Empowering Your Mind – Page 128 – Mindset, Motivation and Empowerment

Managing Pain With Meditation and Self-Hypnosis

May 27, 2010 Linda-Ann Stewart

A study has shown that meditation increases pain tolerance. Apparently, it’s not just because of meditation being distracting (when you’re paying attention to one thing, it fills up your mind buffer and you won’t feel pain as much), but reduces emotional response to pain.

In my hypnotherapy practice, I’ve worked with chronic pain sufferers. The first stage of hypnosis, relaxation, can reduce pain significantly. What to you do when you first feel pain? Tense up. When you relax, it’s a natural calming agent to the nerves.

In the next phase of a session, I’ll usually help them use visualization and imagery to change the perception of the pain somehow. Once you show them that they can reduce it, even a little, it gives them confidence and reassurance that they have some control over it.

When you’re in hypnosis, you’re in the same brain wave level as when you’ve in meditation. So it’s no surprise that even a short meditation exercise can also influence the perception and quality of pain.

For the full article, read Brief Meditation Training Brings Pain Relief.

Sacred Space – Montezuma’s Well Near Sedona

May 26, 2010 Linda-Ann Stewart

In the Verde Valley, we have several American Indian ruins open to the public. Montezuma’s Castle National Monument is well known, with its building perched high in the cliff. But the one I love, and hold close to my heart, is Montezuma’s Well. It’s associated with the Montezuma Castle National Monument, but 11 miles north of the Castle.

Long ago, a limestone cavern collapsed, leaving a circular hole that filled up with water. The Sinagua built dwelling on the inner walls of the cliff. Water constantly percolates up through the limestone, creating a lake of (essentially) carbonated water. The Well is 368 feet across and 55 feet deep.

At one end of the Well, the water flows through a tunnel to the far side of the cliff. Indian ruins sit just above the outlet within the Well and there are also some on top of the cliff.

The water empties into an irrigation ditch dug by the cliff dwellers hundreds of years ago and into a year-round stream, Beaver Creek.

This particular place is special and sacred. There’s an element of serenity that I don’t feel at the Castle.

In the confines of the park, there’s a lovely picnic area, a lime coated irrigation ditch, and more ruins under roof.

It’s a lovely oasis in the desert. Jeff and I spent the afternoon here, and had a peaceful lunch in the tree shaded picnic area.

“Do I need to know what my fears are, or just change my behavior?”

May 25, 2010 Linda-Ann Stewart

Question: Do I need to know and understand what my fears are and where they came from, or do I just push forward in changing my behavior?

Answer: If you’re someone who needs to know “why,” then you’re probably going to need to find out what prompts you to continue your unwanted behavior. There’s no telling what it could be. Especially since it seems to keep happening. There’s some part of you that’s uncomfortable with changing, or has permission to continue your behavior.

Most issues aren’t simply a problem of behavior. Usually, there’s some emotional component to it. Generally, some uncomfortable emotion urges you to act in unwanted ways to cover over the feeling and avoid it. Or it could be an emotion of joy or reward. There’s all sorts of triggers and associations connected with self-sabotaging actions. That’s why you should probably find out “why” you’re doing it.

I’d also recommend you do some journaling on your issue. You may be surprised what comes up. If you don’t know how to do this valuable technique, check out my article Your Write To Self-Discovery.

Another point that I’ve found. The subconscious is very literal. I’ve found that sometimes when we have a goal, but what we think about is actually a step to that goal, thenwhen we reach it, the subconscious thinks, “Great. We’ve reached that. Now let’s go back and do it again.”

For instance, you want to “lose” 10 pounds. Remember, what we lose, we tend to find again. And since your goal is to lose 10 pounds, rather than stabilize at a certain weight, once you’ve lost that amount, the subconscious thinks you want to do it over again. So you gain it back, to lose it again.

It’s convoluted, but that’s the way the subconscious thinks. Have your goal be the end result, rather than the action you take to get there.

45th Annual Jerome Home Tour

May 25, 2010 Linda-Ann Stewart

Jerome is a ghost town and artist haven, perched high on the mountain near Sedona, AZ. It’s the 3rd most visited destination in Arizona, after Grand Canyon and Sedona. And it’s one of our favorite places.

Recently, we attended the 45th annual Jerome Home Tour. Over the years, I’ve attended several Jerome Home Tours, and love them. I admit, I’ve always enjoyed history. During the tours, I’ve learned so much about the town, the buildings and the people.

One house we visited has been renovated from a ruin. Before the work began, ivy held its outer walls together, the roof was caved in and the space was filled with mud. Now it’s gorgeous. They’ve used as much of the original wood and flooring as they could.

Most of the time, the tour includes a commercial business. This year, it was the Connor Hotel. It’s only been recently remodeled and opened again after being closed for 20 years. I’ve wanted to peek into its rooms for decades, and finally got my wish this year. They’ve updated it, but have kept some of the original fixtures. One room still has the original skylight, another the original tin ceiling.

This year, we got to visit the largest wooden headframe in Arizona. It was designed to haul up ore from the mine. At 1900 feet deep, it’s 653 feet deeper than the Empire State Building is tall. The headframe stands just below Jerome State Park, which was slated to be closed, along with all the other state parks in Arizona. However, Jerome State Park (along with most of the others, by individuals and communities) has been rescued and will stay open. Once renovations are complete on the Douglas Mansion (which is the park), it should be able to reopen, probably in the fall.

The glass pane you see on the ground, just at the left foot of the photographer (Jeff), covers the mineshaft. (Behind him, you can see another headframe that hauled men up from the mine.) They’d set up a light that illuminated this shaft and, when you stepped on the glass, you could see 1700 feet down the hole, to the 200 feet of water that fills it at the bottom. Yes, I was brave enough to stand on it and look down.

“Do I say affirmations in a meditative state or conscious state?”

May 18, 2010 Linda-Ann Stewart

Question: Is it better to say affirmations while in a meditative state or while I’m in a conscious state?

Answer: It’s not so much an issue of either/or. When you state affirmations while in a meditative state, you’re relaxed and your subconscious mind is more impressionable. Therefore, you won’t notice as much opposition to the new programming. The conscious mind, which doubts things, which questions whether any change can occur, isn’t as present. Also, the subconscious won’t be objecting to your new ideas. The subconscious is more receptive in this state.

However, stating affirmations while in a completely alert state is also important. That’s when you’ll be aware of your old beliefs rising up to complain. Repeating the affirmation of what you want counteracts the outdated idea. It also helps to reinforce what you’ve impressed while in meditation. The best thing to do is to state your affirmations while in meditation, then say them aloud during the day. And that’s exactly what is done when a person performs self-hypnosis.

Align Your Self-Image With Your Goals

May 14, 2010 Linda-Ann Stewart

The self-image is how we see ourselves, a combination of self-esteem, self-worth and self-confidence. Sometimes, how we see ourselves doesn’t agree with reality. In that case, we need to be honest and assess the gap between where we are and where we want to be. Most of the time, we have to make changes or take some action to get our self-image to align with the real world.

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

Mindfulness Meditation Treats Depression

May 13, 2010 Linda-Ann Stewart

Depression tends to be accompanied, if not triggered, by negative thinking. Dwelling on those negative thoughts can create a mood that spirals downward. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can help sufferers to change those negative thoughts and improve the way they feel.

However, most of the time, CBT therapists see depression sufferers between episodes, not during them. Now there’s another strategy for those already in the grips of depression.

Studies are now showing that mindfulness meditation is effective in treating depression and the possibility of relapsing. It’s been effective to reduce relapsing back into depression by 50%.

Patients are taught to take their focus off their negative emotions and put their attention on one thing, such as their breathing, a mantra, affirmation, or an object like a candle or stone. Growing evidence shows that brain patterns change from this kind of meditation.

Not only is the evidence increasing concerning meditation helping mental health, but physical health as well. Stress, heart disease, strokes, high blood pressure, asthma, inflammation and pain are being reduced from practicing this simple technique.

Read the entire article Why Buddhists Don’t Get The Blues at the Express.co.uk – Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.

“When Self-Image Sabotages Positive Thinking”

May 7, 2010 Linda-Ann Stewart

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Positive thinking, which powers the Law of Attraction, always works, as long as there isn’t anything that conflicts with it. Some of those sabotaging issues are ones you know about, such as focusing on what you don’t have (instead of what you want), verbally negating the positive, and old programming conflicts. But one of the main reasons it doesn’t fulfill expectations is due to having a self-image that contradicts your positive focus.

Self-image is a combination of self-worth, self-esteem and self-acceptance. If your self-image doesn’t agree with your conscious affirmative thinking, then your subconscious won’t allow it to manifest. Your subconscious makes sure that what you attract into your life is consistent with what you believe about yourself. If you try to change the outer experience before changing the inner attitudes, your subconscious will short-circuit your positive thinking efforts.

Here are three of the ways a negative self-image can undermine your constructive thinking:

1. Guilt.

There are a couple of ways this can express in your life. Both tie up energy and focus.

The first way guilt can affect you is if you’re acting or thinking in a way that violates your values. For instance, if you consider yourself to be diligently honest, but you cheat on your taxes, this could set up a niggling feeling of guilt. You’ve ignored your values, and your subconscious knows that. So you unconsciously punish yourself by not getting that raise you want. The solution for this is to find where you’re going against your values and change it.

The other way is outdated feelings of guilt that aren’t valid anymore. You could still be feeling bad for stepping on your classmate’s hand in kindergarten. If something happened a long time ago, and you’ve learned the lesson from it, then this type of guilt no longer serves you. It has fulfilled its purpose. Stop punishing yourself by forgiving yourself and move on.

2. Standards and values.

You may have standards and values that conflict with what you’re affirming. For instance, you consider yourself to be honest and generous, and believe the rich to be selfish and corrupt. If you want to be wealthy, that would mean that you’d have to become selfish and corrupt, which would be inconsistent with your values. Your subconscious won’t allow that kind of incongruity.

You could also have old standards that prevent your achieving more. For instance, you want to earn more money, but you feel you shouldn’t make more money than your father or your husband. Not only would this be putting an unrealistic limit on your goal, it could prevent you from achieving it at all. Assess your standards and decide if they’re appropriate for you and and your goals. Some of those values are holdovers from past generations and need to be adjusted.

3. False beliefs about yourself.

Do you believe that you’re unworthy, undeserving, or unlovable? That’s a false belief. Evaluate anywhere you feel bad about yourself, and track it back to where it began. Usually the feeling got rooted in childhood, and was never challenged. Challenge it now. Consider where you’ve been successful, complimented, or appreciated. Those times could be more recent and more objective than the original events. Instead of focusing on the past lies that tear you down, fill your mind with all the constructive opinions that build you up. Stand up to your own self-criticism and let your power unfold.

Although a negative self-image can short-circuit positive thinking, the good news is that your self-image can be changed. Affirmation, visualization, and action in a constructive direction will reap great rewards. When your self-image is consistent with your positive thinking, you’ll get the results you want.

Affirmation

I know that positive thinking works, because what thought has created, thought can change. My thoughts are now changing to be in alignment with my goals. I now release anything that sabotages the good that I consciously choose. I forgive myself for past mistakes. I now update my standards and values to reflect what I feel is important. I recognize my true worth, and focus on the positive about myself. As I improve my self-image, and act accordingly, it becomes easier for me to achieve my goals.

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, inspiration

Visiting the Glorious Grand Canyon

April 29, 2010 Linda-Ann Stewart

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.

Jeff and Linda-Ann at Grand Canyon

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.

Bright Angel Trail

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.

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.

Grand Canyon, from Yavapai Point towards West

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.

Book Review – “Richard Hittleman’s Yoga: 28-Day Exercise Plan”

April 22, 2010 Linda-Ann Stewart

Richard Hittleman's Yoga: 28-Day Exercise Plan 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.