This last segment on CHOOSING a Stress Free Life highlights one the most mysterious and elusive aspects of human thought and behaviour: the susconscious mind. There is a newly emerged field of holistic health referred to as Energy Psychology. This area, without a doubt holds the technologies required to lift us out of our individual and collective dysfunction. When you understand the world in terms of energy frequencies you will see the practicality of its application.

Everything vibrates in it’s own unique frequency to maintain itself. The energy produced by this activity influences the world around it. Thoughts and memories are no exception and their energy patterns become encoded at the cellular level of the body. Have you ever tried to change your thinking or a specific behavious through affirmations only to find that you have to keep repeating and repeating them just to keep yourself reminded. That’s because you are working only at the intellectual level but the body still holds a very different story. There is no congruency between the mind &  body and therefore no power.

These stories are a cumulation of perceptions, beliefs and experiences that you have been recording since your conception. They are what has shaped you into the person you are today. This is the territory of the great subconscious mind. If you’re not convinced that your subconscious mind has much control over you, consider this: as Bruce H. Lipton, PhD cites in his latest book Spontaneous Evolution. “It has been estimated that the disproportionately larger brain mass devoted to the subconscious mind can interpret and respond to over 40 million nerve impulses per second. In contrast, the dimunutive self-conscious mind’s prefrontal cortex only processes about 40 nerve impluses per second. This means that, as an information processor, the subconscious mind is one million times more powerful than the self-conscious mind.”

No wonder it’s so hard to make positive changes! The route of the conscious mind is a long and arduous one.

The good news is that there are several new therapies that address this issue. I have developed my own technique which I call Emotional Clearing, because it does just that: clears negative emotional frequencies at the cellular level of the body. This brings the mind and body into harmony and allows us to make a leap in our Level of Consciousness – how we habitually percieve and experience life.

A certain amount of stress can serve us well by motivating and helping us to accomplish great things in life. This is not the kind of stress that I write about. It is the  detrimental stress that is so pervasive in our world today and it is largely our own creation.  We are often our own worst enemies. Can you imagine even a day of physical, mental & emotional freedom? This is indeed a possibility that many have already discovered for themselves. I hope that this 3 part series has demonstrated that a Stress Free Life is a CHOICE that now sits in front of you.

Exploring the power of the integrated brain.

This next section on stress free living examines the mental aspect or specifically the function of the brain and nervous system. This is an area that relatively few understand because it is rarely referred to in our medical system or mainstream media and yet when issues are corrected we often experience profound almost magical results.

The nervous system conducts energy on electro-chemical impulses. Energy by nature flows; these impulses need to travel. When they are blocked or inhibited we experience stress in our body. This stress can present itself in pain, muscle tension, fragmented thinking, fatigue and general lack of flow in life.

Let’s look at the basic structure of the brain. The back brain (reptillian brain) is largely responsible for our survival. The mid limbic brain (mammalian brain) is where we process our memories and emotion. When we feel emotionally overwhelmed we are often functioning largely from these areas and do not have enough activity in the higher areas of the brain: the cerebral cortex and frontal lobes. These are areas that allow higher complex thinking and rationalization. Balanced brain function is essential to feeling calm and in command.

How do we activate the higher areas of the brain?  In my case I use a system of physical activities from Brain Gym® to integrate the different structures of the brain and the left & right hemispheres. Not only does this activate the brain but it brings congruency between the mind and body. There are other very good models available but I found Brain Gym® to be very comprehensive and concise. It is a tool that I use regularly in my practice.

How does this dysfunction occur?  You can almost always trace this dysfunction back to birth or early years of life.  Even in utero the baby is beginning to lay down it’s neural network foundation. The birthing process propels this development forward as it requires the baby to coordinate muscles groups to act in concert for it’s arrival in the world. Every movement, action and perception from this point is exponentially building the brain and nervous system. The foundation which every other life experience is built upon. See the importance? So what happens when mother has a difficult pregnancy, the birth involves unnatural practices or creates unexpected stress for baby? What happens when we keep our babies confined and don’t allow them to fully explore the world around them? We leave holes in the framework  of their nervous system. Vulnerabilities that they will surely pay for.

This is not to say that only children experience this stress because as you know we are magnificent beings. We learn to compensate beautifully. But this unnatural way of  functioning takes its toll over time. It requires a lot of energy to keep going on like this. Not all issues of brain and nervous system dysfunction begin in infancy. It can also be triggered by physcial or emotional trauma. I use Brain Gym® with people of all ages. Although there are optimal windows of opportunity for brain development it is never too late to open up neural pathways. The potential of higher brain function is huge. We have hardly begun to scratch the surface.

What can you expect with optimal integrated brain function:

• mental chatter diminshes
• improved ability to learn, focus, comprehend
• thinking is whole and easy (not fragmented)
• improved auditory function and vision
• greater energy and stamina
• sleep better
• heightened ability in sports and the arts
• feel lighter in your body
• experince peace & calm
• escape emotional overwhelm
• experience greater flow and organization in life 

MAKING A CHOICE IS ONLY POSSIBLE WHEN ONE REALIZES THAT THEY HAVE OPTIONS.

The word stress is so lightly and commonly used these days. It’s true meaning has become so diluted that it has come to be accepted as just a normal part of life. Many clients that I see have become so familiar with their stressed condition that they cannot comprehend experiencing life in any other way.

We always have choices in life and our stress is largely a culmination of choices that we have made [or not made]. In my experience as a holistic practitioner I observe different aspects of stress everyday and guide my clients to identify and correct these imbalances. You may be a little surprised by these sources of stress but certainly comforted to learn that it can always be healed. Stress is indeed a choice but only if you know what your options are. This piece will be presented in 3 parts to look at stress patterns in the physcial, mental and emotional realms. 

Physiological Stress 

 Imagine that you are trying to do a very complex task and you only have half of the tools that you really need to do it well or that your tools are old, rusty and in disrepair.  That would make a complex task almost impossible to do well. And so it is with your body. The complexity of the human body is unmatched by anything else we know on earth and yet we expect it to keep humming along without providing all the necessary tools for it to do it’s job. Do you think that might cause you to experience stress? Of course it would. The following are examples of physiological stresses that I encounter in my everyday practice:

• Nutrient Defficiency – We need to be very conscious of getting a nutrient rich diet and avoiding junk foods that not only don’t supply good nutrition but actually deplete our resources. This is a bit of a challenge when you learn that the nutritional value of our real food has decreased substantially over the last several decades.
• Poor Digestion – is something that plagues many, many people who unfortunately don’t realize that this condition can be corrected usually quite easily. It is often dismissed as a nuisance or discomfort but in truth you are not absorbing your essential nutrients very efficiently. Over time this puts your physical well being at great risk.
• Hypoglycemia – The “other blood sugar disorder”. I cannot begin to tell how common this issue is and will continue to be until we remove the sugars and refined carbs from our diets. This is a condition of unstable blood sugar that produces the typical stress responses that we are all familiar with: shaky, irritable, light headed, fatigued, headachey.
• Food Allergies/Sensitivities – Food can be very healing and life supporting or it can wreak havoc in your body. Testing to determine what foods are best avoided can change your life as you know it in a relatively short period of time.        
• Heavy Metal & Chemical Toxicity – We cannot possibly ignore this issue in this day and age. We are all exposed to toxins everyday through the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe. Others are further exposed when they work in an industrial environment.   Some people are very vulnerable to this toxicty which adversely effects normal metabolic activity and is particularly challenging to the nervous system. Generally speaking  toxins are much more readily absorbed into a nutrient deficient body.      

If you find yourself described above please know that this can all be corrected and this is indeed your first step to choosing a stress free life. Dealing with the physical is always my starting point because as you embark on strategies for positive change in your life they are much more effective if your physical stresses aren’t standing in the way.

As you can imagine I have many clients that are very concerned about their health and the quality of the food and water that they consume. While I certainly believe that we need to make prudent choices in what we purchase and consume it is important to recognize that our thoughts and concerns are often as toxic or even more so. According to Dr. David Hawkins’ Map of Consciousness, the emotions of apathy (hopelessness), fear & anger resonate at a very low level, meaning that they are life defeating. These emotions themselves keep the body in a state of dysfunction. Take a look at  Dr. Masaru Emoto’s  research on the influence of thought, prayer, intention and words on water crystals. This is very profound and eye opening research when you consider that our bodies are 60-70% water!

Keys to Maintaining Health & Perspective

• Carry an authentically positive attitude of gratitude for all that you do have. We live in a very privileged society. If you have done any significant traveling you are very aware of that. We have much to be grateful for.
• Drink clean water and use a good water filtration system.
• Eat locally produced, unprocessed organic food where possible and practical. Small shifts over time can make a big difference not only in your health but in the production and availability of good nutrient rich food.
• Recognize when you need professional help in restoring emotional, mental or physical health and invest in that help sooner rather than later. Life is too precious to waste.    

Well, maybe that’s wishful thinking. New Years is without a doubt my favorite time of the year. The return of  normal familiar routines is made more dramatic following the excessively hectic pace of Christmas. I look forward to the peacefulness & reflection that are part of my New Years ritual. This is really the only time of year that I journal. Before I begin writing I read my installment for the previous year to see where I was at and did I accomplish what I set out to accomplish? What’s really interesting is to go back several years. Wow, was that really me? Then I begin to write about the year that just passed, the good and the bad. I write about my intents for the New Year. I suppose you could call those resolutions. These are my choices to better my life and consequently those around me. I look at this as conscious living. Every choice we make shapes our life and affects countless others. Did you watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” over the Christmas Holidays?

Let me offer you a few suggestions of choices that I find to be the most impactful in making positive change:

• Prepare your meals at home from scratch. Everyone gets confused by labels and misleading marketing tactics. Remember real food doesn’t come with labels! You will be amazed by how good you feel when you start nourishing your body with good food. I read a book this past year that I absolutely loved. It’s call “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” by ‘Barbara Kingsolver. The story of a family who decides to raise their own food or buy locally whatever they can’t provide for themselves for one year. Very interesting, educational and inspiring.
• Live in the moment. We all know this but how do we do it? Practice, faith, practice, awareness and more practice. Catch yourself when you are stewing about the past or fretting about the future. Simply bring your attention to the task at hand and repeat this mantra: “Right here, right now everything in fine” and it is. Don’t get discouraged. This will likely be a lifelong endeavour but there is nothing more liberating.   
• Cut sugar out of your diet – or drastically reduce it. That’ll solve the “I want to lose 15lbs” resolution and make you feel really good. That is, after the withdrawl symptoms have subsided!  Take 6 weeks and make a significant change and I promise you won’t go back to your old ways. You’ll wonder how you ever ate what you did. When avoiding sugars consider the obvious but also reduce flour products (lean more to whole grains), excess fruit, fruit juice, alcohol, pop (even diet). Avoid artificial sweeteners. For a little sweet taste in moderation you might try honey, maple syrup, stevia.
• Do not  judge others. Try to catch yourself every time you make a negative judgement about someone. That’ll keep you busy! I’m not judging – honest. It’s part of our human nature. If you really want to push the envelope, disregard the negative and try to be aware of all judgements. There is nothing that separates us more as a human population as judgements. We have no idea what makes a person do what they do or think the way they think. You only have your own tiny perspective. Imagine a world free of judgement – a world of tolerance and acceptance.

I know I have some pretty lofty expectations but even a small shift in thought and behaviour does have an impact in the big scheme of things. This is your personal goal. There is no pass or fail only change. Take this opportunity to make a positive choice for yourself. If you’re not making the choices for you – who is? Empower yourself and have a Very Happy New Year!