(Will) Power Up!
December 3, 2012 by 4 Comments
English: Anterior cingulate. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
If you think some people are just lucky to have good willpower, think again. Willpower is something we need to develop, just like cardiovascular endurance, or big guns. Willpower isn’t good to have just to avoid temptation and avoid binges but also to make wise choices and stay motivated. Nurture your willpower by exercising it! Try meditation– just 10 minutes of meditation activates the prefrontal cortex, which helps us make smart choices and the anterior cingulate cortex, which helps us choose the time to make those choices. The more you activate these parts of the brain, the stronger they become. Also, simple things like remembering to stand up straight, which requires mindfulness, will not only engage the brain, but also build self-confidence which further fuels willpower. Setting goals that require regular mental effort will help sharpen that all important power—willpower, that is.
Forget the Thermostat and Set your Biostat or You Were Right, Tom
November 27, 2012 by 11 Comments
So what exactly IS a biostat and how do you adjust yours? According to Deepak Chopra, we can help stall or reverse the aging process, memory decline and even most cases of Alzheimer’s disease by doing a few simple things. One is a very, very simple daily meditation. Sitting tall, close your eyes and set your biostat. That is a number that reflects the age you would like to FEEL (not to go back and do it all over again, just an age you would like to feel). He says you picture setting it just like you would a thermostat. Then, say (to yourself or aloud) the following: Every day, in every way, I will increase my mental and physical capacity. Then say to yourself: I am (__) saying the number (your biostat) that you picked. Repeat 5 times daily.
Since meditation is so good for us, and this one is so simple, I have been doing it daily (though probably not 5 times). If nothing else it does make me think about ways that I can be increasing my physical and mental capacity each and every day! Chopra also suggests that we need to keep learning new things and keep trying things a little differently (aka if your a righty, use your left hand to brush your teeth or hair).
We exfoliate our skin, sloughing off the dead stuff, and letting new skin come to the surface. Brain cells die off, too, but we need to do the kinds of things that make new brain cells replace them. As Tom Petty once said “I don’t know but I’ve been told, you never slow down, you never grow old.” I get it now, Tom.
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Every Day is a Day for Giving Thanks…
November 17, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Why wait till Thanksgiving to start being thankful? If you start practicing gratitude today, and spend a few minutes every day focusing on what you have to be thankful for, by Thursday you will already be a happier person. If you are saying to yourself, I don’t need to set aside time each day to do this because I know that I have a lot to be thankful for, you are missing ALL the benefits that this daily practice provides. I am always personally amazed at the things that pop up in my brain now that I have been doing this almost every day for several years. After a few days of giving thanks for your loved ones and the food on your table, try getting outside the box and digging deeper for less obvious things. Suddenly most everything in your life becomes a blessing. (Examples: clean socks, gas in your tank, running water, a pillow, choices….) You get the message. Let’s start Thanksgiving a little early this year….but hold the stuffing and pumpkin pie till Thursday and your thighs will be thankful, too!
As a bonus, meditation is a great way to boost the immune system and protect against illness including the dreaded flu. By focusing on daily, silent gratitude, you are filling your prescription for meditation.
