Breaking Your Emotional Codes

by Jill Alman Bernstein -

Each day is supposed to be a new day, filled with new opportunities and new choices.  But for so many of us, each day is a repeat of the one before.  

We have the same feelings about things, the same responses, the familiar cycle is like a loop – the same song repeating itself over and over, and like in the movie Groundhog Day, we try desperately to remember what we want to do differently and hope that we can shift things just enough to change the outcome of our day.

We all have patterns that we seem to repeat over and over again.  

We get stuck in the same cycles day after day and though we reach for thoughts and ways to alter our feelings and outcomes, most of the time we are unsuccessful at effecting change.  There are many tricks that one can use to help shift that pattern.  

One “thought stopping” technique is snapping a rubber band on your wrist.  This cognitive behavioral therapy technique is suppose to “snap” you out of your thinking pattern, if of course you remember what you are wearing it for and snap it.

From a psychological perspective, we are programmed to receive and respond to information according to our DNA, our learned behaviors, and our emotional codes. 

Take a horse as an example.  

There is a sequence of feelings and thoughts that cue a horse to rear and buck off its rider.  At the slightest hint of danger, the horse’s response pattern is to go on alert.  Its hair will stand on end, its nostrils will flare, its ears will pin back, and then it will rear and buck.   

I heard a great story about breaking that cycle.  A boy was on a trail ride and the counselor directly behind him noticed that the horse’s ears were pinned back.  He screamed and urged the boy to reach up the horse’s neck and push his ears forward.  

The boy argued, why did he have to do that, and the counselor continued to yell for him to just do it.  He did.  And instead of that cycle being completed, the mere shifting of those ears broke the programmed pattern of the horse.  There was no buck, no rear and no sense of danger anymore.

I love this example.  What if it was that simple for us to interrupt the pattern that undermines our ability to feel joy, or happiness, or love?

What are our hot buttons that indicate danger, that signal a blue mood is coming, or make it difficult for us to stand tall with confidence and self-esteem?

We all have these sensory loops.  

They are our personal set of responses to a given circumstance or feeling about it.  And there in lies the crux of these individual patterns that we develop, seemingly for our own safety and protection, but most times out of fear or self-doubt, or some other conditional response that we have owned and integrated into ourselves through time.

I wake up.  I feel heat in my stomach.  I feel like I am in a bubble, desperately trying to pop it, so that the thin layer of distortion will disappear and I can start my day on a clear, positive note.  

I immediately go to the emotional place where I left off when I went to sleep.  So now already I am tired and cranky and feeling sad.  In essence, my ears are pinned back.  

I noticed one morning when I was feeling that oh so familiar thought pattern, that when I turned on my computer and went on to facebook, and the very first post I saw was, “Here comes Monday! 

Set your intention for a fantastic week, full of love, joy, blessings and opportunities. Say thank you now for all of the goodness that is flowing your way this week!” that just reading it, the positive energy that it gave to me, shifted my mood and subtly, or not so subtly, lifted my spirit.  

I was no longer feeling that heaviness that I so often wake to.  Now there was something different.  I had somehow interrupted my sensory loop and now the outcome, how I would feel and perceive the morning and the day, was altered.

Of course it is sometimes not as simple as seeing a positive inspirational post or quote on facebook or on line.  

I often find that that is just the first step and that I have to remind myself to stay positive and centered.  Mantras, intentions, meditation, and conscious breathing all help me to continue climbing the steps to my potential happiness and joyful day.

Are you able to recognize your emotional loop?  

What are the things that set your day off on the wrong note?  What are your hot buttons?  What if you could stop all the dominoes from falling?  

Breaking your emotional cycles, your personal code, can be simple or challenging, it is your choice.  

There are many strategies to help you switch tracks so to speak.  

• Consider interrupting your thoughts by snapping a rubber band; 
• simply become aware of your thoughts and stop them by replacing them with a set positive word or thought; 
• visualize something positive and peaceful that immediately takes you out of your set pattern; 
• divert your attention – listen to music, go for a walk, do something that requires your focus; 
• breathe consciously; set intentions or regularly do a specific mantra or affirmation; 
• find a tapping sequence that helps you to change your mindset; 
• try yoga and meditation; dance!

Just like the horse whose ears when flipped forward did not rear, our ears can be flipped forward too.  We have the power to break our own emotional codes.

About Author: Jill Alman-Bernstein has always been a mermaid. Part inspirational writer and part deep sea soul diver, she fearlessly immerses herself in the realms of her heart and soul, swimming and giving voice to all the tides, currents, and waves of life’s deepest waters. 

imustbeamermaid.co

thewellnessuniverse.com

How and Why to Stay Positive

by Dr. Travis Bradberry -

When faced with setbacks and challenges, we've all received the well-meaning advice to "stay positive." The greater the challenge, the more this glass-half-full wisdom can come across as Pollyannaish and unrealistic.

It's hard to find the motivation to focus on the positive when positivity seems like nothing more than wishful thinking.

The real obstacle to positivity is that our brains are hard-wired to look for and focus on threats. This survival mechanism served humankind well back when we were hunters and gatherers, living each day with the very real threat of being killed by someone or something in our immediate surroundings. That was eons ago.

Today, this mechanism breeds pessimism and negativity through the mind's tendency to wander until it finds a threat. These "threats" magnify the perceived likelihood that things are going—and/or are going to go—poorly.

When the threat is real and lurking in the bushes down the path, this mechanism serves you well. When the threat is imagined and you spend two months convinced the project you're working on is going to flop, this mechanism leaves you with a soured view of reality that wreaks havoc in your life.

Positivity and Your Health

Pessimism is trouble because it's bad for your health. Numerous studies have shown that optimists are physically and psychologically healthier than pessimists.

Martin Seligman at the University of Pennsylvania has conducted extensive research on the topic, and often explores an important distinction—whether people consider their failures the product of personal deficits beyond their control or mistakes they can fix with effort.

Seligman finds much higher rates of depression in people who pessimistically attribute their failures to personal deficits. Optimists, however, treat failure as a learning experience and believe they can do better in the future.

To examine physical health, Seligman worked with researchers from Dartmouth and the University of Michigan on a study that followed people from age 25 to 65 to see how their levels of pessimism or optimism influenced or correlated with their overall health.

The researchers found that pessimists' health deteriorated far more rapidly as they aged. Seligman's findings are similar to research conducted by the Mayo Clinic that found optimists have lower levels of cardiovascular disease and longer life-spans.

Although the exact mechanism through which pessimism affects health hasn't been identified, researchers at Yale and the University of Colorado found that pessimism is associated with a weakened immune response to tumors and infection.

Researchers from the Universities of Kentucky and Louisville went so far as to inject optimists and pessimists with a virus to measure their immune response. The researchers found optimists had a significantly stronger immune response than pessimists.

Positivity and Performance

Keeping a positive attitude isn't just good for your health. Martin Seligman has also studied the connection between positivity and performance.

In one study in particular, he measured the degree to which insurance salespeople were optimistic or pessimistic in their work, including whether they attributed failed sales to personal deficits beyond their control or circumstances they could improve with effort.

Optimistic salespeople sold 37% more policies than pessimists, who were twice as likely to leave the company during their first year of employment.

Seligman has studied positivity more than anyone, and he believes in the ability to turn pessimistic thoughts and tendencies around with simple effort and know-how. But Seligman doesn't just believe this.

His research shows that people can transform a tendency toward pessimistic thinking into positive thinking through simple techniques that create lasting changes in behavior long after they are discovered.

Your brain just needs a little help to defeat its negative inner voice.

TWO SIMPLE STEPS

To that end, I've provided two simple steps for you to follow that will begin training your brain to focus on the positive.

Step 1. Separate Fact from Fiction

The first step in learning to focus on the positive requires knowing how to stop negative self-talk in its tracks. The more you ruminate on negative thoughts, the more power you give them. Most of our negative thoughts are just that—thoughts, not facts.

When you find yourself believing the negative and pessimistic things your inner voice says, it's time to stop and write them down. Literally stop what you're doing and write down what you're thinking. Once you've taken a moment to slow down the negative momentum of your thoughts, you will be more rational and clear-headed in evaluating their veracity.

Evaluate these statements to see if they're factual. You can bet the statements aren't true any time you see words like never, always, worst, ever, etc. Do you really always lose your keys? Of course not. Perhaps you forget them frequently, but most days you do remember them.

Are you never going to find a solution to your problem? If you really are that stuck, maybe you've been resisting asking for help. Or if it really is an intractable problem, then why are you wasting your time beating your head against the wall?

If your statements still look like facts once they're on paper, take them to a friend or colleague you can trust, and see if he or she agrees with you. Then the truth will surely come out.

When it feels like something always or never happens, this is just your brain's natural threat tendency inflating the perceived frequency or severity of an event. Identifying and labeling your thoughts as thoughts by separating them from the facts will help you escape the cycle of negativity and move toward a positive new outlook.

Step 2. Identify a Positive to Replace the Negative

Now that you have a tool to snap yourself out of self-defeating, negative thoughts, it's time to help your brain learn what you want it to focus on—the positive.

This will come naturally after some practice, but first you have to give your wandering brain a little help by consciously selecting something positive to think about. Any positive thought will do to refocus your brain's attention.

When things are going well, and your mood is good, this is relatively easy. When things are going poorly, and your mind is flooded with negative thoughts, this can be a challenge. In these moments, think about your day and identify one positive thing that happened, no matter how small.

If you can't think of something from the current day, reflect on the previous day or even the previous week. Or perhaps there is an exciting event you are looking forward to that you can focus your attention on.

The point here is you must have something positive that you're ready to shift your attention to when your thoughts turn negative.

In step one, you learned how to strip the power from negative thoughts by separating fact from fiction. Step two is to replace the negative with a positive.

Once you have identified a positive thought, draw your attention to that thought each time you find yourself dwelling on the negative. If that proves difficult, you can repeat the process of writing down the negative thoughts to discredit their validity, and then allow yourself to freely enjoy positive thoughts.

I realize these two steps sound incredibly basic but they have tremendous power because they retrain your brain to have a positive focus.

These steps break old habits, if you force yourself to use them. Given the mind's natural tendency to wander toward negative thoughts, we can all use a little help with staying positive. Put these steps to use and you'll reap the physical, mental and performance benefits that come with a positive frame of mind.

POSITIVITY IS CONTAGIOUS

talentsmart.com

The Key To Becoming Whole

by Elina St-Onge -

• Do you seek for excitement to avoid boredom?
• Do you seek for social connections to avoid solitude?
• Do you seek for love to avoid feeling unloved?
• Do you seek for passion to avoid calm?

When our intentions, decisions and aspirations are driven by the desire to avoid whatever we haven’t made peace with, we are missing the point.

We set ourselves up for a constant escapism of the one thing that truly has value: Here and Now. 

If we feel boredom, solitude, unloved or unsatisfied when not reaching out for something, for attention, for interaction, for food, for love, for entertainment or whatever we use to fill the ‘void’… then let’s feel it. 

Let’s consciously choose to experience ourselves with the choice of not meeting our mind’s needs. And let’s find peace in that. 

How? 

By observing the perception of lack for what it is: a story we tell ourselves.

The void we fear, the silence we dread and the solitude we avoid is in fact a blessing in disguise, an opportunity to get reacquainted with our very presence – our soul.

True excitement, true bliss, true connection, true love, true inner-peace, true passion… all of it occurs naturally when we do not seek for those things to complete us but simply when we become whole within our presence. 

What is the key to become whole?

It is to realize that we already are.

Free Happiness Training! Do you want to bring more happiness into your life? Happify's activities and games are based on a decade's worth of cutting-edge research by psychologists and neuroscientists from leading academic institutions around the world. Happify's exercises are personalized directly for you based on your unique goals. If you are looking to bring more peace and joy into your life Start out with Happify for FREE! Check out my eBook 'How To Change The World'

my.happify.com

collective-evolution.com

Being Heroine of Your Own Journey

by Laura Grace - 

Currently, I am involved in a feminine empowerment program. It is a program I chose for the continuation of my spiritual, soulful and emotional evolution.

Although the course is founded in wise feminine leadership principles, the curriculum is challenging me to seriously ponder the true meaning of what American journalist and playwright, Nora Ephron, once declared: 

“Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.”

It’s clear what it means to take 100% responsibility for our lives but what exactly does it mean to be the heroine of our own lives?

Most of us are familiar with Joseph Campbell’s teaching of the “hero’s journey.”  Like the main character in the film “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” the hero ventures forth from the world of common life into a region of supernatural wonder.

There he encounters fabulous forces and a decisive victory is won. The hero returns from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.

Although I have always been fascinated by the hero’s journey, I often felt something was missing. That “something” was revealed to me in 2012 when I invited Dr. Jean Houston to be the keynote speaker at the Central Coast Annual Women’s Symposium. 

While giving an impassioned speech based on her book The Wizard of Us, she asserted,

“By the way, the heroine’s journey is very different than the hero’s journey.” 

Now that caught my attention. For as much as we have sometimes tried to emulate men, we women are very different.

In fact, neurobiology reveals that women’s brains are hard-wired in a uniquely different manner.

Dr. Daniel Amen, who’s written over 30 books including Unleash the Power of the Female Brain (2013), shows that women’s brains are very active; the amount of blood flowing into our frontal lobes hard-wire us for collaboration, appropriate worry, intuition, self-restraint and good judgment.

Most importantly, we intuitively know when something is wrong and are willing to shift gears before the Titanic hits the iceberg and sinks.

This isn’t about whether a feminine approach to life is better than a masculine one; we need a balance of both energies in order to thrive.

The heroine’s journey does differ greatly from the hero’s journey. And one of the greatest variances is how we choose to travel.

Unlike the hero who strikes out on a solo passage to conquer his demons, women recognize that stepping into their feminine power requires aligning with a collective field of support. 

Many of us have been trying to do “life” on our own which can only take us so far. 

How many times have we felt alone in trying to share our gifts with the world, overwhelmed, or unsupported by life?

In order to shatter our inner glass ceilings—the limiting beliefs and behaviors that sabotage our success—we need to activate a new culture of empowerment which necessitates a shift into a collective quantum field.

It’s a known fact that geese fly 75% farther and faster when they are flying together. Solo passages cannot carry us the distance. When we are soaring as a self-actualized woman, we must activate a field of unprecedented support. 

This is, perhaps, the most essential part of the heroine’s journey.

We begin to create a unified field when we affirm:

• I AM ALLOWING LIFE TO SUPPORT ME ON MY JOURNEY. THIS INCLUDES ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE OPEN TO RECEIVING THE GIFTS I DESIRE TO CONTRIBUTE.

• I AM FULLY PRESENT IN HOLDING THE SPACE FOR OTHERS TO EVOLVE AND TRANSFORM.

• I AM LETTING GO OF OLD STORIES OF REGRET, SETBACKS AND DISAPPOINTMENT AND CHANNELING MY ATTENTION, INTENTION AND ENERGIES ON WHAT IS AVAILABLE FOR ME TODAY.

I invite you to step into your own heroine’s journey by bonding with others inside your identity as a powerful and resourceful woman. 

May we join together in support of our highest potential for loving relationships, physical health, emotional well-being, financial abundance, creativity and friendship.

May we birth the seeds of our potential forward as we journey together and answer the call to our souls’ deepest purpose.

lauragrace.net

3-Steps to Creating New Realities

by Pete Koerner - 

Do you want to create something new or perhaps change part of your life? Consider that, whatsoever you desire can be yours if you ask for it believing that you already have it - even if it doesn't exist yet.

In other words, if you think about a thing in such a way that you truly FEEL grateful and happy that you have received it, then it will be given to you or you will be led to it - and inspired to achieve it.

When you place your "mental order," for something new or different, with a prayer, hope, dream, etc, there are two components you must consider: What you want and How you want to feel.

If you truly feel good about what you have asked for, you will affirm it to yourself - if not to others - and you will act on the inspirations you receive. Faith without action is something different than faith. 

Here are three-simple steps for creating a new reality:

1. Ask  

Ask for what you want by thinking about it in as much specific detail as you can - and in such a way that you feel grateful and happy. 

Your thoughts are your request; and the feelings caused by those thoughts are also a request. 

2. Affirm  

Declare the reality you desire. If you weigh 200-pounds, and wish to weigh 175-pounds, declare that you are, "a fit, healthy, happy 175-pounds;" and visualize this happy, new you. 

Think of ways other people have achieved your desires and make plans, or simply imagine, how you might get from one place to another. 

All you need is a possibility - and to affirm that possibility to yourself. All things are possible; affirm your dreams until you believe in them. 

3. Act 

When you believe in your dreams, you will act on them - or they might seem to "magically" manifest for you. 

In either case, if an obvious action step presents itself to you, you must take it. It is your dream, after all; it is the taking of those steps that constitutes the "living" of that dream. And, when you act, act boldly and with confidence.

Adjust and Achieve

If at first you don't succeed, Adjust and Achieve... Don't give up on your dreams just because they haven't come true - yet!

If you first efforts fall short or don't seem to be producing the results you truly want, then Adjust to the feedback you received until you Achieve the desired outcome, conditions or situation.

• Adjust  

Adjust your plans and actions based on feedback, or results. Be flexible, dynamic, and willing to change your approach in order to fine-tune your ability to receive or achieve your goal or desire. 

• Achieve  

Achieve anything you can imagine by being bold, creative, flexible, and open and willing to be surprised at how your dreams are delivered to you.

selfgrowth.com

Conscious Ways to Help Others During Difficulties

by Evita Ochel -

Our planet is in the midst of various shifts and changes. 

This is bringing about turmoil in many areas. Some of the changes are geological, some political, some climate related and others yet brought about by the numerous systems on our planet that are collapsing as we speak.

Regardless of how they are generated, as with all sources of stress, it is never about what happens but how we handle it that matters most.

Create Consciously

Some of the most glorified events in the news have been related to the Earth's climate and geological changes. It appears we feel most victimized when transformative events are nature generated.

In our age and era of trying to control everything and everyone, nature is one aspect that we just cannot seem to be able to control (and for good reasons).

We continue to see numerous events on our planet bring about powerful changes, that are often labelled as "destructive" or "catastrophic".

For example, a very powerful earthquake struck in the Port-Au-Prince area in Haiti, followed by numerous strong aftershocks. A powerful earthquake, along with a Tsunami struck the Tohoku coast of Japan.

These are just two of the most powerful examples from the second decade of the 21st century and both resulted in numerous deaths, injuries and left millions of people homeless.

While such situations are far from desirable, the one thing that we can always notice happen amidst them is the amount of generated drama and negativity on top of them.

Aside from the graphic images being played over and over on popular media, words such as disaster and catastrophe keep being drilled into all of our minds.

Many people accept that this is the “normal” way to act under circumstances like this.

They consider it normal to gather around the office coffee machine and dwell over the poor people of the affected regions, not realizing that on a Global scale of consciousness, they are doing more harm than good.

Many people in our society consider it normal not only to negatively label such events but fuel them with negative emotions and thoughts in as many ways as they can (unconsciously of course). This is what many of us consider normal care and compassion.

However, the time has come when many of us are ready and able to see things in a new way. 

Many of us are stopping vicious cycles and old patterns of habit to adopt new, conscious ways of being.

To inspire you further into conscious action, below are 4 ways to really help when difficult situations arise. 

No matter how big or small the situation is, there is a new consciousness shining through today in how we see and respond to so called difficult situations.

CONSCIOUS WAYS TO HELP:

1. Avoid Labeling the Situation 

Whether it is an extreme weather event or a relationship break-up, avoid labeling the situation period, but especially with negative words. Using words like crisis, tragedy, catastrophe or disaster isn't helping anyone. 

Words like these carry ample amounts of negatively charged energy, and they do not help you or anyone else for that matter effectively deal with or rise above the situation. 

So what should you do? 

Part of being human is feeling emotion, and in no way would I want to disregard that very precious aspect of ourselves. However, what I have learned based on the many masters that have walked the Earth is that any and every situation just “is”. 

Just as we can label it as bad for reason a, b and c, someone else can label it as good for reasons x, y and z. It all depends on the viewpoint or perspective through which we choose to see it. 

Hence labeling something, especially with negatively charged emotion, delays all parties involved from moving through a situation, especially in any kind of empowering way. 

I know as a society it is all too easy to get caught up in what the masses are doing and saying, but drilling into a person that their situation is bad or lamenting with them about just how bad it is, is actually not a way to effectively help at all. 

If you truly feel for the person or parties involved, this is a time to show unconditional compassion and help them feel empowered in as many ways as you can. 

2. See and Trust In the Perfection That Is 

It is suggested that over 90% of people in the world believe in a “God”. Out of that number, on a daily basis a large proportion of these people, especially if they are religious preach about being thankful for the wonderful things that God has given us. 

However, when some sort of a so called negative situation arises, many of these same people are very quick to judge and equally blame that same God. 

For those of you who have attained a level of understanding of the deep connection and oneness between you and God – Source – Origin – Creator or however you identify this entity, you most likely understand the profound ways that each and every single one of us is tied to all of the things that manifest in our lives. 

We are one with the creator, we are one with each other, we are one with all that is. 

I think it is safe to say that most people who believe in “God” would agree that God is perfect. Hence if God is perfect, everything that is created by God can be seen as perfect. 

As human beings currently here in physical form it is all too easy for us to get caught up in judging things as “bad” or “good” – however in reality all things are perfect. 

It is easy to see the perfection of all that is in easy moments but it is exactly in those not so easy moments that we are called to rise up to our highest version of who we are and see the perfection of all that is. 

Not a leaf falls to the ground, not a bone is broken, not a child is born, not a storm strikes that was not perfectly accounted for through the power of creation. 

Therefore trust and have faith – that even though you may not be able to see it at this time, there is a perfect reason for every single event that occurs whether in the physical or spiritual realm. 

Every event, every person, every creation is part of a perfectly orchestrated divine plan that has nothing but our best interest at its core. 

And know and trust this too – that if you are touched by whatever “difficult” situation, whether directly or indirectly, it is because on a deeper level for a bigger purpose you knew this was in your best interest and you willingly chose to be a part of it for your soul’s evolution. 

3. Set Positive Intentions 

With regards to setting positive intentions, I am not talking here about some wishful thinking. In the last decade especially, we have discovered that the power of our thoughts is immense. 

Our minds are capable of great things, and with them come our thoughts – energy patterns that today we know are capable of creating our realities. 

Therefore no matter what the situation may be, if you do nothing else, set aside some time to really focus on and send whoever may need it some positive, loving and empowering intentions. 

You can even offer healing, whether it be physical, spiritual or emotional through your thoughts to a person or group who you feel can use it.  

Today, each and every moment, more and more of us recognize that we are co-creators in this world. 

Many of us have already come to acknowledge our gifts of healing – whether it be remote healing or in person. Many of us realize that through our thoughts, we can change the outcomes – we can change the world. 

Therefore, if there is someone or some group that you know can use your help, give them just a few minutes of your day. 

Focus your love, compassion and strength on them. Shower them with the gifts of healing energy. 

Don’t doubt yourself in whether your intentions are having an impact or making any difference. You don’t have to be a labeled healer or religious figure to help. 

All of us are equally special and able to help, you just have to believe in yourself and know that not one thought of love goes unnoticed in the Universe. 

4. Get Active 

No matter what the situation, whether you are ready to look more in depth at this world, our lives, our existence and all of the events in them, you can do one thing that is always of great help in any difficult situation – get active. 

Instead of sitting by dwelling on things, re-hashing things, lamenting over what was, go out there and offer your help in some way. 

Perhaps you can help financially if the situation warrants it, perhaps you can’t. But the one thing that most of us can do if we really want to help, is offer our time, talents, services or efforts. 

If an extreme weather event hits or a war breaks out, perhaps you cannot or choose not to go to the actual site, this however does not prevent you from helping out locally. 

There are numerous agencies that need help organizing aid. There are numerous tasks to be carried out remotely to help someone, somewhere else in the world. 

Whether you volunteer to take calls, organize a fundraiser, take care of your friend’s kids during a difficult time, or write a letter to the editor. 

There are so many ways to help – all of us can do it, if we of course choose to, that is. Instead of sitting back and feeling dis-empowered yourself. 

Instead of sitting back and sending out negative energy through worry, fear and blame, go out there and do something positive.

Be a proactive helper, instead of helpless bystander. 

No act is too small. No act is too insignificant. Even if you cannot help directly, helping indirectly another cause or situation still adds to raising the collective global consciousness.

Most importantly remember, you don’t have to wait for any major difficult situation to strike in order to act. There are people in your community who can benefit from your help today. Some of them may be your family, friends and neighbors.

Through your awareness of your expanding consciousness, allow yourself to see and feel deeper and truly extend your support consciously where help is needed.

evitaochel.com

Root Causes of Illness

by Phylameana lila Desy -

Getting to the Origin of Pain and Suffering:

Treating physical symptoms (pain, injury, infection, etc.) is the appropriate action to take to ease dis-ease.

However, after a level of comfort or ease has been attained it is helpful to explore the possible root cause that led you to succumb to a specific illness.

With this information you will be better equipped to squash or eliminate vulnerabilities and susceptibilities that could affect recurrence.

Root Issues

Our mental, emotional and spiritual bodies are also vulnerable to root issues erupting and causing energetic imbalances.

Mowing the lawn and cutting down the flower or leaf at the stem of a weed will not stop the offending plant from returning.

You need to burrow down into the earth and eradicate the whole plant in order to kill it off completely, otherwise it will reappear. Cutting it will likely slow down its growth but that's all.

This is the same concept with dealing with physical illness and energetic imbalances, treating the "showy" symptoms is not enough.

We must dig deeper, discover the cause, and treat the root issue in order to bring about a complete healing.

Depending on how deep a root cause is, healing can take a while. It may take months or years, and in some cases, a lifetime.

Just remember, healing is a journey.

It is actually best to treat imbalances in the early stages before they have had the opportunity to take root and manifest into the physical body.

For example in the case of hereditary dis-eases, taking life style precautions (i.e. healthy diet, regular exercise) is an appropriate preventative measure.

Even in the event of "catching a germ" root causes cannot be overlooked entirely.

One might ask himself why he caught the bug from a co-worker when other employees in his work place were unscathed by their exposure to the same influenza virus. What's up with that? Immune deficiencies have root causes too.

Root Cause of Imbalance Origins Include:

• Hereditary Dis-eases
• Childhood Imprinting
• Earlier Life Dramas and Trauma
• Past Life Karma
• Lifestyle Choices
• Environmental Influences

Related Articles

• Uncovering the Reasons for Your Dis-eases
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• Continuous Improvement Tools
• Energy Treatments Given Over Long Distance
• Medical Causes of Phobia Symptoms
• Root Cause of TMJ
• Root Cause of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain
• Addressing the Cause of Your Pain
• Daily Affirmations
• How to Write an Affirmation
• The Power of Affirmations

healing.about.com

What? ME Worry?

by Lynn Robinson-

Worry is like any bad habit. 

It can be addictive.One small fear leads to another and another. Before you know it, you’ve imagined your life falling apart, not only now, but ad infinitum into your future. 

One of the ways to begin breaking any habit is to simply recognize you’re doing it! Oops! “There I caught myself imagining not being able to pay my rent again, getting evicted and being homeless.”

"I believe God is managing affairs and that He doesn’t need any advice from me. With God in charge, I believe everything will work out for the best in the end. So what is there to worry about?" —Henry Ford

Simply the recognition that you’re worrying isn’t usually enough to change it.

What can you do to switch the channel? 

Ask yourself the question, “What do I want?”

For example, if your worry du jour is imagining yourself broke and penniless, turn it around. What you probably want is to feel safe.

You might also want to imagine having enough or more than enough money. Your task at this point is not to figure out how this will happen.

It’s simply to begin choosing something you want versus something you don’t.

Just for today:

Remind yourself that God wants you to live a happy, healthy and abundant life. Allow yourself to receive all those Divine blessings.

lynnrobinson.com

The Body of Oneness

by Anakha Coman and James Twyman - 

Your body is an expression of the living Oneness, a temple for the Divine presence. When you’re disconnected from yourself, you’re out of touch with your essence and nature; and you’re not resonating with the rest of the world. This disconnect keeps you from enjoying the many blessings and bliss of Oneness.

Today, take a moment to be still, becoming aware of your breath. Imagine that your body is like a stringed instrument that needs tuning. This adjustment will bring you into presence, putting you back in sync with the world.

Being fully present in yourself means being perpetually in tune, ready to vibrate with each moment as it unfolds. Neither rejecting nor preferring any sensation, emotion or experience, you embrace the Oneness of life. This practice reconnects you to your natural state of wholeness.

“See yourself as a Soul with a body 

rather than a body with a Soul.”

--Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

“Our bodies know they belong; it is 

our minds that make our lives so homeless.”

--John O’Donohue

“The body is a sacred garment.”

--Martha Graham

Exercise: 

Begin by tuning into your body.  

Pay attention to any sensations that may appear as tension, energy, deadness, numbness, aliveness, pleasure, or any other emotion.  

Allow yourself to become present to your body, gently noticing your judgments, fears, distractions, and projections as they float to the surface. Return to your breath and acknowledge the truth that your body is a temple, an expression of the living Oneness. 

Continue scanning your entire body.  

Begin with your feet and move slowly toward your head, observing and feeling each sensation: tingling, tension, energy, temperature, softness, pulsing, and so forth.  

Proceed slowly and examine each distinct part: your feet, ankles, calves, knees, thighs, pelvis, buttocks, belly, chest, back, shoulders, neck, and head. Give yourself time to complete this; it usually only takes ten minutes or so. 

Assess your breathing.  

Is it deep or shallow? Fast or slow? Simply allow it to be. Pay attention to how your body responds to your breath: the rise and fall of your chest and belly, the air moving through your nostrils and throat, and your lungs pressing gently into your back.  

Become aware of your breath reaching all the way down to your feet. How does it feel there? In your hands? Your head? 

Tune in to the subtleties of your body. Feel your heartbeat and relax into its simple, steady beat . . . the pulse of life that connects all things. 

Now allow your body to rest in gentle awareness and loving compassion.  

Tap into the vibration, thought and feeling of absolute love. You may first feel it in your toes, your eyes, or in your throat—wherever its origin, let it grow until it encompasses your entire being. 

Experience absolute unconditional love. 

Feel everything—your cells, glands, bones, blood, and nervous system—vibrate to the frequency of love. Make this your intention now. 

Breathe love and compassion into your body temple. Allow it to move like a wave, cresting and falling. Feel the ecstasy of life and love flow through you. Bathe in this delight; feel the luminosity within you. 

Pay attention to any area of your body that’s speaking to you.  

It may be a part that feels tense or painful, or perhaps it feels warm and relaxed. Be fully present and listen for its wisdom and guidance, for your body holds a wealth of information and connects you with the deeper truths of Oneness.  

In Oneness, all aspects of life are expressions of the Divine that inspire and guide you—your body is an example of this truth.

Play with this practice throughout the day, especially when you feel tired, out of sorts or disconnected. Within a few minutes of engaging in this, you can return to presence. Remember that your body can be used as an instrument of Oneness or of separation.

Today, choose to focus your body temple as an expression of the living Oneness. Let it guide you into a deep, meaningful resonance and relationship with the world.

Affirmations:

I AM fully alive and thriving in this moment, in tune with my body and the world. 

I AM a Divine temple, an expression of the living Oneness.

awakenedleadershipinstitute.com