More on meditation (and creating sustainable change)

Check out my series on meditation on our blog at www.aninvitationtopersonalpeace.com/blog/

Another fr.ee resource I want to share with you is the audio from a show I did today on the fundamentals of change. I know you will find the information helpful.

http://www.BlogTalkRadio.com/todaysguest/2008/02/05/The-fundamentals-of-change

Remember, the only difference between a rut and a grave are the dimensions. Knock the walls off your personal ruts today!

To Your Success!

Dr. Mike Davison
"Your Destiny Doctor"
mike@aninvitationtopersonalpeace.com

P. S. If you are interested in creating massive change in your life, consider hiring a coach.

Misconception #2 on meditation

Another misconception about meditation that came up in my recent teleconference was about a concern about meditation slowing a person down. One participant expressed a concern that their job requires them to be energetic and move quickly. He expressed the concern that meditation would lead to losing his "edge".

Here is what I know to be true about meditation. It helps you hone your edge. Meditation leads to being more centered and increases your capacity to be focused. Therefore, meditation will help you be more focused in a fast paced setting that requires you to focus on multiple tasks throughout the day.

One example would be working at the board of trade. Now that is a fast paced, high energy environment. I have worked with individuals who work in such environments that have reported learning to meditate helps them stay focused on what is most important in any given moment.

Think about it. We all have millions, probably billions of bits of information in our sensory field at any given moment. We can't focus on all of them. We need the ability to effective filter out the non-essential information. On the flip side, we need to be able to stay focused on the absolutely most essential. A meditation practice can help you develop that kind of edge. That kind of focus.

Mindfully,

Dr. Mike Davison
“Your Destiny Doctor”
mike@PartnersInPurpose.com

P.S. Have you checked out my book An Invitation to Personal Peace? www.aninvitationtopersonalpeace.com/products.php

Misunderstandings about meditation

I recently conducted a teleconference on the value of meditation in creating more personal peace in your life. It was a lively conference and many questions were asked about meditation that I will spend the next week or so responding to.

One of the question that was asked in a number of different ways was "how long should I mediate for?". The other variations of this question included, "how do I find the time?" or the statement, "I don't have enough time to meditate".

These questions seemed to be based on the notion that you need to meditate for a long to experience benefits. Let me say loud and clear that you do NOT need time to set aside large period of time to meditate. You may not even need to set aside any time. You can look for those moments of natural down that come up throughout your day. You can meditate for 1 minute or 5 minutes in your car or while taking a walk on a brief work break.

Keep in mind that mediation is not a specialized activity that requires a special room or special equipment.

One of my favorite times to meditate is when I am at a stop light. I simply put my car in park, close my eyes and focus on my breath cycle. It is a very rapid way for me to slow down and fully orient myself to the present moment. This one minute mediation technique has also renew my faith in humanity. Every time I use it there is a kind soul who will give me a gentle reminder when the light turns green. It is so reassuring to know that others in the community are so committed to helping me on my path to create more personal peace in my life.

Mindfully,

Dr. Mike Davison
"Your Destiny Doctor"
Mike@PartnersInPurpose.com

P.S. Have you checked out my book An Invitation to Personal Peace? www.aninvitationtopersonalpeace.com/products.php

Active Meditation and Passive Meditation

There are many different ways of thinking about and categorizing different types of meditation.

Let me briefly explain two simple and general ways of categorizing meditation techniques - Passive and Active Meditation.

Passive meditation is a way of clearing the mind of all thoughts. Passive meditation is good for reducing stress, increasing creativity, or just getting in some quiet time. It is a powerful way of renewing yourself.

Active meditation is when you keep your mind active by working on a particular problem in your life or focusing on accomplishing certain goals you have set. One strategy of active meditation is to use affirmations while meditating. A relaxed mind is a mind that is open to influence.

If your interested in learning more about stress management or personal development, let me know.

Make 2008 Great!

Dr. Mike Davison
“Your Destiny Doctor”

If you have any questions about my Life Design Coaching Programs contact me at mike@PartnersInPurpose.com .

Life Design and Self-Reflection

Ready or not...

2008 is coming.

Are you ready?

What are some of your goals for 2008.

As a Psychologist and Life Design Coach, I am a HUGE fan of being deliberate about living your life.

Life Design is about

Getting absolutely clear about what you want.

Taking consistent deliberate action.

Take note of what happens when you take action.

An make necessary corrections. As the saying goes "If what you are doing isn't working do something different".

Here is a gift for you (link below). It is a audio on Self-Reflection: The breakfast of champions.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/todaysguest/2007/12/04/Todays-Guest-with-the-Fab-5

If you are interested in my Life Design Coaching Programs for 2008, please feel free to contact me at mike@partnersinpurpose.com or 847 490-7689.

To Your Success!

Dr. Mike Davison
“Your Destiny Doctor”

P. S. Check out my month long series on mindfulness and meditation at www.drmikedavison.com

Take a hike!

I know this does not sound very inspiring, but...

Stress in inevitable.

However...

You don't have to let stress overwhelm your life.

One strategy to manage stress in to take a "brain walk".

You may be wonder, How do you take a brain walk?

I am glad you asked.

First step? Get up from your stressful situation and walk away. Sound too good? Well, you're coming back, so don't get too excited! :)

Find a place outside to walk - some place that will take your mind off your current stressful ordeal. As you walk and enjoy the scenery, let your brain wander. Whatever you do, don't rehearse your stressful situation or relationship.

While you are walking, think of all the nature around you. The trees.... how beautiful the leaves are, how tall they've grown to be, how long they've been there. Just focus totally on the natural scenery around you.

Look at the sky. How vast it is. What's in the horizon? Now look at the clouds in that beautiful, endless sky. What do they remind you of? Maybe a marshmallow, or a mountain, or maybe even a train? What about the color of the sky they are resting in? Is that a true baby blue or is it amber and purple, white and cottony?

What about the birds? Are they quiet today or are they singing to the beat of your footsteps? Are they chattering to each other or are they silent - listening for the sound of approaching wind or rain or snow?

Is that a squirrel climbing over there? Does it have a nut for storage? I like to let my mind wonder where it might be headed. Maybe it's just going to eat it right now, forgetting the storage places.

As you are getting close to returning to your work place, think about the first thing that you need to do when you get there...only one thing. If you think about any more than that you will begin to get overwhelmed again. When you return, do that one thing and thing you will be able to move forward with your project.

By removing yourself from the immediate stressful situation, even if it is for just ten or fifteen minutes, you will greatly reduce your stress. There is something about watching and thinking about nature that alleviates stress and puts you in a much more relaxed frame of mind. You will find that as you return, your thoughts and vision will be clearer, productivity greater. You will return with a fresh start on your project.

Brain walks actually utilize nature to alleviate immediate stress! Enjoy them to the fullest!

Mindfully,

Dr. Mike Davison
"Your Destiny Doctor"
mike@PartnersInPurpose.com
847 490-7689

P.S. Don't forget about my month long series on mindfulness and meditation at www.drmikedavison.com .

Check out the month of mindfulness and meditation

This time of the year can be so joyful and can at times be so stressful. That is why I am dedicating the next month to putting daily entries on my other blog http://www.drmikedavison.com on mindfulness and meditation. Check it out!

Here is a brief message on stress you will NOT find on my www.drmikedavison.com blog.

Stress, stress, and more stress:

There are more definitions of stress than you can shake a stick at. But what we particularly targeting when we’re talking about the stress that causes disease and chronic pain is “the stress that produces too much adrenaline too much of the time”. I like this definition, because it fits me to a “t”.

I used to work in a high-adrenaline job. I mean, every second you had to be on guard for a disaster. When your mind is in that kind of gear, your body responds almost as if in an emergency state that it can’t get out of. Our bodies produce adrenaline like crazy. That lovely hormone, in small doses, gives color and joy to life. In an over-dosed state, however, the rest of our hormones battle to stabilize – some of them increase and wreak havoc with our bodies.

When you’re living in a constant “flight or fight” manner, you end up becoming excitable, anxious, jumpy and irritable. Naturally, these emotions diminish our abilities to be productive and focused. They especially interfere with developing and maintaining quality relationships (one of the best remedies for a stressful life!).

To be most productive, our day-by-day lives require a calm, focused, sensitive approach to living. You may have heard it said that being in the “here and now” is one of the quickest ways to alleviate stress and lower adrenaline levels. When we’re unable to control our flight or fight response – when the adrenaline is high all day long, we’re headed to disease and burnout fast. If we can focus on one thing at a time and breathe normally and naturally while completing that task, we lower our stress levels almost immediately.

It takes practice – living in the moment. But if you can accomplish just five minutes a day of calm focus on only one task at a time, you will begin to feel the heavy stresses of life dissolving like the morning dew. You’re not ignoring reality. You know you will take time to focus on each problem and situation separately. But for this moment, all you’re doing is one thing.

You will find yourself relaxing, your shoulders less tense, your back and leg muscles loosening. Enjoy the feeling of being at peace with yourself and focus on each little step of your present activity. Allow no thought of what you have to do later to creep in to this sacred time.

With practice, you can free your mind and body of anxiety and stress. Start with a few minutes a day, and then increase it to half an hour. The difference in your ability to enjoy life will motivate you to keep up this simple technique. You’ll find yourself accomplishing more and worrying less!

Many Blessings,
Dr. Mike Davison

“Your Destiny Doctor”
mike@PartnersInPurpose.com

P.S. Don't forget about my month long daily series on mindfulness and mediation on my blog at - www.drmikedavison.com

Wake up tonight before you go to sleep

Most Thursday evenings I have teleconferences.

Tonight I am going to be discussing mindfulness.

What is mindfulness? (Good question)

Mindfulness is simply being in the present moment.

Mindfulness is an effective way to reduce stress, increase self-awareness, enhance emotional intelligence, and undermine AUTOMATIC and REPETITIVE destructive thoughts, feelings and behaviors.

Mindfulness is about falling awake, connecting with ourselves, and appreciating the fullness of each moment of life.

If that sound like something you want more of, join me tonight.

To participate in this call tonight (Thursday September 13th) simply call in a few minutes before 9pm EST.

Conference Dial-in Number: (712) 775-7100
Participant Access Code: 388951#

I look forward to "seeing" you on the call.

Your Coach,
Dr. Mike
"Your Destiny Doctor"
www.PartnersInPurpose.com

P.S. You will get specific techniques to help you cultivate mindfulness.

Using the power of your mind for a change

The Power of Creative Visualization is a tried and true technique that helps you create the things you want in life. Creative Visualization is the art of sending an image - a picture to your subconscious mind.Your subconscious mind creates your reality based on a number of messages you send to it. One of these messages is the pictures and images that you visualize and send to your subconscious mind. It then picks up this creative visualization or picture and begins creating what it sees.

The key to understanding how creative visualization works is to first understand that your subconscious mind does not know what is real and what is fiction. It simply creates your reality based on the image that you visualize.

So if you visualize yourself struggling, poor, unhappy, single or depressed then this is the reality that your subconscious mind creates. There have been many books written on creative visualization all of which tell you that if you visualize you will create the things you want. But there's only one problem - it can take years before you see results through simple creative visualization.

Don't get me wrong - I believe in the power of creative visualization - when it's done properly. But I have yet to find a book that tells you exactly how to get the most out of visualization. Most of the books I've read tell you to simply close your eyes and visualize yourself having what you want. Yes, this will work - in the end. But remember - your subconscious mind receives a number of messages from you - and it creates your reality based on these messages. In order to get the most out of visualization all your other messages to your subconscious mind have to be in agreement with what you visualize - otherwise you'll never create the things that you visualize no matter how hard you try.

Think of it this way. You're in a boat and there are a number of people rowing this boat for you. You tell one of them to row in a certain way so that you go in a certain direction. But if all the other people rowing for you are going in the opposite direction - that one person rowing will have little or no impact. The boat will never go the way you want. In order to get the most out of visualization you need to add a few other techniques during and after your visualization. When you do that get everybody rowing your boat in the direction you want - and you'll naturally get to your destination sooner.

When you work with creative visualization you begin automatically using a number of techniques that tap into all your powers creating a tidal wave of positive energy sent to your subconscious mind. All this works to create the things you want sooner. With creating visualization you begin rowing your boat with a number of oars - suddenly you're cutting through the waves and headed straight for what you want.Learn how to visualize and tap into the amazing power of your subconscious mind. With creative visualization you'll be on the road to success by working just 5 minutes a day and manifest success, happiness and much more.

Your Coach,

Dr. Mike

P.S. If you need additional information about creative visualization, contact me @ mike@PartnersInPurpose.com .

Stretch yourself for a change

I just started practicing yoga myself. Physically I am not very flexible. Yet my goal is to become so.

I really believed that flexibility is a key to optimal emotional, mental, and physical health.

Individuals with flexible minds are able to "go with the flow". They are able to not get caught up in the battle field of lessor importance. They are able to continually find new solutions to new challenges.

I figure if flexibility is good for the mind, why not for the body as well.

It is why I recently took up yoga. (Plus it is nice to tie my shoes without making guttural notices).

The physical, mental, and spiritual benefits of yoga have been known for centuries. In fact, the art of yoga with its system of stylized poses has been around for thousands of years. The word itself is Sanskrit and means to join together.

Although yoga might appear as a series of simple stretching exercises, the ultimate goal of yoga is to join the human spirit with that of the universal spirit to achieve the ultimate of yoga benefits.

But let’s start with the physical benefits of yoga. Using yoga for health improvement can result in stronger muscles, improved posture and balance, and increased flexibility. The benefits of yoga also include a reduction in physical pain, improved sleep, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and increased energy levels. These are just a handful of yoga benefits.

Regular practice of simple yoga poses can produce a myriad mental benefits, as well. Yogis, or people who practice yoga, can attest to a reduction in depression and anxiety, improved memory and concentration and enhanced learning. Benefits of yoga for health also include an increased sense of well-being and self-acceptance. Yoga is also an excellent way to manage stress.

Proper breathing and the use of meditation are important components of yoga. Many of the yoga benefits mentioned above are due largely in part to these two elements. Breathing, for instance, is believed to be the physical manifestation of life force energy known as prana. When we breathe deeply with our diaphragm muscle during yoga poses, we are increasing oxygen flow in our bodies. More importantly, we are filling our bodies with life force energy, which explains why we feel so invigorated after yoga.

Yoga practitioners often use meditation in conjunction with yoga in order to reach a relaxed state of the mind and body. To meditate means to focus our attention on something such as our breath or a mantra with the purpose of quieting our thoughts.

Because proper breathing and regular meditation are cornerstones of yoga, we cannot discount the deep spiritual implications of this ancient art. For centuries enlightened cultures have sought the spiritual benefits of yoga and have discovered its awesome ability to momentarily separate us from our material needs and desires and put us in contact with something greater. We can use yoga and its meditative elements to open up our minds to receive deeper wisdom. The best part is that we don’t have to be a shaman or Gandhi to reap these spiritual benefits of yoga.
That’s because yoga can be practiced anywhere and requires no special equipment, although loose-fitting clothing and a yoga mat are recommended. Beginners and intermediate yogis can start with a series of poses called Sun Salutation, which you can do in the morning to start the day.

Check out a book on yoga for health, which illustrates a variety of poses, rent a yoga video, or sign up for a class at a local yoga studio or gym. Although some of the poses you try may be challenging, they should never be painful. When used in conjunction with a healthy diet and lifestyle, the benefits of yoga can lead to enhanced quality of life and physical well-being.

Regards,

Dr. Mike

Meditate your way to connecting with your Life's Purpose

In today’s hectic world, learning to meditate can bring a sense of calm and inner satisfaction. The practice of meditation is a gateway into your inner consciousness, resulting in an enhanced awareness of your own existence and your overall relationship to the cosmos.

Whether you are looking to answer the age-old question, “Who am I and why am I here?” or simply to implement simple relaxation techniques meditation may just be the answer for you.
Although there are hundreds of established techniques how to meditate is really up to the individual. You can pick and choose amongst different schools of thought and find a technique that best suits your personality. However, although meditation has many different cultural contexts, there are certain general facets which transcend the bounds of any one specific culture.
According to Eastern philosophy, to meditate means to think on the eternal, or rather to expand your consciousness until you are at one with the cosmos as a whole. Transcendental emotions like grief, euphoria or even love can fade away, but the universe is forever. Eventually, with practice, learning to meditate can bring you in closer attunement with the very root and purpose of existence itself.

Even if you are not interested in the metaphysical implications of meditation, meditating has undeniable health benefits. Learning to meditate can have positive effects on stress induced illness such as heart disease and high blood pressure. In conjunction with traditional Western approaches to medicine, meditation can target the root causes behind stress-based conditions by calming and clearing the mind.

There are many relaxation techniques meditation incorporates. You can meditate sitting, standing or lying down, in a chair or on the floor. Learning how to meditate is not difficult. There are numerous programs online that can teach you the basics and help to get you started. These programs can guide you each step of the meditation process, provide tips on appropriate posture and teach you how to create the ideal setting for your meditation session.

Classic sitting meditation is one approach. All you need to do is sit on the floor in a comfortable position in a bright but quiet room. The purpose of meditation is not to fall asleep, but to relax and let go of everyday stress. As you become more skilled, you will begin to experience a greater sense of clarity and self observation. Next, breathe deeply and find a focal point or image to hold in your mind. This action will clear the mind and any lingering anxiety or worry.

With commitment and dedication, the calm and peacefulness that you experience upon learning to meditate will carry over to your everyday actions. More quickly than you can imagine, you will come to crave the sense of cleansing and tranquility that meditation can impart. Once you begin the practice, meditation will quickly become an intrinsic part of your daily routine.

Mindfully,

Dr. Mike
Your Destiny Doctor

Making meditation part of your everyday life

Meditation in Daily Life...

How can we turn the mundane chores of our daily lives into a form of meditation and be uplifted?

~Through practicing "mindfulness" -by focusing all our thoughts on what we are doing.

We can also experience a sense of spiritual enlightenment/uplift from appreciating the beauty of everything around us- as well as use meditative practices when trying to gage and understand our emotions, and we can introduce meditation techniques (such as mindfulness) into the ways in which we relate to others.

Here are a few ways in which we can bring meditation into the many aspects of our day-to-day lives:

~ Focus your mind and body completely on what you are doing at this moment- letting any distractions simply drift on by.

~ Live in the present moment as much as you can.

~ Try to see the beauty and worth in everything (and everyone) around you, as well as in everything you do- no matter how mundane.

~ Learn and try to use your "senses" to the full.

~ Develop self-awareness, and work with the connection between your emotional and physical self - noticing how certain breathing practices and posture/positions affect how you're feeling.

~ An everyday activity, such as eating - again, by taking the time to really be aware of and focus on your food and eating it- is a form of meditation that can make it more enjoyable and better on the digestive system!

Respectfectfully,

Dr. Mike
"Your Destiny Doctor"