Last week was National Park week, which meant free entry into many of them, including the Grand Canyon National Park. Since Jeff and I live less than three hours away from there, we made a day of it. We took sandwiches and spent the afternoon at the park.

It’s been twenty-three years since I’ve visited it, which is ridiculous considering how close we live to it. And I love it’s magnificence, ruggedness, and expanse. A lot has changed since then, including lots more parking.

The last time I was there, I hiked the Bright Angel Trail six miles, and 3000 feet down to Plateau Point, where you can look 1300 feet straight down onto the Colorado River.

If you look near the center of the photograph above, you’ll see a squiggly line down the left flank of the mountain. That’s the top part of Bright Angel Trail, which leads down to Plateau Point.

In the center of the photograph below, on that flat plateau, you’ll see a line that dead-ends at the edge. That line is the trail to the edge, which is Plateau Point.

I feel like that hike was my marathon, a huge accomplishment and peak experience in my life. It took me ten hours to make the round trip of twelve miles.

This past weekend, we visited Yavapai Point, and spent the afternoon strolling 1½ miles west towards Bright Angel Lodge, taking photographs as we went. It was a United Nations experience, as we heard Chinese, German, Russian, and French spoken by the people we passed.

Photographs can’t do the place justice. It’s just too big for photos to encompass. Jeff and I left just after sunset, which a glorious experience there. Shadows paint the rocks blue and violet, and the clouds glow pink. I certainly don’t plan on letting another couple of decades go by before standing on the edge of the Canyon, in awe of the view.

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Richard Hittleman’s Yoga: 28-Day Exercise Plan
by Richard Hittleman

When I first got involved in yoga over thirty years ago, I didn’t how to practice at home. I’d taken a couple of classes, but knew very little about how to exercise on my own. This was long before videotapes and DVD’s. I discovered this book, and it was exactly what I was looking for. When a client comes to me, and expresses an interest in yoga, I recommend this book.

As its title suggests, it’s a 28-day yoga plan. Every day, you have certain postures that you do. Each fourth day, you review what you’ve learned. The postures are explained step-by-step, and you’re taken through them from a beginner’s perspective and flexibility. At the end of each day, there’s an essay about some aspect of yoga. Some of the titles of these essays: “What is yoga,” “Yoga nutrition,” “Arthritus,” “Weight regulation,” and “Exercising the organs and glands.”

The author claims that this is an “accelerated method of instruction that now enables any serious student to learn and practice 38 Yoga exercises within a four week period.” I can attest to the truth of that statement. At the end of the 28 days, he’s compiled the exercises into three daily routines that you rotate.

Even now, many years later, I still keep and use this book as my main reference for yoga. To this day, despite owning many other books on this subject, I model my routines around the postures from this simple book.

Although I have many books on yoga, this is the one I refer to the most. I find the postures explained well and the instructions easy to follow. Even though, over the years, I’ve created my own routines, it’s based on what I learned from this gem of a book.

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Question: What does it mean that, “Your actions are different from who you are?”

Answer:  There’s an old saying, “You’re a human BEING (a spiritual being who is experiencing life as a human), not a human DOING (not a person who is in constant motion and action and doing things to justify your existence).” Therefore, you, as a spiritual being, have thoughts and beliefs that result in certain actions. However, you are not the actions themselves.

Think of it this way. When you drink some water, that’s an action. However, it’s not who you are. It’s you making a decision to sip some liquid to take care of thirst. The action is separate from your being. It’s simply a choice, and the choice can be changed. You could choose not to drink and become dehydrated. Or you could decide to have some tea, coffee, soda or some other liquid. The action you take is a result of your choices, which is a result of your beliefs. And even your beliefs are separate from who you are, because they can be changed.

What cannot be changed is that you are a spiritual being. That is the core of who you are. Anything else, beliefs, attitudes, choices, actions, can all be changed. They are simply outer accouterments or accessories that you’ve chosen.

Copyright 2010 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

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by Linda-Ann Stewart

On Saturday, I was talking with a woman at a meeting and mentioned Joseph Murphy and his best selling book, “The Power of Your Subconscious Mind.” She asked, “In his book, did he explain why the subconscious doesn’t work for most people?”

I was stunned. The subconscious always is working. You may not be getting the outcome that you want, but that’s not the fault of the subconscious. It’s only doing and giving you what you’ve programmed into it in the past or present.

The subconscious has rules, principles, and ways that it functions. And just as with federal law, “Ignorance of the law is no excuse.” Just because you don’t know what those rules are or choose not to follow them doesn’t mean you’re excluded from their effect.

The subconscious can’t determine what you consciously want if you’re focused on its opposite. If you want more money, but are focused on a feeling of lack and fear that you don’t have enough for your bills, the subconscious absorbs the idea with the most energy or feeling. In this case, it would be a lack of money.

The subconscious isn’t responsible for deciding what to accept. That’s what the conscious mind is supposed to do. The conscious is the director, and the subconscious is the actor. The subconscious follows the directions of the conscious mind from the present or the past.

Working with the subconscious is simple. You focus exclusively on what you want, feel its reality, and take action towards it. But it’s not always easy to do this. You have to be disciplined, persistent, and get past old issues that may have blocked your goal.

I think that’s why people have the mistaken idea that the subconscious doesn’t work for them. They just aren’t able, or willing, to follow the principles. It may be simple, but it certainly isn’t easy.

Copyright 2010 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

self improvement, self help, personal growth, personal development, motivation

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Multi-tasking isn’t as productive as it might seem. It actually promotes stress, waste and fatigue. However, science is recognizing that mindfulness, or being in the moment, actually is more efficient and increases problem-solving abilities. Learning to be mindful, or focused on the task at hand, even for a few minutes a day can contribute to increased serenity in all areas of your life.

Copyright 2010 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

self improvement, self help, personal growth, personal development, motivation, productivity, inspiration

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Question: Why are we told to say an affirmation in the present tense instead of the future tense?

Answer: The subconscious is very literal. When you state an affirmation in the future tense, you’re telling the subconscious to keep it in the future. Therefore, you’ll never get to experience it in the here and now. I know it seems odd, because you know you don’t have your goal in the present.

You may feel like you’re fooling yourself when you state your affirmation as if you already have it. But that gives direction to your subconscious. Also, remember that you already have your desire in Mind, because you wouldn’t have been able to conceive of it if the Universe hadn’t already given it to you.

Copyright 2001, 2010 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

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by Linda-Ann Stewart

Have you ever set the teakettle on to boil, gotten distracted checking your email, and had the kettle boil dry? I have. This is trying to do too many things at once, or multi-tasking. When you multi-task, you’re trying to juggle several balls or situations at one time.

Keeping more than one ball in the air at a time, splits your attention, causes you to miss other details, and wastes energy as you keep them moving. Studies have shown that multi-tasking actually is more stressful and less efficient than staying with one project and seeing it through.

You can really only focus on one thought at a time. The mind darts from one idea to the next so quickly that it only seems to be thinking of several things at once. It’s possible to do one thing which is automatic or has become a habit, while doing or thinking of another. You do this all the time, such as when you wash the dishes and plan the next meal. In this situation, you were only conscious of one thing, your meal planning, and you cleaned the dishes automatically. They didn’t take any of your attention.

Although you can switch from one thought or activity to another, it takes time and extra energy. If you’re talking on the cell phone while driving, there’s a good chance you could run a light because you get caught up in the conversation and your attention drifts from steering the car to the person on the other end of the call.

When you’re multi-tasking, you’re being pushed by inner pressures and outer demands. Rushing from one situation to another creates confusion that then takes mental energy to sort out. You’re actually being reactive, acting over and over in ways you’ve always done, rather than responsive, or consciously choosing how you want to act in the situation.

Mindfulness can relieve the pressure and help you handle your challenges more effectively. Learning to be mindful, or in the moment, has wide-ranging benefits, such as improved mood, better memory, enhanced problem solving, healthier immune system, increased optimism, and a greater sense of well-being.

Learning to be in the now, the present, or in the moment, takes practice. You can start by simply noticing your breath while you’re meditating. If your mind wanders, simply observe the fact without judgement and bring your attention back to your breathing.

Focus totally on a task, whether it’s doing the dishes, answering email, or working on a project. You can bring it to a point of completion, even if it’s not finished, and then go on to the next task. While you’re working, only think of what you’re doing at that time. Whenever you find your mind wandering, remind yourself to “Focus” or “Be in the moment.”

You can work towards a goal, in the future, while being in the present and dealing with what needs to be done now. Focusing on your current project narrows your attention so that you can aim all of your energy into the present activity. This allows you to get it done easier and faster. Being in the moment frees up your mental space to allow your subconscious to better process information, work out solutions and be creative.

Your future is based on your thoughts, feelings and beliefs of the present. When you stay in the present, you aren’t concerned about the future, which is yet to be, or the past, which is over and done with. Being in this moment, you can choose what you want to think, feel and believe and more powerfully create what you want.

Affirmation

I let go of concern about the future and stay focused in the present. When thoughts and feelings arise, I observe them, without judging or reacting to them. I become more and more conscious of when I’m distracted, and gently refocus my attention on the moment. By staying in the moment, I’m able to more fully utilize my power and direct it to create what I want.

Copyright 2010 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

A nationally known speaker, life coach, hypnotherapist, and writer, Linda-Ann Stewart helps people rediscover their power and sense of self-worth. Visit Secrets To The Law Of Attraction to download your copy of this free ebook.

self improvement, self help, personal growth, personal development, motivation, productivity

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“How To Attract Money: The Law Of Attraction”
by Joseph Murphy

I have many books by Joseph Murphy, as he’s one of my favorite spiritual and abundance authors. I recommend any of his books if you want more prosperity in your life.

This one is smaller and different that most of his books. generally, he has lots of stories that demonstrate spiritual principles along with an affirmation. This book still has some interesting stories, but it focuses mainly on changing the reader’s consciousness about money, riches and wealth. He addresses many of the blocks that people have, and explains why and how they need to change.

I’ve read many of the concepts that are in this book in his other works. But you’d have to read all of them to find the ideas that are present in this one treasure. The ideas to manifest greater riches are condensed and distilled here.

At the end, there are pointers to remember that are spread through the many stories of his other books. In this one, they’re set apart so that you can refer to them easily. For that alone, I love this book.

And of course, there are some affirmations. I have them marked with tabs, so that I can quickly turn to them. I’ve used a couple of them with some great results. For a great grounding in how to use the Law of Attraction, get this book.

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