Keep some time for yourself life will be happier

Increase Your Happiness by Making Time for Yourself

You have multiple priorities on your mind at any given time.

Food, kids, laundry, cleaning, friends, work, bills, relationships, home, car, shower, sex, exercise, hobbies, not to mention politics, economics, scientific breakthroughs, the environment, public education or healthcare.

You are in constant movement, getting things done, going places, talking to people.

Not only are you thinking about many things at the same time, recent Harvard research indicates that you're thinking about something other than what you are doing in the moment at least 47% of the time.

You spend most of your life engaging with a wandering mind*, thinking about everything you need to do, pondering world affairs and absentmindedly doing what needs to be done right now.

You are giving life half of your attention because almost 50% of the time you're thinking of something other than what you're doing.

When your life is guided by thoughts about things you must do or things you have done you will likely fail to focus on the present. And you might experience a downward spiral* into stress and unhappiness.

Your focus is on everything and everyone except yourself.

You are rarely on your own list!

You feel responsible for "getting everything done."

This mentality incorporates the thinking “If I don’t do it, who will?”

When you focus on everything except yourself you might feel angry, irritable, frustrated, disappointed, stressed, depressed, lethargic and you might head right for the chocolate and potato chips.

GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK!

Downward Spiral* or Upward Spiral*?

Stress or Ease?

Grumpiness or Happiness?

At some point you must make a firm decision that you will stand up for your happiness at all costs! No matter how many things need to be done or how many people you need to talk to right away.

You must acknowledge your happiness as your number one priority.

If you slack on making yourself a priority the consequences can be unwelcome.

Your unhappiness will pervade your family, your work and your community, even if you don't intend to spread those feelings to family and friends.

When you are ready to:

1.   admit your happiness is important

2.   acknowledge creating time for yourself is essential

3.   create a self-based happiness practice with strict boundaries

Then determine what you will do within your happiness practice.

According to the Harvard Gazette:

Dan Gilbert, a professor of psychology at Harvard, found people were happiest when making love, exercising or engaging in conversation. They were least happy when resting, working or using a home computer.

Within your happiness practice, set aside time to make love, exercise and engage in meaningful conversation. Avoid idle rest, overwork or unproductive time in front of the computer.

I would add: Build in daily happiness-boosting routines and engage in meaningful acts of service. Your health and happiness are your top priorities in life.

You must make time for yourself.

You can design a life where your happiness is your foundation.

It's time to put yourself first and make happiness your top priority.

Who else is going to do it for you?

Start today! Make love! Exercise! Call a good friend and have a meaningful conversation! Express gratitude! Smile and laugh! Sing and dance! Jump up and say, “I'm happy!” Do something that engages your heart!

10 immortal lessons from the Bhagavad Gita:

A guidebook to life

The Bhagavad Gita is one of India’s ancient texts derived from the epic poem, The Mahabharata. Throughout history, this still stands as the longest poem to have been written, with over 100,000 shlokas or over 200,000 verses. Although only a part of this huge text, the Bhagavad Gita is perhaps one of the most important and highly revered yogic texts ever to have been written. The Bhagavad Gita is one of the greatest Religious Spiritual Book. Considered to be a doctrine of universal truth. Bhagvad Gita shows path to the lost, answer to the confused and wisdom to all. It is one of the greatest spiritual books the world has ever known. The primary purpose of the Bhagavad- Gita is to illuminate for all of humanity the realization of the true nature of divinity; for the highest spiritual conception and the greatest material perfection is to attain love of God!

Texts like The Upanishads and the Dhammapada are also part of this epic poem, but it is the Bhagavad Gita which is often cited as the one that holds the key to personal transformation:

As the third of the classics, the Bhagavad Gita is a map and a guidebook. It gives us a systematic overview of the territory [of life], shows various approaches to the summit with their benefits and pitfalls, offers recommendations, tells us what to pack and what to leave behind. More than either of the others (the Upanishads and the Dhammapada), it gives the sense of a personal guide. It asks and answers the questions that you or I might ask – questions not about philosophy or mysticism, but about how to live life effectively in a world of challenge and change.

10 immortal lessons you can use from the Bhagavad Gita:

1.  Liberation does not mean that one should renounce the world.  By performing one's worldly duties, one can attain true liberation.

2.  Our soul is immortal. Even after our death, our soul lives, it just changes bodies.

3.  One should not get caught in the web of desires. A desire sometimes triggers one to perform an unkind action, so it's best to witness the world dispassionately. Desires would simply come and go. 

4.  One has the right to work, but never to the fruits of work. One should never engage in action for the sake of reward, nor should one long for inaction.

5.  When one's mind dwells on the objects of senses, fondness for them grows, from fondness comes desire, from desire anger. Anger leads to bewilderment, bewilderment to loss of memory of true self, and by that, intelligence is destroyed, and with the destruction of intelligence one perishes.

6.  What belongs to you today, belonged to someone yesterday and will be someone else's tomorrow.

7.  We came in this world empty-handed and we will go from this world empty-handed. Wealth, relationships, position, respect, valuables - everything will be left here.

8.  Whatever has happened is good, whatever is happening is good and whatever will happen, will be good. One's life is in the hands of the creator and one should never lose faith in the creator.

9.  Selfishness clouds one's wisdom. When self-interest is put aside, clarity prevails in the mind.

10. The supreme force dwells within you. You are God and God is you.

5 Mudras for Everyday Magic

                                             

                                               

             

In the modern world, many of us have a mentality of scarcity and lack.

Scarcity mindset keeps you grounded in fear— fear of there not being enough of whatever it is you desire, whether it’s money or love or travel. When you fear that there isn’t enough for everyone, you forget that the universe is an abundant place.

A scarcity mindset can be incredibly convenient. I see this all the time with my yoga business coaching clients. Your ego loves it because it keeps you small. If the world is a scarce, scary place, then you don’t really have to go for what you truly desire anyway, because you probably could never get it. You don’t have to rise to your full potential, be your highest self, and create your most amazing life.

1.Ksepana Mudra — Releasing Negativity
Clear your energy field, cleanse your emotions. Try this mudra after being in a large crowd, following an argument, or when you find yourself caught up in the throes of negativity.

Clasp your hands with index fingers touching flat on each other (point downward) at sacral chakra (below the navel). Cross the thumbs. Affirm “I fully release all negativity from my body, mind and soul. Pure healing energies flow into me now.” Take several deep, slow breaths. With each exhale, release all the drama and baggage. With each inhale, take in the pure loving energies of the divine. Duration: 2 minutes or more.

                              

2.Prana Mudra — Energizing
Usher in vital life force energy. Use this when you feel drained, fatigued or depressed.

Join your thumb with both your little and ring finger, while keeping the middle and index fingers extended. Hold your hands in either a vertical or horizontal position. Take several deep breaths and place your focus on the pure revitalizing energy that is pouring into your body. Each cell is being fully revitalized now. Affirm, “I plug into the universe and recharge my batteries.” Duration: 5-30 minutes.

Practicing mudras engages both the body and the mind, creating a very focused and powerful healing practice.

                       

3.Mudra for wealth (9 jewels)

The nine jewels symbolize wealth of life according to the eastern tradition. From these nine jewels consists body, mind and consciousness of a human and the environment. Combining all nine jewels in one bowl, we confirm the union of the soul and body, the union the a human and space. The full bowl symbolizes prosperity and wealth.

How to form this mudra: Four fingers of the left-hand support from the down and embrace the same fingers of the right hand. The thumbs of the both hands put aside freely, forming a bowl.

4.KUNDALINI (SEX) MUDRA

This mudra awakes and activates the sexual power. Kundalini mudra associates with sex, union of man and woman origins

How to perform this mudra

Clench your both fists. Now stretch your forefinger of the left hand and thrust it from the down in the first of the right hand. The thumb-cushion of your right hand should lay on the forefinger-tip of the left hand. Performing this mudra pull down your hands as lower as possible, so your hands are in the lower area of your abdomen.

Practice it three times a day for 15 minutes.

5.Lotus Mudra for Opening to Abundance

·         The Lotus Mudra belongs to your heart centre and symbolizes pure love, affection, communication, and connection.

·         The open flower helps to open you up to receiving abundance.

·         This mudra manifests prosperity, health, compassion, joy, affection, and love.

Here’s how to do it:

Bring your hands together so that the outer sides of your pinky fingers and thumbs touch. Create a basket shape with your hands by opening the fingers wide but maintaining the contact of the thumb and pinky fingers. Really spread the fingers wide apart, still maintaining the contact of the thumb and pinkies. Inhale and bring the lotus shape to the centre of your chest. Stay for several breaths and focus on the feeling in your hands. Let the mind soften. Let the heart open. And let the entire mind, body, and soul prepare to receive love, abundance, health, wealth, success and true compassion.

“Sow a thought,
reap an action;
sow an action,
reap a habit;
sow a habit,
reap a character;
sow a character,
reap a destiny,”

Organize Your Thoughts:10X Your Productivity

Feel like your brain is overwhelmed with too many thoughts?  You’re not alone. Thank you so much for your interest in Brainetics.

Our minds are basically organized like human computers. They function in much the same way. So, if we want to improve our daily productivity, we need to empty the cache of temporary “files” and reboot for our brains to allow us to perform at our peak levels.

Otherwise we can easily experience brain overload with too many circuits firing simultaneously and so many programs (thoughts) working in the shadows that we often “freeze up”. This will make us unable to remember everything or simply process the information in a less efficient manner than we’d like.

It sounds odd but when you stop to consider, it makes sense.

In this article, I’ll explain to you why organizing your thoughts is so important and introduce to you 3 simple steps to super boost your brain power.

Organizing your mind: Why should you care?

By making it a habit to set aside a few minutes each day to empty and organize your brain, you can drastically improve your ability to focus, complete tasks and achieve your goals.

A streamlined mind is much more effective than a perpetually overloaded one.

In addition, an overloaded brain forgets things, important tasks, details and deadlines. The quality of our output suffers as well. We are simply unable to concentrate and use our intelligence and skills to their highest potential.

As a side benefit, you’ll find better balance, less stress and increased energy. Swirling thoughts cause an enormous amount of stress and prevent our minds from truly ever resting. This results in brain fatigue, which keeps us exhausted and irritable.

3 simple steps to organize your thoughts

Organizing your thoughts isn’t really that difficult. It only requires a few minutes each day and surprisingly simple tools to help sharpen your brain.

1. Choose your best time

Ideally, this process is best done twice each day, first thing in the morning and again before bedtime, but that doesn’t work for everyone.

Choose the time that works best for you. Any time will work. The key is to do it consistently.

I have found that I need my morning coffee, breakfast and exercise first. My brain must wake up a bit. I apparently need a caffeine kick, fuel and stress release to form coherent thoughts.

2. Choose your method of logging

Any number of apps on your phone will work well to record thoughts and tasks. If you prefer, you can use the voice-recording feature. Even the basic note function works fine.

An organizational program or document, such as Outlook, OneNote, or Evernote on your computer will work as well.

Though I tend to be a “techie” by nature, I still prefer to use a pen and pad for this process. Sometimes the simplest method is the most effective.

Whatever tool you choose, make sure it’s quick and readily accessible.

3. Quickly dump everything you’re keeping in your head

And I mean everything… Not just tasks but thoughts, concerns, questions, and ideas too.

Get it all out. Don’t worry about sorting them; you can do that later, just get them out of your head so that they can stop spinning around, using up precious brainpower and space.

Once you’re finished, ask yourself if you need or want to act on any of these items today.

If the answer is yes:

• Add those tasks to your ongoing task or to-do list (you have one of those right?)
• Cross them off or remove them.

If the answer is no:

• Is it an idea? – Add it to an idea file, work notebook, or document to pursue later.
• Is it more of a question or concerns you have? – Record it in a journal or notebook to mull over at another time. (If you never go back to consider them, they probably weren’t that important!)

It’s that simple. It should take no more than 5 to 10 minutes!

A tiny habit with great benefits

When we’re unable to let go of thoughts and responsibilities that plague us, we are no longer constantly preoccupied. We are better able to quiet our mind and enjoy the other parts of our lives.

When we aren’t stuck in our head, we can fully engage with the rest of the world outside us.

That’s not bad for a 5-10-minute investment.

Physical Ways to Organize Your Thoughts

Get some exercise.

Move your body and get your heart pumping. Make a visit to the gym, run outdoors, play frisbee or a game of catch with a friend, or walk and do some errands. The change of pace will give your mind a break and allow your subconscious to work on your puzzle in the background.

Spend time in nature.

Go out and spend some time outdoors. You could sit in the park on a bench, hike a trail, walk your dog, or gaze at a beautiful green pasture. Get out of your heard, and let your eyes take in the sights.

Talk to a friend or family member.

Sometimes it helps to talk things out. You’ll feel better getting things out of your head, and off your chest. Plus, your friend can help you find patterns that you may be missing, or clarify, and reinforce what you’re thinking.

Tell a story.

The process of telling a story aloud will make you think about what’s important, and what’s not. So, start with one of your thoughts and make up a story about it. “Once upon a time…”

How about you? How do you organize your thoughts? Will you try any of the suggestions listed in this post? Join in the conversation and leave a comment below!

WONDERS OF MUSIC IN LIFE

Music can provide inspiration, relaxation and passion. Some people use music to set a mood. While others will have their favourite symphony playing while they study for exams. And let’s not forget dancing to your favourite song as a form of exercise or meditation! Yes, music does inspire and provoke us to be who we are to the fullest of our abilities. 

Music speaks when words can’t. I believe the power of music is generally underestimated. Hundreds of reports have shown and proven how music stimulates the brain and can bring back memories or emotions.

I imagine that music plays many roles in your life as it does in mine. It allows others to have a sense of who we are and what we believe. Consider the ways that music has influenced your life. Music has the power to shift our feelings from joy to sorrow in a split second. It can bring us back to memories we forgot we had or forward to the world we have yet to create. Music has many purposes and abilities. There are degrees in Music Therapy offered at many Universities. The drumbeat has been used for centuries by Native Indians to elevate shamans to other dimensions. And let us not forget the sheer entertainment that sitting at an opera or a jazz club brings us! Yes, music is a very powerful source.

Music Can Heal You

There are several mechanisms by which music can have this effect. First, music has positive physical effects. It can produce direct biological changes, such as reducing heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol levels.

1) When we listen to music our brain releases dopamine which is a feel good chemical essential for the healthy functioning of the central nervous system; it has effects on emotion, perception and movement.

2) Music is proven to physiologically affect heart rate, breathing and pulse rate resulting in physical chills of pleasure. A study was undertaken by Dr Mike Miller of Baltimore, who measured the effects of music on the cardiovascular system by measuring blood vessel size before, during and after music playing. When a patient liked the music playing, the blood vessels relaxed and opened.

3) Happy lyrics help us to think positively. “Walking on Sunshine” anyone?

4) Music lifts mood, reduces anxiety, raises motivation and helps combat insomnia and depression. A recent study by Stanford University shows that depressed patients gain self-esteem and their mood improves after music therapy.

5) Music can trigger associated memories transporting you back to special occasions. Billie Holiday always reminds me of my Nana – good times.

6) Music physically heals – yes really. Fabien Maman, a musician and acupuncturist, devised the Tama-Do Academy based on his extensive research that showed that human blood cells respond to sound frequencies by changing color and shape. His findings demonstrate sick or rogue cells can be healed or harmonized with sound.

When you listen to music you enjoy and makes you happy, your blood flow increases. Music promotes healthy blood vessel function the more you listen to joyful songs.

Whatever the reason you listen to music, I hope it makes your heart sing.

WISDOM OF LIFE

The first step in the acquisition of wisdom is silence, the second listening, the third memory, the fourth practice, the fifth teaching others.
Solomon Ibn Gabriol

Wisdom or sapience is the ability to think and act using knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense, and insight, especially in a mature or utilitarian manner.

Wisdom implies combination of knowledge and thoughts around predetermined principles. Wisdom includes both rational (scientific) intellectual practices and mental processes. In that case, our vision and related strategies explain meaning of our lives and how we could spend such life. Human beings are trying to make sense the world around them with limited knowledge, struggle to create a synergy between the mind and character and to balance both sides wellbeing and truths

Wikipedia describes Wisdom as “a deep understanding [ …] resulting in the ability to apply perceptions, judgments and actions in keeping with this understanding. It often requires control of one’s emotional reactions so that universal principles, reason and knowledge prevail to determine one’s actions. Wisdom is also the comprehension of what is true or right coupled with optimum judgment as to action. “

Throughout our lives, we are mostly worried about things that won’t happen anyway. We are afraid of failure when the regret about not having tried can be by far more painful than failure.

The most common regrets of the dying:

§  I wish I hadn’t spent so much time working

§  I wish I had stayed in contact with my friends/family

§  I wish I had spent more time with my children

§  I wish I hadn’t tried to please everyone

§  I wish I’d had the courage to express what I was feeling

Connecting with yourself is worthwhile

People externalize because they have no trust in themselves. Instead of taking responsibility by acting they wait for someone else to do it for them. It is the underlying foundation of many people’s lives.

Develop a healthy trust in yourself and take responsibility for your life, if you do not want to make your whole life dependent on others. Connect with the inner wisdom that is within you, instead of waiting for others to impose their “truths” upon you. People seek for answers to their inexplicable questions outside of themselves when they can find all the answers within themselves and might already know the answers to some of these questions. Get to know who you really are and practice the skill of listening to your intuition, or as many term it: learn to listen to your heart.

Why is Wisdom important for you?

Because it will harmonize your life. It will establish the priorities of your life and bring you back into right relationship with yourself and with everyone around you. Consider these words. Consider how great this gift is and how essential it is for your well-being, your advancement and your contribution in life.

You always have a choice.  Between stimulus and response is a gap and in that gap is the ability to choose how you respond to any given situation. It’s your attitude toward your existence that makes all the difference.

Wisdom is a Blessing

Happy is the man who finds wisdom.

Hard times don't hurt is we know how to transform them to our benefit. Rather than being meaningless or evil we can transform them into opportunities to develop special inner qualities. By doing so we become more whole, healthy, and happy.

MAY THE GOD OF WISDOM and infinite love look down on you always from heaven above.

May God send you good fortune, contentment and peace, and May all your blessings forever increase.