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Splash Into Calm: Ride the Wave!

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This is my final blog post of 2012, and I would be remiss if I did not share this valuable concept that will significantly improve your life.  When you know how to  ride the waves of stress and pain, you will shift from knee-jerk reactions to calm responses.

Everything contains a wave—there is a beginning, a crest, and an ending. Our entire life is a wave: you are born, you peak, and eventually die. It is the same with breath, sound, sensation, thought, hot flashes (yes, there is an end), emotions, and fatigue.

Riding the wave is a foundational concept in many arenas, because it is based in awareness, not reaction.

When you learn to track the wave, your attention remains in the moment-by-moment experience, rather than on your reactions. Riding the wave of stress is essential to transforming it. When we have a stressor in life, there is the actual problem we are dealing with, but then we layer our thoughts, feelings, and emotions upon it, setting off a spiral of anxiety.

How do you take the emotional charge out of your experiences? The answer is simple, but not easy—you stay aware of every part of the occurrence. In other words, you track what is happening and when you do this, it diffuses your focus and takes the personalization out of it, as if you were reporting the news or weather.

Let’s use a meteorologist’s report as an example: There will be rain and thunder tomorrow . . . oh my God, I was supposed to have my house painted . . . oh boy, now I have to reschedule and that is a real painI am so mad, my day is ruined! This is how it would be if the reporter layered his emotions upon his report. (Hmmm, it could make the weather report quite entertaining). In actuality, the weather report is based on specific information (at times, misinformation), not feelings. I do not promise that it will not rain, but I can assure you that it is your reaction that propels the storms of your life, not actual events.

To begin to learn how to ride the wave of your reactions and thoughts try this:

  • Focus your attention on the problematic situation and watch it without taking it personally, the way you would watch a weather report.
  • As you watch, notice what is happening. Become aware of your thoughts—this includes your emotions and feelings as they arise from thoughts.
  • Follow the wave of thought, without any opinions and judgments. Notice its beginning, middle, and end.
  • Continue to do this with each thought.

 To begin to cultivate riding the wave of sensation, try this:

  • To begin with, avoid classifying your feeling as “pain.” Instead, say “sensation.”
  • Find a place in your body where you notice sensation.
  • Without using words to judge it or categorize it, simply track it and notice what you are feeling. For example, it might be a burning sensation that shifts into stinging or throbbing. It might move down your leg and pulse or feel hot or cold.
  • Describe it factually, as if you were reporting the weather.
  • Notice the sensation from the onset, to the crest, and through to its decline. You might have many sensations but each of them has movement when you really pay attention, even chronic sensations.
  • You can softly direct your breath into the area you notice.

The efficacy of this technique is based on evidence and as I said earlier, it is life-changing. You are in charge of shifting your reactions and it is not through force, but through your own awareness. Practicing this will save you from the negative consequences of stress and pain. I admit it takes time to integrate this practice, but it is worth the commitment. Imagine a life where stress and reactivity take a back seat to your full participation in a happier, healthier life. Ride the wave and guarantee yourself no wipeouts

Let me know in the comments below how you think this concept can help you.  Give it a try in the next week and let me know what happened.

Posted in: Splash into Calm

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My New Book on its Way!

Yes, if is around the corner—my first book is in its final stages.

The entire process reminds me of childbirth.  I am now in labor and I can assure you that it is quite uncomfortable, even painful at times.  The due date of Custom Calm Chronicles first book, Splash into Calm is at the end of August.  As with any estimate due date, we are hoping for an early delivery, but I must wait until it is ready.  This process cannot be rushed. 

In my joy of the upcoming birth of my book, one of my helpful professionals wisely said “after it is born, you have to raise it!”  The reality of this stopped me in my tracks.  Once the book is published, I must market my new infant.  Now the work really begins. 

I will keep you posted on my progress and share some tips from my book.

Custom Calm Chronicles presents material with simplicity.  With that in mind, I have designed a format for this book that is easy to follow.  It is based on the calendar year and presented in monthly themes, each having four articles.  The topics are as follows:

January:  New Beginnings

February:  Heart

March:  Pain & Illness

April:  Emergence

May:  Travel

June:  Balanced Living

July:  Emotions & Relationships

August:  Attitude & Perspective

September:  Responsibilities

October:  Day to Day Living

November:  Digestion

December:  Stress

Look for excerpts in the next few weeks.

I will notify you when I deliver. Until then…take a breath and enjoy life moment by moment.

Let me know in the comments below how the process of achieving something you deemed important felt for you.

 

Posted in: A Calm Perspective

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Why Would You Want to Kill Time?

I hear the term “killing time” and I always wonder why anyone would want to kill time, when that is life going by. 

It is our perception that what is happening at the moment is not worth our time.

Usually we are waiting for something and have time to spare before the next activity. Learning to get still and be at ease with waiting will bring us back to the moment, giving us the opportunity to fill up and reconnect with ourselves.  Even a few breaths can make a difference.

Time goes by no matter what the event.   All we have is this day and when we are able to embrace whatever we are doing with the same interest as those activities we enjoy, we get so much more out of life.

Next time you want to kill time remember that time is all we have.  Savor each moment and enjoy!

Posted in: A Calm Perspective

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