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Note from Nanette
This year I’ve recognized that somehow, around the beginning of November, I get very anxious about the coming of the year-end, and the preparation for new beginnings in January. I’ve learned that I create a certain level of anxiety for myself that is fueled by a need to feel like I’m always moving forward toward bigger and better things. “Mastery” for me has been about always learning more, doing more… And as I pushed and pushed and pushed this month, fortunately, something different happened. While reviewing choices for more “things to do” for 2010, I actually allowed myself to consider one choice that had never been on the list before…”do” nothing! For the first time, I allowed myself to consider that not adding anything else to my to-do list, not taking on anymore projects, was a very real possibility. And, that means that I will deliberately stay focused on the steps I need to take consistently to reach out and connect to those I’m meant to serve and to continue to release old patterns, habits and behaviors that have sabotaged my growth in the past. Whew! What a relief. Pushing through October was driven mostly by my work to launch my new website, and I am proud to announce that it’s “live” at http://wisewellwomen.com. I still have content development to do, but that’s OK. I’m celebrating being imperfectly perfect and taking a deep breath. Join me, won’t you? I’d love to hear from you. Read and comment on my posts anytime you’d like. Let me know what topics you’d like to discuss. The conversation is always welcome. In the spirit of wisdom, wellness and prosperity–
Upcoming Events
It’s time to start thinking about the holidays, and my mastHermind partner, Karen Roumay, Territory Manager for NuBarter, is hosting a holiday gathering, trade and gift show to showcase the growing membership base and all the wonderful gifts ideas available on barter. Join them, Thursday, November 19th, at Deerfield Country Club. Visit www.nubarter.com for more information. And, if you’re a barter fan, show your support by visiting www.forbes.com to vote for NuBarter in the finals of the Boost Your Business contest, celebrating the small companies with the Best Business Plans. Stacey Joiner, author, yoga instructor and massage therapist, and MastHermind partner, will be a feature guest on the “Girls Weekend Away Cruise”, January 21 – 25, 2010 onboard Royal Caribbean’s “Navigator of the Seas”. To reserve your spot now, call 561-967-4646 and visit www.cruiseone.com/jgarroway. Special reduced rates were recently lowered even further for this “You Deserve the Royal Treatment” themed event. Feature Article
Breathe In, Breathe Out: Baby Step #2 In my special report, Becoming a Wise Well Woman: How to Baby Step Your Way to Wisdom, Well-being and Wealth, I talk about conscious breathing, Baby Step #2 – Breathe, as a way to bring some relaxation into your life. It really works for me. Yet, I am aware that relaxation isn’t the only benefit experts talk about that comes from conscious breathing. Certainly, there is plenty to share on the topic. These baby steps are so simple, and yet so powerful that I feel compelled to elaborate. And since I’m not a breath expert, I decided to do a little research to share with you. In fact, most experts agree that we are generally oblivious to the power of our breathing. We breathe in and out all day and all night long unconsciously, almost automatically. In fact, our breath really is on “autopilot”. Unless we have suffered a debilitating injury or illness, most of us never have to think about breathing. We breathe in life-giving oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide, cleansing our systems continuously. On his website, www.breathing.com, Mike Grant White shares with us that breathing suplies over 99% of our entire oxygen and energy supply. Clearly, optimal breathing improves vitality and quality of life, and poor breathing causes or worsens illness and disease. Carlos R. Zalaquett, Ph. D., who created a health series for college students titled “Breathing Techniques” (http://www.coedu.usf.edu/zalaquett/Help_Screens/breath.htm), describes the vital role that oxygen plays in the respiratory and circulatory systems. He continues to highlight the dangers of irregular breathing and the contribution to the general deterioration of health in individuals of any age. Dr. David Anderson, a senior investigator at the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Aging, has seen evidence that slower, deep breathing helps some people lower blood pressure. Dr. Woodson Merrel, author of Power Up: Unleash Your Natural Energy, Revitalize Our Health and Feel 10 Years Younger, believes that the practice of deep breathing can increase your energy. “It makes a dramatic difference in lowering down the level of stress and calming your nervous system,” he says. Johnnie D. Jackow Sr, Fitness Expert/Author, is often quoted saying “Oxygen is fuel for your body as is food.” And we’ve all seen on http://www.Oprah.com and in the magazine, Oprah’s famous “Breathing Spaces” feature. In an article on breathing in a recent issue, the author described one of the best ways to calm yourself down when you are stressed is to simply stop what you are doing and take a deep breath. In a famous “What I Know For Sure” column titled “Cure for Being Overwhelmed”, Oprah described the cure as simply being to take a day and do nothing! And she went on to write…”And I wrote in my journal: I am grateful for my breath and the recognition that I am here, alive. Breathing. I am grateful for life.” We know now that simply by concentrating on taking air in, and letting air out, you can actually decrease tension in your body, relieve anxiety and improve circulation. Some say you can improve metabolism, too. Combine all these things and you can achieve optimal health. Wow! Can it be that simple? Yes and here’s how you do it: There are many practices and techniques, some include deep breathing, and some counted breathing, some imaginative breathing, some circular breathing. For me, for my “Baby Steps”, I focus on natural, slow, gentle breathing. The best description I found comes from Thich Nhat Hanh, Nobel Peace Prize Nominee, and author of The Miracle of Mindfulness. He describes a technique he calls “watching the breath”: Your breath should be light, even and flowing, like a thin stream of water running through the sand. The instant you sit down to meditate, begin watching your breath. At first, breathe normally, gradually letting your breathing slow down until it is quiet, even and the length of the breaths fairly long. From the moment you sit down to the moment your breathing has become deep and silent, be conscious of everything that is happening in yourself…Making your breath calm and even is called the method of following one’s breath. If it seems hard at first, you can substitute the method of counting your breath. As you breathe in, count 1 in your mind, and as you breathe out, count 1. Breathe in, count 2. Breath out, count 2. Continue through 10, then return to 1 again. Thich Nhat Hanh goes on to describe in his writings “the miracle that happens when we attend solely to our breath.” When we focus solely on our breathing we stop thinking, and that is a miracle already, he contends. In his teachings he says that because we think too much, we are not truly ourselves, and that by focusing on breathing in and out, we stop thinking and begin to be where our body is. Thinking separates our body and our mind, and by practicing this form of concentration we achieve Oneness of Body and Mind, seeing clearly and deeply, that which is true in ourselves. I call it “quieting the noise” in my head! And simple, relaxed, conscious breathing helps me to do that every day. Baby Step #2 on the path to becoming a Wise Well Woman. So, when you’re feeling overworked and overwhelmed, just stop for a minute, and take a breath. You’ll be surprised by how relaxed you can become!
Wit and Wisdom “You know that our breathing is the inhaling and exhaling of air. The organ that serves for this is the lungs that lie round the heart, so that the air passing through them thereby envelops the heart. Thus breathing is a natural way to the heart. And so, having collected your mind within you, lead it into the channel of breathing through which air reaches the heart and, together with this inhaled air, force your mind to descend into the heart and to remain there. “ – Nicephorus the Solitary “There is no answer to any of these questions. It’s a matter of time and timing, of seas and seasons, of breathing in and breathing out. It’s a matter of balance.” — Peter McWilliams, author The Life 101 Series Recommendations “Rock Star Author”, Sandy Grason, is an International Speaker, the Founder & Author of the best-selling book JOURNALUTION: Journaling to Awaken Your Inner Voice, Heal Your Life & Manifest Your Dreams, a complete step-by-step guide to transforming your life through journaling. Sandy also offers audio classes, workshops, one-on- one consulting and other resources to help you express yourself creatively in the world and make more money doing what you love. Learn more now at www.SandyGrason.com. ******************************************************* Heather Dominick, EnergyRICH® Entrepreneur Success and Master Coach, is the creator of the EnergyRICH® Entrepreneur Success System and EnergyRICHcoach.com a company devoted to teaching healers, coaches and heart-centered entrepreneurs around the world how to partner Universal Energetic Principles with practical step-by-step “How-To’s” to joyfully make more money in your business so you can better serve the world. Through her EnergyRICH® Business Boot Camp, Private Mentor Coaching Programs, and products, Heather shows her students how to transcend lower level energies like fear and doubt to be able to build their business from a place of serving, joy and abundance. Click here now and receive your free EnergyRICH® Entrepreneur Success Kit and begin your transformational journey right away. ***** My friend and coaching “buddy”, Melinda Janicki, Your Online Business Strategist & Creator of the OnDemand Implementers™, owner of OnDemand Virtual Services, can help you step into your business success so you can easily arrive at the next level of business growth! With high-level support, website amp ups and complete virtual assistance solutions your company will propel with ease. If you are ready to create a strategic business foundation, with a full virtual team and healthy marketing flow then take a look around our interactive website. http://www.OnDemandVirtualServices.com |
