Articles Archives ~ Page 41 of 51 ~ Clare Josa

Five Danger Signs That It’s Time For A TV Diet?

After sleeping, most people spend the largest block of their day “relaxing” in front of a television set.

We’re already feeling overloaded and stressed out and we convince ourselves that an evening of television will help.

Is television making you miserable?

Here are 5 television myths – all danger signs that warn you might benefit from a TV diet.

Myth #1: “TV is harmless”

These days only the bad news seems to get reported – usually with plenty of hype. Then we’ve got the overload of crime dramas, full of gory details that are intended to shock and scare. Add to that the general level of negativity in many soap operas and it’s easy to feel wound up after an evening of TV watching.

Why on earth would we choose to spend hours a day doing something that leaves us feeling miserable, tense, stressed and even angry?

Myth #2: “But TV helps me relax”

Slumping in front of the TV is about “zoning out”, zombie-like, not relaxing.

Research has shown that watching television can cause our metabolic rate to drop even lower than if we were just resting, which has implications for long-term health and weight problems.

When I was studying to become a meditation teacher, we were regularly taught what relaxation really means. It’s about relaxing the body and mind, whilst staying alert. And it’s a process that takes effort and concentration.

How many times have you tried to talk to someone who is transfixed by a programme, only to realise they are completely unaware of you. That’s not relaxation, that’s being in a trance-like state.

Doing a deep relaxation helps you relax in just 10 minutes much more than a whole evening of TV.

Myth #3: “I Wouldn’t Know What Else To Do With The Evening”

Life without TV is so boring, isn't it? — Life without TV is so boring, isn’t it?

We are all so used to sitting in front of the TV that the thought of doing something different can send us into a state of panic.

So, instead, think about the things you love doing – the kind of stuff that feeds your soul.

When they can’t watch TV, people say they love singing, dancing, reading, walks in nature, massages, cooking, eating with friends and family, gardening, exercising, playing with their kids, talking with their partner and the list goes on.

But if we’re spending our evenings in front of the television, that leaves so much less time for the things that really bring us pleasure and recharge our batteries.

So putting yourself on a TV diet could be a great way of clearing the back-log on your “to do” list and creating space for the things you enjoy most, leaving you less stressed and more energised.

Myth #4: “But won’t I get out of touch?”

If you want to know what’s going on in the news, set aside time every few days to catch the headlines on a reputable online news service. If the news affects you, it’s worth avoiding the radio news too. By reading it online, you can pick and choose which articles you read and aren’t bombarded with as much negativity.

As for other programmes, it’s up to you. If you know they’re getting you down, you’ll have to make a choice between feeling down, but knowing what was going on in them, or feeling happy and not being involved.

Myth #5: “I can’t give it up”

How about keeping a log – for a week – of the programmes you watch and how your mood is afterwards? Do you feel happy, cheerful, relaxed, irritated, frustrated, bored, angry? Do you even remember what the programme was about?

Then avoid things that make you feel bad.

If you really feel you can’t give up TV, even just for a few weeks, then make sure you become a conscious consumer. Just as we watch what goes into our food, so we need to be aware of the other things we consume – what we read, watch and listen to.

The Effects Of A TV Diet

You’ll feel happier, because you’re not taking in as much unfiltered negativity.
You’ll have more energy, because you’ll be more active.
You’ll feel less stressed, because you’ll be getting more done and your “to do” list will feel manageable.
You’ll enjoy life more, because you’ll be deliberately spending time doing things you love doing.
Your relationships will improve, because you’ll be spending time together communicating, rather than just slumped in front of the TV.

Only you can decide how much of a role you want television to play in your life. My invitation to you is to become a conscious consumer, choosing what to watch, and enjoying life to the full in every moment that the TV is turned off. A great recipe for happiness.

I’m curious: what are your views on all this? Any insights? Any questions? How about sharing via the comments box, below?

Wishing you sunshine and laughter, today and always,
Clare

P.S. Looking for something to do with your new-found TV-free time? How about joining in with our private online community: Soul-Sized Living? It’s free and it might just change your life 🙂

But Meditation Is Sooo Boring, Isn’t It?

Inspirational Messages

Yes, meditation can be really, really boring. I’m with you on that one! But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Here’s a whistle-stop tour of ten top reasons why people find meditation boring and what you can do about it.

I can’t sit still for that long! It makes my legs hurt and my back ache.
We live in a society where being busy and multi-tasking are badges of honour that we wear with pride. The idea of sitting still and “doing nothing” is a shocker!
Enjoying meditation is about acceptance – accepting your surroundings, accepting your body and accepting your mind.
Being still is ok. If it hurts, then it’s worth getting advice on your posture. We’ll be covering this one in much more detail over the next few months!
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My mind races even more when I’m quiet.
Only this morning a student reminded me of this one. And it’s true. When we stop “doing” stuff we instantly become more aware of our mind, so it feels like it is racing more than usual.
Again, the trick with this one is acceptance. It’s ok. Just let it get on with chattering away and don’t try to fight it or ignore it. It will eventually get the idea and calm down. Then you can start teaching it how to focus! 😉
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I haven’t got time to meditate.
It’s true. Our lives are already full and we don’t have time to meditate.
Or do we?
It’s funny how, for example, if we fall in love, we suddenly find all these evenings and weekends to spend with that wonderful new person. We watch less TV, we use our time more purposefully.
Is it really too much for our mind, body and soul to ask for 10-20 minutes of our time?
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I’ve got better things to do than sit around and think of nothing.
Yes!
“Thinking of nothing” – one of those oxymoron thingies! :0
Meditation isn’t about switching off our thoughts. It’s about getting into the present moment, rather than being victim to the well-rehearsed mental scripts we normally play out on auto-pilot. It’s about setting yourself free. Still got better things to do?
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Even navel-gazing gets boring, in the end.
Navel-gazing – yes, that would get very boring, after a short while. Luckily the intention behind the life choices surrounding meditation isn’t about random navel-gazing, but about focused observation of your own habits and behaviours, with a view to becoming the witness, choosing how to respond, rather than being at the mercy of uncontrollable emotions and stress!
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I did it for a while, but then I quit.
Sometimes it just isn’t our time to learn to reconnect with who we really are. But that’s rarely the case. Usually giving up on meditation means you weren’t getting what you were hoping for. Then it’s time to find yourself a decent teacher or class, to help keep you motivated and guide you on your journey. Even if you know where you want to go, it can still be useful to ask for directions.
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It didn’t do anything for me – I just sat there, getting bored.
I hear this one so often.
The fact is that learning to meditate is like any other skill: you need to learn the techniques and then practice them. If a technique isn’t working for you, ask your teacher for help. Or try a different book. There are so many ways of meditating that it should be easy and fresh, not stale and boring.
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I found it really hard to concentrate, so I gave up.
Meditation isn’t about sitting still and emptying your mind. It’s about learning how to quieten the body and then the mind, so you can begin to train your mind to focus. Only then will you be able to concentrate.
So rather than giving ourselves a hard time and giving up, you might want to join a practice group or meditate with a CD / MP3 to guide you, to help you learn to focus and concentrate.
It’s also worth checking out whether you’re too tired to meditate!
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Meditation isn’t for me – I don’t believe in all that stuff.
A friend of mine was told that her meditation class advert couldn’t go in the village (Church) magazine because it “wasn’t appropriate”. Many people are scared that they have to change their beliefs or go against their religion, in order to meditate.
Whilst it is true that many meditation paths have belief systems to help students on their journey, it isn’t necessary to subscribe to any particular dogma, in order to meditate.
Meditating is about reconnecting with who you really are – your Source – your Divine Aspect, in whatever way works for you. Surely that’s a good thing?
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Meditation is really difficult.
This one is a common misconception. Somehow meditating involves getting in the lotus position – also known as turning your legs into a pretzel – and chanting or sitting still for days on end!
Luckily the truth is that you can meditate any time, any place, whatever you’re doing. Yes, it helps to sit still in a certain way, when you’re learning. But true meditation is about being alive in the present moment, in full awareness. That just takes practice!
Most of us try too hard to meditate. Once you’ve got the techniques under your belt, your practice should become as effortless as possible – you just need dedication.

I will be covering each of these problems in more detail over the next few weeks, so if you want to make sure you’re getting the low-down on how to make meditation work for you, make sure you’re signed up to our Beyond Alchemy blog feed.

Meditation & Mindfulness Workshops & Classes

If you know anyone who might like to give meditation a try, how about telling them about our meditation & mindfulness workshops and weekly classes near Forest Row, East Grinstead, East Sussex (UK)? www.MeditationForestRow.com

Beyond Alchemy Mediatation Club

Join the 28 Day Meditation Challenge — Want to join in with the 28 Day Meditation Challenge?

If you live too far away to make it to the course, you could sign up for the 28 Day Mediation Challenge – it’s a 4 week online course that takes you through the fundamentals of how to meditate, as well as helping you with an inspired blend of modern psychology, so you can easily create that new meditation habit.

www.28DayMeditationChallenge.com

Law Of Attraction Not Working For You? Here Are The Answers?

Inspirational Messages

If you have found that the Law Of Attraction / Manifesting hasn’t been producing the results you were hoping for, in “Consciousness – The New Currency” Brandon and Kevin not only explain why; they take you step by step through processes to help you clear out the blocks you didn’t even know you had. Sound interesting, perhaps? That’s why it’s our November Book Of The Month.

“Consciousness – The New Currency” has the potential to change your life – if you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and follow its suggestions.

Brandon and Kevin make it clear that the world needs a massive shift in consciousness – and the time is now. And that shift has to come from each of us personally taking resposibility for clearing out our blocks and opening up to consciousness and Grace (God / The Universe / Collective Consciousness), to lead lives that spread love, not fear; becoming who we really are.

(If those words turn you off, then this might not be the book for you!)

It’s not an easy option.

It requires you to choose to be ready to let go of excuses and beliefs that have been holding you back for years. Yet the process to release them is deeply effective and healing.

In this book, which follows on from Brandon’s best-selling books The Journey and Freedom is…, Brandon teams up with her partner Kevin, and they help you go a level deeper.

It builds on previous “Journey Work” (or “process work”, as it’s called in the book). Journey Work is about going deeply into the emotions we experience, that tell us we have hit a block in life, so we can release the block. A block is something – an experience, vow or belief – from the past that we’re usually not consciously aware of, which sabotages our best efforts to be who we really are and achieve our dreams.

Most of us try to make changes using will power or positive affirmations – or other positive thinking techniques. Yet these often don’t produce the results we wanted.

Why?

Because they set up a conflict between the conscious, thinking mind and the unconscious mind (which actually runs the show).

For example, the conscious mind’s positive affirmation says “I’m going to get that great job”, whilst the unconscious mind firmly believes that “I’m too stupid / I don’t deserve it / I’m not attractive enough.”

This is why so many of us create what we want but, at some point, sabotage it. Brandon and Kevin help the reader identify these unconscious blocks and show you, step by step, how to release them. (Aside: Bruce Lipton explains the biology behind this conscious / unconscious conflict really well in The Biology of Belief).

In “Consciousness – The New Currency” Brandon and Kevin bring us, for the first time, the processes used in their hugely powerful Manifest Abundance retreats. It’s transformational and only for those who are ready to undergo healing at a deep level, in order to liberate themselves from every limiting pattern / unconscious block that has held them back.

Throughout this book, Brandon and Kevin share their personal stories – warts and all – to help the reader understand what is really on offer to those who break free of their limitations. Between them, they share experiences that cover pretty much every block and emotion you could imagine. It’s an incredibly human book and is written with love and compassion.

If you’ve not yet come across Brandon and Kevin, though, it may challenge many of your assumptions about life. For them, concepts such as handing your life over to Grace (God / The Universe / Higher Spirit) and only living your Truth are at the core of their Being. This may be challenging for some.

Also, there is an assumption that the reader is at least vaguely familiar with the Law Of Attraction / Manifesting. If a reader is still at a point where they feel that life “happens to them” and other people can “make them angry”, then they may find this book brings up some resistance!

Is this book for you?

If you’ve read The Secret or similar books and want to understand why the techniques they teach can produce hit and miss results, then this book could clear things up for you. It explains why positive thinking isn’t enough and helps you go deeper into setting yourself free from every limitation you’ve ever picked up.
If you’re already a fan of Brandon Bays, then you’ll enjoy this. She really builds on her previous work and it’s lovely to have Kevin’s input into this book, too.
If you’re really new to all this, you might prefer to read The Journey first, although “Consciousness” is still a great place to start.

If you do choose to read “Consciousness – The New Currency”, then I hope you find it inspiring and that it helps you liberate your true potential, transforming your life.

Welcome to the ride!

Back In A Jiffy?

Inspirational Messages

Are you, like me, one of those who believes (or used to believe) that life is about effort, trying your best and getting results? Find out why I thought I’d be ‘back in a jiffy’ but ended up spending 3 weeks in bed!

Do you ever get the sense that ‘life’ knows better?

Does it ever take you weeks to take the hint, though?

That’s what has been happening to me in the last month.

About 5 weeks ago, I got a sense that I needed to “allow” myself to be ill, to clear something.

As a part-time writer and coach and a full-time mum to two children under 5, the thought of letting myself “take time off” to be ill seemed ridiculous.

But, 3 weeks ago, it happened.

My body literally took me to bed. We’re not talking about cosy covers, hot cups of tea and catching up on good books. We’re talking fevers, flu (proper flu, not man flu!), chest infection and sinusitis! We’re talking dark room, groaning and feeling awful!

To top things off, we had builders in for the first week, fixing the wobbly chimneys, so the house was full of banging and the main rooms were taped off like a crime scene, to reduce soot staining. The following week, different builders were working to replace the entire leaking water main – more banging, crashing, digging and no water for stretches at a time.

It really wasn’t a great time to be ill.

But that’s when my body picked.

Why?

Because I needed a break – I had been working too hard – and it needed to pick up a bug to clear out some stuff.

Rather than doing it over the summer, when the weather was lovely and there were plenty of people with free time to support, I kept putting it off until I could do so no longer!

It caused chaos for my wonderful family, who rallied round to look after the kids, sometimes driving over 100 miles a day to help out. By the time this is done I’ll have taken an entire month off work – very much enforced!

So what have I learned from all this?

That it’s critical to pay attention to the warning signs, before life sweeps you off your feet.

If you think you’re feeling rough and have been working too hard, then it is time to stop!

Back in a jiffy?

You might think you can’t take an afternoon off – or even just a couple of hours… But if you don’t nurture yourself, no one else will.

And surely it’s better to be “back in a jiffy” than “see you next month”?

Is there a reason why you’re reading this today?

Is it time to give yourself a break?

If you want to create magic in your life, you have to look after yourself, first.

With love,

Clare x

Why Are We So Scared Of Changing?

How To Change Your Life

Have you ever wondered why so many of us go along putting up with things we don’t like about our life, but doing nothing about it?

You see it all the time.

“I hate my job,” says a friend, “but there’s nothing else out there.”

“I don’t really like this house, but I can’t afford to move.”

“My girlfriend and I aren’t really that happy any more, but I don’t want to break up with her.”

It seems to be an accepted fact that change is bad. Scary. Not to be done. We build change up into such a big thing that we become paralysed in its wake.

We build up watertight excuses and beliefs around that change, to stop us from having to take any action. We pretend the change is a huge mountain that we couldn’t possibly climb, so we turn our back on it.

So we go on, day becoming week becoming month and then year, putting up with things that make us feel miserable, forgetting what it felt like to have our heart sing, because that might require change.

But then there comes a day when something snaps and the scales tip. We realise we have to do something. We can’t leave things as they are. And we take steps to make that change.

When working with clients, it’s easy to spot those who are ready to change – and do – and those who aren’t yet ready – so won’t. And nowadays I can finally see it in myself, too. 😉 And no one can force you to be ready to change.

Change can’t happen until the pain of changing becomes less than the pain of staying the same.

Or, as Anasis Nin beautifullly puts it:

And the day came when the risk to remain a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. ~ Anasis Nin

We build the fear of change into something of such great proportions that we numb out the pain of staying the same. We use all sorts of creative excuses and behaviours to pretend we don’t mind. We eat too much, drink too much, smoke, go out too much, get angry, drive too fast, exercise too much, even meditate too much – all trying to block out the pain of our reality, because we’re so scared of changing.

What Can We Do?

The first step towards being able to change is to understand what – specifically – we are scared of.
Writing down a list can help stop our inner critic from creating even more drama.
Then, for each item on your list, be really objective – is it “real” – or is it just the projection of a scared Ego-mind?
Usually we find that very little of it is real.
Once you have got your fears back under control, you can start looking at the excuses you’re using to avoid having to change.
They’re usually deeply-held beliefs that we picked up years ago, that protect us from ever having to get out of our comfort zone… Wayne Dyer has a great audio CD on how to let go of excuses that have been holding us back (a recording of a 2 day workshop), if you fancy some support on that one. Have to admit I’m still listening to this set in the car and finding it inspiring.
Then, it’s about deciding whether you really want the change. And, if you do, breaking it down into baby steps.
The Dalai Lama reminds us that if you stand really close to any problem in life, you can successfully make it look enormous. But if you step back and get things into perspective, it always looks smaller and more manageable.

Being scared of making a change is just our unconscious mind’s way of telling us the change is important to us, but outside of our comfort zone.

And yet nothing always stays the same. Change is an essential part of living and growing. Without it, we would stagnate. It’s being attached to the present and worrying about the future that makes it scary. And, deep down, we know we have a choice about both of those, don’t we?

What is there in your life, today, that you might be ready to change? And how could you take that first step? I’d love to hear your thoughts via the comments box.

Thank you!

Clare

Do You Need To De-Stress?

Inspirational Messages

Are you stressed out? Running around, doing too much, finding it hard to switch off?

If you’re finding it tough to relax but secretly know your body – and mind – are craving a refresh, you might like to try doing a deep relaxation.

“Just relax!” Easy to say. But how do you do it?

If your mind is racing, it can be really hard to relax and that’s why many people find it easier to work with a guided relaxation on CD or audio, so that someone else talks you through the relaxation process.

Did you know…?

Did you know that deep relaxation is best achieved by going through the body in a certain order and then working with the mind? There are specialist techniques you can use to achieve a relaxed, calm and de-stressed state quickly and easily.

Want An Expert To Guide You Through The Process?

Due to popular demand, we have now recorded one of our deep relaxations as an MP3 file for you to download. You can listen to it on your computer, your MP3 player or burn it to a CD and relax, whenever you want to.

It takes you, step by step, through a physical relaxation process, then a mind relaxation process, to help you get to a place of inner calm- no matter how stressed you are currently feeling.

In just 20 minutes, it will leave you feeling more relaxed, peaceful, less stressed and more energised.

You can listen to it at any point during the day – or last thing at night, before falling asleep. Just make sure you NEVER listen to it whilst driving or doing any other, obvious, activity during which being deeply relaxed might be a bad idea… Sorry – we have to mention that disclaimer!

Fact: doing a deep relaxation before going to sleep will improve the quality of your sleep and reduce stress-related night-waking.

Fact: doing a regular deep relaxation can improve your health.

Fact: doing a daily deep relaxation will increase your energy levels, leaving you feeling more vital and alert.

The deep relaxation is led by Clare Josa, who is a formally trained meditation teacher, who is also an expert in using NLP-based specialist language techniques to help you relax easily and deeply at an unconscious level.

We chose NOT to use the “traditional” new age, tinkly background music on this track, because many people find it off-putting. So what you’re getting is pure, deep relaxation.

If you would like to give it a go, you can download this Deep Relaxtion MP3 now, as our gift (it’s usually £6.99).

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