

I’ll finish up with one of my favorite quotes from Bruce Lee –
one that I first read as a young girl and have tried to
follow during much of my life:

“Ever since I was a child I have had this instinctive urge for
expansion and growth. To me, the function and duty of a
quality human being is the sincere and honest development
of one’s potential.”

You Can Do It!

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

Got a question or comment for Karen? Email her at kavanness@att.net.
Your question or comment could end up in a tip one of these days!

Can You Really Relax Your Way To Being More Productive?

March 12, 2013kvanness01

In a recent article, Tony Schwartz, the chief executive officer of
The Energy Project and the author, most recently, of “Be Excellent
at Anything”, wrote an article titled “Relax! You’ll Be More
Productive”. (You can read his full article here.)

Here’s the basic premise of his article – which, by the way, is
based on years of research, observation and practice:

“More and more of us find ourselves unable to juggle overwhelming
demands and maintain a seemingly unsustainable pace. Paradoxically,
the best way to get more done may be to spend more time doing
less. A new and growing body of multidisciplinary research shows
that strategic renewal — including daytime workouts, short
afternoon naps, longer sleep hours, more time away from the
office and longer, more frequent vacations — boosts productivity,
job performance and, of course, health.”

I’ve followed Tony Schwartz and his partner, Jim Loehr, for years.

They developed their expertise in coaching high level, professional
athletes in how to compete effectively and maintain excellence
over a sustained period of time. Then they took their learnings
and experience to the business world. They have spent the past
15 or so years working with organizations and individuals,
helping them perform better while achieving better balance in
life.

Their message and approach is attractive to me because I
realized, some time ago, that simply trying to “fit more” into
each day was a recipe for failure. Here’s what I mean.

I was (and still am, to an extent) a time management junkie.

I’ve read or studied or listened to a lot of the programs out
there. I’ve alway been pretty good at managing my time,
starting way back when I was in high school at good ol’
Marshfield High.

Hell, I had to be, given my schedule. I was at the top of
my class (#3 actually) while taking all advanced placement
and honors courses. I played sports (basketball and softball).
I participated in other extra-curricular activities at school.

I studied martial arts – kenpo, at the time. I was active in
my youth group at church. My junior and senior year, I
worked a part-time job (not by choice, my Dad made me).

So…to say that I could manage my time and fit in a lot
is an understatement!

However, even into adulthood, I always felt like I should do
more. There were always other things I wanted to be able to
focus on and fit into my life. I figured, if I could get
even better at time management, I could fit in those other
interests or projects.

My goal was to gain one more idea, one more distinction, to
help me do more. Over time, I found that a handful of key
principles made the most difference. When I put these into
practice, I got more done and felt more in control.

But…I also felt like I was jammed in every day.

Don’t get me wrong, I like to stay busy. I like having projects
to work on.

What I don’t like is feeling that I have to script every
minute of every day just to get my shit done. There’s a lot to
be said for a few minutes here and there to relax, to
contemplate, to just sit and think about things.

I realized that, even if I wasn’t the hamster in the wheel
running nowhere….it was only because my wheel was actually
moving somewhere. I was still running harder and harder in my
wheel, and not necessarily feeling like I was getting any
better at it.

This frustration lead me to widen my focus. I soon realized
that completing a good, productive day, and ENJOYING that day,
meant more than scratching items off my to-do list. It meant
more than just managing my time.

It meant managing my ENERGY.

And, like so many times in my life, I received an invaluable
lesson from my practice of martial arts.

I went through a phase in my training when I really got into
kickboxing. Not “cardio kickboxing”, but the real thing, where
you actually get into the ring and fight full contact.

As you can imagine, the training and conditioning for this
type of fighting is way more involved than the training you
do for point sparring, in which each fight is only two minutes
long (although those two minutes can seem veeerry long if
you’re in a tough match).

My kickboxing instructor taught me quite a bit about ring
management and energy management. He said that the two were
intertwined.

In terms of energy management, he used to hate watching boxers
or kickboxers come out and “showboat” in the first round. These
guys would come out and throw every punch and kick in their
arsenal, trying to score early and perhaps impress the judges.

Trouble was, by the end of the second round, they were
exhausted. Not only had they wasted a lot of energy, but they
had not succeeded in analyzing their opponent, using feints,
fakes and different defenses or counters to see how their
opponent responded.

Plus they ended up putting on a boring fight.

As my instructor taught me, a better approach is to fight
within yourself and follow your plan, your strategy.

Of course, you have to be prepared for the other fighter to
be aggressive, and you have to be able to alter your tactics
if necessary.

But, if you have conditioned well for the fight, and you
manage your own energy during the fight, you will have the
gas to do what you need to do, all the way to the end.

I actually had to experience this for myself, in the ring,
to fully appreciate it. But then the light bulb went off
over my head.

“That’s it! No longer will I focus on time management. I’ll
focus on energy management!”

There is so much to energy management, I could write a
book. (In fact, I think I will.) But here’s one of the most
helpful things I’ve learned about energy management: take
small breaks throughout the day.

More specifically, take a break every 90 minutes or so.

Your body and brain have a natural rhythm, and cycle through
energy peaks and troughs in approximately 90 minute intervals.
This daytime rhythm mimics the night time rhythm we are
all familiar with – that cycle between deep sleep, REM sleep
and light sleep.

The difference is that during the day we move from a state
of alertness progressively into physiological fatigue
approximately every 90 minutes.

Most of us have become oblivious to these natural cycles.
See if you can get in synch with yours.

For example, when working, take a five to fifteen minute
break every 90 minutes to do some deep breathing, walk
around, or stand up and stretch. Sometimes I will go out
back and play with the dogs for a few minutes. Other
times I may do a few chi kung exercises.

Remember, it’s not how long, but how well, you renew that
matters most in terms of performance. Even a two or three
minute break to move around and breathe deeply can make
a huge difference in your energy levels.

Here’s another insight from Tony Schwartz:

“Working in 90-minute intervals turns out to be a prescription
for maximizing productivity. Professor K. Anders Ericsson and
his colleagues at Florida State University have studied elite
performers, including musicians, athletes, actors and chess
players. In each of these fields, Dr. Ericsson found that the
best performers typically practice in uninterrupted sessions
that last no more than 90 minutes. They begin in the morning,
take a break between sessions, and rarely work for more than
four and a half hours in any given day.

“‘To maximize gains from long-term practice,’ Dr. Ericsson
concluded, ‘individuals must avoid exhaustion and must limit
practice to an amount from which they can completely recover
on a daily or weekly basis.'”

So, here’s my take on the question of, “Can you really relax
your way to being more productive?” My answer is a
resounding YES!

You Can Do It!

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

The Five Pillars of Effective Energy (and Life) Management

March 7, 2013kvanness01

Have you ever had a day when you just couldn’t seem to get going?

You had plenty to do. You had plenty of reasons to get up and at
’em. But you just couldn’t seem to pull the trigger, focus, make
yourself get started. You just didn’t feel “motivated”.

Instead, you lollygagged around (that’s a Texas term for you
Yankees). Or you got “busy” doing minor stuff, like moving a few
files around, or trolling through your emails or Facebook, or
cleaning your work space.

Not that these are bad things to do once in awhile…but you know –
and I know – these aren’t the types of activities that will move
us closer to our goals.

The reason why most people fail to realize their potential in
their life and work is because they fail to cultivate, wisely use,
and regularly restore their energy.

When you feel lethargic, unmotivated, and directionless, it’s
often due to lack of energy. When you’re in this state, it’s
easy to succumb to busy work, unimportant activities, eating
poorly, zoning out, and so forth.

On the other hand, when you feel energetic, you have a better
sense of control over yourself. You are more directed, you know
what you need or want to do, and you do it.

THE FIVE PILLARS
The five pillars that support your ability to cultivate and
manage your energy effectively are:

1. Deep breathing
2. Good nutrition
3. Physical exercise
4. Adequate sleep and rest
5. Time for reflection

(1) DEEP BREATHING is absolutely critical to generating more energy.

Just a few cycles of slow, deep, gentle inhalations and
exhalations can restore and rejuvenate you, both mentally and
physically. I highly recommend taking short “breathing breaks”
at regular intervals during your day, as well as during your
exercise session.

Think about how vital, alive and energetic small children are.
This is because they naturally breathe deeply, into their
tummies. They continually tap into that primal, vital power
inherent in each of us. Learning proper breathing and specific
breathing techniques – like the ones I teach in my programs –
can quickly catapult your energy and overall health to new
levels.

(2) GOOD NUTRITION means providing your body and brain with the
nutrients they need.

The best way to do this is by making quality, natural foods the
major part of your diet. Focus on quality protein, healthy fats,
vegetables and fruits, plus drink plenty of pure water. To help
maintain constant energy levels throughout the day, eat every
three hours or so.

Eating three complete meals – including a good breakfast,
substantial lunch, and smaller dinner – interspersed with a
couple of small healthy snacks, will keep your brain and body
humming along. When I say “complete meal”, I mean a meal with
balanced amounts of protein and carbohydrates, plus some fat.

Minimize your use of caffeine, sugar and refined foods. Here’s
where it can get really dicey! When you are tired or stressed
(or both!) you may get cravings for carbohydrates and sugar,
and you’ll feel like you need more. Taking it easy on these
will help you avoid crashing and burning.

(3) PHYSICAL EXERCISE is pretty obvious, isn’t it? The more
intensely and regularly you work your body physically, the more
mental and emotional energy you will have.

In fact, I would say that you will fall short mentally and
emotionally – perhaps even spiritually – if you are not
cultivating your physical energy.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, you do not have to work out
for long periods of time to benefit. Shorter workouts that
focus on intervals of higher intensity work, alternating with
intervals of rest and recovery, are the optimal way to train
your body (and brain).

Any type of activity lends itself to interval training, from
walking and running to strength training and martial arts.

(4) ADEQUATE SLEEP AND REST is probably the area that we all
fall short in, at one time or another. With all the demands on
our time, it can be difficult to get to bed at a decent hour.
And many people don’t get good quality sleep once they do hit
the hay.

Getting more sleep may be the most significant, results-producing
change you can make in your life.

Optimal sleep means lights out by 10:30pm at the latest, and
getting at least seven to eight hours of sleep. Every hour of
sleep before midnight is the equivalent in quality to two hours
after midnight.

Optimal rest means taking small breaks throughout the day. Your
body and brain have a natural rhythm, and cycle through energy
peaks and troughs in approximately 90 minute intervals. Most of
us have become oblivious to these natural cycles. See if you can
get in synch with them.

For example, when working, take a five to fifteen minute break
every 90 minutes to do some deep breathing, walk around, or stand
up and stretch. Also be aware of that low energy time that hits
most people between 3 to 4pm in the afternoon. Regularly do
something you enjoy, just for the fun of it.

(5) TIME FOR REFLECTION means making time each day to be alone
and quiet. You can use this time for prayer, meditation, or
inspirational reading. You can also use it to regularly review
your goals and reflect on the vision you have for your life
and your future.

Reflection and spiritual cultivation helps keep you grounded
and focused on what really matters in life. Most importantly,
it helps re-ignite and fuel that passion and enthusiasm for
living that so many people seem to lose.

Just a few minutes each day devoted to this type of activity
can make a huge difference in how you go through each day.

You Can Do It!

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

P.S. No matter what your current level of energy, you will feel
better, healthier and more motivated with just a small investment
of time each day in breathing and energy exercises. They are fun,
simple and easy to do. So take advantage of the strategies,
principles and exercises from any of the programs at the Best
Breathing Exercises website. Bring the zest back into your life!
Order the program of your choice today at
http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com.

Never Feel Like You Have Enough Time? Here’s Why

March 4, 2013kvanness01

Do you have enough time?

Time to get your work done? Time to take care of your family. Time
to be with your family? Time to simply…”be”?

If you’re like most people, you feel like you never have enough
time for all the “must-do’s” and “want-to-do’s” in your life. So
you may focus on time management, working more efficiently, better
scheduling your day so you can “get more done”….

And that’s all to the good. However, most time management books,
courses and approaches basically focus on how to fit more things
into the same amount of time.

I’ve learned that’s the wrong way to think about things.

And in this and the next few email tips, I’d like to share the
evolution in my thinking about time management. It’s made such a
significant difference in my life – when I have applied this
approach – and I know it can make a big difference in your life
too.

Here’s the single phrase I want you to remember. If nothing else
sticks or makes sense, this alone will make all the difference
in your world, if you think about it AND apply it:

“It’s About Energy, Not Time!”

When I first heard this, I realized “Yes!” It’s congruent with
so many things I have learned and experienced over the years.

However, I still didn’t completely get it, not until I put more
of the pieces together. And I still forget this sometimes and
fall back into the hamster wheel approach to life. (You know,
that big wheel the hamster runs on. The hamster can run as hard
and as fast and as long as it possibly can, but it never gets
anywhere.)

But first, let’s review the issue of energy versus time. This
will help us better understand how energy management fits into
time management and our ability to achieve a better-rounded,
satisfying life – without feeling exhausted all the time.

Let me ask you something:

Are you always brimming over with energy and enthusiasm….and
maintaining that energy throughout the day, no matter how
demanding, crowded or crazy your day gets?

If you’re like most people, your answer ranges from “sometimes”
to “rarely” to “never”.

When I hear people complain about “never having enough time”, I
can almost always bucket their complaint into one of two reasons:
not enough time, or not enough energy. And the truth is, the
time complaint is usually related to a lack of energy too.

This energy equation is a big one. It’s a huge issue in everyone’s
life these days, when we all seem to have more to get done than
we have time. It’s one reason why I focus so much on providing
programs that help enhance energy. I know how difficult it is to
stick with a fitness program or eat well when you are feeling worn
down.

Yet, we only have so much energy to put into each day. Being
able to harness, cultivate and manage your energy is a necessity
if you want to have a full, high quality, successful life. It’s
also absolutely vital to improving and maintaining good health and
fitness.

The Four Types of Energy

We each have four types of energy to cultivate. They are:

-physical energy;
-mental energy;
-emotional energy;
-spiritual energy.

Physical energy provides the foundation for the other types of
energy. If your physical energy levels are low or depleted, your
mental and emotional energies will be negatively impacted. The
fastest way to improve your mental or emotional state is through
physical activity.

Mental energy is the energy of creativity, problem solving and
decision making. Your level of mental energy is a major determinant
in your quality of life.

Emotional energy is the energy of excitement and enthusiasm. This
provides the spark in your life. Negative emotional energy can be
a huge hindrance. Almost everything you say and do is affected by
your emotional state, either positive or negative.

Spiritual energy is derived from your deepest beliefs and highest
vision for your life. Regularly tapping into your spiritual energy
helps restore you and gives you perspective on what is really
important in life.

The reason why most people fail to realize their potential in
their life and work is because they fail to cultivate, wisely use,
and regularly restore their energy.

Most people burn up most or all of their emotional or mental
energies on a regular basis. At the same time, they don’t tap
enough into their store of physical and spiritual energy.

This imbalance leads to a failure to restore and rejuvenate, which
leads to a vicious cycle and that “hamster in the wheel” feeling.

You know that feeling of being totally depleted of energy and
enthusiasm. You quickly become irritable or thrown out of synch.
You eat poorly, don’t have the energy or time for physical activity,
and miss out on the sleep you need.

And you never seem to have time for yourself and for doing those
things that bring you happiness and joy.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. No matter how busy or stressed
you may currently feel, you can take some concrete steps to improve
your energy…better manage your energy levels…and leverage each
type of energy to help restore and enhance the others.

Which in turn will help you not only manage time, but transform time.

We’ll talk more about how in your next tip.

You Can Do It!

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

The Power of Being In the Moment

May 1, 2012kvanness01

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.