Category: Tools and Tips

You can enjoy positive effects from even just one meditation, and the long-term benefits multiply with continued practice.

Recent studies show that meditation not only reduces stress—which would certainly be enough reason to try it—but it actually affects our DNA, protecting the life of our cells and slowing aging. One study showed that just one meditation session can have a positive impact.

According to the Mayo Clinic, “Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance that benefits both your emotional well-being and your overall health.”

Scientists are just beginning to understand how and why meditation works, but its mental, physical and emotional benefits have been appreciated since ancient times.  It has been proven to lower stress and to help combat illnesses such as:

• Cancer
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Asthma
• Depression
• Anxiety disorders
• Pain
• Sleep problems

The greatest benefit comes from a daily practice, and there are many forms of meditation to try. From Mindfulness and Transcendental Meditation to Tai Chi and yoga, it can involve movement or stillness, attention or transcendence.

Meditation is something that helps you turn the volume down internally, and shift away from the stress response toward a parasympathetic response. It may include breathing in a purposeful way, using guided imagery and your imagination or focusing on an object. I often coach patients in meditation techniques to address their particular situation.

The effects can be very powerful.

Here are eight scientifically proven benefits of meditation:

1. Stronger immunity. Multiple studies show that meditation improves immunity in a variety of ways, from boosting antibodies to slowing down the production of CD-4 cell counts to stimulating the brain areas that control the immune system.
2. Less pain. Meditation can reduce the experience of pain and lower activity in the brain’s pain-processing regions.
3. Stronger and faster mental function. Meditation strengthens the connection between brain cells and may lead to increased gyrification (cortical activity linked to the brain’s ability to process information more quickly).
4. Brain restructuring. It’s amazing to consider, but meditation can change your brain structure—brain scans of longtime meditators show increased gray matter, which is associated with intelligence, sensory perception, emotional stability and stress response.
5. Increased learning ability. Research shows that students who meditate have better test scores, improved attendance rate, increased intelligence and creativity and less stress.
6. Emotional stability. It appears that when exposed to stress, long-time meditataors show less activity in the right amygdala—the part of the brain that plays a key role in processing emotions.
7. Better focus. A University of Washington study conducted by Dr. David Levy showed that those who are trained in meditation experience less negative emotion in multi-tasking tests and can switch tasks less often and more effectively. Meditators also showed improved task-related memory.
8. Weight control. It turns out that meditation can actually help reduce belly fat. Increased stress increases certain hormone activity that can lead to weight gain, and study after study shows that meditation can significantly reduce the body’s response to stress as well as increase serotonin, a hormone that influences sleep, mood and appetite.

Meditation, in whatever form we choose, can play an effective and enjoyable role in our health and wellbeing.

“In the universe there is an immeasurable, indescribable force which shamans call intent, and absolutely everything that exists in the entire cosmos is attached to intent by a connecting link.” ~ Carlos Castaneda

Everything begins with intention, including connecting to your true power.

With so much to do every day, our energy gets dispersed and we can easily become overwhelmed—especially with increased activity in the summertime. When we’re overwhelmed, we forget about our intentions and start getting ruled by outside demands.

We may even find ourselves repeating old patterns of pleasing others and spending our energy on unhealthy habits. How do we avoid this and hold to the intentions that help us live more fully? At Being Energy, we believe that consistent practice is KEY. Because of this, we have created daily and weekly classes to help us stay connected to ourselves and to what is important to us.

Our intention with our next Path with Heart series is to explore and share with you, over 12 Sundays, how to acquiesce to and command your personal power, to bring focus and attention to the here and now. What does it mean to submit to your own power? To liberate yourself and become your full, luminous self?

We have learned that awakening is a process rather than an event. To shed limiting perceptions of yourself and discover what really matters to you is really a process of surrendering to Intent, to the force that gives direction and intention to your life, to your own power.

When you command your true power, the forces of nature support you, and the world around you responds—and it all begins with intention.

As stated in the Upanishads, ancient and classic Vedic texts, “You are what your deepest desire is. As is your desire, so is your intention. As is your intention, so is your will. As is your will, so is your deed. As is your deed, so is your destiny.”

Setting intentions, and reflecting upon them throughout the day, helps connect your body, mind and emotions in a simple, yet powerful way. The understanding of this power goes far back in our human history. Yet you can employ this age-old wisdom to create positive change in your life right now.

When you consciously set forth your intentions, you take greater grip of your mind and your life. It’s but one aspect of what we’ll work with in our 12-week Path with Heart course, and something that you can try out right away.

Ask yourself: What sort of intentions might benefit me and those around me?

This is individual. But to get you started, we’d like to share some of the intentions and self-observations we recommend in our Being Energy Detox Program.

Intention: “Today, I release all actions in which I punish myself. Today I choose to Be kind to myself”

Associated self-observation: How have I punished myself? How do I beat myself up? How and When I am being Kind to myself?

Intention: “Today, I let go of any negative words I use to put myself down. Today I choose to appreciate my mind, body and spirit with lovely words of appreciation”

Associated self-observation: “What damaging things have I said to myself? How many of these toxins are within me? I release them.” What words are you using to love and appreciate yourself?”

Intention: “Today, I reclaim all my personal power.”

Associated self-observation: Review the ways in which you’ve given up your power away by pleasing others or saying yes when you meant NO. Release your guilt or shame and consciously reclaim your power for the good of all.

May your intentions lead you to even greater joy, health and empowerment!

Create a strong foundation for health by nourishing your bones, muscles and tendons. Not only can you do this in simple ways, you can also do this in delicious ways.

These seven common foods can help revitalize your joints and tendons:

• Tomatoes
• Kale
• Eggplant
• Red Bell Pepper
• Blackberries
• Basil
• Brussels Sprouts

The bonus? This is the season for most of these fruits and vegetables—at least in California. Head to your local grocery, farmer’s market or even your own garden to gather up ingredients for a supercharged meal.

Here is a tasty, easy recipe that incorporates some of these key ingredients. For more nutrition tips, subscribe to our Feed Your Body & Soul Video Library.

Summer Garden Pasta

Serves 4

Pair this with a raw kale, shaved Brussels sprout and blackberry salad, and you’ve got the perfect meal for joint health.

Ingredients

• 1 medium eggplant (1 lb), cut into ½-inch dice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¾ teaspoon salt, plus a pinch for the pasta water
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lb cherry tomatoes, stems removed
• 8 plum tomatoes (1 ¼ lbs), peeled, cored and quartered
• 5 cloves garlic
• 4 red bell peppers
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 lb spaghetti or perciatelli
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 ounce parmesan cheese, grated or shaved

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, combine eggplant, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; toss to combine. Spread in a single layer in a baking pan.
3. In a second baking pan, place all tomatoes and garlic cloves.
4. Transfer both pans to heated oven. Roast garlic and tomatoes until garlic is soft and tomatoes are shriveled, about 30 minutes. Roast eggplant until brown and tender, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool.
5. When cool enough to handle, squeeze soft garlic from cloves.
6. Meanwhile, place peppers over a gas burner with a high flame and roast until charred on all sides, turning as needed, about 5 minutes. Place the hot charred peppers in a metal bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 20 minutes.
7. Using a paper towel, rub charred skin off peppers. Remove and discard seeds and stems. Place 2 peppers, and any liquid collected in the bowl to a the bowl of a food processor. Add roasted garlic, plum tomatoes, vinegar, cayenne, remaining tablespoon olive oil, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 3/8 teaspoon pepper; process until smooth.
8. Cut remaining peppers into 1/4-inch-thick strips; set aside.
9. Fill a large stockpot with salted water; bring to a boil. Place pasta in water; boil until pasta is al dente, about 11 minutes. Drain in a colander; transfer to a serving bowl. Pour puree over pasta; toss to combine. Add basil, roasted eggplant, cherry tomatoes, and reserved pepper strips; toss. Serve immediately, garnished with grated or shaved Parmesan cheese as desired.

Enjoy!

Here’s something to think about: What one thing can you live without for only minutes?

Your breath!

We can go without food for between three to four weeks, without water for three to five days, but without air, only about three minutes—unless you’ve been especially trained, which may give you an extra two minutes of life without oxygen.

So it stands to reason that our breath is a key to our health and wellbeing—physically, mentally and spiritually. It influences our nervous system and consciousness.

When you wake up, there is a natural, involuntary shift in your breathing pattern that signals the brain that you are awake. When you’re falling asleep, your consciousness and breathing shift in tandem.

The more you are connected to your breath, the more you become aware of your breathing patterns and responses, the healthier you’re likely to be in body, mind and spirit. To facilitate this awareness, I’ve created something that I call BYB: Being with Your Breath.

BYB was inspired by my Spiritual Psychology Masters Program studies, and more deeply by the death of my mother four years ago of lung cancer. During her illness, I witnessed her desperation as she tried to grasp for air. In those difficult moments, I would guide her to be calm, allow the breath to come effortlessly and release the fear. “Don’t judge it, don’t fix it, just be with it” were my words for her.

It might seem easy to say, and hard to do, but it is profoundly helpful—on levels beyond what I’d first considered. Now I think of BYB as an approach to self-realization through the connection to and liberation of breath.

So what is BYB? How do you do it? You might be surprised, but this simple method includes just four easy-to-follow steps that you practice systematically. They are:

1. Observe
2. Acknowledge
3. Appreciate
4. Open to Divine Inspiration

Observe. Simply observe your breath As It Is. Notice what is happening in your body. Is your belly loose or tight? Notice how it rises and falls with each inhalation and exhalation.

There is no need to change anything or make it better. Just notice what is.

When you can observe your breath without judgment or interference, you free your body and your perceptive ability.

In the observer mode, your autonomic nervous system shifts from a sympathetic fight or flight state to a parasympathetic state. Your attention moves away from any negative thinking patterns to the physical sensory awareness of your breath. You become more calm.

Silence exists in the pauses between inhalation and exhalation.

Acknowledge. Now that we have noticed our breath, we have a wonderful opportunity to learn from it. What thoughts are there as you breathe? What might be at the root of your breathing pattern? What ideas, emotions, limitations, constrictions or fears might you be holding from the past?

Appreciate. Now that you have observed your breath and acknowledged your thoughts, you have the choice to let go of the thoughts and of the breath pattern you were engaged in, freeing yourself to breathe in an uninhibited way.

This is your chance to take ownership of what you acknowledged—whatever might be restricting you—and appreciate and release it. Acknowledge the Loving Essence of yourself and others. Let your breath break through the prison of judgment and flow freely, without conscious effort. This is full self-expression.

Open to Divine Inspiration. In this last step you are with your breath—in divine connection with Spirit and with all that surrounds you. Each breath you take is a reminder of your connection to the Divine, to your origin, to who you really are.

Being with your breath, you are in the present, aware, fully functioning. All is perfect as it is, and so is your breath.

The more we free our breath, the more we free our perception and are able to acknowledge the higher forces that guide our lives—even the force of our breath. We understand ourselves as part of a much larger consciousness than the “I” of daily life. We breathe in the now and all is well.

Love,
Aerin

Dear Friend,

Have you ever wondered how to fall in love again with your husband after 20 years of being together?

What about how to renew your view of your friends, and let go of misinterpretations and judgments?

How can you rebuild new, long-lasting, loving relationships?

Our intimate relationships present rich learning opportunities for healing and inner growth. They make way for an inner awakening and spiritual development. Yet we can get stuck.

When something is not working, when we are not getting our way, we can choose to:

Blame the other person or situation

Take responsibility and acknowledge what we can change in us

At some point, we all fall into blaming the other, or pointing the finger at the situation. It happens! But there’s another way—a way that we can consciously take toward growth.

Is your friend to blame? Does your mother, father, friend or sibling need to change so that you can get along? Think again! What is the true issue? Could it be your interpretation of the other’s behavior rather than the behavior itself?

You can take charge of your thinking and create the harmonious relationships you want. And it’s easier than you might think.

One of the greatest gifts of consciousness and being self-aware is that we can choose what to think.

Let’s look at our relationship with money. Does money go out faster than it comes in? Is making money something that is only for others, less spiritually oriented? Can we only earn money through hard work? Are we deserving?

Unconscious beliefs about money can boycott the effort you make to pay your bills on time, or cause you to say no to a great job opportunity that would bring you more money.

Changing your relationship toward money, and toward everyone and everything comes down to three things:

Release any negative thought, image or feeling you are holding about the person or situation or thing

Rebirth your thoughts, images or feelings. Allow yourself to think, “Yes, money flows to me with ease,” “My partner is thoughtful,” or ”I can do well in that job.”

Rebuild a new identity for yourself that has a value and is grounded in truth. For example, you may want to donate money to an organization that’s important to you, or take a class that you feel will change things in your life, or be the person who spends quality time with your family.

Break free from beliefs that may be holding you back so that you can experience abundance in life. Explore the relationship between your ability to manifest and your beliefs about yourself, love, sex and money, and observe how your life changes.

How can we manifest wealth in all things when we feel that we’re not good enough? How can we let go of unhealthy relationships and be open for new ones? What needs to die so that something new can be born?

Birth and death are natural processes, and part of all of life. Everything dies at some point—everything has an expiration date. Sometimes you have to let go so that something new can come forth. If you hold onto things inappropriately, it can create disease-causing toxins accumulate in the form of shame, blame and judgment.

By understanding these processes and learning to organize your experience in new ways, new possibilities and awareness have room to unfold.

You suddenly find a solution to a long-standing financial issue, or an infection that took root heals at long last, or you find the right partner after having felt stuck around intimacy.

We invite you to join us beginning on Sunday, April 12th, for our new Path with Heart series and release, rebirth and rebuild!

We’ll use movement, ”now-ing” and more to successfully transform our relationships and clear the path for your energy to flow.