Health care...Is that a provocative word these days! But what I am discussing today is not so much what is being debated in Congress, but more so the need for us to look at the role of the mind or our psyche and even our spiritual self in caring for our over all health. Maybe some day we will have the wisdom to realize that these issues all work together for our healing.
Complimentary and alternative medicine have become more and more widely accepted in the West. Many people see their physician for health issues, while at the same time visiting a Reike therapist or seeing a person who does acupuncture for example. We still however, seem to differentiate between mind and body. Indigenous people are on the other end of the continuum: they see everything in existence having a physical, energetic and a spiritual aspect. A Shaman for example, understands that an illness gains a great deal of its power and potential from its spiritual aspect. He or she would address the illness from all three levels, realizing the potency of the spiritual aspect. The shaman works to restore the soul of the patient.
Native American healers believe that when someone has seen a healer they should feel better after that experience and/or have a better grasp of how to improve your health or life's quality. It is an ethical issue. The healer helps the one who desires healing to shift their focus away from the symptoms to their relationship with their soul, family and the Creator. What the patient may be seeking is compassion more so than a "cure" or having the symptoms fixed.
When we speak of psychological health Native American principals are quite similar to those of Vienesee psychiatrist Viktor Frankl ( Holocaust survivor, author of Man's Search for Meaning). For Dr Frankl finding meaning and purpose in life surpassed any other phenomena of healing. Dr Frankl developed a method of psychotherapy he called logotherapy from the Greek word "logos" which is defined not only as meaning but also as mystery.
So what causes illness? Shamans believe there to be three basic causes: disharmony (what occurs when life loses its meaning which in turn causes our personal power to diminish), fear (a reduction in our sense of well being), and what is referred to as soul loss. Soul loss is a reference to a loss of the will to live. Some of its classic symptoms are feelings of not being all there, lack of enthusiasm, difficulty in making decisions, being emotionally remote, being chronically negative, suffering from addictions, and chronic depression listed as the most common symptom.
By the way nearly everyone has had some aspect of soul loss (it is a strange term to our ears so please remember this a shaman term). And the good news is that we can recover. Much of the work of shaman healing is in the world of energy or what is more commonly now referred to as energy psychology ~ a fascinating field.
With the purpose of Native American counseling being to find meaning we might ask what causes life to seem to lose its meaning.
"No evil sorcerer can do as much harm to you as you can do to yourself" according to Nu-chah-nulch healer Johnny Moses. Rolling Thunder tells his listeners: Pollution begins in the mind. If you don't change your thinking you're not going to change yourself or your world.
In other words we are talking about negative thinking.
The placebo affect is well known in medicine. If you think a white sugar pill is going to help an ailment, it likely will. But there is also something called "nocebos" which can and does impact our health. It too refers to our thinking. Nocobos are negative expectations and they too have been well documented. There is the amazing case of two patient charts which were mixed up. I don't remember the exact details but in effect patient A and B both saw their doctor for tests. A had cancer B was healthy except for something minor. The charts got mixed up - the healthy person was told incorrectly that he had terminal cancer. He died not too long afterward even though he was actually a healthy individual! If I find the research I will report it to you in a later article.
The word "healing" has its roots in the Old English term "haelen" which translates to mean "to make whole." If we are to make ourselves whole then we need to take care of all aspects of our self - mind, body and spirit.
Guard well the avenues of your mind that you may enjoy all aspects of good health. Here are a few inspirational ideas for assisting you. I don't know who wrote it originally but if you do, please let me know so that I may credit them.. it may be that great author "anonymous"!
When you say I love you mean it.
Memorize your favorite poem.
When you say "I'm sorry" look the person in the eye.
Never laugh at any one's dreams.People who don't have dreams don't have much.
Learn the rules ~ then break some.
Remember that the greatest relationship is one where your love for each other is greater than your need for each other.
Remember that your character is your destiny.
Spend some time alone.
Open your arms to change but don't let go of your values.
Trust in God but lock your car.
Read between the lines.
Be gentle with the Earth.
Pray ~ there is immeasurable power in it.
Share your knowledge; its a way to achieve immortality.
Don't judge people by their relatives.
When you realize that you have made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
Until next time,
Blessings and love to you and those you love,
Dr. DyAnn
Monday, November 9, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
A Scientist, Psychic, Psychologist and Scripture All Agree!
YOU can have a truly happy, healthy, marvelous life. Hold that thought, OK?
Your mind is the incredible power house in which you "make it or break it" in your life. The bottom line is that the level of success in your life (however you define it) has to do with nothing or no one else. That is really the best news anyone can get! No one can hold you back from achieving happiness.
That may seem easier said than done, but I think with some understanding of how things work, it does become much more simple and attainable to forge the life you want. You deserve to be happy and this blog centers around assisting you in attaining that goal.
In his book The Divine Matrix Gregg Braden writes: from the temple walls and tombs in the deserts of Egypt to the Gnostic wisdom of the ancient Nag Hammadi library to the traditional medicine practiced today throughout the American Southwest, the language that breathes life into the possibilities of our imagination, dreams and prayers remains with us.... its human feeling and emotion that affect the stuff our reality is made of - it's our inner language that changes the atoms, electrons, and photons of the outer world....it's the language of emotion that speaks to the quantum forces of the universe...feeling is what the Divine Matrix recognizes.
Sylvia Browne (what a switch from Braden with his understanding of quantum physics to Browne the self-proclaimed psychic!) also speaks of these matters, in identifying that there is an "infinite, unfathomable force field (matrix) , a great uncreated mass we can't begin to understand, a core from which the love and power of God emanate.
Dr. Wayne Dyer, best-selling author of dozens of books has been speaking and writing about how we create our lives for years: recognizing the "availability of an invisible force that can be put to use in solving a problem...."
Scripture - dozens of verses in the Bible tell of our ability to co-create, work in partnership with God, or what ever term you are comfortable with. To begin with we are told that we are transformed by the renewal of our mind. There we are again, back to the mind. Our thinking. That is why Jesus said that if we think lustful thoughts we have done the same as committing the act. The power of our thoughts.
So the scientist, the psychic and the spiritual author and Jesus all are saying the same thing. There is a force and it is used to create. Our mind is how we connect with that force. And so our thoughts and our feelings in effect, create. Make sense?
I think one of the things that we forget is that the tendency toward creating is operating 24/7. We can have a goal for example, as Dennis did. His was to meet a decent woman. He can let his friends know the kind of woman he is looking for, refuse to exchange phone numbers with women he doesn't feel attracted to, and even have counseling to deal with letting go of the hurt of old relationships. But Dennis sat stuck, meeting no one. He wondered what he was doing wrong and if there was no one out there for him.
We explored Dennis's day-to-day thought process. Oh boy, that was where he was stuck. He unknowingly was creating a block to the very goal he had worked so hard on. As I have told countless people, you can have a great goal, intelligent attainable steps to reaching the goal and utilize smart tools. But if your daily thoughts run against the grain of all that, the goal will NEVER be reached. It's the little things (thoughts) that count. Our subconscious mind (and the force field of creation) hears and obeys what we think and feel.
So when Dennis sees a pretty woman go by and thinks she would never go for someone like him - yep, he has created that outcome. A friend and I were talking about the truth of cliches the other day: here's a good one - what you believe to be true is true. As far as Dennis's success: he has now met someone who seems like a good match and things are headed in the right direction. If a guy can be giddy, this guy now is because he "gets it" as to how we create with our every day thoughts and feelings.
Now if you would, go back to the first paragraph of this blog. What were YOUR thoughts when you read it? If you are having a good day, you likely agreed with what I said. If you were having a bad day, maybe not so much. So that first paragraph could serve as a good test as to how well you are using the creative power of your mind via your every day thoughts. If we believe we can't do it, we can't. If we believe we can, we can (even if we don't know how).
Our subconscious mind and the creative power of the universe obeys either way.
Blessings to you and yours~
Until next time,
Dr. DyAnn
Your mind is the incredible power house in which you "make it or break it" in your life. The bottom line is that the level of success in your life (however you define it) has to do with nothing or no one else. That is really the best news anyone can get! No one can hold you back from achieving happiness.
That may seem easier said than done, but I think with some understanding of how things work, it does become much more simple and attainable to forge the life you want. You deserve to be happy and this blog centers around assisting you in attaining that goal.
In his book The Divine Matrix Gregg Braden writes: from the temple walls and tombs in the deserts of Egypt to the Gnostic wisdom of the ancient Nag Hammadi library to the traditional medicine practiced today throughout the American Southwest, the language that breathes life into the possibilities of our imagination, dreams and prayers remains with us.... its human feeling and emotion that affect the stuff our reality is made of - it's our inner language that changes the atoms, electrons, and photons of the outer world....it's the language of emotion that speaks to the quantum forces of the universe...feeling is what the Divine Matrix recognizes.
Sylvia Browne (what a switch from Braden with his understanding of quantum physics to Browne the self-proclaimed psychic!) also speaks of these matters, in identifying that there is an "infinite, unfathomable force field (matrix) , a great uncreated mass we can't begin to understand, a core from which the love and power of God emanate.
Dr. Wayne Dyer, best-selling author of dozens of books has been speaking and writing about how we create our lives for years: recognizing the "availability of an invisible force that can be put to use in solving a problem...."
Scripture - dozens of verses in the Bible tell of our ability to co-create, work in partnership with God, or what ever term you are comfortable with. To begin with we are told that we are transformed by the renewal of our mind. There we are again, back to the mind. Our thinking. That is why Jesus said that if we think lustful thoughts we have done the same as committing the act. The power of our thoughts.
So the scientist, the psychic and the spiritual author and Jesus all are saying the same thing. There is a force and it is used to create. Our mind is how we connect with that force. And so our thoughts and our feelings in effect, create. Make sense?
I think one of the things that we forget is that the tendency toward creating is operating 24/7. We can have a goal for example, as Dennis did. His was to meet a decent woman. He can let his friends know the kind of woman he is looking for, refuse to exchange phone numbers with women he doesn't feel attracted to, and even have counseling to deal with letting go of the hurt of old relationships. But Dennis sat stuck, meeting no one. He wondered what he was doing wrong and if there was no one out there for him.
We explored Dennis's day-to-day thought process. Oh boy, that was where he was stuck. He unknowingly was creating a block to the very goal he had worked so hard on. As I have told countless people, you can have a great goal, intelligent attainable steps to reaching the goal and utilize smart tools. But if your daily thoughts run against the grain of all that, the goal will NEVER be reached. It's the little things (thoughts) that count. Our subconscious mind (and the force field of creation) hears and obeys what we think and feel.
So when Dennis sees a pretty woman go by and thinks she would never go for someone like him - yep, he has created that outcome. A friend and I were talking about the truth of cliches the other day: here's a good one - what you believe to be true is true. As far as Dennis's success: he has now met someone who seems like a good match and things are headed in the right direction. If a guy can be giddy, this guy now is because he "gets it" as to how we create with our every day thoughts and feelings.
Now if you would, go back to the first paragraph of this blog. What were YOUR thoughts when you read it? If you are having a good day, you likely agreed with what I said. If you were having a bad day, maybe not so much. So that first paragraph could serve as a good test as to how well you are using the creative power of your mind via your every day thoughts. If we believe we can't do it, we can't. If we believe we can, we can (even if we don't know how).
Our subconscious mind and the creative power of the universe obeys either way.
Blessings to you and yours~
Until next time,
Dr. DyAnn
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Refresh Your Library Card!
Books. We all have our favorites - whether a compelling mystery, a deliciously lazy beach (or sitting by the fireplace) read, or the latest about a special hobby or interest. Books can entertain, educate, uplift, inform, transform . There are even those books which can be a turning point for our life. They seem to speak directly to us.
One of my favorite things to do is to open one of the books I love to a random page, then read the special message waiting there for me. Sometimes I do this in seeking an answer to a specific question. At other times it is simply to get a message to take into consideration. Yes, I do think books speak to us. They feed our souls. Angels come in many forms, you know.
Today I want to share with you about books that have been trans formative in for specific people and why they think this is so. I am hoping you will find something in readinf this that is just right and especially meaningful for you.
Louise Hay, founder of Hay House and the self-help movement. She was a pioneer in the understanding of how the mind/body connect. In fact it was over 30 years ago that she wrote Heal Your Body which has sold 30million+ copies. Ms Hay understands, utilizes and writes about creating our reality with our thoughts. The book that first brought it all together for her is "The Game of Life and How We Play it" (Florence Scovel Shinn). Written in 1926, Shinn was already saying "If you don't realize that thoughts create things, you are behind the times". 1926!! Her book uses many Biblical references for those who are interested. This kind of information may seem "new age" to some, but new age in my book isn't at all "new". It has been taught for thousands of years.
Rudy Ruettiger, the man behind the inspirational movie "Rudy". At 5'6" and 165 pounds it had been his childhood dream to play football for the University of Notre Dame. Yep, I said 5'6". And of course during his whole life he was told how he could never reach his goal. He was told he wasn't smart enough, big enough or strong enough. But he was smart enough to realize that those (or any) repeated messages become self-fulfilling prophesies.
The book that helped changed his life is one of my own favorites: Maxwell Maltz's "Psycho-Cybernetics". Unlike the title sounds, it is an easy read and Ruettiger said that to him it made a lot of sense. He wanted to get out of the box of the life he was living - shift work at a power plant. He wanted to live his dream. "The book made it clear that I hadn't gotten what I wanted in my life because I didn't believe I could do it." He also shares from Maltz's book the secret of taking action and not worrying so much about having a game plan all worked out. Sometimes we waste a lot of time and can miss opportunities as we fine tune our game plan. The message: take action and opportunities will start to open up.
Doreen Virtue PhD ~ author of more than 25 books, Doreen teaches metaphysics, psychic development and angel therapy classes world wide. She has been interviewed by everyone from Oprah to CNN . Her turning point book is from one of my personal favorites, Viktor Frankl: Man's Search for Meaning.
Frankl was a WW II prisoner at the Auschwitz concentration camp. Even with unspeakable losses and inhumane conditions, this amazing man made up his mind that his tormentors could not take away his right to choose his attitude, his thoughts and his emotions. He made up his mind to choose happiness ~ yes, happiness (! ) in life threatening, demeaning situations. And he also trusted his intuition, which saved his life without a doubt.
Dr. Virtue applied what she took in from Frankl's book and it changed her life, giving her the courage to teach what was in her heart, even though she had suffered ridicule for it while growing up. From this book she gained the courage to tell people about the power of the mind and spirit for our healing and creating the life we dream of. But first she had to overcome her fear just as Dr Frankl did.
We all have our own fears - faith is taking the steps to overcome them.
Jack Canfield ~ best known as co-creator of the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series. He has conducted seminars all over the world in regard to personal transformation.
Jack shares that for a major portion of his life he was pretty much cognitive- he lived inside his head and divorced himself from emotion and spirit. He'd had a negative religious experience with his pastor; concluding his study of the history of religions at Harvard he was pretty much an agnostic.
The book that changed all that in a truly remarkable way was Dr. Raymond Moody's "Life After Life." Moody's book is based on his research as a medical doctor into NDE (Near Death Experiences). Most of you are familiar with this concept as it has since been well researched, documented and written about.
Canfield goes on to state that what struck him in "Life After Life" was a comment from one of the people Moody interviewed. The Being of Light had asked him two questions and then watched along with him a review of his life on earth. Of course I wanted to know - what were the two questions!?
1. What wisdom have you gained from this life?
2. How have you expanded your capacity to love?
Dr. Canfield goes on to say that this book and particularly these two questions profoundly affected him. He went from not believing in God to knowing that we are spirits in the flesh and that there is life after this one on earth. Further, he came to realize and dedicate his life to what he now sees as the main purpose for our being here: to gain more wisdom and to truly become more loving, even to love unconditionally. He began to feed his soul as I like to say. The ways in which he does that are prayer, meditation, reading and service to others. He now dedicates his life to learning and teaching about wisdom and love. His Chicken Soup books are from accounts he has gathered that embody those ideals with the purpose of enlightening and inspiring others.
I hope this blog has been inspiring to you. If you want to read more about the books that have inspired others check out "You've Got to Read This Book" by Jack Canfield and Gay Hendricks.
If you have a book or books that inspire you or have changed your life, value them as the treasures they truly are. And if you would like, share a copy with someone. Remember, each of the people I have written about had someone share a book with them ~ and the book not only fed their soul but changed the course of their life.
Blessings and love~
Until next time,
Dr. DyAnn
One of my favorite things to do is to open one of the books I love to a random page, then read the special message waiting there for me. Sometimes I do this in seeking an answer to a specific question. At other times it is simply to get a message to take into consideration. Yes, I do think books speak to us. They feed our souls. Angels come in many forms, you know.
Today I want to share with you about books that have been trans formative in for specific people and why they think this is so. I am hoping you will find something in readinf this that is just right and especially meaningful for you.
Louise Hay, founder of Hay House and the self-help movement. She was a pioneer in the understanding of how the mind/body connect. In fact it was over 30 years ago that she wrote Heal Your Body which has sold 30million+ copies. Ms Hay understands, utilizes and writes about creating our reality with our thoughts. The book that first brought it all together for her is "The Game of Life and How We Play it" (Florence Scovel Shinn). Written in 1926, Shinn was already saying "If you don't realize that thoughts create things, you are behind the times". 1926!! Her book uses many Biblical references for those who are interested. This kind of information may seem "new age" to some, but new age in my book isn't at all "new". It has been taught for thousands of years.
Rudy Ruettiger, the man behind the inspirational movie "Rudy". At 5'6" and 165 pounds it had been his childhood dream to play football for the University of Notre Dame. Yep, I said 5'6". And of course during his whole life he was told how he could never reach his goal. He was told he wasn't smart enough, big enough or strong enough. But he was smart enough to realize that those (or any) repeated messages become self-fulfilling prophesies.
The book that helped changed his life is one of my own favorites: Maxwell Maltz's "Psycho-Cybernetics". Unlike the title sounds, it is an easy read and Ruettiger said that to him it made a lot of sense. He wanted to get out of the box of the life he was living - shift work at a power plant. He wanted to live his dream. "The book made it clear that I hadn't gotten what I wanted in my life because I didn't believe I could do it." He also shares from Maltz's book the secret of taking action and not worrying so much about having a game plan all worked out. Sometimes we waste a lot of time and can miss opportunities as we fine tune our game plan. The message: take action and opportunities will start to open up.
Doreen Virtue PhD ~ author of more than 25 books, Doreen teaches metaphysics, psychic development and angel therapy classes world wide. She has been interviewed by everyone from Oprah to CNN . Her turning point book is from one of my personal favorites, Viktor Frankl: Man's Search for Meaning.
Frankl was a WW II prisoner at the Auschwitz concentration camp. Even with unspeakable losses and inhumane conditions, this amazing man made up his mind that his tormentors could not take away his right to choose his attitude, his thoughts and his emotions. He made up his mind to choose happiness ~ yes, happiness (! ) in life threatening, demeaning situations. And he also trusted his intuition, which saved his life without a doubt.
Dr. Virtue applied what she took in from Frankl's book and it changed her life, giving her the courage to teach what was in her heart, even though she had suffered ridicule for it while growing up. From this book she gained the courage to tell people about the power of the mind and spirit for our healing and creating the life we dream of. But first she had to overcome her fear just as Dr Frankl did.
We all have our own fears - faith is taking the steps to overcome them.
Jack Canfield ~ best known as co-creator of the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series. He has conducted seminars all over the world in regard to personal transformation.
Jack shares that for a major portion of his life he was pretty much cognitive- he lived inside his head and divorced himself from emotion and spirit. He'd had a negative religious experience with his pastor; concluding his study of the history of religions at Harvard he was pretty much an agnostic.
The book that changed all that in a truly remarkable way was Dr. Raymond Moody's "Life After Life." Moody's book is based on his research as a medical doctor into NDE (Near Death Experiences). Most of you are familiar with this concept as it has since been well researched, documented and written about.
Canfield goes on to state that what struck him in "Life After Life" was a comment from one of the people Moody interviewed. The Being of Light had asked him two questions and then watched along with him a review of his life on earth. Of course I wanted to know - what were the two questions!?
1. What wisdom have you gained from this life?
2. How have you expanded your capacity to love?
Dr. Canfield goes on to say that this book and particularly these two questions profoundly affected him. He went from not believing in God to knowing that we are spirits in the flesh and that there is life after this one on earth. Further, he came to realize and dedicate his life to what he now sees as the main purpose for our being here: to gain more wisdom and to truly become more loving, even to love unconditionally. He began to feed his soul as I like to say. The ways in which he does that are prayer, meditation, reading and service to others. He now dedicates his life to learning and teaching about wisdom and love. His Chicken Soup books are from accounts he has gathered that embody those ideals with the purpose of enlightening and inspiring others.
I hope this blog has been inspiring to you. If you want to read more about the books that have inspired others check out "You've Got to Read This Book" by Jack Canfield and Gay Hendricks.
If you have a book or books that inspire you or have changed your life, value them as the treasures they truly are. And if you would like, share a copy with someone. Remember, each of the people I have written about had someone share a book with them ~ and the book not only fed their soul but changed the course of their life.
Blessings and love~
Until next time,
Dr. DyAnn
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Moving from "Stuck" to Empowered
Difficult feelings. We all have them.
We can gain tremendous strength and control over life and our circumstances by harnessing a strength and capability that is right there in our mind. But it takes awareness and practice.
When is the last time that you found yourself in a situation where your feelings were upset? Throughout the day there are many such scenarios. Your boss gives you a hard time, a friend or loved one disappoints you, or life throws a big curve ball.
There is a process that takes place in our daily experiences: first there is the situation, followed by our thoughts in regard to it. Next comes the feeling based on our thoughts. Over a period of time these thoughts can lead to a pattern which then leads to a belief.
If you would like, think of a time you were triggered into feeling upset. It can be a one time occurrence or something that you have been struggling with.
"Gayle" shared with me that she has difficulty with a friend. As she describes it her friend can be very loving and helpful at times, but other times she seems to just "not get it." As Gayle puts it she might share with "Mary" that she is struggling with her boss at work. Somehow Mary seems to interject into the conversation something really cool that her own boss has done (or in other words what a great boss Mary has). Gayle sometimes wonders whether Mary does this on purpose or if she is just that blind to how hurtful it is. "It is like rubbing salt in the wound." She has mentioned this to Mary in the past about different situations but the pattern continues.
Hurt, anger, resentment - all are normal emotions. But we need to know what to do with them. What to do that is HEALTHY.
There is a line from a play that really fits the situation. ( I don't know who to credit it to so if you do please e mail me at d.buechler@yahoo.com .) The essence of it goes something like this: Holding on to anger (or hurt) is like drinking a cup of poison and expecting the other person to die.
Our thoughts become our reality. That is so powerful. If Gayle's thoughts about Mary run along the lines that Mary is inconsiderate and selfish, it will be those thoughts that eventually will destroy the friendship. What we focus on grows. She will be like a heat-seeking missile, just waiting for the next time Mary "proves" that she is selfish and self-centered. This is called "cognitive dissonance". It means that we don't like to have thoughts that are confusing. If we have confusing or conflicting thoughts about someone or something, our brain will work to come up with a bottom line or what is "true". We like things to fit into neat packages- rather like sorting them and fitting them into files or folders. When they don't fit, it forces us to rethink how to make them fit. Maybe put them into a new, different file or folder. This is how we learn and grow.
So if Gayle basically sees Mary as a good friend, every time Mary's behavior seems to prove otherwise, it forces Gayle to re-sort which file the relationship belongs in. The friendship may end if Mary's behaviors don't change. Or Gayle may have to find a way to deal with her own thoughts, creating another folder.
It may be difficult enough to end a friendship - what if your scenario involves a boss, your husband or wife, or a close family member? Not as easy to say it will end! But not tolerable as it now stands either, especially if you've tried all the problem solving techniques available.
Difficult feelings. We all have them. We can gain tremendous control over such circumstances... There is enormous strength in being able to tolerate a difficult feeling.
One of the ways to do this is to practice what is called mindfulness. One way I think of mindfulness is that it is witnessing myself - my thoughts, my feelings... Just like sitting on a river bank and watching them go by like leaves on a stream. Not acting nor reacting, just watching. Seeing it as my own personal experience. Not he said, she said, not what someones agenda might have been. Just breathing, allowing whatever to arise, examining it, going back to breathing..... I pay attention to and honor my emotion, but I don't react to it. I see it for what it is. A passing emotion. I don't deny the truth of what I am feeling.
Two keys: staying with the breathing (a sure sign I am staying mindful vs being reactive) and staying with simply observing, watching, witnessing (vs analyzing or judging).
It takes practice to be mindful, but it brings peace, centeredness and clarity. It breaks the old patterns and feeling stuck or helpless.It resolves the emotion. It opens energy to be used productively. This is one of the ways we can gain strength and harness the power within our own mind. The results are truly amazing.
Until next time,
Blessings to you and yours,
Dr. DyAnn
We can gain tremendous strength and control over life and our circumstances by harnessing a strength and capability that is right there in our mind. But it takes awareness and practice.
When is the last time that you found yourself in a situation where your feelings were upset? Throughout the day there are many such scenarios. Your boss gives you a hard time, a friend or loved one disappoints you, or life throws a big curve ball.
There is a process that takes place in our daily experiences: first there is the situation, followed by our thoughts in regard to it. Next comes the feeling based on our thoughts. Over a period of time these thoughts can lead to a pattern which then leads to a belief.
If you would like, think of a time you were triggered into feeling upset. It can be a one time occurrence or something that you have been struggling with.
"Gayle" shared with me that she has difficulty with a friend. As she describes it her friend can be very loving and helpful at times, but other times she seems to just "not get it." As Gayle puts it she might share with "Mary" that she is struggling with her boss at work. Somehow Mary seems to interject into the conversation something really cool that her own boss has done (or in other words what a great boss Mary has). Gayle sometimes wonders whether Mary does this on purpose or if she is just that blind to how hurtful it is. "It is like rubbing salt in the wound." She has mentioned this to Mary in the past about different situations but the pattern continues.
Hurt, anger, resentment - all are normal emotions. But we need to know what to do with them. What to do that is HEALTHY.
There is a line from a play that really fits the situation. ( I don't know who to credit it to so if you do please e mail me at d.buechler@yahoo.com .) The essence of it goes something like this: Holding on to anger (or hurt) is like drinking a cup of poison and expecting the other person to die.
Our thoughts become our reality. That is so powerful. If Gayle's thoughts about Mary run along the lines that Mary is inconsiderate and selfish, it will be those thoughts that eventually will destroy the friendship. What we focus on grows. She will be like a heat-seeking missile, just waiting for the next time Mary "proves" that she is selfish and self-centered. This is called "cognitive dissonance". It means that we don't like to have thoughts that are confusing. If we have confusing or conflicting thoughts about someone or something, our brain will work to come up with a bottom line or what is "true". We like things to fit into neat packages- rather like sorting them and fitting them into files or folders. When they don't fit, it forces us to rethink how to make them fit. Maybe put them into a new, different file or folder. This is how we learn and grow.
So if Gayle basically sees Mary as a good friend, every time Mary's behavior seems to prove otherwise, it forces Gayle to re-sort which file the relationship belongs in. The friendship may end if Mary's behaviors don't change. Or Gayle may have to find a way to deal with her own thoughts, creating another folder.
It may be difficult enough to end a friendship - what if your scenario involves a boss, your husband or wife, or a close family member? Not as easy to say it will end! But not tolerable as it now stands either, especially if you've tried all the problem solving techniques available.
Difficult feelings. We all have them. We can gain tremendous control over such circumstances... There is enormous strength in being able to tolerate a difficult feeling.
One of the ways to do this is to practice what is called mindfulness. One way I think of mindfulness is that it is witnessing myself - my thoughts, my feelings... Just like sitting on a river bank and watching them go by like leaves on a stream. Not acting nor reacting, just watching. Seeing it as my own personal experience. Not he said, she said, not what someones agenda might have been. Just breathing, allowing whatever to arise, examining it, going back to breathing..... I pay attention to and honor my emotion, but I don't react to it. I see it for what it is. A passing emotion. I don't deny the truth of what I am feeling.
Two keys: staying with the breathing (a sure sign I am staying mindful vs being reactive) and staying with simply observing, watching, witnessing (vs analyzing or judging).
It takes practice to be mindful, but it brings peace, centeredness and clarity. It breaks the old patterns and feeling stuck or helpless.It resolves the emotion. It opens energy to be used productively. This is one of the ways we can gain strength and harness the power within our own mind. The results are truly amazing.
Until next time,
Blessings to you and yours,
Dr. DyAnn
Friday, September 4, 2009
Creating Happiness
As I write my blog I think of you... the people I know, those who have told me that they like hearing from me this way. It is almost as though we are sitting here together. Those thoughts and feelings inspire me as I write. I write also for those who just happen to come across my page. My wish is that by reading this blog you will receive something positive which will assist you with your life journey.
What have the last few weeks been like for you? From the people I have been connected with there is such a variety of scenarios:
Sandy has wrestled in the area of relationships and has lots of people giving her advice, pulling her this way and that. I talked with her about listening to her own inner voice. Who is right/wrong and is she walking into a trap? Julie (all names have been changed for privacy) just shared with me that her summer has been a struggle to regain balance of her brain chemistry... after a doctor gave her medication that pretty much had her, as she said, "talking out of her head"!! Peter and his wife came to the agonizing decision to draw a line in the sand with an emotionally abusive family member. We discussed the backlash that will come from that and the losses Peter and his wife will likely sustain. Is it worth it? Randy was just told that he will no longer be employed come the end of October - we're talking about what he needs in order to stay "clean and sober".
Everyone has a story. Life has its ups and downs and some of the stuff of life can be pretty severe. We all have things we are trying to figure out and deal with. Once we figure the lessons out, we make our life a lot easier. We can breathe easy.
A big lesson is about releasing. When we release those things that make us sad or angry or guilty, we truly do free ourselves.
That lesson is so powerful. But it can be sooooo difficult to grasp!
Our feelings/emotions are pivotal to our well being. I think everyone pretty much knows that when we feel happy our brains release chemicals that help our body to heal and operate in the way it was intended.
On the flip side, when we feel a strong negative emotion (and fail to release it), different, equally powerful chemicals are released and there is a negative impact on our body.....and our life.
An example would be if I persist in being angry about something that has happened and then find myself suffering from a headache. I might think : " Oh great, now on top of all this stuff that is happening, which really pisses me off, I have a dang headache!" But that is not how it works! ( Thankfully!) The headache is NOT an additional negative on my pile of stuff that is happening to me. Rather, it is something that I have created!
That is how the Law of Attraction (and our mind/body) works. If I put anger (or any other emotion) out into the world, I attract more of the same back to me. If I choose to be angry because of this, that or another thing, I will pull more negativity and things that "make" me angry into my life. It can become a vicious cycle.
This is also about how the subconscious mind works. The judgments I make about the events in my life, and how I feel about them are pivotal. Vital. Remember the subconscious is the power house. But it has no ability to judge what I put into it. It will support what I think and tell it no matter what!
I think everyone wants to be happy. But if I tell myself "I will never be happy" (because of someone or something in my life), for example, my subconscious believes and carries out this "order". The subconscious is the creative part of our being. It doesn't so much hear what we want ( I want to be happy) as what we feel and believe. Thus when we let go of negative emotional reactions, thoughts and beliefs, we are free to create the life we truly desire.
This is one of the greatest and most empowering truths about life.
Namaste
Until next time,
Dr. DyAnn
What have the last few weeks been like for you? From the people I have been connected with there is such a variety of scenarios:
Sandy has wrestled in the area of relationships and has lots of people giving her advice, pulling her this way and that. I talked with her about listening to her own inner voice. Who is right/wrong and is she walking into a trap? Julie (all names have been changed for privacy) just shared with me that her summer has been a struggle to regain balance of her brain chemistry... after a doctor gave her medication that pretty much had her, as she said, "talking out of her head"!! Peter and his wife came to the agonizing decision to draw a line in the sand with an emotionally abusive family member. We discussed the backlash that will come from that and the losses Peter and his wife will likely sustain. Is it worth it? Randy was just told that he will no longer be employed come the end of October - we're talking about what he needs in order to stay "clean and sober".
Everyone has a story. Life has its ups and downs and some of the stuff of life can be pretty severe. We all have things we are trying to figure out and deal with. Once we figure the lessons out, we make our life a lot easier. We can breathe easy.
A big lesson is about releasing. When we release those things that make us sad or angry or guilty, we truly do free ourselves.
That lesson is so powerful. But it can be sooooo difficult to grasp!
Our feelings/emotions are pivotal to our well being. I think everyone pretty much knows that when we feel happy our brains release chemicals that help our body to heal and operate in the way it was intended.
On the flip side, when we feel a strong negative emotion (and fail to release it), different, equally powerful chemicals are released and there is a negative impact on our body.....and our life.
An example would be if I persist in being angry about something that has happened and then find myself suffering from a headache. I might think : " Oh great, now on top of all this stuff that is happening, which really pisses me off, I have a dang headache!" But that is not how it works! ( Thankfully!) The headache is NOT an additional negative on my pile of stuff that is happening to me. Rather, it is something that I have created!
That is how the Law of Attraction (and our mind/body) works. If I put anger (or any other emotion) out into the world, I attract more of the same back to me. If I choose to be angry because of this, that or another thing, I will pull more negativity and things that "make" me angry into my life. It can become a vicious cycle.
This is also about how the subconscious mind works. The judgments I make about the events in my life, and how I feel about them are pivotal. Vital. Remember the subconscious is the power house. But it has no ability to judge what I put into it. It will support what I think and tell it no matter what!
I think everyone wants to be happy. But if I tell myself "I will never be happy" (because of someone or something in my life), for example, my subconscious believes and carries out this "order". The subconscious is the creative part of our being. It doesn't so much hear what we want ( I want to be happy) as what we feel and believe. Thus when we let go of negative emotional reactions, thoughts and beliefs, we are free to create the life we truly desire.
This is one of the greatest and most empowering truths about life.
Namaste
Until next time,
Dr. DyAnn
Friday, August 14, 2009
That Voice!
I feel a little sheepish about this but I have an embarrassing confession to make. It is a perfect example of how we can get off track and unwittingly create havoc in our own life. I had one of those days recently when nothing went right. You know, we've all had them. It seemed to be the culmination of a week with a number of things not going the way I wanted them to go.
When something occurs that we get off track and don't correct it, it seems just as night follows day, that we don't live our life in a genuine way. We are not being being true to our self. Our life journey. Not only do we suffer, but those in the wake of our energy (who aren't wise in handling this) also might suffer.
So how do we know we are getting "off track"? And what can we do? Those are such pivotal life questions. We can get off track for a moment, a day or sadly, even a lifetime.
We are meant to be happy and live a fulfilling life. Part of the key for doing that is to live "authentically" or in other words, living in a way that is true to our self and what makes our heart feel good. When we don't do that, and become enslaved to doing what we think we should do, we suffer. Our soul becomes wounded. We lose our way. We lose track of who we truly are and all the richness we have to contribute.
That was where I got off track, and I did not even realize it was happening. There is something insidious about how this can happen.
And so earlier that morning I had what I call a "mini meltdown." I am usually a calm and serene person, I study and live the laws of the Universe ~ since I have been doing that my life has been much easier. But like I said, I got off track. How it played out is that I have been working on a couple big projects (with due dates) and they require the use of my printer. Yep, you guessed it. I couldn't get it to work. A number of other things had been occurring that week that seemed to be contributing to making my journey difficult. I wasn't getting the hint that I was going off track for what my life is meant to be. I was going my own way, doing the shoulds even though they were getting more and more difficult.
The whole problem could have been stopped a lot sooner except that I was forgetting to trust that inner voice.... The one that said to put away the CD for installing the printer in case I ever needed it again . The one that said to play more. The one that said to get up and walk outside instead of pushing so hard at my desk. You know That Voice!
We all have one you know. Among other things it is called intuition. It also registers in our bodies at a cellular level. And our emotions are a powerful indicator of whether we are on track and living life authentically.Listening to our God given inner wisdom that knows what we need in order to have a happy and fulfilling day.Was it Shakespeare that said to thine own self be true...? Poets and great writers are another help along the way to assist us with our listening to that wisdom. Their words speak to our hearts. It all keeps us on track.
My meltdown occurred when the printer would not work no matter what wizardry means I used (OK I called a neighbor who is the true wizard). WHAM! I became so upset and frustrated that I flung a file across the room...well and I also slammed the printer against the wall. Damn thing getting in the way of my deadlines! In abject emotional pain I wondered why things were happening as they were!
Not exactly a wonderful example of how to live life....but a very human one. This true example that I share contains within it a simple and yet profound truth. I was the one who made myself miserable. I was the one who caused my own meltdown. And that is true for all of us no matter what the circumstances. It isn't your boss, your rough childhood, your illness. your relationship, or the many little details in life that cause our misery. It is what goes on in that magnificent place of true and absolute power - Our Mind!
Fortunately I know some ways to bring myself back into balance. I have shared them in this blog column. And my confession is that I failed to use them and created my own little downfall. My mini meltdown. I did not like the experience - but what a wonderful thing it turned out to be....
The printer still isn't working, one project still isn't done, a few other things have occurred in a way that I would not have chosen, but the awesome truth is that "I got it!" The experiences taught me that I had to use my mind to have a good attitude and not feel sorry for myself. The instant- and I mean INSTANT I recognized this, everything changed. I once again became calm and serene. I remembered in a deep and profound way that for all of us, we are guided, protected and loved. And a key way in which that is done is within our Mind.
Until next time ~ may you use well the magnificent mind to stay on track. It will obey whatever you tell it and create what you are thinking - good attitude or bad - in your outer world.
May the world you create be wonderful!
Dr. DyAnn
When something occurs that we get off track and don't correct it, it seems just as night follows day, that we don't live our life in a genuine way. We are not being being true to our self. Our life journey. Not only do we suffer, but those in the wake of our energy (who aren't wise in handling this) also might suffer.
So how do we know we are getting "off track"? And what can we do? Those are such pivotal life questions. We can get off track for a moment, a day or sadly, even a lifetime.
We are meant to be happy and live a fulfilling life. Part of the key for doing that is to live "authentically" or in other words, living in a way that is true to our self and what makes our heart feel good. When we don't do that, and become enslaved to doing what we think we should do, we suffer. Our soul becomes wounded. We lose our way. We lose track of who we truly are and all the richness we have to contribute.
That was where I got off track, and I did not even realize it was happening. There is something insidious about how this can happen.
And so earlier that morning I had what I call a "mini meltdown." I am usually a calm and serene person, I study and live the laws of the Universe ~ since I have been doing that my life has been much easier. But like I said, I got off track. How it played out is that I have been working on a couple big projects (with due dates) and they require the use of my printer. Yep, you guessed it. I couldn't get it to work. A number of other things had been occurring that week that seemed to be contributing to making my journey difficult. I wasn't getting the hint that I was going off track for what my life is meant to be. I was going my own way, doing the shoulds even though they were getting more and more difficult.
The whole problem could have been stopped a lot sooner except that I was forgetting to trust that inner voice.... The one that said to put away the CD for installing the printer in case I ever needed it again . The one that said to play more. The one that said to get up and walk outside instead of pushing so hard at my desk. You know That Voice!
We all have one you know. Among other things it is called intuition. It also registers in our bodies at a cellular level. And our emotions are a powerful indicator of whether we are on track and living life authentically.Listening to our God given inner wisdom that knows what we need in order to have a happy and fulfilling day.Was it Shakespeare that said to thine own self be true...? Poets and great writers are another help along the way to assist us with our listening to that wisdom. Their words speak to our hearts. It all keeps us on track.
My meltdown occurred when the printer would not work no matter what wizardry means I used (OK I called a neighbor who is the true wizard). WHAM! I became so upset and frustrated that I flung a file across the room...well and I also slammed the printer against the wall. Damn thing getting in the way of my deadlines! In abject emotional pain I wondered why things were happening as they were!
Not exactly a wonderful example of how to live life....but a very human one. This true example that I share contains within it a simple and yet profound truth. I was the one who made myself miserable. I was the one who caused my own meltdown. And that is true for all of us no matter what the circumstances. It isn't your boss, your rough childhood, your illness. your relationship, or the many little details in life that cause our misery. It is what goes on in that magnificent place of true and absolute power - Our Mind!
Fortunately I know some ways to bring myself back into balance. I have shared them in this blog column. And my confession is that I failed to use them and created my own little downfall. My mini meltdown. I did not like the experience - but what a wonderful thing it turned out to be....
The printer still isn't working, one project still isn't done, a few other things have occurred in a way that I would not have chosen, but the awesome truth is that "I got it!" The experiences taught me that I had to use my mind to have a good attitude and not feel sorry for myself. The instant- and I mean INSTANT I recognized this, everything changed. I once again became calm and serene. I remembered in a deep and profound way that for all of us, we are guided, protected and loved. And a key way in which that is done is within our Mind.
Until next time ~ may you use well the magnificent mind to stay on track. It will obey whatever you tell it and create what you are thinking - good attitude or bad - in your outer world.
May the world you create be wonderful!
Dr. DyAnn
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
"Watch Your Attitude"
"Watch your attitude!" Ever have your parent or teacher say that to you? It tends to have a negative and even shaming connotation to it. Especially when it is accompanied by the body language of someone shaking their finger at you. But in truth it is good advice. Today I will share with you an expanded and healing version of what "attitude" means and how you can use it to make your life sweeter and better.
Because I am in a healing profession I end up hearing a lot of personal stories about the pain people are in. In addition there is the type of pain a whole community or group of people may be in. A town with a mill closing down, a small community where a home town hero was killed in the line of duty. A dear school crossing guard that everyone knows, and then you open the newspaper and read that they have passed away. Everyone of us touches and is touched by the people in our life, no matter how (mistakenly) insignificant we may think that relationship is. In our busyness it just may not register on the surface.
In the end all of us have challenges in life. Sometimes we do well in handling them and other times we may find our self stretched to the max. We may be riding high and then BOOM something unexpected happens. This happens all the time and you never know when it might be your "turn".
What makes the difference between those who languish and those who are able to get past it and make their life even better? One of the keys is "attitude" ~ that very piece you may have been threatened with when you were a youngster. But now let me share with you a better, more helpful way of understanding attitude.
Think of getting dressed each morning. You want things that match...no stripes with plaids. It all has to flow or go together. Our mind operates the same way. It has a flow to it. It has several components. How we THINK, which goes with how we FEEL which goes with how we BEHAVE which goes with what we BELIEVE which goes with how we THINK etc. Just like getting dressed, it doesn't matter where you start, it all has a flow.
"Attitude" enters in under the piece of how we THINK. And it ends up being so closely related to how and what we believe. You see, the subconscious mind BELIEVES what we tell it. And we are giving it messages constantly! (Among other things it is called "self talk". ) I think the reason why it is so easy to dismiss this information is that it seems too simple to have any real power.
We could even take that last paragraph as run it thru the THINK, FEEL, BEHAVE, BELIEVE cycle. So if I think my self talk is not that important, I might feel disregarding of my own words, which might lead to allowing my behavior to be careless as to my own thoughts, allowing my thoughts to be all over the map and not controlled by me, which feeds into the belief that I don't have control over my mind and therefore my life. This one thought can spread out and like one drop of poison in a gallon of water ~ it can be lethal. What if the thought is "I am not smart enough" or "I am never going to get this" or "my entire life sucks"....
Research has proved time and again in so many interesting experiments that what we think about (including attitude) feeds into what actually occurs in our life. Said even more profoundly our thoughts create. It is so real it is almost kind of scary.. unless of course you choose to use the information.
A commonly quoted experiment is one in which volunteers know only that they agree to being part of an experiment and are given very basic information. There may even be a false "study" to throw them off and have them believe that that was the experiment. No longer on guard, the real experiment begins to take place: it is kind of like being "punked". Several people who are in on it take turns influencing the subject. One may remark that he or she looks a little pale, one may talk about the flu going around (when it isn't) while another may even tell the subject that his or her hand feels clammy. I am pretty sure you can guess the result. If the experiment is set up correctly, most people will be convinced to believe that they are not feeling well.
Now how we are influenced on the outside by advertisers, politicians, and even our family, friends and co-workers is one thing. But where we have undeniable POWER is how we influence our own self.
So if you want to apply this information to make your life better, here is how. Take any problem, concern or even goal, hope or dream you are presently dealing with. What is the thinking/self talk/attitude that you are feeding to your mind about it? Correct any negative thinking, because you cannot afford to have that going on in your mind. The bottom line is that our vast and wonderful subconscious mind is awesome and powerful.. BUT it does NOT judge the information that comes in. What YOU tell it, it believes! And that is one of the simplest, best kept secrets to making your life sweeter, better and what you want it to be.
So yes do "WATCH" your attitude and make it one that works for you rather than against you.
Until next time,
Dr. DyAnn
Because I am in a healing profession I end up hearing a lot of personal stories about the pain people are in. In addition there is the type of pain a whole community or group of people may be in. A town with a mill closing down, a small community where a home town hero was killed in the line of duty. A dear school crossing guard that everyone knows, and then you open the newspaper and read that they have passed away. Everyone of us touches and is touched by the people in our life, no matter how (mistakenly) insignificant we may think that relationship is. In our busyness it just may not register on the surface.
In the end all of us have challenges in life. Sometimes we do well in handling them and other times we may find our self stretched to the max. We may be riding high and then BOOM something unexpected happens. This happens all the time and you never know when it might be your "turn".
What makes the difference between those who languish and those who are able to get past it and make their life even better? One of the keys is "attitude" ~ that very piece you may have been threatened with when you were a youngster. But now let me share with you a better, more helpful way of understanding attitude.
Think of getting dressed each morning. You want things that match...no stripes with plaids. It all has to flow or go together. Our mind operates the same way. It has a flow to it. It has several components. How we THINK, which goes with how we FEEL which goes with how we BEHAVE which goes with what we BELIEVE which goes with how we THINK etc. Just like getting dressed, it doesn't matter where you start, it all has a flow.
"Attitude" enters in under the piece of how we THINK. And it ends up being so closely related to how and what we believe. You see, the subconscious mind BELIEVES what we tell it. And we are giving it messages constantly! (Among other things it is called "self talk". ) I think the reason why it is so easy to dismiss this information is that it seems too simple to have any real power.
We could even take that last paragraph as run it thru the THINK, FEEL, BEHAVE, BELIEVE cycle. So if I think my self talk is not that important, I might feel disregarding of my own words, which might lead to allowing my behavior to be careless as to my own thoughts, allowing my thoughts to be all over the map and not controlled by me, which feeds into the belief that I don't have control over my mind and therefore my life. This one thought can spread out and like one drop of poison in a gallon of water ~ it can be lethal. What if the thought is "I am not smart enough" or "I am never going to get this" or "my entire life sucks"....
Research has proved time and again in so many interesting experiments that what we think about (including attitude) feeds into what actually occurs in our life. Said even more profoundly our thoughts create. It is so real it is almost kind of scary.. unless of course you choose to use the information.
A commonly quoted experiment is one in which volunteers know only that they agree to being part of an experiment and are given very basic information. There may even be a false "study" to throw them off and have them believe that that was the experiment. No longer on guard, the real experiment begins to take place: it is kind of like being "punked". Several people who are in on it take turns influencing the subject. One may remark that he or she looks a little pale, one may talk about the flu going around (when it isn't) while another may even tell the subject that his or her hand feels clammy. I am pretty sure you can guess the result. If the experiment is set up correctly, most people will be convinced to believe that they are not feeling well.
Now how we are influenced on the outside by advertisers, politicians, and even our family, friends and co-workers is one thing. But where we have undeniable POWER is how we influence our own self.
So if you want to apply this information to make your life better, here is how. Take any problem, concern or even goal, hope or dream you are presently dealing with. What is the thinking/self talk/attitude that you are feeding to your mind about it? Correct any negative thinking, because you cannot afford to have that going on in your mind. The bottom line is that our vast and wonderful subconscious mind is awesome and powerful.. BUT it does NOT judge the information that comes in. What YOU tell it, it believes! And that is one of the simplest, best kept secrets to making your life sweeter, better and what you want it to be.
So yes do "WATCH" your attitude and make it one that works for you rather than against you.
Until next time,
Dr. DyAnn
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