Everyday we have the opportunity to re-create ourselves and our reality. This is not a figurative statement, but a literal one. Our thoughts, emotions, and bodies are pure energy, vibrating at different frequencies--and we can shift how this energy vibrates with our focus and intention. The power that we have to create and guide the Life Energy is so strong that we can even change the state of our physical bodies by learning to focus our attention in a different way (I experienced this through healing from a disease that I was told was incurable). When we change how we focus our attention, we create new neurological pathways in the mind, and activate more of our brain. There are many techniques for learning to have greater focus over your attention. here are a few:
Mindful Awareness Practice--Bringing your attention to your breath and to the stillness that you feel within is the most powerful way to create change in your life. Meditation is a moment by moment practice of being present and aware of what you are focusing on. Every time that you catch yourself leaving the present moment, you may also notice habitual thoughts, feelings and actions taking over. Every time that you interrupt these habitual patterns and come back to the present moment, you create an opening in your life for a new energy to enter. This new energy comes in the form of a shift in perspective, or a shift in the perception of life itself. You suddenly see the world differently, more magical, more inspiring, more exciting, or a bit "lighter" than the moment before. You may receive inspiration or intuition in this state of openness. By interrupting habitual thoughts and feelings, you are dissolving the neurological pathways in the brain that have created your experience of reality in the past, which may have also contributed to a feeling of limitation in your life. Every time you come back to the present moment, you have a brand new experience. By doing so you are creating new neurological pathways in your brain, dissolving the past, and dissolving the feeling of limitation. In this new moment, you are using more of your brain, and allowing new energies into your life. This is the feeling of growth, transformation, and creates a sense of empowerment and vitality. This practice is wonderful, and can be experienced everyday. The teachings of Eckhart Tolle are also a wonderful reminder of this practice, and delve into the specifics of how to stay connected to the present moment.
-Breath Awareness- When you find your mind drifting, or you are thinking thoughts that are not related to what you are consciously focused on in the present moment (a project, a conversation, or any task that requires your thinking mind) come back to your breath. Take a moment to feel the breath flowing in and out of your lungs...
-Relaxation- As you focus on the breath, relax! Check in with your body and see where you're holding tension. Once you find it, consciously breath in relaxation, letting the tension go. It may help to stand up straighter, take a deeper breath, shake your body a little bit to get loose, or stand up and walk around (if you are sitting). The paradox is that it takes a certain amount of effort to learn to relax, but through practice, relaxation becomes like second nature.
-How Do You Choose To Create This Moment? Once you return to the present moment you may suddenly experience a shift without needing to focus on anything. You may just suddenly feel slightly better than a moment before. Sometimes you may find yourself in a situation where you feel overwhelmed, burdened, or perhaps some action is necessary to change your situation. When this is the case, ask yourself this very powerful question, "How Do I Want To Experience This Moment?" When you ask yourself this, investigate different perspectives that you could view the situation. Allow the highest perspective to enter into your awareness, seeing the "biggest" picture possible. This will create a sense of expansion, newness, and vitality that may have been missing a moment before. The Heart always knows sees the bigger perspective, while the mind tends to get caught up in the tedious details and minutia of life.
-Make New Decisions
- Every time that you choose a new way to react to life, or choose to spend your time in a new way, you are creating new neurological pathways in your brain. You can do this is a variety of ways. When you are driving home, take a new route, one that you've never taken before. When you are doing everyday activities, try using your non-dominant hand (opening a door, brushing your teeth, or picking up an object, for instance). Talk to someone new today. Go try a new activity that you have never done before. Learn a new skill such as painting or playing a musical instrument. Go outside and look at the stars tonight and see how it feels! These may seem like small or insignificant decisions, but they have an accumulative effect, slowing shaping and changing your life for the better. Making new decisions about how you spend your time will, over time, dissolve old patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving.
Pranayama- This ancient yogic practice of breath control activates both sides of the brain, creating new neurological pathways and increasing your brain's activity. Here is an article I wrote about the steps for practicing pranayama. http://healing.answers.com/personal-health/pranayama-breathing-for-better-health
I am a holistic counselor, offering spiritual counseling and holistic counseling over the phone and by skype