Question your way to freedom…

There’s an ad running at the moment that asks “Is your life worth 10 euro?”. That’s the cost of checking if a used car has previously been crashed.
 
Of course the answer is ‘Yes’ and from the moment you answer the question it just seems silly to buy the car without first checking its crash history.
 
It’s a successful ad and proves the power of questions.
 

Questions open the mind.

The right question, asked in a way you’re receptive to can change your life – for the better and for the worst.

 
Questions open doors to new possibilities and can get you out of a rut.
 
When it comes to quitting it’s helpful to ask yourself some questions:

What question can I ask myself, that once I answer it it just seems silly to continue smoking?
 
Find that and you find a key to free yourself from this little prison!
 
To find out more or to book an appointment visit http://dublinmindtraining.com/stop-smoking/ or call 01 207 9615.

As humans we are motivated to 1) get away from pain 2) move towards pleasure and 3) conserve energy.

 
That is why our brains reward us with the maximum feelings of pleasure when we eat or have sex; especially when it hasn’t taken a lot of energy to get these things.
This is because we need to eat and procreate to keep the species going.
 
Yet the same motivation operates all throughout the day. If we’re cold we’ll find the fastest and most energy conserving way to warm up. We’ll hit a switch and turn the heating on sooner than we’ll build a fire (more energy required) and sooner than we’ll jog on the spot for 10 minutes (more energy again). Flipping a switch is the fastest way to move towards the pleasure of heat and away from the pain of cold.
 
This is why we’ve to talk ourselves into doing something that can be achieved by easier means.
 
We smoke to get away from pain (stress, boredom, anger), move towards pleasure (relaxation, company, relief) and because it’s a practiced ‘skill‘ it takes very little energy to quickly get a nice feeling.
 
It’s faster and easier to light up and calm down than it is to do a few yoga moves or go for a walk.
 
It’s quicker to light up when stuck in traffic than it is to self-talk our way out of the frustration.
 
It’s easier to go on a cigarette break to vent our work anger than it is to manage the stress by other means.
 

It’s hard to quit because we don’t understand that we smoke to feel good in the moment. And in the moment the potential harmful long term health effects of smoking don’t pain us as much as the stress we feel.
 
Knowing this we can get skilled, practice and learn ways to manage stress and get good feelings fast – faster than smoking. Then quitting is easy.
Cut out the middle man (cigarettes) and gain the financial and health rewards along with the sense of empowerment, success and achievement freeing ourselves from a dependency gives us.
 
It’s easier than you think once you know how.
 
To find out more or to book an appointment visit www.dublinmindtraining.com/stop-smoking/ or call 01 207 9615.

Quit – NY Resolution…

 
Stopping smoking is a common New Year Resolution most smokers make, most Januarys’.
 
“This time it will be different. This time I’ll beat them”.
 
You’ve had the yearly checkup and the yearly lecture from the doc. The flu this time was harder to shift than the last one. You’ve overindulged over the Xmas and feel a bit poisoned.
 
You want to kick start 2015 and quitting is the perfect way to show you mean business.
 
You set the date, told your near and dear ones and lasted a day….maybe 10. Less than last time.
 
Now frustrated, angry, upset and a little bit embarrassed. You joke it off and take the slagging. Another failed attempt is the last thing you needed this dreary long strapped month.
 
The stop smoking ad’s and scare tactics still run and seem louder and more personal than ever. They taunt you, reminding you how powerless and dependent you feel.
 
You hate feeling this way – and have had enough.
 
What if you are not a failure? What if it’s not your fault? What if you are just approaching quitting in a way where succeeding is unlikely?
 
Knowing how to do something efficiently and successfully is a big part of getting the results you want.
 
Quitting can and is easy when you are shown how. Hammering a nail with a banana is near impossible, but use the right tool and it’s simple.
Stopping smoking is like that. We’re not designed to quit easily using will power, and you are not a failure if that’s all you’ve used and haven’t succeeded.
 
I have helped 100’s of die hard smokers, with multiple failed attempts in the past, quit with ease.
No tetchy mood swings, no snapping at friends, no withdrawal, no stress, no cravings, no weight gain – no problem.
 
One session using the right tools, in the right way and what seems difficult is experienced as easy.
 
That’s all it takes. To find out more or to book an appointment visit http://dublinmindtraining.com/stop-smoking/ or call 01 207 9615.

Internet Porn Addiction

 
With the ever faster broadband speeds there is an ever growing rate of internet porn addiction, particularly among young men in their 20’s.
 
This is resulting in the neurons in the brain hard-wiring for addiction and is contributing to various symptoms including:

Erectile dysfunction
Premature Ejaculation
Social Anxiety
OCD
Depression
Low Self Esteem

 
Many of these symptoms can be reversed when the internet porn use is stopped or reduced.
 
Here is a clip that explains the process.
 

Soliciting the intelligence of the imaginal brain:

Imagery is a natural way we think. It is very closely associated with the emotions. It is a coding language of the intuitive emotional brain (the limbic brain).
 
However, we have not had much education in how to use it.

• A runaway imagination is probably the major cause of modern stress (it is not just what is happening – it’s what you think or imagine is going to happen to you – that sends stress signals down into your body)
• Developing a skilful imagination is a potent stress reliever. One where you can send signals of calmness, peace, power, ability to your body.
• However, you need to learn some skills in order to use it on purpose.
• If you are having a problem that you can’t sort in the neocortex (logical, reasoning, analytical brain), imagery brings the resources of the limbic brain (intuition, creativity) into it.
• Imagery can calm the brain & body, expand awareness, add choices, and empower the mind.
• Few people have been taught to use their imagination for these purposes.
• Your imagination is your birth right, and with a little education, you can create profound changes in your life and health.

 
For example …..if you were to imagine the most fearful thing you’ve ever gone through, and if you were really to imagine yourself there, you could work up pretty high anxiety.
 
If you instead imagined going someplace that is peaceful and beautiful to you, where you have nothing to do, where it is the right temperature, and you were to imagine what you would see and hear and feel, and totally immerse yourself in that daydream, the brain would send signals down into the limbic system saying ‘ it looks peaceful and safe’ ‘ it sounds peaceful and safe’, ‘ it feels peaceful and safe’ – hit the all clear button, and your body would shift into a relaxed state.
 

Ask Yourself:

• So where right now do I want to focus my attention?
• What train of thought do I want my attention on?

 
The answer to those questions result in whether your body feels safe and relaxed or is preparing for danger.
The following recording can help in your education of learning to use your imagination on purpose.
 
Just as a runaway imagination can create a life of extreme stress, a trained imagination can help you achieve profound calm, resourcefulness and success.
 

Relaxing Recording – Imagination Training – Free to download (right click the image & ‘save link/target as’)

This is a free relaxing recording that teaches you to use your imagination and by your choice induce mental and physical relaxation. It then employs a technique for you to practice creating a particular quality / feeling state you want to feel more of (e.g courage, confidence, acceptance etc), so that accessing that quality becomes something you can do at will, whenever you want or need to.

Chemicals of Feeling.

 
We feel emotions e.g happy, fear, sad, power, confidence, in accordance with the hormones and neurotransmitters that our brain produces and that then trigger cascading chemical reactions in our cells.
 

• Serotonin is a neurotransmitter and endorphins are hormones that work with the endocrine system. Both of them affect our moods. They are often called the ‘happy chemicals’. Endorphins also block pain perception.
• Sex hormones (testosterone, estrogen, progesterone) affect our sense of power or powerlessness, bonding and closeness.
• Stress hormones such as cortisol and norepinephrine are released by the body in situations that are interpreted as being potentially dangerous.

 
And so on.
 
What most medications (anti depressants & anti anxieties) do is affect the levels of certain hormones in our body and therefore influence how we feel.
 

The hormones of power:

 
Two of the hormones involved in the feeling of ‘power’ and ‘resourcefulness’ are testosterone and cortisol. When we feel capable, powerful and resourceful testosterone is high and cortisol is low.
 
So is there a way to naturally induce the production of these hormones and therefore solicit the feelings of power and capability?
 
The answer is YES!
 
Adopting certain body postures result in the brain producing corresponding hormones. There are what’s known as ‘power poses’ that if you hold the pose for as little as 2 min’s can result in you beginning to feel powerful. It’s a useful technique to use whenever you are going into a situation (e.g interview, before giving a speech, meeting the bank manager etc) that requires you to be comfortable in your own skin and perform powerfully.
 

Examples of ‘Power Poses’

High Power Poses

Try it for 2 min’s…

Example

Examples of ‘Powerless Poses’

Power less Poses

Power less poses

 
This technique is made even more productive when it’s accompanied by powerful thoughts and images.
 
The clip below describes the practice in more detail.
 

I watched this TED talk and was moved by the strength of character Janine conveys.

This woman while road cycling, training for the Olympics, collided with a speeding van. Her injuries which included multiple bone breaks, skull fracture and spinal injury put paid to her Olympic dream.
 
Her story is both an inspirational and teaching tale. She was able to come to acceptance for the change in her life path and the state of brokenness of her body, she conjured up a new dream to pursue, she made decisions about the course of her recovery that were life affirming (at times that were the most difficult), and she had the self belief and discipline to achieve her new dream. All the while managing her emotional response to the many arduous challenges that come with building a new life and rebuilding her body.
 
This is what’s possible with a good internal sense of strength, the abilty to learn from and feel connected to others coupled with an inspirational dream. It’s quite remarkable and a testament to our ability to make healing choices and recover from significant and serious difficulty.

Holiday Phobias

Irish Times writers face down their fears…

Irish Time’s Emma Somers conquering her fear….

I was contacted by Roisin Ingle of the Irish Times, about working with one of their journalists for a piece they were writing on overcoming holiday phobias.
 
Emma had a phobia (strong fearful reaction) of diving into water.
 
We only had time for a single session, so we covered the essentials and the practical approach to resolving the fear.
 
Thanks to the effectiveness of the process, my experience and Emma’s bright and willing participation, all went to plan and Emma had her triumphant moment.
 
The link below takes you to her article:

Click here to read Emma’s account…

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to add more ease to your life anytime you want?

You can by simply connecting with the qualities of your heart.

 
HeartMath’s Heart-Focused Breathing® Technique can guide you to a state of ease in just a few minutes.
 
The technique is as powerful as it is simple and can be used anytime you want to create greater relaxation or more energy.
 

 Heart-Focused Breathing™ Technique

 

1. Heart Focus: Focus your attention on your heart area. Breathe a little deeper than normal, in for 5 or 6 seconds and out 5 or 6 seconds. You may find that placing your hand over your heart helps you maintain your focus there.
 
2. Heart Breathing: Now imagine while breathing that you’re doing it through your heart. Picture yourself slowly breathing in and slowly breathing out through your heart area.
 
(Maintaining your focus and breathing through the heart area leads you naturally into a state of ease. When you’re ready to proceed with the rest of your day, you’ll do so with more energy and resilience for future challenges.)
 
The scientific term for this simple and quick tool is psychophysiological coherence: Ever heard of it? Keep reading.
 

Physiological Coherence

 
“Coherence is the state when the heart, mind and emotions are in energetic alignment and cooperation,” according to Institute of HeartMath Research Director Dr. Rollin McCraty. “When the physiological coherence mode is driven by a positive emotional state, we call it psychophysiological coherence.”
 
Those who’ve practiced Heart-Focused Breathing through the years say they have experienced: a sense of being uplifted and alive; more peaceful and less rushed in their busy lives; a deeper heart connection within and with others.
 
I invite you to experience the benefits of this simple technique by trying it for yourself and whenever you are feeling stresses or want greater balance.
 
With Care,

Ailish