10 Reasons Why Meditation Is Essential, If You Want To Run A Successful Business

Introverted Entrepreneurs' Club

So you’re an entrpreneur or a busy business manager and you keep hearing about what a good idea meditation is, but you’re telling yourself that you don’t have time to meditate – or that it’s just for hippies – or that you’ll do it when you retire…

I know how that feels – I’ve been there.

But I’m curious: is there a single entrpreneur or business manager who wouldn’t like:

to feel less stressed?
to think more clearly and be able to concentrate better?
to worry less?
to sleep better and feel less tired?
to feel calmer and happier?
to have flashes of brilliant inspiration?
to have life fall into place and feel less of an effort – to get more done in less time?
to calm your mind and tame your Inner Critic?

All of these – and many more – are benefits of a daily meditation practice.

And you don’t have to disappear off into a cave and pretend to be a yogi, sitting for days on end, before you notice the effects.

As little as ten minutes a day of meditation can make a huge difference – when you know how.

Just in case you need a little more convincing, here are ten reasons why meditation is essential, if you want to run a successful business:

Meditation recharges your batteries.

When you’re flat empty and out of charge, ten minutes of the right kind of meditation can have as much benefit as a couple of hours of cat nap.
When you’re managing a business, having enough energy is vital. And meditation doesn’t bring with it the same post-rush-crashes as caffeine or sugar.
Taking ten minutes out of a hectic day to meditate can give you hours back in additional creative time.

It lowers your risk of heart disease.

Researchers (yes, the ones with lab coats, not the long-bearded hippies) have proven that meditation can strengthen your heart, lower your blood pressure and lower your risk of heart disease. Not convinced?
Here’s the evidence: 3 Secrets Your Heart Wants You To Hear About Meditation

Meditation helps you to feel less stressed.

It triggers the body’s relaxation response, which neutralises the cortisol and adrenalin that would otherwise keep you feeling totally stressed-out.
AND it also helps you to spot your stress triggers and habits, so you can consciously choose to deal with them.
Feeling less stressed means it’s easier to concentrate, meaning you’ll get more done in less time.

It helps you to worry less.

Regular meditation helps you to let go of your Monkey Mind’s stories. It’s not about making your mind goes silent – instead it’s about reclaiming your power to choose which thoughts and stories to feed.
This reduces worrying and anxiety, whilst also helping you to feel more relaxed and to trust that things will be ok.
Letting go of worrying and anxiety opens the door for inspiration and business success.

Meditation helps you to feel happier – and smile for no reason

By cutting your stress and worry levels, and focussing on balancing your body’s relaxation vs ‘fight or flight’ responses, meditation helps you to feel less angry and irritable.
Keep at it and the benefits will grow, along with a sense of well-being, ‘ok-ness’ and peace becoming your new ‘set point’. As time moves on, this rises up the scale to general happiness. People will catch you smiling for no reason. 🙂
It’s so much easier to inspire people to share your vision when you lift their spirits, just by being there.

Meditation helps you to think clearly

It’s the perfect antidote to ‘fog-brain’. Fuzzy thinking is one of the biggest causes of business mistakes – and procrastination. By learning how to calm your mind (and there are even specific techniques that will do this for you!) you find that the clarity you need for managing a brilliant business is readily available to you.
Just imagine how being able to think more clearly could help you to implement your business visions.

It can bring you flashes of inspiration

When you’re regularly taking time out to sit with ‘who you really are’, rather than the stories your Monkey Mind is telling you, then you’ll deepen your connection with your Inner Wisdom and intuition. That will lead to flashes of inspiration on how to solve problems – or dive into a market gap you would never otherwise have spotted.
A single flash of inspiration could be worth thousands to your business.

Meditation can help you to deal with your Inner Critic

It’s a rare business beast that isn’t running some kind of Inner Critic. And your Inner Critic is the part of you that means you lash out when you’re feeling threatened or stressed or insecure or worried – and you self-sabotage your success at the 11th hour – or you don’t even start that dream project.
It’s essential for entrepreneurs and business managers to deal with their Inner Critic in a healthy way – and meditation is one of the most effective and empowering tools for this.
Just imagine how much braver and bolder you would be in your business if you had dealt with your Inner Critic and felt fearless in your choices.

It brings you insights what’s the Truth and what is your mind’s stories and projections

When you learn to observe your Monkey Mind, rather than dance with its drama, you can set yourself free from its stories. This helps you to practise discernment – telling the difference between what is Truth and what is ‘tantrum’. When you can calm your mind enough to do this, you’re no longer at the whim of your mind’s soap opera and seeing straight to the Truth of a problem becomes one of your greatest skills.
Just imagine being able to do this in a tricky business negotiation?

Meditation can improve your relationships

By being happier, calmer, less stressed and less worried, your relationships will automatically improve. And it’s not just at home. You’ll be more patient with your work colleagues and your upbeat focus can even the performance of the people in your team. The shift you make from living in your head to living in your heart is contagious – it inspires people to become the best person they can and it can even dramatically increase customer loyalty.
Just imagine the impact the changes you make in yourself could have on your family – and on your staff morale – and on your customers.

And we’re just scratching the surface of the benefits with this list!

Surely all of that is worth ten minutes a day of your time?

If this sounds like something that would be worth you carving out ten minutes a day for, then here’s how you could get started today:

Join me for my “Meditation For Managers” Course

Launching on September 1st 2014, this six week online course is specially designed for business managers and entrepreneurs.

It brings you the ‘how to’ of meditation and mindfulness. But it also dives into an inspired blend of modern psychology and Ancient Wisdom, to make creating the daily habit easy. You’ll get to deal with the excuses, blocks and myths that might otherwise get in the way.

It’s a gorgeous combo of videos, workbooks, MP3 audios and moral support in our private Facebook group.

And it’s all designed in bite-sized chunks that mean you can fit it in, easily, no matter how busy your schedule is. If you can find 10-15 minutes a day, then you’ll get the full benefits. And there’s a special VIP launch offer that you won’t want to miss.

I’m curious: are you a reluctant meditator, who is still in the ‘should’ zone?
Or are you ROCKIN’ your business with a daily Zen-like habit?
How has meditation helped your business?
And what would you like to know about how to get it to work for you?
Please let me know, via the comments – I’d LOVE to hear from you!

With love, Namaste,

Dancing In Your Soul-Shoes

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You want to make a difference in the world. You know there’s more to life than the daily grind.
But you also know, deep down, that you’re not making the impact you dream of – yet.

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I know what it feels like – to have that deep calling to play your part in changing the world, whatever that means for you, but to feel scared or worried or stressed – and then frustrated that you’re not getting to where you want to be.

And I know what it feels like to have old limiting beliefs, fears and excuses silently sabotage the successful outcomes you have been dreaming of – right at the last minute.

I’ve done it. Over and over. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

I would love to share with you the insider secrets, tools, techniques and short cuts that it took me over 15 years to discover, create and refine.

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They say that making a difference – and living the life you were born to live – is 20% about strategy – and 80% about your psychology.

And those of us who are into the more ‘alternative’ side of life know that it goes even deeper than ‘just’ psychology.

Bascially, if you haven’t done the ‘inside work’, you’ll be missing out on most of the 80% that makes the difference between ‘ok’ and ‘fabulous’.

Living from your heart, in a head-based world, is just the beginning. Choosing to step into your Soul-Shoes and even dance in them is how you’ll really fly.

And it starts one thought at a time.

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The thoughts you feed create your feelings… And your feelings feed those thoughts.
But you can’t get the results you dream of if your thoughts and feelings are telling you it’s impossible.

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How To Tell If Your Thoughts Are Getting In The Way?

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Your inner critic is out of control

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Half the time you don’t even start those dream projects, because you’re scared you won’t make it

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One stressed-out thought leads to another and you think you might hit the next person who suggests ‘positive thinking’

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You pass up those golden opportunities, because you’re secretly more scared of success than of failure

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You kid yourself that it’s ok and that this wasn’t really ‘your time’, but deep down you long to make those shifts, to allow your dreams to fly

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You know you have to do something about it, but you don’t know how.

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The Fact Is…

Most of us want to think thoughts that make us feel great; thoughts that empower us; thoughts that feel like a cheer leader.
But it’s hard to know where to start, when your auto-pilot is programmed to run thoughts that make you feel bad.

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About 7 years ago, a dear friend of mine had been reading The Secret, and she came to me in tears. Her lament is one I have often heard since, from readers, seminar students and mentoring clients:

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“So now I know that ‘negative thinking’ is the problem, HOW ON EARTH DO I FIX IT? Where do I start? I feel so helpless. I want to think happier thoughts, but I don’t know how!”

In fact, reading books like The Secret had only made things worse for her. Now she understood – all-too-clearly – how powerfully our thoughts impact our experience of life – and what we create. But she felt powerless to do anything about it.

Where do you start, when your Monkey Mind is running the show and constantly reminding you of everything that’s bad, broken or a total bummer? And your Inner Critic has perfected the art of keeping you up at night?

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And I knew how she felt. I had been there, too.

And I’m guessing you have, too?

I knew what it was like to be stuck in a cycle of negative thinking that you feel there’s no way you’ll ever be able to stop.

Add in a good dollop of Inner Perfectionist and that critic on my shoulder had a field day, reminding me constantly how ‘rubbish’ I was that I could even manage a bit of positive thinking; that my thoughts were keeping me stuck, feeling miserable.

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I was lucky.

When it happened to me, I was already training to become a certified NLP Trainer (aka the ‘user manual for your brain’), which meant I knew a whole lot more than most about how to retrain my brain to think happier and more empowering thoughts – authentically, rather than ‘white-washing-ly’!

And I knew how to teach it to others in a way that their minds would love. I knew how to reduce resistance, how to reprogramme habits, how to press ‘pause’ on that auto-pilot and make happier choices; how to set yourself free from thinking thoughts that make you feel miserable.

But there was something missing.

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The breakthrough came when I trained to become a professional Meditation Teacher.

Only then did I learn the vital techniques, tools and practices that allow you to quieten your mind, calming your body and emotions.

I blended this with my NLP, and added in a good dose of Inner Engineer’s common sense, plus a bucket or two of heart-based intuition. I knew that I had the recipe I had been looking for.

In fact, the key to turning things around – fast and forever – was one single ingredient.

And that’s what I shared with my friend. I made it my mission to help her – and everyone else who feels stuck in that trap.

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Over the past decade I have had the honour of inspiring many thousands of women to discover the simple shifts you can make to go from thinking thoughts that make you feel grumpy, to thoughts that make you feel great.

And I’d love to make it easy for you, too.

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Here’s An Insider Secret For You:

The thoughts you think are just a habit. Nothing more. Nothing less.

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We have spent a lifetime training ourselves to think the thoughts we currently think. And if those thoughts aren’t making you feel great – at least a large portion of the time – then you need to do some retraining.

Just like you would train for a sporting event or a musical concert or a new job, you can train your brain.

Your Monkey Mind does a brilliant job of running most of your life on autopilot. Otherwise it would be chaos each morning as you had to remember what a sock is or how to drive your car. And, most of the time, our thoughts run on that autopilot, too.

But just as you once learned what a sock was, or how to make a cup of tea, or how to drive or ride a bike or swim, it’s the same with your thoughts – all of these processes can be brought into your conscious awareness, trained, and then allowed to go back to being subconscious again.

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It only takes a few minutes a day, when you know how – and it can even feel easy – and even fun!

You can retrain your brain to think thoughts that make you feel happy and make life feel easier, even in situations that you used to find tough.

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Want to know what that secret ingredient is? It’s the one that makes the VITAL difference?

It’s the core theme we’ll be covering, if you join us for Dancing In Your Soul-Shoes in 2015.

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I’d LOVE to show you how simple it can be, making it easy for you to release old blocks and fears and worries so that you can spend much more of your time feeling happy and positive – and transforming your world.

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Research proves that your body feels every thought you think, so the link between thinking negative thoughts and physical and emotional ‘dis-ease’ is one we can’t ignore.

With 15 years of insider secrets behind me, I wanted to find a way to help as many people as I could possibly reach, at a much deeper level. I wanted to create the experience of working one-to-one with me, but at a time and place that suits you – and at a fraction of the cost.

So I was inspired to create a 2015 Group Mentoring Programme for Dancing in Your Soul-Shoes.

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It’s all in bite-sized chunks – the kind of things you can do while you wait for a kettle to boil – to make it easy for you to make shifts in your life…
… no matter how busy you are.

And believe me, as a mum of 3 young boys, leading workshops, with one-to-one clients, creating online courses and even writing books, I know about the ‘busy excuse’ – it used to be my favourite! 😉 That’s why I feel passionately about making changing your life easy for you.

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Want to know my shortcuts?
Let me show you the ‘how to’ that took me years to discover and refine – in a way that makes it easy for you to create transformation in your life, no matter how hectic and stressful things might seem.

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Let me take you on a journey.

I’m not offering instant quick-fixes. They’re like a sticky plaster (‘Band Aid’ for my American friends?). They help with the immediate pain, but they don’t stop it from coming back again.

Instead, I would love to walk by your side this coming year, as you discover exactly how to retrain your thoughts, how to release old blocks, excuses, beliefs and fears, and how to transform your experience of life, one minute at a time.

My zone of Genius is inspiring and empowering you to release the blocks you didn’t even realise were holding you back and sabotaging your success and happiness – so you can get on with changing the world.

People will want to know what your secret is. 😉

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Join me for Dancing In Your Soul-Shoes and here’s some of what we’ll get to do:

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Monthly Live Masterclasses

Join me for a monthly live Masterclass, when we’ll be diving in to deal with everything from fears, excuses and limiting beliefs, to how we sabotage our happiness and so much more!

There’s also a monthly live Q&A call where you can get on-the-spot mentoring, to help you with any blocks or questions that have come up for you.

All calls are recorded, so you can listen again, any time.[/text-with-icon][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][text-with-icon icon_type=”font_icon” icon=”linecon-icon-display” color=”Accent-Color”]

Virtual Mentoring Video Tutorials

Change your life while you watch them – in just a few minutes.

It’s like sitting in a workshop with me, at a time and place that suits you.

And they’re designed to help you learn at a conscious and subconscious level, reducing your mind’s resistance to change and meaning you don’t have to worry about complicated ‘how to’ processes. Change simply happens.

I can’t make it any easier than that, can I?![/text-with-icon][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][text-with-icon icon_type=”font_icon” icon=”fa-check-square-o” color=”Accent-Color”]

Fortnightly Projects

Every two weeks you’ll get a specially-designed ‘while-the-kettle-boils’ project.

It helps you to near-effortlessly weave the techniques we’re covering into your daily life – no matter how busy you are. And they secretly help you to retrain your brain, without making a fuss about it. 😉

They come with full ‘how to’, plus handy cheat sheets for you to download – and even MP3s, so it feels like you’re sitting in a one-to-one with me.[/text-with-icon][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” bg_position=”left top” bg_repeat=”no-repeat” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” top_padding=”11″][vc_column width=”1/3″ enable_animation=”true” animation=”fade-in” delay=”777″][text-with-icon icon_type=”font_icon” icon=”fa-key” color=”Accent-Color”]

Affirmations & Inspirational Quotes

Allow the changes to sink in at a deeper level with these inspirational affirmations and quotes.

They realign your thoughts, having an immensely positive impact on each and every cell in your body. They are a secret key to making change easier and retraining your brain.

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Easily Create Life-Changing Insights

Each instalment comes with carefully-crafted questions for you to ask yourself, to help you dive in more deeply and really deal with those pesky old habits…

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You’re Not Alone

Our invitation-only Facebook community is the ideal place to share your successes, get answers to your questions and to connect with like-hearted souls.

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Here’s some of what we’ll be covering in the monthly masterclasses:

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How to finally shut up your inner critic – and turn it into your biggest cheerleader.

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How to bust limiting beliefs, let go of old excuses and secrets to sail through your fears.

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How to quieten your mind, feel calmer, happier and less stressed – with simple yet profound meditation techniques that only take a few minutes.

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How to figure out what on earth you actually want – and super-speed your way towards it.

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How to magically make more time – no matter how busy you are, you won’t want to miss these gems.

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How to set yourself free from difficult people and their crazy behaviours!

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How to break a habit that’s been driving you round the bend.

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Discover how and why we sabotage what we really want, without even realising it – and what to do about it.

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Experience for yourself how two little words can make or break your day. You’ll wish you had learned this at school.

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Learn NLP secrets for super-busy women – as well as gems from the world of meditation and mindfulness.

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Are you joining us?
Only you know whether you’ve finally had enough of thinking thoughts that make you feel miserable.
If you have, then I’d be honoured to share the ride with you!
We go live on 1st January 2015, but you can grab your place and start today.

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How To Join In Today

I want to make “Dancing In Your Soul-Shoes” as affordable as possible, whilst still delivering the quality and experience you deserve. By joining us ahead of the January 1st start date, you get Early Bird pricing (over 50% off!) and exclusive bonuses that won’t be on offer to those who sign up next year.

Choose your payment option to join us for this unique life-changing journey:

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A whole year of the online course

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Bonus: a copy of Gratitude: A Daily Journal

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Bonus: a copy of Gratitude: A Daily Journal

Bonus: a gift CD of gratitude meditations

Bonus Mini-Workshop: Why New Year Resolutions Don’t Work!

PLUS: Jump my queue and get 3 x one-to-one mentoring sessions with me in 2015.

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Bonus: a CD of all the meditations

Bonus Mini-Workshop: Why New Year Resolutions Don’t Work!

PLUS: Jump my queue and get 3 x one-to-one mentoring sessions with me in 2015.

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[/pricing_column][/pricing_table][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][toggles][toggle title=”I don’t have enough time to do this!”][vc_column_text]Not having enough time is the #1 excuse (sorry, truly legitimate reason!) I hear from people about why they can’t change their lives.
Firstly, I have specially designed this course to teach at both a conscious and a subconscious level, using accelerated learning techniques, which means it only takes a few minutes a day.
Secondly, do you really think that the ‘future you’ on your 80th birthday will look back and say “Hell yeah! I’m so glad you didn’t bother changing your life because the ironing / TV soap / Facebook surfing was so much more important!”???
Or do you think that ‘future you’ might wish you had taken action today that could help you to feel happier and more fulfilled, for every day of the rest of your life?[/vc_column_text][/toggle][toggle title=”What if it doesn’t work for me?”][vc_column_text]I know that this stuff works – and I know it will work for you, if you simply go and use it! But I also know how it feels to start a programme and feel unsure or confused – and that’s ok.
It’s why I share with you that vital Truth I mentioned (back up the top of here), right when we get started with the main programme.
It’s the difference that makes the difference.
And, if your heart genuinely tells you this isn’t a good fit for you, once we’ve started, then that’s why I offer my “Love It!” guarantee.[/vc_column_text][/toggle][toggle title=”How does From Grumpy To Great – With Gratitude create lasting change?”][vc_column_text]We don’t mess around with the sticky plaster stuff (Band Aids, I think, in the USA?). We dive right in and deal with the underlying causes. And it doesn’t have to hurt and it doesn’t have to be scary.
But when you deal with what’s been unconsciously running the show, change doesn’t just become easier, it becomes inevitable and natural!
[/vc_column_text][/toggle][toggle title=”What if I’m away for some of the programme?”][vc_column_text]Don’t worry! It’s ok!
You get access to all of the modules for a full year after the end of the programme and any live calls are recorded.
So it’s easy for you to catch up and there’s no pressure to run at the daily pace – you can choose to take things more gently, if that works better for you.
And, remember, you get to resit the programme as my guest, each time I update it![/vc_column_text][/toggle][toggle title=”What kind of support is included?”][vc_column_text]This programme includes peer support from the private online community – and I’m in there too, most days, to answer your questions and to be your virtual cheer-leader for your break throughs.
So it’s subtly different from one-to-one mentoring, but you still have full support and, personally, I feel you gain much more from sharing the journey and learning from each other than from working through this kind of stuff with just lil’ ol’ me![/vc_column_text][/toggle][toggle title=”How do I know if it’s worth the investment?”][vc_column_text]I know that the tools, techniques and secrets I’ll be sharing with you are dynamite. Apply them, make the shifts, let go of the old ‘stuff’ you’ve been carrying and you’ll take your life to the next level.
(Don’t worry – I’ll be sharing the full ‘how to’ with you, to make all of that easy).
Just imagine being able to get of that emotional rollercoaster! If you imagine being able to crank up the dial on your ‘Inner Happiness Thermostat’, each and every day for the rest of your life, how much would that be worth to you?
Or, perhaps looking at it the other way, how much would it be worth to you to avoid reaching your 80th birthday, looking back and regretting that you didn’t do it.
Only you can decide if you want to dive in and exerience all that this From Grumpy To Great – With Gratitude has to offer. And if you do, then I promise to give you all the support and encouragement and ‘how to’ that I can, to help you achieve the shifts you have been dreaming of![/vc_column_text][/toggle][toggle title=”But I’m scared of changing. Won’t my life fall apart?”][vc_column_text]I know that change can feel scary – believe me – I’ve been there.
That’s one of the reasons why it is so important to me that I only share the depth of techniques we’ll be using in the Inner Circle in a mentoring environment – and it’s why you’ll never find them just hanging around in a book. This stuff really works – and I want to make it as easy as possible for you – and that’s why it’s really important that we get to connect, rather than me leaving you on your own. We have the private online community, where you can share your experiences (both great and otherwise!) and get moral support and answers to your questions.
You are not alone. We are all there, walking this path by your side. And when that happens, change doesn’t feel anywhere near as scary, does it?[/vc_column_text][/toggle][toggle title=”Isn’t this stuff just a load of ‘woo woo’?”][vc_column_text]My inner engineer chuckles over this one. I have lost count of the number of times she has thrown this question back at me. In fact, my original degree was a Masters in Mechanical Engineering and German and the first decade of my career was in senior engineering positions and then as Head of Market Research for an international brand – so I know about practical, strategic, insightful common sense solutions.
As a certified NLP Trainer for over a decade, I’m also an expert in teaching you the way your unconscious mind loves to learn – so it couldn’t be easier for you to change your life!
On the other hand, my inner ‘soul self’ also knows that there is more to life than purely observable science. And if I didn’t share the more subtle stuff with you, I’d be doing you a disservice. So rest assured, I’ll be bringing you everything that you need – but in a way that’s easy for you to take on board and enjoy, without having to pop off to your 29th Chakra for a month of japa meditation. :-)[/vc_column_text][/toggle][toggle title=”Do I have to take on a new religion or belief system?”][vc_column_text]Absolutely not!
In fact, the primary focus of my work is to help people let go of the old beliefs that were holding them back – wherever these came from.
With everything I share with you, all I ask is that you try it on for size, with an open mind, and if it fits, great. Take it and use it to change your life. If it doesn’t, and you can’t tweak it to fit, that’s cool too.
And the vital Truth I mentioned earlier is the #1 reason why all of this will work for you, no matter what your cultural or social background or life experience so far.[/vc_column_text][/toggle][toggle title=”Do I have to join in with the private online community?”][vc_column_text]No, of course you don’t! It’s entirely up to you!
However, I’ll be spending quite a lot of time hanging out there, so it’s a great way to get answers to your questions. Also sharing the journey is much more fun than just doing it on your own and you’ll find the community is full of lovely people, on a similar journey to you. So I do really recommend joining in.
It is a private closed group on Facebook (Google can’t see inside it), so your privacy is safe.
It really is worth the effort.[/vc_column_text][/toggle][/toggles][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”full_width_background” bg_position=”center top” bg_repeat=”no-repeat” bg_color=”#990033″ scene_position=”center” text_color=”light” text_align=”center” top_padding=”11″ bottom_padding=”11″][vc_column][testimonial_slider disable_height_animation=”true” autorotate=”5555″][testimonial name=”Nick” quote=”I love the way you present what could be complicated in such a clear and entertaining way. It’s so easy to understand – and apply.” id=”t1″ title=”Testimonial”][/testimonial][testimonial name=”Julia” quote=”That simple waking up / pre-bedtime exercise is already producing results for me. And it takes less than a minute. Why didn’t I discover this years ago? At least I know it now!” id=”t2″ title=”Testimonial”][/testimonial][testimonial name=”Meg” quote=”Thank you Clare! Like you I have been on this pathway for many years, however I did have lightbulb moments.” id=”t3″ title=”Testimonial”][/testimonial][/testimonial_slider][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Six Essential End-Of-Week Battery-Rechargers For Introverted Entrepreneurs And Business Managers – And Super-Busy Mums!

How To Change Your Life

One of the ~~challenges~~ joys of being an entrepreneur or business manager who runs a strong ‘introversion’ preference is the number of people that flood through your day. Whereas some people find it highly energising, if you’re running an ‘introversion’ pattern, you’ll find it exhausting.

And by Friday you’ll likely be on your knees, compensating with a cocktail of caffeine, sugar and irritability. 🙂

Being an ‘introvert’ in the Myers-Briggs sense doesn’t mean that you’re shy or lacking in social skills. It’s all about how you recharge your batteries. And an introvert needs to do that by spending quiet time, ideally on their own. Whereas someone with an ‘extroversion’ preference recharges their batteries by being around other people.

So if you’re an entrepreneur or business manager with a strong ‘introversion’ pattern, it’s easy to reach the end of a week of meetings, conference calls, people popping by to say ‘hi’ or whinge or ask for advice – and hundreds of emails feeling totally drained. And we often don’t realise why.

Are you seeing this pattern in yourself? Or in a member of your team?

Luckily there is plenty you can do, even if you’re super-busy, to manage your energy levels, to reduce those energy drains and to make it to Friday without needing to spend the weekend in bed!

Here are six essential end-of-week battery rechargers for introverted business managers

Learn how to pace your energy
It’s ok to build in pauses to top up your energy levels.

For example, if you know you have an intense afternoon, schedule yourself some battery-recharge time in the morning and evening.
Even if that means hiding in the loos while you do some mindfulness practice – whatever works for you – those minutes of battery recharging will pay dividends to your ability to concentrate in the times you’re at your desk.

Practise saying no
It’s ok! And if you can’t say ‘no’, at least practise saying ‘later’!

If someone is asking you to do something that you know will overload you with ‘people-time’, then it’s ok to tell them that it doesn’t fit for you at that time. Either duck out of the commitment or ask to reschedule it.

This is especially important with things like after-work socialising, which might feel like a semi-compulsory career move, but which might also be your worst nightmare, at the end of a busy day. Experiment with solutions – perhaps telling people you’ll leave after an hour or arriving later – be honest with them and they’ll respect your choices (and learn from your example).

NNT = Meditation Time
NNT Meditation (non-negotiable time) is perhaps one of the most profoundly powerful ways to rebuild your energy stores and even 10 minutes a day can make a huge difference.

Even something as simple as sitting up straight, gently closing your eyes and letting your attention rest on your belly breathing for 5 minutes will make a difference.

If you don’t already have a daily meditation practice – or you’ve fallen off the wagon and would like to rekindle the habit, then you’ll love the ‘Meditation For Business Managers’ course that will be one of the bonuses for my Dancing In Your Soul-Shoes members this autumn.

Get out in nature
But one of the absolute best ways to recharge your batteries is to go for a walk in nature.

It grounds stressed-out energy and reconnects you, at some deep level, to what is ‘real’ in life, rather than the stress-stories of your Monkey Mind. This one could be harder, depending on where you live, but getting out of the recycled computer-angst-laden air of your office and breathing fresh(ish) air outdoors will help massively.

If you have the option, spend some time barefoot if possible, or sit under a tree and watch the world go by. It’s amazingly effective and even a few minutes of being in nature and simply breathing deeply will re-energise you.

Close the door and send calls to voicemail
… and turn off your email for an hour or two – it’s absolutely ok to give yourself the space to concentrate.

I remember back in my final corporate job that the CEO wouldn’t agree to voicemail – if your phone rang and you weren’t at your desk, it would divert to ring every phone in your team’s ‘call group’ until someone in the office answered it. We worked in a huge open-plan office, so for me, with an introversion preference, it felt like the phones were constantly screaming at me. The interruptions were near-constant and it was hugely draining.

For someone who thrives on interacting with others, this was fabulous. But for those of us who needed quiet time to concentrate and perform to the best of our abilities, it was near-hell.

If closing the door and voicemail isn’t an option for you, then what would work? What could you do, instead, to create the quieter space you need – at least for a short time? There is always a solution, if only we speak our needs calmly and get creative.

Build in daily fun time
Laughing releases tension and re-energises you, flooding your system with happy-feeling endorphins.

Doing something that makes your heart sing takes you out of your thinking mind and back towards the ‘real you’, deep down inside. It’s an incredible way of re-energising yourself and cranking up the dial on your inner happiness thermostat.

The biggest piece of advice I would give you is to consciously become aware of what works for you and what doesn’t. Keep a diary for a week and spot what drains your batteries and what recharges them. Then take inspired action. And don’t be afraid to tell people that you need to go and recharge your batteries!

If you’re finding that your batteries are pretty much always running on empty, then it’s essential to deal with the underlying causes. It could be stress or diet or simply thought patterns that are dragging you down.

I’m curious: which of these strategies could you use today? Do you have any favourites of your own? Let me know which shifts you notice – via the comments box!

And perhaps there is a member of your team or a loved one that could benefit from this article? Please feel free to share it with them.

With love, Namaste,

Had Enough Of Your Inner Critic Yet? 5 Sure-Fire Techniques To Tame It Today

Dancing In Your Soul Shoes

We all know that feeling… You’re totally fired up and about to start doing something really important and you know it’s a bit of a comfort zone stretch… And that little voice in your head starts talking… It’s telling you all the reasons why you won’t be any good at it and how you’re never any good at anything… And you know you believe it, because it’s told you often enough over the years… You feel that tightness in your stomach, your body tenses and you feel fear and panic rising…

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

You don’t have to live on the whim of your Inner Critic – your negative self-talk – you can tame it – today. And it’s surprisingly easy, when you know how.

But, before we start:

How do you know if you’ve got an Inner Critic?

You’ll KNOW if you run an Inner Critic programme. The most common side effects include:

Low self-esteem – you beat yourself up each time you try to do something important and it’s fantastic at reminding you about your mistakes

Stress – your Inner Critic is responsible for the vast majority of stress in your life

Self-sabotage – just when you’re about to achieve what you have been dreaming of, your Inner Critic leaps in and pulls the rug from under you

Insomnia – if you’re lying awake at 3am, then chances are it’s your Inner Critic choosing the bedtime stories

Feeling exhausted – your Inner Critic is running the show on everything from your physical health and your energy levels, through to your emotional and mental health

‘Ok-ness’ – the Inner Critic is the biggest single reason why most of us put up with a life that’s ‘ok’, rather than ‘great’

Guilt – your Inner Critic is incredible at reminding you about all the things you didn’t do or the ways you let people down (its words, not mine!)

Some of my clients and students go so far as to call their Inner Critic their ‘own worst enemy’. Strong stuff.

Feels familiar? Are you fed up enough of it yet? Then here are five techniques you can use today to tame that critic and move on with a happier life!

Is it time to tame your Inner Critic?

Here are 5 sure-fire techniques you can use today.

I have been where you are with my Inner Critic – and it sometimes pops back and reminds me it’s there, when I least suspect it. But, fortunately, after over a decade as an NLP Trainer and a Meditation Teacher, as well as being a reformed Mechanical Engineer, I have developed plenty of practical strategies to handle it – fast.

Here are five of my favourite ‘do-them-today’ techniques to help you to tame your Inner Critic and to set yourself free from its negativity.

Fact: You are not the same as your inner critic. It is ‘just’ a thought in your head.

Let’s start by setting the record straight: although most of us identify pretty strongly with our inner critics, we are not the same thing as our critic. It is JUST a train of thought – a sound-track that we’re used to playing.

No matter how it might feel, it isn’t actually real.

When you realise that, it gives you the power to make changes.
But while you’re falling into the trap of believing that you and your inner critic are one-and-the-same being, then it will always hold the power.

Quick Fix: When you feel an Inner Critic thought coming up, press pause (yes, you can do that) and remind yourself: “This is not who I am. This is a thought I am thinking,” and let it go. Feel the relief bubbling up.

Don’t make the mistake of fighting it!

I’m not suggesting you indulge your Inner Critic’s every whim. But I AM strongly suggesting you don’t out-right reject it, fight it or try to ‘get rid’ of it. Why?
Because, as Carl Jung pointed out:

What you resist persists – and that goes for your Inner Critic, too.

So if you fight your Inner Critic, you are resisting it. That means you’re giving it loads of attention, you’re giving it 100% of your head space (free rent!) and you’re spending loads of time thinking about it.

Like a tantruming child, feed that Inner Critic and it’ll learn to do more of what got it the attention it wanted. That’s why I talk about ‘taming’ your Inner Critic, rather than ‘getting rid’ of it. You’re retraining the part of you that runs it, instead of rejecting part of yourself, which will only ever lead to pain and conflict.

Quick Fix: When your Inner Critic gets ranting, stop what you’re doing and notice that it’s there (then it doesn’t need to shout so loudly). Say a silent, “Thank you,” (even if you don’t feel like it – but it’s the opposite of ‘rejecting’) and then consciously choose a happy thought.

If you’d like to discover how to become a total pro at this, then meditation and mindfulness could be your best friends.

Already a member? Login

The rest of the five sure-fire techniques to tame your inner critic are only available to members of Dancing In Your Soul-Shoes.

Join us for Dancing In Your Soul-Shoes today and you’ll get my fabulous fortnightly newsletter – packed with practical inspiration that you can apply while the kettle boils – as well as membership of our private Facebook group.

Silver Membership normally costs £17 per month, but I’m feeling super-generous while we’re in the pre-launch phase (the bells and whistles arrive in Autumn 2014), so if you register today, it’s yours as my gift – for as long as you’re a member.

Woo hoo, %%FIRST_NAME%%! You get to read this article because you’re a member of Dancing In Your Soul-Shoes. Thank you! With love, Clare x

Stop feeding its pesky stories!

Your Inner Critic loves drama and makes the nation’s favourite soap operas look dull, in comparison with the stories going on in your head. We all LOVE drama. That’s why people love to gossip. It’s why they love to share stories. The more dramatic, the better.

Unfortunately, when it comes to your Inner Critic’s stories, the more you feed them, the worse you feel and the further you move from that amazing life you have been dreaming of.

Quick Fix: Stop feeding the stories. When you feel an Inner Critic conversation coming on, press pause and consciously choose about whether you want to dive in to that drama, or whether you want to focus on something else instead.

It doesn’t matter how far you have gone into the ‘drama’ before you realise, you can always press pause and come on out again.

If you’re feeling stuck, right now, grab the nearest small object to you, pick it up in your hand and really see it – see how the light reflects on it, how the shapes and contours give it its form. Feel the weight of it in your hand. Feel the textures. And then – the icing on the cake – take a moment to connect with that object, from your heart, and to thank it for whatever it does for you. Aim to do this for about a minute in total and it will physically shift the biochemistry in your body, releasing endorphins and helping you to feel happier.

There. Story paused. And you can move on with a more empowering mood!

Delete the word ‘should’ from your vocabulary.

Yikes! That’s a biggie! How often do you use the word ‘should’ in a typical day? I should do such-and-such. I ought to go to that meeting, even though I don’t really want to. I should offer to help Fred this weekend…

It’s there like a naff theme tune in our day-to-day lives. But… How does ‘should’ make you feel?

I’m guessing it triggers a sinking feeling in your stomach, a slouching of your shoulders and back and a frown on your face.

And your Inner Critic is addicted to ‘should’ – because it knows it’s a great way to get our attention!

Quick Fix: If you feel ‘should’ coming up, pause and ask yourself:

**“Who says?” and “Is that really true?”**

And let the answer bubble up. Notice what comes up for you and use it to gain insight into old auto-pilot behaviours that might have been keeping you stuck. Awareness is the first key to change – through choice. You can choose whether or not you want to respond to ‘should’ – or whether you want to make conscious choices about your thoughts, words and actions, instead.

Psst! You don’t have to listen to it…

Most of us listen slavishly to that negative self-talk, replaying it over and over, especially when we’re stressed.

But you don’t actually have to listen to it. Just because you’re having a thought, you don’t have to tune your radio to that frequency for the whole day. You CAN choose to turn down the volume and just let your Inner Critic get on with whatever it is complaining about, in the background. Here’s a scenario:

Quick Fix: Imagine a scene in a classic sit-com – the wife is ear-bashing her husband for some mistake he has made, he carries on calmly reading his newspaper (or nowadays Tablet) and nodding politely. When she has fully vented her spleen, she demands to know what her husband thinks of what she has said.

“That’s nice, Dear,” is the only response she gets.

He does get rattled. He doesn’t argue back. He totally rides the wave of her drama and annoys the hell out of her by refusing to dance the destructive dance.

What would happen if you were to play that game with your Inner Critic, once in a while? Give it a good old “That’s nice dear” and then ask it a question about something that moves things forwards, such as, “I’m wondering… What would you most like to do next?” And watch what happens!

Time For Action!

So, which techniques are you going to use today? And when you have tried them out, let me know which shifts you notice, via the comments box, below.

If you enjoyed this article, please share it far and wide via Social Media – it’s my gift to you.

Here’s a tweetable – to make it easy!
Tweet this: Had enough of your inner critic yet? 5 sure-fire techniques to tame it today!

And here’s an image you can share on Facebook – just click on it and click the ‘share’ link to spread the word about taming your Inner Critic!

Want More…?

I really hope you found these techniques useful. Of course, we’re just scratching the surface here. If you’re feeling inspired to dive in more deeply and deal with that pesky Inner Critic, once and for all, then make sure you’re watching your inbox this winter, because Taming Your Inner Critic will be one of the courses for my gorgeous Gold Members of Dancing In Your Soul-Shoes!

It’s a six week programme that will help you to deal with that pesky Inner Critic – once and for all. Woo hoo!

With love, Namaste,

How To Stress Less – Part One: 3 Mindful Breaths

Hi %%FIRST_NAME%%,

Welcome to How To Stress Less!
This online course has been specially-designed for heart-based business women living in a head-based world.

Over the next few weeks I’ll be bring you 7 practical, yet inspirational mindfulness and NLP-based techniques to take you from stressed to smiling in under sixty seconds.

You’ll get to de-stress, to reconnect with your heart and to step back into your soul-shoes, whatever is going on around you.

But before we dive in, I’d like to talk about the Elephant In The Room – Being ‘Mindless’, because it’s one of the biggest barriers to living from your heart – and it’s one of the biggest causes of stress.

What’s The Problem With ‘Mindlessness’?

Being mindful is a state of being – a particular way of choosing to experience life, in the present moment – rather than letting your mind run riot over past mistakes and future worries, whilst sleep-walking through what’s actually going on around you.

We’re normally too busy doing “mind-full” to be mindful.

Some common symptoms of ‘mindlessness’ or being ‘mind-full’.

Do you find yourself ‘listening’ to someone, whilst actually thinking more about your response? Do you realise you didn’t really hear what they were saying?

Do you sometimes find that you’re so busy concentrating on what you have to say next in a meeting that you missed that last 3 discussion points?

Do you find yourself getting to the bottom of a cup of tea or coffee, without remembering drinking it?

Do you forget where you put things?

Do you find yourself arriving at a destination, but not remembering the route you took?

Do you find it hard to remember people’s names?

Do you find yourself getting stressed about not having enough time?

All of these – and plenty more – are symptoms of a mind so full of yesterday, tomorrow and ‘what ifs’, that it can’t enjoy the present moment.

What Is Mindfulness?

I’m going to give you a practical definition of what mindfulness is, rather than a spiritual or religious definition:
Mindfulness is about actually experiencing life, while you’re living it.

We tend to spend most of our time running away from our experience of life – hiding from it – perhaps because the stories our Monkey Mind tells us can create pain. Mindfulness is about being present to your experience of life, as it truly is, rather than wanting to change it or believing the drama and the stories.

The ‘present moment’ – ‘here and now’ is the only time you have.

Yesterday is done and dusted. Tomorrow isn’t here yet. If you want to actually live your life, then now is the only time you can do it. Want to make changes in the future? Then you need to do them now. Want to create a past that you’re proud of? Then you need to take action now.

But that’s tough, when we don’t even notice eating our breakfast or driving to work!

Being mindful means dragging yourself back into the present moment – away from the ‘to do’ list, the housework, next week’s big meeting, last week’s presentation and everything else that normally fills your mind to bursting point.
When we are ‘mindless’, we’re living in the past or the future, rather than the ‘now’. We are disconnected from the part of us that makes the unconscious choices about how to think, feel and act in every moment. It is hard to see what is ‘real’ and what is our Monkey Mind’s story.

Are you too busy pretending you’re a ‘human doing’ to be a ‘human being’?

We might feel scared that, by being in the present moment: the ‘to do’ list will get forgotten; the shopping won’t get done; the kids won’t get fed. (Don’t worry – they’ll remind you!) But, in fact, it’s the other way round.
By focussing our experience right here, right now, we can develop a clarity that somehow creates more time in our day, meaning the ‘to do’ list gets shorter and becomes less of an obsession. It creates more spacing for living and actually experiencing life, as it is happening.

When you are totally aware of what you are doing – ‘doing with awareness’ – it’s amazing how much more easily life flows.
This then gives you the clarity you need to take inspired action, to make the changes that matter the most – more easily and effectively.

As a meditation technique, mindfulness is about using your focus and concentration to be aware of the present moment, rather than being lost in the future or worrying about the past. However it’s not about pretending that there isn’t a future or a past.

It’s about drawing your awareness back into your physical body and experiencing life through all of your senses; being truly present – and alive!

It is the kind of experience you get when you look into somebody’s eyes and you really connect. You know that they’re there and so are you. Rather than talking to them whilst perhaps thinking about your shopping list and what you have got to cook for dinner, you’re really ‘present’ with them.

Mindfulness is about living life as the sensory experience that it really is, in your physical body, rather than being stuck in your thinking mind.

It’s ideal for a multi-tasking mind, because it gives your mind something to do! It gets to help run the process of ‘being here’.

Just imagine…
• actually tasting your tea, as you drink it
• really feeling that hug
• really hearing the birdsong
• really smelling your coffee
• really seeing the beauty of the sun, peeping through the clouds
• really hearing what a loved-one is saying – and seeing the look in their face, when they know they have been heard
• actually feeling the comfort of your clothes on your body
• feeling your feet connect with the earth, with every step

Why settle for half-living?

The back of my business cards has a provocative quote, that sometimes gets me into trouble… It is:

Just because you’re breathing, it doesn’t mean you’re alive.

But it sums up beautifully the difference between a life that is lived from the position of the Monkey Mind and a life that is lived with awareness – mindfully.

Mindfulness can bring your experience of life alive.
And if you want to be living from your heart, then it’s an essential foundation.

It is something you can do at any time, in any place, it feels great – and it’s free! One of the great bonuses of mindfulness is that, as you become more familiar with how to practise it, it doesn’t take up any extra time. You can do it wherever and whenever you want to, no matter how busy you are.

Mindfulness can help you to:

de-stress

feel more calm

feel more relaxed

reconnect with your sense of inner peace

think more clearly

feel more healthy, as your body is no longer flooded with stress hormones and it becomes easier for you to make healthier life choices

consciously choose how to experience your life

set yourself free from living on auto-pilot

improve your relationships

perform better at work

The power of mindfulness to change the way we think, feel and behave is so strong that even traditional medical doctors are now using mindfulness to help people who are suffering from, for example, clinical depression.

Universities are researching it. Mindfulness is also used in the training for many sports, where athletes really need moment-to-moment concentration and focus.

Imagine living your day actually being ‘here’ rather than, as I often call it, off on another planet!

Mindfulness is an amazing de-stressing, relaxation technique, which comes with the added bonus that life comes to life.

So, are you ready to dive in with our first de-stess technique?

Technique #1: 3 Mindful Breaths

This is such a simple mindfulness technique, yet it has the potential to shift you from feeling stressed to feeling calm in just 3 breaths.

The more often you use it, the more your body and mind will become anchored into its effects and it will begin to work even more quickly for you.

Eventually, you’ll find yourself starting to return to equilibrium as soon as you remember to do it – even before you actually do the technique!

• It releases physical tension.
• It releases mental tension.
• It shifts your focus back to ‘here and now’.

Not bad for 3 simple mindful breaths?

This ‘3 Mindful Breaths’ technique is a foundation mindfulness technique and it is often used at the beginning of other mindfulness exercises.

It’s a great way to bring you ‘back down to earth’, when you have been stuck in your ‘stress-head’, getting you ready for the more in-depth techniques. So it’s worth practising this one, until it becomes second nature for you – it doesn’t take long.

How To Do 3 Mindful Breaths:

Stop whatever you are doing and sit or stand with your back fairly straight, rather than slouched.

Take a deep breath from your belly area, breathing all the way in through your nose.

Breathe out through your mouth, with an ‘ahhhh’ sound’ (it can be silent, if you need it to be!) Really experience the physical sensations in your body as you do this.

As you breathe out, imagine you are releasing any stress and tension from your body and your mind.

Do this 3 times. Smile. Notice the difference.

Once you have practised this a few times, it can help you shift from feeling stressed in just 3 breaths.

The more often you do it during your day, the more you will be anchored into it bringing you back to a mindful state of being and the more effectively it will create that shift for you.

How might you remind yourself to do this?

Perhaps each time you look at your watch?

Or each time you hang up the phone?

Or while you’re waiting for that meeting to start? (the ‘ahhh’ bit can be silent!)

Or while you wait in the queue for lunch?

Or while you’re stuck in a traffic jam?

Or each time you boil the kettle?

I would LOVE to hear how you get on with this technique – perhaps you could let me know, over at the private Facebook group?

I’ll be back later this week with our next de-stressing technique.

In the meantime, I wish you sunshine and laughter.

With love, Namaste,

How To Stress Less

Are you fed up with feeling stressed? Of juggling your career, your home life and your ‘time for you’?

Did you know… You can go from stressed to smiling in under sixty seconds?

Let me show you how.

Join my free “How To Stress Less” 21 Day Online Course

Specially-designed for heart-based business women living in a head-based world, How To Stress Less brings you 7 practical, yet inspirational mindfulness and NLP-based techniques to take you from stressed to smiling in under sixty seconds.

You’ll get to de-stress, to reconnect with your heart and to step back into your soul-shoes, whatever is going on around you.

Every 3 days you’ll get a new technique to play with, with full instructions and often a short video or audio to guide you through it effortlessly – as well as a positive affirmation to help you to feel less stressed, calmer and happier – fast.

Are you in? You’ll also get my weekly newsletter packed with practical inspiration for living from your heart in a head-based world, as well as membership of our private Facebook group: Dancing In Your Soul Shoes

Claim your free place on How To Stress Less

Search Results for: mindfulness

Just in case you need a little more convincing, here are ten reasons why meditation is essential, if you want to run a successful business:

Meditation recharges your batteries.

It lowers your risk of heart disease.

Meditation helps you to feel less stressed.

It helps you to worry less.

Meditation helps you to feel happier – and smile for no reason

Meditation helps you to think clearly

It can bring you flashes of inspiration

Meditation can help you to deal with your Inner Critic

It brings you insights what’s the Truth and what is your mind’s stories and projections

Meditation can improve your relationships

Surely all of that is worth ten minutes a day of your time?

Join me for my “Meditation For Managers” Course

How To Tell If Your Thoughts Are Getting In The Way?

The Fact Is…

I knew what it was like to be stuck in a cycle of negative thinking that you feel there’s no way you’ll ever be able to stop.

The breakthrough came when I trained to become a professional Meditation Teacher.

Over the past decade I have had the honour of inspiring many thousands of women to discover the simple shifts you can make to go from thinking thoughts that make you feel grumpy, to thoughts that make you feel great.

And I’d love to make it easy for you, too.

Here’s An Insider Secret For You:

It only takes a few minutes a day, when you know how – and it can even feel easy – and even fun!

You can retrain your brain to think thoughts that make you feel happy and make life feel easier, even in situations that you used to find tough.

Want to know what that secret ingredient is? It’s the one that makes the VITAL difference?

It’s the core theme we’ll be covering, if you join us for Dancing In Your Soul-Shoes in 2015.

It’s all in bite-sized chunks – the kind of things you can do while you wait for a kettle to boil – to make it easy for you to make shifts in your life… … no matter how busy you are.

Want to know my shortcuts? Let me show you the ‘how to’ that took me years to discover and refine – in a way that makes it easy for you to create transformation in your life, no matter how hectic and stressful things might seem.

Let me take you on a journey.

Monthly Live Masterclasses

Virtual Mentoring Video Tutorials

Fortnightly Projects

Affirmations & Inspirational Quotes

Easily Create Life-Changing Insights

You’re Not Alone

Here’s some of what we’ll be covering in the monthly masterclasses:

How To Join In Today

Are you seeing this pattern in yourself? Or in a member of your team?

Here are six essential end-of-week battery rechargers for introverted business managers

How do you know if you’ve got an Inner Critic?

Is it time to tame your Inner Critic?

Here are 5 sure-fire techniques you can use today.

Fact: You are not the same as your inner critic. It is ‘just’ a thought in your head.

Don’t make the mistake of fighting it!

Stop feeding its pesky stories!

Delete the word ‘should’ from your vocabulary.

Psst! You don’t have to listen to it…