Main

June 25, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XXII, Podcast

Because I have too many commitments on my plate presently, I will temporarily not be posting any blogs or podcasts for the next few months. I expect to start posting again in the Fall of 2010.

In the interim, please check out the Archives section at the bottom of the right-hand column of my blog site. There you will find over four years of my previous blogs and podcasts. It is a very rich resource of inspiring information on Intuition, Meditation and Spirituality.

As well, I have not had a chance to record the meditation for this podcast. If you would like to receive a free copy of the mp3 version of my meditation CD: Peace of Mind is Breath Away: Breathing Free Meditations, please email me at: yanni.maniates@verizon.net and I'll send you a link to it for freee.

Many Blessings!

Yanni

June 21, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XXII

This is Part XXII of a twenty-two part mini-course in Meditation in which I discuss the benefits of Meditation, how to best do it and use it and then lead you in a guided meditation at the end. In order to get the most out of these blogs and podcasts, it would be best for you to go back and start with the first blog entry on January 25, 2009.

What follows in this blog post is the text of the abdominal breathing meditation which I have recorded as the June 25th, 2009 Podcast. Feel free to either listen to my recording or make your own. As well, read through the text below to get a feel for what you can do to calm yourself down during the day.

Close your eyes now and get nice and comfortable... First thing I would like you to do is to just become aware of your physical body. Notice your feet, how and where they touch the floor. Notice, as well, how you are sitting in your chair, where your body touches the chair and the placement of your arms...

And now become aware, as well, of your whole body. Do a body-scan from the top of your head down to the bottoms of your feet. Just notice if there are any areas that are tight or tense or sore. Or maybe there are areas that feel relaxed. Just have an awareness, not a judgment. Just an awareness of how your body feels.....

Become aware, as well, of your mood, just an awareness of it, don't try to change it.... And your energy level, just an awareness, an objective awareness of how you are right now.

And now I would like you to place your attention on your abdomen and your breathing. I would like you to notice as you breathe in that your abdomen expands slightly. And as you exhale, your abdomen contracts slightly. Now don't force a change in your breathing pattern in order to expand your abdomen; I'm not asking you to change anything, just notice it. Breathing in, the abdomen expands slightly. Breathing out, exhaling, the abdomen contracts, slightly.

So just continue to be aware of your breath, your breathing, your abdomen expanding and your abdomen contracting. Just have an awareness of your breath, your breathing. If there are any distractions or noises that you might hear in the background or foreground, just ignore them. Any thoughts that may come to your mind now; just ignore them, they are not important. Or even any emotions that might bubble up; just ignore them, let them go, let yourself be still and let yourself be quiet.

What I would like you to do now is to begin to see if you can do ten full breaths, a full breath is one inhalation and one exhalation, without getting lost in your thoughts. Find your own rhythm and just see if you can do ten full breaths without losing track. Breathing in, breathing out, without getting lost in your thoughts, emotions or any distractions. Just be present within the stillness of yourself, for it is in that stillness that you will find the real you, that is, a human "being" and not a human "doing."

Continue counting your inhalations and your exhalations. If you lose count and don't make it to ten, that's fine. Start again and start counting all over again. Some thoughts or emotions may make it into your awareness as you do this, but just ignore them and keep counting your breath. Just do you best to keep your primary awareness on your breath. Allow everything else to fade away to recede.

If you get to ten, then just continue counting beyond the ten, just counting the breath, keeping your focus on your abdomen. When you focus on your abdomen and count your breath, it helps to calm you down. It draws the energies down that are bouncing around in your head and grounds them in your belly so to speak. This is a great breath to do whenever you feel anxious, worried or just plain hyper. Just breathe in and breathe out and note the rise and fall of your abdomen as you do.

As you continue, you might even notice or feel that your breathing has become deeper and slower. Your blood pressure is going down and your pulse is slowing. You are releasing relaxation hormones into your blood stream. Physiologically you have made a significant change in your blood chemistry in just these few minutes. Whereas before you may have been in a fight or flight state and your body was tense and poised to run or attack and filled with stress hormones, now you are in a relaxed state, a peaceful state, a healing state. Continue the counting of the breath, the inhalation and the exhalation for a few more breaths....

And now you can begin to let go of your focus on your breath... Make note of what your mood is now.... What your energy level feels like... As you did at the beginning just do a quick body scan from head to toe and just feel, sense, see how your body is doing now....And now become aware of your feet, your abdomen, your chest, your hands, your head, your breathing and your breath. Take a few conscious breaths and begin to come up and out. When you are ready you can begin to open your eyes, with a soft focus, so much more relaxed, so much more at peace, than when we began.

This is Part XXII of a twenty-two part blog.

Hope that you have enjoyed this mini-course on meditation. Wishing you all the best!

Peace be with you!

Yanni

Please go to the following link if you have interest in my award winning book on Meditation and Intuition: http://www.MagicalKeystoSelfMastery.com/

As well, if you have interest in my Meditation CDs, please go to the following link:
http://www.LearnMastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

June 18, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XXI, Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XXI Podcast"


(length 5:00 minutes)





Subscribe to Feed Below:


June 14, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XXI

This is Part XXI of a twenty-two part part mini-course in Meditation in which I discuss the benefits of Meditation, how to best do it and use it and then lead you in a guided meditation at the end. In order to get the most out of these blogs and podcasts, it is best for you to go back and start with the first blog entry on January 25, 2009.

What follows are some suggestions on how to prepare to sit in a formal meditation:

Now, in terms of how you sit or what you do when you meditate, the most important thing is to make sure you are comfortable. If you have the flexibility to go into the yoga lotus or the half-lotus position, then certainly do so. If you don't have the flexibility, then I would not suggest you do that. You can meditate very effectively sitting comfortably in straight backed chair. This is the way I do it all the time.

Just sit up straight with you spine erect, but not rigid. It is best that your legs are on the ground and are not crossed. Your hands are in your lap, palms up or down, whatever is most comfortable for you. If at any point during the meditation you are uncomfortable, then shift. Move around a bit. If you need to cough, do so. Don't spend ten minutes suppressing a cough or being physically uncomfortable and then conclude that you can't meditate. As well, breathe in and out of your nostrils and not your mouth.

The most important thing to remember is to make sure you are comfortable while you are doing meditation. I might add, though, not so comfortable that you fall asleep. By the way, I do not recommend that you lie on the floor or a bed when you meditate because you are very likely to fall asleep. Lie down only if you have a significant back problem. So, again, the idea is to be as comfortable as possible, yet still alert; and, most importantly, enjoy the experience of "being" with yourself.

Also, make sure that wherever you do the meditation is quiet and let all your "significant others" know that this is your quiet time to take care of yourself.

On my next podcast of June 25,2009 I will lead you in a guided abdominal breathing meditation.

This is Part XXI of a twenty-two part blog.

Please go to the following link if you have interest in my award winning book on Meditation and Intuition: http://www.MagicalKeystoSelfMastery.com/

As well, if you have interest in my Meditation CDs, please go to the following link:
http://www.LearnMastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

June 11, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XX, Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XX Podcast"


(length 4:40 minutes)




MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:


June 7, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XX

This is Part XX of a twenty-two part mini-course in Meditation in which I discuss the benefits of Meditation, how to best do it and use it and then lead you in a guided meditation at the end. In order to get the most out of these blogs and podcasts, it would be best for you to go back and start with the first blog entry on January 25, 2009.

In conclusion, regarding the many different meditation techniques that are out there, I have been teaching meditation for twenty years and practicing for forty. From my point of view every type or school of meditation is just a technique. Whatever you are most comfortable with and whatever works best for you is the right one for you to do. That is my take on it. So, if a technique works for you, it is the right one! And if at times you need to change the type of meditation you are doing, then certainly do so.

But I have found that working with the breath is the place most meditative traditions begin and that is why I am focusing on it in this mini-course. If you can master this one simple technique, you are well on your way to a much more health full and peace full life.

And finally, I have come to see that meditation is the greatest tool or gift that I have been given in my life because it has taught me to find the deep well of peace that dwells within me and to discover the ground to my Being. It has taught me to be the Master of my mind and thus the Master of my life. It has taught me how to come to know my Self, that is, my Higher Self--my "most significant other."

There is so much more I can say, but I hope this brief introduction to meditation has been helpful.

Blessings and Peace!

Remember: Peace of Mind is a Breath or a Thought or an Image Away

In the next blog post, number XXI, I share with you directions on how best to meditate. In the concluding blog post, number XXII, I post the text of a 5-6 minute abdominal breathing meditation that I have recorded for the June 25, 2009 podcast. EnJoy!

This is Part XX of a twenty-two part blog.

Please go to the following link if you have interest in my award winning book on Meditation and Intuition: http://www.MagicalKeystoSelfMastery.com/

As well, if you have interest in my Meditation CDs, please go to the following link:
http://www.LearnMastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

June 4, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XIX, Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XIX Podcast"


(length 4:36 minutes)




MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:


May 31, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XIX

This is Part XIX of a twenty-two part mini-course in Meditation in which I discuss the benefits of Meditation, how to best do it and use it and then lead you in a guided meditation at the end. In order to get the most out of these blogs and podcasts, it would be best for you to go back and start with the first blog entry on January 25, 2009.

So, again, as I mentioned earlier, meditation is very much like the numerous personal hygiene habits that you already practice such as taking a shower, brushing and flossing your teeth, washing your clothes and keeping your house clean. Meditation is like taking your daily shower or keeping the house of your mind clean. I would not go without doing this.

When you hands are dirty, do you wash them? When your thoughts are junky, do you clean them up? Why not?

Lastly, I would like to address an issue that comes up a lot for people who are beginning to meditate or starting up again. One of the things they often say to me is how can I find any more time in my already jam packed day to do this - it is going to stress me out even more?

Again, as I mentioned earlier there is enough time in the day. There really is! You don't have to sit in meditation for an hour--though if you want to, you certainly can--but you can find time to meditate in the car or when you waiting in line or in those in between times in your day. You just have to remember.

Give yourself a break from all your incessant thinking to calm down and refresh your mind and body. As you build this habit into your life, you will come back to it more and more because it gives you life and energy.

In time, more and more you will learn to respond from a place of a deep conscious full breath, rather than from a place of hyperventilation. You cannot have a negative emotion or thought when you are breathing deeply and fully. Your mind is as clear as it can be when you are breathing fully and deeply.

So, why not live your life clear? Why not live your life with your brain having as much oxygen as possible so that you can make decisions with all of its capacity engaged? As well, you can be physiologically a lot less tense and so much relaxed and balanced.

This is Part XIX of a twenty-two part blog.

Please go to the following link if you have interest in my award winning book on Meditation and Intuition: http://www.MagicalKeystoSelfMastery.com/

As well, if you have interest in my Meditation CDs, please go to the following link:
http://www.LearnMastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

May 28, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XVIII, Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XVIII Podcast"


(length 4:54 minutes)




MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:


May 24, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XVIII

This is Part XVIII of a twenty-two part mini-course in Meditation in which I discuss the benefits of Meditation, how to best do it and use it and then lead you in a guided meditation at the end. In order to get the most out of these blogs and podcasts, it would be best for you to go back and start with the first blog entry on January 25, 2009.

Let me be clear, though. I am not saying don't get angry. Situations arise where anger is appropriate. But what should you do with your anger? Anger is really a trigger for you to take action, which is either to get out of the situation or to express yourself appropriately. But when anger arises it is not good to hold the anger in and do nothing with it because then it burns you up inside and implodes within you or you eventually explode it out there in an inappropriate manner. So you either implode it within you or explode out. Or you deal with it appropriately.

When you feel anger, take ten deep breaths and then decide the appropriate action to take. Don't be angry and act angry. First be aware you are angry, take it as a cue to take action, take ten deep breaths and then act appropriately. Find an appropriate way to express what is important to you or wait for an appropriate time to express it.

Stephen Covey the author of "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" explains that between every stimulus and every response, there is always at least a brief lapse of time. The gift of what you learn with meditation is to increase that amount of time between the stimulus and your response so that you can make a conscious, volitional, intentional, effective, intelligent response rather than a habitual, spur of the moment one that can get you in trouble.

This applies not only to your interactions with another person, but also relative to yourself. Sometimes we get caught up in negative mental patterns either about another person or about ourselves. But if you just notice you are doing this and stop and say to yourself, "Whoa, wait a minute, what good is this doing me?" Then you can literally change your whole physiology, your blood chemistry and, as well, take the most appropriate action. You can stop and take ten deep breaths and then decide what action to take. In this way, you neither internalize nor externalize what you are feeling or thinking in an inappropriate way.

This is Part XVIII of a twenty-two part blog.

Please go to the following link if you have interest in my award winning book on Meditation and Intuition: http://www.MagicalKeystoSelfMastery.com/

As well, if you have interest in my Meditation CDs, please go to the following link:
http://www.LearnMastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

May 21, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XVII, Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XVII Podcast"


(length 4:35 minutes)




MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:


May 17, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XVII

This is Part XVII of a twenty-two part mini-course in Meditation in which I discuss the benefits of Meditation, how to best do it and use it and then lead you in a guided meditation at the end. In order to get the most out of these blogs and podcasts, it would be best for you to go back and start with the first blog entry on January 25, 2009.

As I come to the conclusion here, I feel that I must mention the following given that there is usually quite a bit of resistance to practicing meditation regularly.

There are times when we sit down to meditate and we find that our mind is in super hyper-overdrive. [By the way, this happens to me, too, and I have practicing for over 40 years.] Even when this happens to you, just stay with it. Don't give up. Just observe the patterns of thought that you are having and do the best you can to simply observe the thoughts and patterns. In doing so, you are at least taking the edge off of them and eventually you will learn how to better and better detach from them completely.

As well, do not resist the thoughts you are having either because "what you resist, persists." What you must do is to allow the thoughts to flow by and away from you. In other words, don't identify with the thoughts and end up getting caught up or enmeshed in them. Just observe them as neutrally as possible. Even if something comes up in your mind that needs to be dealt with, just let it go for now and know that it will come back later when it is the proper time to deal with it. Eighty percent of what we worry about never happens anyhow, so why be in overdrive thinking about "stuff" all the time!

As well, it is worth noting in this regard that a lot of our internal dialogue is self-critical. As you practice meditation, you'll notice that you are constantly dumping on yourself or you are projecting that dumpy dumpster stuff out onto somebody else. It is not doing you any good if you are dumping on yourself or another. Actually it is just dumping catabolic stress hormones into your system. And like the Buddha said, if you hold anger or resentment toward someone else, it is like taking hot coals and holding them in your hand. Why in heaven's name would you want to do that?

This is Part XVII of a twenty-two part blog.

Please go to the following link if you have interest in my award winning book on Meditation and Intuition: http://www.MagicalKeystoSelfMastery.com/

As well, if you have interest in my Meditation CDs, please go to the following link:
http://www.LearnMastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

May 14, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XVI, Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XVI Podcast"


(length 4:25 minutes)




MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:


May 10, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XVI

This is Part XVI of a twenty-two part mini-course in Meditation in which I discuss the benefits of Meditation, how to best do it and use it and then lead you in a guided meditation at the end. In order to get the most out of these blogs and podcasts, it would be best for you to go back and start with the first blog entry on January 25, 2009.

So, what is a healthy, balanced amount of breaths per minute? Eight is. Be assured, though, that you don't have to be a Yogi to attain this or have bells on your toes and rings on your nose. Again, a normal amount of breaths per minute is eight. What most of us usually do is fourteen to fifteen, if not even more.

At eight breaths per minute we are breathing deeply enough to fully use all of our lung capacity and fully oxygenate our bodies. Why we usually breathe in a shallow manner is because we are tense and this tension causes us to not get enough oxygen into our systems.

And, again, the reason we are not getting enough oxygen is because we are only using 40% of the capacity of our lungs. We are only using, at best, the top two thirds of our lungs. By the way, researchers have found that anyone with a cardiovascular problem, no matter what the problem, is a shallow breather.

Interestingly, when these same researchers taught their subjects to breathe deeply, they were able to help them lower their blood pressure and were even able to begin the process of helping them reverse other cardiovascular conditions from getting worse and prevent other conditions from arising at all.

Dean Ornish, MD, has done a lot of research and work in this area. He has a number of best selling books on this topic. His approach regarding cardiovascular issues revolves around teaching his patients how to eat a healthy diet and practice meditation. For him meditation is as important a part of his program as is diet.

This is Part XVI of a twenty-two part blog.

Please go to the following link if you have interest in my award winning book on Meditation and Intuition: http://www.MagicalKeystoSelfMastery.com/

As well, if you have interest in my Meditation CDs, please go to the following link:
http://www.LearnMastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

May 7, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XV, Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XV Podcast"




(length 4:39 minutes)




MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:


May 3, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XV

This is Part XV of a twenty-two part mini-course in Meditation in which I discuss the benefits of Meditation, how to best do it and use it and then lead you in a guided meditation at the end. In order to get the most out of these blogs and podcasts, it would be best for you to go back and start with the first blog entry on January 25, 2009.

The value of breathing in deeply and pushing the diaphragm down lies in the fact that this action allows the lungs to fully oxygenate, to fully be used. Because we are so tense most of the time, we don't breathe deeply enough to expand our diaphragm. Actually, our diaphragm barely moves and as a result we are not using the bottom third of our lungs when we breathe.

Well, so what does that mean? It means that we are only getting 40% of the oxygenation we could potentially get. What does that mean? It means brain freeze when there is not enough oxygen going to your brain.

It means that your cells age more rapidly than necessary. For example, your red blood cells are recreated every 120 days. In other words after 120 days all of your red blood cells have died off and have been replaced with new ones. And what do you think is the primary nutrient for red blood cells? It is not food, it is oxygen.

So, every time we breathe in a shallow, tense manner we are depriving our red blood cells of the primary nutrition they need. As a result of this deprivation the next generation of red blood cells we create is less healthy and vital than the first one and so on down the line. So, we are gradually and consistently wearing and tearing ourselves down and diminishing the quality of our cells and therefore our lives because of tense improper breathing and thinking.

Also, it is important to note that the average number of breaths per minute that most people take is somewhere between thirteen to fifteen breaths. This number of breaths is not occurring when you are really hyped out. It actually occurs when you are functioning relatively "normally." What is significant here is that starting at fourteen breaths and up per minute you are clinically in a stress cycle.

This is Part XV of a twenty-two part blog.

Please go to the following link if you have interest in my award winning book on Meditation and Intuition: http://www.MagicalKeystoSelfMastery.com/

As well, if you have interest in my Meditation CDs, please go to the following link:
http://www.LearnMastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

April 30, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XIV, Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XIV Podcast"


(length 4:50 minutes)




MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:


April 26, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XIV

This is Part XIV of a twenty-two part mini-course in Meditation in which I discuss the benefits of Meditation, how to best do it and use it and then lead you in a guided meditation at the end. In order to get the most out of these blogs and podcasts, it would be best for you to go back and start with the first blog entry on January 25, 2009.

If you want to change, you have to change something. Most people are willing to change their physical diet. But I would urge you to realize that changing one's mental diet is just as important, if not perhaps more important. In order to change, you must change your mind first or you will never change. You will remain the same.

As Henry Ford wrote, "Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you are right." So, what you constantly think about manifests in your life. Believe you can change and you will. Believe you can't and you won't. Junky thoughts create a junky life.

One more piece I would to focus on is the value of deep or conscious breathing. I would like to spend a little time now explaining the mechanism of breathing.

We all have lungs. They are pear shaped by virtue of the way they were formed. As well, gravity helps them to be pear shaped or wider at the bottom and thinner at the top. What researchers have found is that during each minute you are breathing, the top third of your lungs process approximately three ounces of blood per minute--in other words, the oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange. The middle third of your lungs process twenty-two ounces of blood per minute and the bottom third of your lungs process thirty-six ounces of blood per minute. Obviously a lot exchange is happening in the bottom third.

Why I am bringing this up is because most people do not breathe deeply and fully enough. They have what are called "frozen" diaphragms. The diaphragm is a muscle that separates the heart cavity from the abdominal cavity. It is concave when it is in a relaxed mode. Thus, when you breathe in, you push down on it and elongate it. That is what creates the Buddha belly or the expansion of your abdomen when you inhale. It is your diaphragm going down and pushing out that causes your belly to expand.

This is Part XIV of a twenty-two part blog.

Please go to the following link if you have interest in my award winning book on Meditation and Intuition: http://www.MagicalKeystoSelfMastery.com/

As well, if you have interest in my Meditation CDs, please go to the following link:
http://www.LearnMastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

April 23, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XIII, Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XIII Podcast"


(length 4:44 minutes)




MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:


April 19, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XIII

This is Part XIII of a twenty-two part mini-course in Meditation in which I discuss the benefits of Meditation, how to best do it and use it and then lead you in a guided meditation at the end. In order to get the most out of these blogs and podcasts, it would be best for you to go back and start with the first blog entry on January 25, 2009.

Regarding multi-tasking, if you have deal with multiple issues at the same time, that is fine some of the time. But you don't need to be "doing" all the time. As I mentioned earlier, in this regard Deepak Chopra has said: "We are human 'beings.' We are not human 'doings'."

So, we have to learn to not just be "doing" all the time. When I get burnt out from being on the computer too long, I just go lie on the floor and breathe for five minutes. Then I go back to my computer and I can work again. Five minutes, I feel fine and I am back.

Yeah, I know, I work out of my home. OK. But I also had a job with a corner office in New York on 5th Avenue. But I would still close the door. People knew that when my door was closed, if you came in there, you were in trouble. Come in when the door is open, it is OK. I would close the door for just five minutes. I would either lie on the couch or sit in my chair. By doing this I could clear enough tension with my abdominal breathing to feel refreshed enough to work again.

So maybe you work in a cubicle or parent many children. Whatever? In the car, during a break, whenever, you can find a minute or two to consciously breath. And what is so neat about all this and what will end up happening is that you will remember in the middle of a stressful situation, instead of hyperventilating, to instead breathe. And then you can make a decision about what to do in the situation that is centered and grounded, and therefore, most likely to be constructive.

We can make conscious, intelligent, effective choices. But if we are habitually programmed or simply chose to respond in dysfunctional ways, we will continue responding dysfunctionally.

This is Part XIII of a twenty-two part blog.

Please go to the following link if you have interest in my award winning book on Meditation and Intuition: http://www.MagicalKeystoSelfMastery.com/

As well, if you have interest in my Meditation CDs, please go to the following link:
http://www.LearnMastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

April 16, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XII, Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XII Podcast"


(length 5:02 minutes)




MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:


April 12, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XII

This is Part XII of a twenty-two part mini-course in Meditation in which I discuss the benefits of Meditation, how to best do it and use it and then lead you in a guided meditation at the end. In order to get the most out of these blogs and podcasts, it would be best for you to go back and start with the first blog entry on January 25, 2009.

So, meditation is a way, in a sense, to kind of cleanse your mind, so to speak, as well as your emotions, to clean out a little bit, chill out, come to another place with it all--to let go of some of the junk and tension that is there.

So, do these abdominal breaths for at least three minutes at a time. It only takes three minutes to switch from having catabolic, stress hormones being released into your blood stream to having relaxation or anabolic, healing hormones being released into your system. It really just takes three minutes and in that time you can feel physiologically very different--so much better. Modern science has found that simply by practicing this breathing technique, you can profoundly change the composition of your blood chemistry in your body in just three minutes.

Actually, I recommend five minutes, simply because it takes a minute or so to get into the state initially and you definitely want to come out of it slowly for at least a minute or so. Regardless, this is not a lot of time given the benefits that you gain. There are enough breaks in the day to do this a few times a day.

As I mentioned earlier, I do this on the grocery or the bank line if they are long. I can stand on line and get angry or cranky or I can stand there and just breathe and relax. Just breathe! Just focus on my breathing. Then my mind gets away from thinking, "God this is taking forever!"

Or I can do the breathing while in traffic or during totally boring meetings. Instead of sitting there and getting all uptight, I can just focus on my breath. If you are not thinking about something negative, then your body is not experiencing negativity. A tense mind is what creates a tense body.

This is Part XII of a twenty-two part blog.

Please go to the following link if you have interest in my award winning book on Meditation and Intuition: http://www.MagicalKeystoSelfMastery.com/

As well, if you have interest in my Meditation CDs, please go to the following link:
http://www.LearnMastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

April 9, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XI, Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XI Podcast"


(length 4:53 minutes)




MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:


April 5, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part XI

This is Part XI of a twenty-two part mini-course in Meditation in which I discuss the benefits of Meditation, how to best do it and then lead you in a guided meditation at the end. In order to get the most out of these blogs and podcasts, it would be best for you to go back and start with the first blog entry on January 25, 2009.

So, whenever you are feeling upset or worried, anxious, or overly excited, remember to breathe into your belly. Your abdomen naturally expands and contracts when you are breathing. Just feel your abdomen rise on the inhalation and then on the exhalation feel your abdomen fall. By doing this you can calm yourself down. This is called abdominal breathing.

So, to explain in more detail, breathe in for a count of 4 as your abdomen expands, then hold for a count of 1-2, imagining any tension that is in there being gathered on the hold. Then on the exhalation, the length of the exhalation does not matter, release. Do this while breathing in and out through your nostrils. Do your best to do ten full breaths of this abdominal breathing without losing count--without getting lost in your thoughts.

As I mentioned earlier, you can do this simple exercise in most any setting: while waiting at the chiropractor's, standing in line at the bank or grocery store, during a meeting, you can even do it while driving your car with your eyes open, of course.

So, when you are feeling these emotions, just breathe down into your abdomen.

Life too often brings us situations where we can get upset, overly excited or anxious or worried. But consider this, if your hands are dirty, you would want to wash them. Wouldn't you? So if you are full of tension, isn't that a kind of a mental dirt? Wouldn't you want to wash it off?

We all practice physical hygiene, take showers, brush and floss our teeth, which we do every day; Right? and we wash our hands if they are really dirty. Right? But do we ever think of regularly cleaning off this other "debris." I would say that doing this is as important as our physical hygiene.

This is Part XI of a twenty-two part blog.

Please go to the following link if you have interest in my award winning book on Meditation and Intuition: http://www.MagicalKeystoSelfMastery.com/

As well, if you have interest in my Meditation CDs, please go to the following link:
http://www.LearnMastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

April 2, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part X, Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part X Podcast"




(length 4:14 minutes)




MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:


March 29, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part X

This is Part X of a twenty-two part mini-course in Meditation in which I discuss the benefits of Meditation, how to best do it and use it and then lead you in a guided meditation at the end. In order to get the most out of these blogs and podcasts, it would be best for you to go back and start with the first blog entry on January 25, 2009.

If something stressful happens, the calmer you can remain the wiser and more sensibly you will respond. If you are constantly freaking out, then you are just going to respond in a way that is usually not very appropriate. So, what I am saying here is that most people don't realize that the calmer they are the better they are able to respond to any given situation.

Yes, again there are certain situations where being proactive is good, of course, but if we are always anticipating and always being hyper-vigilant, oh my God, we are always on guard. How can you ever be relaxed? How can you enjoy your life?

Also, it is interesting to note that depending on the kind of stress you are experiencing, the tension gets stored in specific areas of your body. If you are into a lot of worry, anxiety, being very upset and/or overly excited, the tension goes into your abdominal area.

When you are in any of these emotional states what happens is that your adrenals are going crazy and are in overdrive and as a result they are secreting stress hormones. As well, your digestive track is compromised thus you don't eat when you are stressed because there are no digestive juices being secreted. Or you do eat and your food is poorly digested and minimally absorbed. As well, your pancreas is overworked and your blood sugar goes berserk. Do this enough and you end up with diabetes. Also your spleen gets all stressed out which compromises up your immune system. So when we are overly worried and anxious we store a lot of tension in this area and negatively affect a lot of organs.

This is Part X of a twenty-two part blog.

Please go to the following link if you have interest in my award winning book on Meditation and Intuition: http://www.MagicalKeystoSelfMastery.com/

As well, if you have interest in my Meditation CDs, please go to the following link:
http://www.LearnMastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

March 26, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part IX, Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part IX Podcast"




(length 4:28 minutes)




MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:


March 22, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part IX

This is Part IX of a twenty-two part mini-course in Meditation in which I discuss the benefits of Meditation, how to best do it and use it and then lead you in a guided meditation at the end. In order to get the most out of these blogs and podcasts, it would be best for you to go back and start with the first blog entry on January 25, 2009.

The mind creates all kind of havoc when it is in overdrive and anything that is in overdrive too long eventually crashes or causes crashes. Run your computer with too many programs all at once and it just freezes up on you. And then you have to do whatever you have to do to get it back up and running again. The same thing applies when you overload your mind with fear, worry, anger, etc, you create a systems breakdown within your body. Modern science is substantiating this.

The mind is not meant to be going or multi-tasking all the time. Believe me, when I started learning about all of this, I thought that what I have just been saying was a pile of poop. It was like, "Right?" I was convinced that I had to always be thinking and anticipating everything. I thought I was a human "doing" and a human "thinking" rather than a human "being" as Deepak Chopra writes.

So, despite my Southern Mediterranean ancestry which I conveniently blame for everything wrong with me--you know, all that over excitability that we kind of get into--but despite my ancestry, my over excitability does not have to be the way I function in life. I can use my ancestry and upbringing as an excuse for my "problems," but my life is really completely in my control if I learn how to "catastrophyze" and "awfulize" less and less.

If you can remember to just take slow, long deep breaths as often as you can and focus on your breath, then your mind will chill out and your body will relax. When you do this, you come back to what is really important. Matter of fact, what is really most important comes to you more easily because you are calmer and, therefore, more aware.

This is Part IX of a twenty-two part blog.

Please go to the following link if you have interest in my award winning book on Meditation and Intuition: http://www.MagicalKeystoSelfMastery.com/

As well, if you have interest in my Meditation CDs, please go to the following link:
http://www.LearnMastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

March 19, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part VIII, Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part VIII Podcast"




(length 4:09 minutes)




MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:


March 15, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part VIII

This is Part VIII of a twenty-two part mini-course in Meditation in which I discuss the benefits of Meditation, how to best do it and use it and then lead you in a guided meditation at the end. In order to get the most out of these blogs and podcasts, it would be best for you to go back and start with the first blog entry on January 25, 2009.

Another way of saying what I am saying is that if you put "junk food" in your body, you know you will end up with a junky body eventually. What most people don't realize is that if you have a lot of junky thoughts, you will, also, have a junky body and, as well, as end up with junky experiences in your life.

Whatever you focus on, you end up experiencing in life. Whatever you are looking at, you see. That is just the way it works. The purpose of explaining all of this is not to turn you into a meditating junkie or a guru or have you go off to the Himalayas, take your clothes off and wander around eating berries. I mean unless that is your idea of a good time. It is not mine, I might add. Eating berries are OK, but I would rather buy them at a grocery store.

What I am suggesting is that when you were a child you knew how to breathe correctly and you knew how to relax. Kids know how to find the "zone." But as time went on, you acquired patterns that taught you that "thinking" or "doing" or "worrying" all the time somehow was good.

Now am I saying here; "Don't think?" No, not at all! Am I saying don't be proactive? No, not at all! What I am saying is that this organ, the mind, is meant to slow down periodically or to go into neutral. Just like your car does. If your mind does not take periodic breaks, you don't sleep well at night. It is, also, why you may feel jittery and can't focus. It is very likely why you overeat. As well, it has many other negative ramifications.

This is Part VIII of a twenty-two part blog.

Please go to the following link if you have interest in my award winning book on Meditation and Intuition: http://www.MagicalKeystoSelfMastery.com/

As well, if you have interest in my Meditation CDs, please go to the following link:
http://www.LearnMastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

March 12, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part VII Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part VII Podcast"




(length 6:54 minutes)



Subscribe to Feed Below:


March 8, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part VII

This is Part VII of a twenty-two part mini-course in Meditation in which I discuss the benefits of Meditation, how to best do it and use it and then lead you in a guided meditation at the end. In order to get the most out of these blogs and podcasts, it would be best for you to go back and start with the first blog entry on January 25, 2009.

But even though what you were worrying about doesn't actually happen to you, you still physiologically have the experience as if you did. You may have been taught if you worry about things, they won't happen or you will better anticipate what to do. But worrying all the time really wears your body down because of all the catabolic hormones you release into your body.

I would suggest that if you proactively come up with a plan for something that you think might happen, let the plan sit and don't worry or think about it again. This way you will not be wearing your body out with stress hormones. When the time comes to act, you will know what to do and you will do what is best for the situation.

But if you "awfulize" all the time, you then send stress hormones throughout your system and catabolize or breaking down your system. So, worrying all the time will eventually trigger whatever genetic weaknesses you may have to come to the surface. If you are not doing all this "awfulizing and catastophyzing", then the genetic predispositions may never surface or may surface in a way that is not significant.

So we don't choose the genetic predispositions we inherit, but we do choose, to a greater degree, which ones are triggered and to which degree they are triggered by our mental and emotional behavior, as well as our diet.

So, it is so important to understand that meditation is an integral and essential component in attaining wellness. It is as important as diet and exercise in terms of physiological well-being. Most people don't associate meditation with being physiologically well. But the connection is essential.

This is Part VII of a twenty-two part blog.

Please go to the following link if you have interest in my award winning book on Meditation and Intuition: http://www.MagicalKeystoSelfMastery.com/

As well, if you have interest in my Meditation CDs, please go to the following link:
http://www.LearnMastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

March 5, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part VI Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part VI Podcast"




(length 4:14 minutes)




MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:


March 1, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part VI

This is Part VI of a twenty-two part mini-course in Meditation in which I discuss the benefits of Meditation, how to best do it and use it and then lead you in a guided meditation at the end. In order to get the most out of these blogs and podcasts, it would be best for you to go back and start with the first blog entry on January 25, 2009.

Before we get to the meditation exercise, I would like to share the following regarding the physiological value of meditation. There are studies showing that just mediation by itself can actually help to not only prevent heart disease but to actually reverse it. It has been found that by meditating regularly plaque can actually be sloughed off of the arteries. This can occur because when you meditate you release hormones into your body that heal and repair--that is, anabolic hormones. When you are having stressful, negative thoughts your body does not release these hormones. It releases, instead, catabolic hormones that tear down your body.

Your body is always striving to maintain and attain homeostasis or balance. If you stop creating tension, you give it a chance to find this balance and healing.

When a rhinoceros is charging, you need to run or fight, in other words, the fight or flight response. And so, when under stress, you release hormones that give you the energy to run like the dickens or fight to the death, but in the process you are tearing your body down from the inside-out.

Also, it is interesting to note that modern science has discovered that whatever we imagine, we experience physiologically. So, if you just imagine something negative, your body responds physiologically as if it is having the negative experience. So that is why worry is totally useless and detrimental to do because 80% or 90% of what worry about does not even happen.

This is Part VI of a twenty-two part blog.

Please go to the following link if you have interest in my award-winning book on Meditation and Intuition: http://www.MagicalKeystoSelfMastery.com/

As well, if you have interest in my Meditation CDs, please go to the following link:
http://www.LearnMastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

February 26, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part V Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part V Podcast"




(length 4:31 minutes)




MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:


February 22, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part V

This is Part V of a twenty-two part mini-course in Meditation in which I discuss the benefits of Meditation, how to best do it and use it and then lead you in a guided meditation at the end. In order to get the most out of these blogs and podcasts, it would be best for you to go back and start with the first blog entry on January 25, 2009.

As well, please note that you can do the breathing meditation/exercise that I will share with you later on with your eyes wide open, while you are standing in line at the bank or a grocery store, while attending a boring meeting, etc., in any setting where you don't need to be putting your complete attention on anything in particular. You don't have to sit for hours in meditation to get its benefits.

You can even do this while driving your car with your eyes open, of course. No, I'm not crazy! You can do this while driving. I always do it. As I drive to teach a class or to any destination, for that matter, instead of thinking about the hundreds of things that I may need to do, I choose instead to just BE, to be present and conscious with myself, with my body and with my breath. This way I am more relaxed while I am driving and as a result of being more relaxed, I am much more alert.

So, instead of incessantly thinking, I give myself a break from all that "thinking" and "doing" and just consciously breathe all the way to my destination. As well, I do this as often as I can in as many other settings as possible.

Again with regard to driving, you really are much more alert when you are relaxed. Accidents occur when you are distracted and usually you are distracted because you are overly caught up in some emotional or mental drama in your mind. By doing this technique, you will actually be much, much more alert and relaxed while driving and you also will be much more relaxed when you reach your destination. You will respond more effectively to any stimulus that occurs while you are driving and you will be aware of a lot more of what is going on than you would be if your mind were overly cluttered and distracted by too many thoughts.

This is Part V of a twenty-two part blog.

Please go to the following link if you have interest in my book on Meditation and Intuition: http://www.MagicalKeystoSelfMastery.com/

As well, if you have interest in my Meditation CDs, please go to the following link:
http://www.LearnMastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

February 19, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part IV Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part IV Podcast"




(length 4:02 minutes)




MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:


February 15, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part IV

This is Part IV of a twenty-two part mini-course in Meditation in which I discuss the benefits of Meditation, how to best do it and use it and then lead you in a guided meditation at the end. In order to get the most out of these blogs and podcasts, it would be best for you to go back and start with the first blog entry on January 25, 2009.

So, meditation can help you to learn how to slow your mind down enough so that you can consciously and proactively choose what you think about and how you feel. Yes, there are stressors or "buttons" that will get pushed, and will cause you to "loose it;" that's called "life." But one can still choose how one reacts, no matter what is happening or has happened. You can choose to "loose" it completely or just step back and be objective with regard to what is going on.

So, the key here is to learn how to bring forth the relaxation response more and more often during your day instead staying stuck in a constant state of overdrive, of over-thinking. In other words how can you minimize being hyper during the day? How can you minimize the fight or flight response?

You can minimize it by creating many little mini-breaks during your day to help calm yourself down. All you need is three minutes at a time. I will outline a breathing exercise shortly that will change your blood chemistry from one that is overloaded with stress hormones to one that is full of healing relaxation hormones. All you need is three minutes. And in those three minutes you will have affected a profound physiological change in your body and you will feel quite different.

The whole point of teaching you this breathing meditation is to help you to remember to take regular breaks from your incessant "thinking" and "doing" so that you can give your mind a respite and your body a breather, physiologically.

This is Part IV of a twenty-two part blog.

Please go to the following link if you have interest in my award-winning book on Meditation and Intuition: http://www.MagicalKeystoSelfMastery.com/

As well, if you have interest in my Meditation CDs, please go to the following link:
http://www.LearnMastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

February 12, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part III Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part III Podcast"




(length 4:04 minutes)




MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:


February 8, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part III

This is Part III of a twenty-two part mini-course in Meditation in which I discuss the benefits of Meditation, how to best do it and then lead you in a guided meditation at the end. In order to get the most out of these blogs and podcasts, it would be best for you to go back and start with the first blog entry on January 25, 2009.

Our bodies were not built to live under the mental stresses of this age nor were they meant to be sedentary. Now, I am not suggesting that you go into a cave, eat wild berries, roam the forests and meditate for the rest of your life, and forget all of your responsibilities.

But what we can do is to learn how to lessen the intensity of the over-stimulation that we experience. Our bodies are not capable of handling this over-stimulation for long periods of time without significantly breaking down, be it physiologically or emotionally.

So, what meditation does, and it has been around for many millennia, is to help you to slow down and to feel physiologically and emotionally better and more balanced. This is the incredible gift that meditation freely offers anyone willing to experiment with it.

What we do not realize is that our minds do not think on their own; we choose what we think about. It may seem at times that we don't choose our thoughts and that we don't choose our emotional reactions and that our minds and emotions have a "mind of their own." But, in fact, you can learn to choose what you think about and you can learn to choose how you feel.

You can choose to "awfulize" or you can choose to see the best in yourself and your situation.

There can be a big difference in how you experience an event. It depends on whether you see the cup half-empty or half-full. How you choose to perceive an event determines how you physiologically and emotionally experience it.

This is Part III of a twenty-two part blog.

Please go to the following link if you have interest in my award-winning book on Meditation and Intuition: http://www.MagicalKeystoSelfMastery.com/

As well, if you have interest in my Meditation CDs, please go to the following link:
http://www.LearnMastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

February 5, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part II Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part II Podcast"




(length 4:33 minutes)




MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:


February 1, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part II

This is Part II of a twenty-two part mini-course on Meditation in which I discuss the benefits of Meditation, how to best do it and use it and then lead you in a guided meditation at the end. In order to get the most out of these blogs and podcasts, it would be best for you to go back and start with the first blog entry on January 25, 2009.

Negative or intense thoughts release stress hormones and relaxing, happy thoughts release relaxation hormones. The hormones have more complicated names than that, but so be it in this kind of a presentation.

So, as your mind slows and calms down, so does your body. And not only does your body slow and calm down so that it is not as tense, but, as an added benefit, the relaxation hormones you are now releasing are "anabolic," that is, they actually build up or heal your body.

In contrast, when you secrete stress hormones, you create a "catabolic" effect; that is, an effect that breaks down your body. So when you are stressed you are creating an environment within yourself physiologically that is literally breaking you down (catabolism). That is why there are a lot of stress related illnesses. Some experts believe that nearly 80% of all doctor visits are stress related.

So, therefore, in order to be as fit physiologically as you can, it really is important to learn how to master your mind. You need to learn how to allow your mind to go into a neutral state more often than it does now. [By the way, there is nothing wrong with multi-tasking. It is a very useful function. But the problem occurs when you are multi-tasking all or most of the time.] Our human bodies have been around a very long time and there really is only about a 1.0% difference between the makeup of a Neanderthal's body and ours.

So, we were created to function optimally by being, as our ancestors were, physically active. As well, we are not made to be as mentally over-stimulated as we are with all the data and information and "doing" and "thinking" we engage in in this modern technological age.

This is Part II of a twenty-two part blog.

Please go to the following link if you have interest in my award-winning book on Meditation and Intuition: http://www.MagicalKeystoSelfMastery.com/

As well, if you have interest in my Meditation CDs, please go to the following link:
http://www.LearnMastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

January 29, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part I Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part I Podcast"




(length 4:32 minutes)




MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:


January 25, 2010

Meditation--A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part I

Starting today and continuing through the next twenty-two weeks of blogs and podcasts, I will be offering a course on Meditation. The first twenty one posts will be a discussion about Meditation, its benefits and how to best use it and do it. In the last post I will lead you in a guided meditation.

Most people discount meditation when they speak of getting fit. They usually think of fitness solely in terms of doing exercise and eating a proper diet. From my point of view it is not only physical fitness that we want to aim towards, but there is also a mental and psychological or even a metaphysical fitness that I personally believe is primary in attaining well rounded health and wellness.

What meditation really helps one learn how to do is to slow down and quiet the mind. Of course, you might well ask, "What good does that do?" Actually slowing the mind down is a very valuable skill to learn because every thought and feeling that we have gets expressed in every cell in our body.

This happens because every thought and feeling we have creates synaptic exchanges in our brain which then creates a hormonal response. So, a hormone of some kind, either a stress or relaxation one, is released as result of the kinds of thoughts and feelings we have. These hormones, courtesy of our cardiovascular system, are then pumped throughout our whole body and bathe all our cells. So that when you are angry about something, the cells in your big toe are bathed in an anger hormone and you now have an angry big toe, so to speak.

So, too, with being uptight or anxious, when you are uptight or anxious it is not just something that is going on in your mind, it is something that also is happening in you physiologically--in your body. So the kinds of thoughts and feelings you have determine whether a stress or a relaxation hormone is released into your bloodstream and that then determines what your body is experiencing.

This is Part I of a twenty-two part blog.

Please go to the following link if you have interest in my award-wining book on Meditation and Intuition: http://www.MagicalKeystoSelfMastery.com/

As well, if you have interest in my Meditation CDs, please go to the following link:
http://www.LearnMastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

November 27, 2009

How to Reprogram Your Self-Image, Podcast Part VIII


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"How to Reprogram Your Self-Image, Podcast Part VIII"


(length 05:45 minutes)



MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:

November 23, 2009

How to Reprogram Your Self-Image, Part VIII

If you want to change; you must make a change inside yourself.
You can't just wish or think that things will change.
You must take internal action!
All change is an inside job!

This is Part VIII of an eight part blog. In order to understand and make best use of what follows, please go back and read Parts I, II, III, IV, V, VI & VII on 10/5/ /12/ /19/ /26/ and 11/2/ /09/ and /16/ 2009 respectively.

Some More Phrases to Read, Feel and Visualize, con't:

XIX
I am free.
I am whole.
I am one.
I am free to receive and give.
I am good.
I am worthy.
I release my limiting memories, fears, and feelings; I bless them for what they have taught me.
I am truly blessed.

So, work or "play" with these phrases. Certainly make up more of your own. As you do this you will be tilling the soil of your soul and planting and nurturing the "seeds of greatness" that are within you.

As Meister Eckhart wrote:

The seed of God is in us.
Given an intelligent and hard-working farmer,
it will thrive and grow up to God, whose seed it is;
and accordingly its fruits will be God-nature.
Pear seeds grow into pear trees,
nut seeds into nut trees,
and God-seeds into God.

We are so much more than we "think" we are. In other words we are so much more than what our limited programming allows us to believe we are. We are "gods and goddesses in training" as Deepak Chopra has written.

Or as I am wont to say: "We are chips off the old holographic block called God/Goddess who have come forth to embody the Divine in finite three dimensional form." We are truly made in His/Her Image.

This is Part VIII of an eight part blog.

November 20, 2009

How to Reprogram Your Self-Image, Podcast Part VII


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"How to Reprogram Your Self-Image, Podcast Part VII"


(length 05:06 minutes)



MP3 File



Subscribe to Feed Below:

November 16, 2009

How to Reprogram Your Self-Image, Part VII

If you want to change; you must make a change inside yourself.
You can't just wish or think that things will change.
You must take internal action!
All change is an inside job!

This is Part VII of an eight part blog. In order to understand and make best use of what follows, please go back and read Parts I, II, III, IV, V & VI on 10/5/ /12/ /19/ /26/ and 11/2/ and /09/ 2009 respectively.

Some More Phrases to Read, Feel and Visualize, con't:

XV
I am amidst a beautiful spiritual family.
Doors will open easily and quickly for me.
I am who I AM in this current of time.
God/Goddess is pleased with me.
I am truly worthy of a fulfilling, loving, lasting relationship that is perfect for me.

XVI
I ignore the Here
I ignore the Present.
I pretend There.
I fantasize my Dreams.
I pretend what I intend.
I Relax, Enjoy, Pretend, Trust, and Believe.
I always, without ceasing, intentionally and consciously INTEND any and every moment of my life. I never forget and always remember--ever being mindful of what my priorities and passions are.

XVII
I want it!
I will figure it out!
It's easy!
The universe is on my side.
The universe is a friendly place.

XVIII
This ______ is who I am, what I do, what I was born to be and do. [Fill in the blank.]
I struggle because I still haven't come to terms with it.
As I do, a calming will come.
I am a channel for understanding and wisdom. When I get this, my fears will cease.

This is Part VII of an eight part Blog.

November 9, 2009

How to Reprogram Your Self-Image, Part VI

If you want to change; you must make a change inside yourself.
You can't just wish or think that things will change.
You must take internal action!
All change is an inside job!

This is Part VI of an eight part blog. In order to understand and make best use of what follows, please go back and read Parts I, II, III, IV & V on 10/5/ /12/ /19/ /26/ and 11/2/09 respectively.

Some More Phrases to Read, Feel and Visualize, con't:

XI
Nothing serious can or will be allowed to happen to me.
I feel the anger and fears and pain, but I joyfully live my life anyway. All this can do is to slow me down at worst, but it can never stop me.
I am safe and will succeed without pain.
Failure is impossible--even if I try to fail.
I can not fail; it will not be allowed.

XII
I am gentle with myself.
I am a beautiful precious child of God/Goddess.
God/Goddess would let nothing happen to me.
I am eternally, lovingly held in the Embrace.

XII
I can feel fearful, a failure, and unworthy, but it has no bearing on reality.
With regard to money, I always affirm: "In God I trust."
Whenever I am concerned about money or whenever I am receiving it, I see three times as much.

XIV
SHINE
It takes work to hide.
I confront, embrace and conquer my fears and shine brightly in the world.
I claim the piece of the Grand Puzzle that I AM.
I ease into my life--the true current--and surrender into it.

This is Part VI of an eight part Blog.

November 6, 2009

How to Reprogram Your Self-Image, Podcast Part V


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"How to Reprogram Your Self-Image, Podcast Part V"


(length 05:41 minutes)



MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:

November 2, 2009

How to Reprogram Your Self-Image, Part V

If you want to change; you must make a change inside yourself.
You can't just wish or think that things will change.
You must take internal action!
All change is an inside job!

This is Part V of an eight part blog. In order to understand and make best use of what follows, please go back and read Parts I, II, III & IV on 10/5/ /12/ /19/ /26/ 2009 respectively.

Some More Phrases to Read, Feel and Visualize, con't:

VII
I listen to my inner voice.
I respectfully and in a detached manner demand of the Universe what I want.
I am very clear about what I want.
I clearly and confidently claim and affirm my love-ability and worthiness.
I notice the negative judgments, but just treat them like another opinion that I don't have to give any power to.

VII
I AM SAFE
I am safe to live my truth.
I am safe to be a powerful spiritual person.
I am safe to have people honor and respect me.
I am safe to expand and go to more and more places.
I am safe to find others to help me in my work.
I receive love, blessing, support and praise.

IX
I can tell and reassure my body that I am healthy now.
My body is my friend, it is just letting me know what is happening and if a healing is necessary.
I pay attention to my body like it was a baby.

X
I can tell and reassure my mind that I am psychologically healthy and grounded.
The very fearful and angry emotions can continue to happen, but they are for my amusement only.
Life will go on and on and I will succeed at finding personal and professional mastery.


This is Part V of an eight part Blog.

October 30, 2009

How to Reprogram Your Self-Image, Podcast Part IV


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"How to Reprogram Your Self-Image, Podcast Part IV"


(length 05:44 minutes)



MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:

October 26, 2009

How to Reprogram Your Self-Image, Part IV

If you want to change; you must make a change inside yourself.
You can't just wish or think that things will change.
You must take internal action!
All change is an inside job!

This is Part IV of an eight part blog. In order to understand and make best use of what follows, please go back and read Parts I, II & III on 10/5 /12/ /19/ 2009 respectively.

Some More Phrases to Read, Feel and Visualize, con't:

IV
The trick is that I know the agenda; and the agenda is:
Steadily, step by step, I will connect with larger and larger numbers of people.
I will steadily and increasingly uncover my gifts and they will be appreciated and sought after by many.
I will enjoy what I do and it will all flow effortlessly.

V
I externally put myself out there persistently.
Inwardly, I gently hammer away with positive self-talk, affirmations and visualizations in order to change the negative programs inside.
I am truly ready.
I am truly worthy.
I truly can handle it.
I am truly good enough.
I feel an inner grace, peace, and strength.
I am truly worthy of praise.
I am truly worthy of love.
I am truly worthy of attention.
I am truly worthy of _________. [Fill in the blank.]

VI
I clearly call in what I want, not as a request but as a demand because I know I am worthy.
I want ________ income for my work.
I want to look forward to and always enjoy my work.
I want to feel good about myself.
I want to feel free to express my creativity and to be praised by others for expressing it.
I am ready
I can handle it; no problem.
I want it NOW.

This is Part IV of an eight part Blog.

October 23, 2009

How to Reprogram Your Self-Image, Podcast Part III


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"How to Reprogram Your Self-Image, Podcast Part III"


(length 06:23 minutes)



MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:

October 19, 2009

How to Reprogram Your Self-Image, Part III

If you want to change; you must make a change inside yourself.
You can't just wish or think that things will change.
You must take internal action!
All change is an inside job!

This is Part III of an eight part blog. In order to understand and make best use of what follows, please go back and read Parts I & II on 10/5/09 and 10/12/09 respectively.

Some Phrases to Read, Feel and Visualize:

I.
I invest in Faith, Hope and Love, but not in worry or fear.
I face my fears and embrace them.
It is my beliefs and interpretations of events that are the problem.
All is in Divine Timing and Order.
I see the wisdom of the situation(s) I am in.
I see my life through the eyes and Heart of my Soul.
I am Loved!

II Believe and Say:
I truly want this_________.
I truly deserve this_________________. [Fill in the blanks.]
It's truly in alignment with my Soul's purpose.
I am worthy and deserving of good!

[You get to fill in the blanks here. It can be something internal or external. Go for it!]
[See my blog posts of 09 /07 /14/ 21/ 28/ 2009 for suggestions on what to put in the blanks.]

III
I believe that I deserve only good and that all things come to me on a silver platter.
I am used to being praised, honored, and wanted.
Others see the treasure in me; they do not see the childhood distortion that I incorrectly "think" I am.
I am totally convinced of my value.

There is only Light and Goodness-Anticipate it!!!

This is Part III of an eight part Blog. See my blog entries of 10/5/09 and 10/12/09 for Parts I & II.

October 16, 2009

How to Reprogram Your Self-Image, Podcast Part II


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"How to Reprogram Your Self-Image, Podcast Part II"


(length 05:08 minutes)



MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:

October 12, 2009

How to Reprogram Your Self-Image, Part II

If you want to change; you must make a change inside yourself.
You can't just wish or think that things will change.
You must take internal action!
All change is an inside job!

This is Part II of an eight part blog. See my blog entry of 10/5/09 for Part I in order to get the full context of what is in today's blog post.

So, what follows is a series of phrases that you can repeat over and over again. Some may appeal to you more than others, so go with those that jump out at you first. Repeat them with feeling and visualization as often as you can remember in a day.

Work with each set of phrases for at least twenty-one days or until you feel you've "got it." Some phrases may take a lot longer than twenty-one days to really sink in, so don't try to rush any of this.

Work with up to three sets of phrases at a time, but not more. And keep doing it and keep doing it. At any point, please feel free to add any phrases you come up with on your own or modify any of the ones I have suggested.

Really get into this and "own" the process. By doing so, you will ensure your success. Trust that in time you will significantly have changed your internal terrain and your self-image so much that you will no longer recognize your (old) self.

In practicing this process you are becoming a master gardener of your mind. You are weeding out what no longer serves you and are feeding and nurturing yourself with what really does. Have fun!

Remember, you get to write the script of your life! You get to be the author or author-ity in your life. It doesn't matter what old, dysfunctional programs you presently have running in your subconscious mind, this process will act like an anti-virus software and clear out of you all malicious, unwanted, stale, dysfunctional programs.

This is Part II of an eight part Blog.

October 9, 2009

How to Reprogram Your Self-Image, Podcast Part I


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"How to Reprogram Your Self-Image, Podcast Part I"


(length 05:03 minutes)



MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:

October 5, 2009

How to Reprogram Your Self-Image, Part I

If you want to change; you must make a change inside yourself.
You can't just wish or think that things will change.
You must take internal action!
All change is an inside job!

This is Part I of an eight part blog.

I thought that I would share with you in my next series of blog entries further ideas and techniques that I have gathered and used over the years on how to change my internal terrain.

All change is an inside job! So, in order to change we must change how we feel and think about ourselves. But usually most of us are not in touch with what our own internal dialogue is nor are we aware of what our internal self-image is. In other words, most of us are not in touch with how we see ourselves nor are we in touch with how we think and feel about ourselves.

Often, our estimation of ourselves is a lot less generous and accurate than what others see about us. Often we are our own worst enemy and our own worst critic. How we see ourselves, whether it is a conscious process or not, greatly determines how others see us and it also determines what we attract into our lives.

So changing all this is of paramount importance if we want to change how we experience life. What follows are a series of internal dialogue exercises or affirmations that I have used over the years to reprogram my self-image.

Please read through them slowly. They are meant to be savored and not swallowed. They are meant to be repeated over and over again not only as words, but also they are meant to be "felt" and "seen," that is visualized.

Please go to my blog entry of 08/31/09 for an envisioning exercise that will help you learn how to really "see" and "feel" these phrases. The actual phrases will follow in Part III of this blog on 10/19/09. My next blog, Part II, on 10/12/09 will give more information on how to use these phrases.

This is Part I of an eight part blog.

October 2, 2009

Setting New Intentions, Patterns, Habits, and Internal Attitudes That Lead To Self-Mastery, Podcast, Part IV


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Setting New Intentions, Patterns, Habits, and Internal Attitudes That Lead To Self-Mastery, Podcast, Part III


(length 08:24 minutes)



MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:

September 28, 2009

Setting New Intentions, Patterns, Habits, and Internal Attitudes That Lead To Self-Mastery, Part IV

Learning to act in ways that nurture and empower you
to be "True to YourSelf!"

This is Part IV of a four part blog.

New Internal Attitudes con't:

Asking for the inspirations, insights, courage, patience, and resources to create a truly
balanced, joyous, prosperous, fulfilled life in every way, right now. Be specific.

Creating new internal attitudes for work, relationships, prosperity, health, etc. Be
specific.

Inviting and expecting new energetic patterns and internal attitudes to be easily,
elegantly, and effortlessly established. Be specific.

Releasing all illusions: need, failure, disunity, lack, obligation, judgment,
condemnation, conditionality, superiority, and ignorance.

Fostering new attitudes of compassion, gratitude, forgiveness, surrender, and devotion
while at the same time releasing old attitudes based on fear, judgment, duality,
separation and ego.

Doing envisioning exercises for the things and experiences you want to experience in
your life. See my blog entries beginning on 07/27/09 through 08/31/09 for how to do the envisioning exercises.

Practicing this technique over just a period of a few months can and will radically transform the quality of your life. The greatest treasures we can acquire while on earth are the qualities of goodness and personal mastery that we learn. I have found that this technique is the fastest way to accomplish this.

We are remembered for who we are and what we embody and not for what we have done. So, why not develop all the best habits and qualities possible in this lifetime. If you want to be a Master of your Life, and live the best possible life, the highest quality life, this kind of intentionality and clarity will definitely get you there.

Peace and Joy be with you! Go for the Good!

This is Part IV of a four part blog. See my blog entries of 09/07/09 for Part I, 09/14/09 for Part II and 09/21/09 for Part III.

September 25, 2009

Setting New Intentions, Patterns, Habits, and Internal Attitudes That Lead To Self-Mastery, Podcast, Part III


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Setting New Intentions, Patterns, Habits, and Internal Attitudes That Lead To Self-Mastery, Podcast, Part III


(length 07:55 minutes)



MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:

September 21, 2009

Setting New Intentions, Patterns, Habits, and Internal Attitudes That Lead To Self-Mastery, Part III

Learning to act in ways that nurture and empower you
to be "True to YourSelf!"

This is Part III of a four part blog.

Some Examples:

New Patterns and Habits:

Spending quality time with yourself:
Meditating and praying;
Time in nature;
Reading inspiring books;
Writing in a journal.

Taking care of your physical needs:
Eating a healthful, balanced, appropriate diet;
Exercising;
Getting sufficient sleep;
Taking breaks from work.

EnJoying sufficient re-creation time; play; leisure.

Cleaning your home.

Spending quality time with your significant other(s).

Laughing.

Also, you can list patterns and habits you do not want to continue doing, e.g.,
procrastinating, watching too much TV, sleeping too much, etc..

New Internal Attitudes:-

Staying emotionally unattached to the results of your activities/work on all levels,
i.e.practicing discernment.

Often saying, "I have done my very best with what I knew today. I am perfect (i.e. good
enough) and complete. All my creations are perfect and complete."

Making only one real commitment: "to be true to the promptings of your Higher Self."

Learning to trust your feelings. For your feelings are your connection to your Soul and your only authority.

Remembering that you can always choose what you think and feel and, therefore, choose what you experience. You are not your fears, pain, and anger.

Releasing your fears, worry, doubt, anger, sadness, etc. towards whatever specific
situation(s) or individual(s) that limit you from stepping forth into the fulfillment
of your Soul's deepest, most authentic desires, and true, unique Divine purpose.

This is Part III of a four part blog. See my blog entry of 09/07/09 for Part I and 09/14/09 for Part II.

September 18, 2009

Setting New Intentions, Patterns, Habits, and Internal Attitudes That Lead To Self-Mastery, Podcast, Part II


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Setting New Intentions, Patterns, Habits, and Internal Attitudes That Lead To Self-Mastery, Podcast, Part II


(length 05:42 minutes)



MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:

September 14, 2009

Setting New Intentions, Patterns, Habits, and Internal Attitudes That Lead To Self-Mastery, Part II

Learning to act in ways that nurture and empower you
to be"True to YourSelf!"

This is Part II of a four part blog.

3. Create two grids. On the left side of the first grid list ten patterns and habits. On the left side of the second grid list ten internal attitudes. On the right side of each grid create thirty-one boxes, one for each day of the month. You now have two visual charts that will serve as daily reminders and will also provide structure to help you map your progress. You can hang these visual reminders on your refrigerator or any other prominent spot in your living space. [If you would like a copy of the grids I describe above in Word document format, please email me at yanni.maniates@verizon.net and I will send them to you gratis.]

4. Commit to one month of using these daily intentions, patterns, habits, and internal attitudes. Each day check off on the grids the patterns, habits and internal attitudes you achieved that day. Be Honest! Some days will be better than others!

5. At the end of the month objectively and lovingly review your lists and drop off any habits and patterns or internal attitudes that are now securely a part of your "way of being." Add to these lists any new intentions, patterns, habits, internal attitudes, or refinements of the ones you have been working with. These will now become next month's lists. Observe how you will continue each month to evolve into higher and higher degrees of clarity and Mastery.

This is Part II of a four part blog. See my blog entry of 09/21/09 for Part III.

September 11, 2009

Setting New Intentions, Patterns, Habits, and Internal Attitudes That Lead To Self-Mastery, Podcast, Part I


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Setting New Intentions, Patterns, Habits, and Internal Attitudes That Lead To Self-Mastery, Podcast, Part I


(length 05:12 minutes)



MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:

September 7, 2009

Setting New Intentions, Patterns, Habits, and Internal Attitudes That Lead To Self-Mastery, Part I

Learning to act in ways that nurture and empower you
to be"True to YourSelf!"

This is Part I of a four part blog.

How can you change your habits, both your external ones and your internal ones on a permanent basis?

Over the years I have worked with numerous techniques to accomplish this. What I would like to share with you in my next four blog entries is a process that I use which is a distillation of many techniques. I believe that this process is the most effective way for you to take responsibility for your life and to make the changes that will allow you to live your life to its highest potential. Here is the process in outline form:

1.Take time in a quiet place to reflect on your life. Objectively and lovingly review how you are living and identify the healthy intentions, patterns, habits, and internal attitudes you already have in place. Write them down--as many as possible.

2.Now ask yourself, "What are some additional intentions, patterns, habits, and internal attitudes that would further enrich my experience of life everyday?" Brainstorm! Make two lists. On the first list, write spontaneously as many new patterns and habits as you can, such as meditating regularly, eating healthy foods, etc., (more examples will follow in subsequent blogs) and on the second list write as many new internal attitudes as you can, such as letting go of worry, trusting your feelings, etc. (more examples will follow in subsequent blogs). Then narrow each list down to ten by either eliminating some or by combining some. Hint: Start with broad strokes that outline what you would like to experience in your life and then sketch out the intentions, patterns, habits, and internal attitudes that would help you to accomplish this.

This is Part I of a four part blog. See my blog entry of 9/14/09 for Part II.

September 4, 2009

The Power of Visualization: Peace of Mind is an Image Away, Podcast, Part VI


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"The Power of Visualization: Peace of Mind is an Image Away, Podcast, Part VI" Podcast


(length 06:58 minutes)



MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:

August 31, 2009

The Power of Visualization: Peace of Mind is an Image Away, Part VI

Worry creates more worry: Joy creates more Joy! You get to choose!

This is Part VI of a six part blog.

What follows is a simple, yet highly effective visualization technique that can help you to imagine and manifest all the good you ever wanted in your life. Since you are imagining or visualizing all the time, anyhow, why not do it consciously and intentionally. Why not create what you want?


Envisioning in Order to Achieve a Desired Outcome/Goal

I. Decide what outcome you want to work on, e.g., to meditate regularly; to laugh a lot; to be true to oneself in all circumstances; to not experience stress in specific situations; to lose weight; to effortlessly create abundance; to improve your health; to feel self-esteem and confidence in specific situations; to get a raise, to get a new job, a new house, etc.

II. Get very specific about what you want, e.g., I want to meditate once a day for ten minutes; I want to listen to my Higher Self in all situations and at all times; I want to weigh 100 pounds and be a size four; I want to be relaxed and feel confident every time I meet new people, etc.

III. Get quiet. Take three deep breaths into your abdomen. Now start relaxing your body. Begin with relaxing the top of your head and slowly and gradually relax your forehead, eyelids, cheek, jaw, chin, neck, throat, shoulders, arms, hands, fingers, chest, back, abdomen, pelvis, thighs, knees, calves, ankles and feet. Breath deeply into any area that feels especially tense.

IV. Know that now that you are in this relaxed state you are able to access your subconscious mind and your super-conscious mind and that anything that you visualize clearly and think positively about will definitely come to pass. So, see yourself succeeding: truly believe and expect yourself to achieve your ideal manifestation. Envision as many scenes as you can with you being successful at achieving your goal. Really feel it! Really praise yourself! Use your imagination to bring other people into the scene. Hear them tell you how excited they are about how healthy, successful, and good you look, etc. See it and really Feel it! Really feel how good it would be to already have accomplished your desire. Feel as if you have already accomplished it. This is how you can create new manifestations in your life and use your imagination to bring the desired results you want into your life.

V. Worry creates more worry: Joy creates more Joy! You get to choose!

VI. Thank yourself for taking the time to consciously create your life.

VII. Bring yourself slowly out of this relaxed state.

VIII. Do this as often as you can; at least once a day.

This is Part VI of a six part blog.

If you would like to know more about the power of visualization, please check out my Meditation CD: Peace of Mind is an Image Away: Visualization Meditations.

You can hear a sampler at: http://www.learnmastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

August 28, 2009

The Power of Visualization: Peace of Mind is an Image Away, Podcast, Part V


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"The Power of Visualization: Peace of Mind is an Image Away, Podcast, Part V" Podcast


(length 04:25 minutes)



MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:

August 24, 2009

The Power of Visualization: Peace of Mind is an Image Away, Part V

Worry creates more worry: Joy creates more Joy! You get to choose!

This is Part V of a six part blog.

In order to help you get a better grasp on the role and power of visualization, I thought the following two quotes would be quite helpful:

"Although research in this field is still in its infancy, we have already found that visualization has a definite effect on the body's EEG, or electrical field. Physiologist Edmund Jacobson has shown, for example, that if you imagine yourself running, small but measurable amounts of contraction actually take place in the muscle you use for jogging." [This certainly happens when we dream.]

"Anatomists have demonstrated that there are pathways between the part of the brain where our pictures are stored and the autonomic nervous system which controls such so-called "involuntary" activities as sweating, blood pressure, and digestion. These same pathways link the autonomic nervous system and the pituitary and adrenal cortex. The end result is that a picture in the mind has an impact on every cell in our bodies."

These two quotes come from a book entitled: Visualization, by Adelaide Bry.

So, what we imagine, we experience viscerally in our bodies. Our imagination has a very, very powerful effect on our bodies.

As well, what we imagine, we experience as real psychologically. And by doing so we then we attract more of what we are imagining or visualizing into our life experiences. So, we really can't afford the luxury of a negative imagination! It gets us into a lot of trouble!

Please see my next blog entry for a simple, yet highly effective visualization technique that can help you to imagine and manifest all the good you ever wanted in your life.

This is Part V of a six part blog.

August 21, 2009

The Power of Visualization: Peace of Mind is an Image Away, Podcast, Part IV


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"The Power of Visualization: Peace of Mind is an Image Away, Podcast, Part IV" Podcast


(length 04:08 minutes)



MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:

August 17, 2009

The Power of Visualization: Peace of Mind is an Image Away, Part IV

Worry creates more worry: Joy creates more Joy! You get to choose!

This is Part IV of a six part blog.

Why not be relaxed in dealing with events rather than be totally stressed out in dealing with them?

Am I saying don't be proactive and anticipate things? No, not at all! What I am suggesting is that you "see" and expect the best of all possible outcomes and then you will be in a better place to respond wisely and effectively to what does in fact happen.

So, why would you want to be stressed out all the time? Worrying can not and will not bring you the results you are looking for. It will only make you feel lousy and create unnecessary and unhealthy tension in your body. As well, it will attract more worry.

As you begin to slow down and meditate on a regular basis you will notice the incessant, fearful, worrisome, angry, confused, disoriented thinking and imaginings that you have constantly playing around in your mind; but by observing all of this you can then learn how to instead shift away from all this static and noise into more positive thoughts and imaginings.

So, what I am suggesting here is that you can learn how to avoid your landmines of negative thinking and imaginings, and by doing so you will feel better and be physically and psychologically so much happier and so much more at peace. As well, you will attract more good into your life.

Peace of mind is an image away. You can learn to see/imagine the best in everyone and everything, including yourself! You can learn to not only make "the best of it." You can learn to make your life the best!

So, give your self some time now to imagine the best! It will transform your life.

This is Part IV of a six part blog.

August 14, 2009

The Power of Visualization: Peace of Mind is an Image Away, Podcast, Part III


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"The Power of Visualization: Peace of Mind is an Image Away, Podcast, Part III" Podcast


(length 03:42 minutes)



MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:

August 10, 2009

The Power of Visualization: Peace of Mind is an Image Away, Part III

Worry creates more worry: Joy creates more Joy! You get to choose!

This is Part III of a six part blog.

Negative imaginings create enormous tension in your body. Because what you imagine, you experience as real in every cell in your body. And so learning to consciously visualize the most positive outcome and to see the best in yourself, in others and in any situation you are in is one of the greatest gifts you can give to yourself because this is what is really going to help you to relax and be at peace.

If you were to stop and observe your imaginings you would begin to realize how often they are caught up in "seeing" the worst. You will see how often you "awfulize" and "catastrophize" a situation. You will notice how often you worry.

You can change this and then change how you feel physiologically and emotionally and also change what you experience practically in your life. You can choose to experience peace, happiness, joy and fulfillment every moment by what you choose to focus on and how you choose to interpret events.

We create an enormous amount of stress on ourselves physiologically and emotionally when we worry. Eighty to ninety percent of what we worry about does not happen. So, why worry, so much? Why create so much tension in our bodies and minds?

This is Part III of a six part blog.

August 3, 2009

The Power of Visualization: Peace of Mind is an Image Away, Part II

Worry creates more worry: Joy creates more Joy! You get to choose!

This is Part II of a six part blog.

Why it is so important to learn how to positively visualize is because what you imagine, you experience physiologically, emotionally and practically in your life. Science has discovered that when you visualize something, your mind and body respond to your imaginings as if they are real.

So perceived threats and or positive fantasies are both experienced as real by your body whether you are conscious of the effect they are having on you or not. Therefore, it is so important to consciously choose what you imagine, to choose what you "space out" on, to choose what you place your mental attention upon.

You have a choice as to whether you are engaging in happy imaginings or not. Being happy or at peace is a choice you make each moment by the thoughts you choose, the images you envision or the feelings you allow yourself to experience.

It is not about what is happening around you or "to" you. It is about the choices you make each moment. It's about how you choose to "see" things; about how you choose to interpret them and what meaning you give to them.

Peace of Mind is an image away or a thought away.

This is Part II of a six part blog.

July 31, 2009

The Power of Visualization: Peace of Mind is an Image Away, Podcast, Part I


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"The Power of Visualization: Peace of Mind is an Image Away, Podcast, Part I" Podcast


(length 04:02 minutes)



MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:

July 27, 2009

The Power of Visualization: Peace of Mind is an Image Away, Part I

Worry creates more worry: Joy creates more Joy! You get to choose!

This is Part I of a six part blog.

Some of you may be thinking as you start to read this: "I'm not so sure that I can visualize very well." But if I were to ask you what your bedroom looks like, your living room, or a loved one, I am sure that you can easily bring a picture to mind as to what they look like. And by doing so, you have successfully visualized. This is all that visualization really is; we all have the inherent ability to visualize, the ability to imagine.

My goal in these series of blog entries is to teach you or remind you again how important it is to know how to consciously visualize or "space out." It is actually a gift for an adult to know how to "space out." Of course, I do not mean all the time, but at least some of the time. Actually we all "space out." We are constantly, whether we realize it or not, visualizing or imagining or spacing out on something.

So, I would like to teach you how to consciously and positively visualize or imagine; and, also, I would like to teach you why doing it regularly and consciously is so important.

Again, we all visualize all the time. But mostly we "awfulize" or "catastrophize" - in other words we imagine the worst. We worry and worry is just negative imagining or anticipating the worst. And by doing so, we create that which we worry about and draw into our lives that which we do not want.

This is Part I of a six part blog.

July 10, 2009

Create a New Vision/Vibration for Your Self, Part IV Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Create a New Vision/Vibration for Your Self, Part IV" Podcast


(length 04:02 minutes)



MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:

July 6, 2009

Create a New Vision/Vibration for Yourself! Part IV

The reason most people achieve very little in comparison to what they are capable of is because they have no vision for themselves or their future, whatsoever. They feel that they are at the whim of others or at the whim of some outside force like of the Lords of Karma. But they definitely are not!

You are the captain of your ship! You are the Master of your fate!

So, create the Vision, i.e., the Vibration, and the Universe will match it. It already is doing this, whether it is happening for you consciously and volitionally or whether it is happening by default!

So, what is your dominant Vision or self-image? Release your old, worn, stagnant, crystalized, and mutated visions and Embrace the New You!

You are made in His/Her Image! Learn to reflect your Divinity, your True Image!

"Without a vision, the people will perish." "Without a vision, you will perish."

So, take the time to both write down a general vision for yourself over the next five years and then go into meditation and get a picture and a feeling of how you would look and feel when you have already achieved all that you have written down; and then come back to that image and feeling whenever you think about your life.

You are the artist who is now creating your own self-portrait. You are the author who is writing the script of your life.

Take the time to create the most beautiful and satisfying portrait and script that you can imagine. Then keep refining and defining it. And then hold that image of yourself in the foreground of your awareness all the time. This is what creation is all about.

Peace and Joy be with you! It is your birthright.

July 3, 2009

Create a New Vision/Vibration for Your Self, Part III Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Create a New Vision/Vibration for Your Self, Part III" Podcast


(length 03:48 minutes)



MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:

June 29, 2009

Create a New Vision/Vibration for Yourself! Part III

So, you must first honestly and lovingly "Face" yourself (i.e., your thoughts and feelings) and then "Embrace" them (accept what you find) and then you can begin to gradually "Replace" them with a clear vision of who you really are and what you really want to create in your life and with your life.

Every time you have a thought or a feeling you are creating or drawing to your self something new from the universe and bringing it into your reality. You do not have to base your expectations for the future upon your past experiences, your perceived weaknesses, or anything else that reinforces your present, limited self-image. You no longer need to use your past as your frame of reference for your future, unless, of course, your past is filled with good.

By creating a clear vision of your desired state and putting energy (i.e. focus) into it regularly, you are using your mind (i.e. vibrational) power to shape the very stuff or essence of the universe into what you want.

So, to summarize, you hold this "imagined reality" in your mind to the point where your subconscious actually believes it to be so real that it goes about making it manifest in your life. Once you have this clear image in your mind, your subconscious will then attract the circumstances, people, and opportunities you need to bring about the vision you have "imagined."

Or, on the other hand, if you are not connected to a clear positive image, and are in a negative default mode of thinking and feeling, you will then attract the nightmare you dread!

This is Part III of a four part blog.

June 26, 2009

Create a New Vision/Vibration for Your Self, Part II Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Create a New Vision/Vibration for Your Self, Part II" Podcast


(length 03:46 minutes)



MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:

June 22, 2009

Create a New Vision/Vibration for Yourself! Part II

So, one very important thing to do is to have a crystal clear vision of your life as you want it to be; one that is completely independent of the conditions of your present or your past.

Lack of absolute clarity about your desired future is the number one reason why people struggle in life.

That is why it is so, so important to take the time to get in touch with what you actually feel and think about your life and yourself. If you find some of it to be critical and uncomplimentary, then begin to change it.

The best way I know of to do this is to simply sit in meditation and listen to the predominant thoughts and feelings that arise. By the way, you can't just sit one time to get the full picture, but if you sit consistently with yourself, within just a few weeks, you will get a pretty clear picture of what your predominant thoughts and feelings are. Then because of this awareness, or "mindfulness" as the Buddhists call it, you will now be more conscious of what you are vibrating and, therefore, more able to change it.

After you have taken the time to really see your patterns, it then becomes easier for you to create a clear vision about your future and a practical plan for success.

But until you have taken the time to look within, you literally are in the "dark" about yourself. And in the dark it is very difficult to see or create a vision for your self. You really do need to shed light on the darkness within in order to create something new without.

This is Part II of a four part blog.

June 19, 2009

Create a New Vision/Vibration for Your Self, Part I Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Create a New Vision/Vibration for Your Self, Part I" Podcast


(length 04:01 minutes)



MP3 File


Subscribe to Feed Below:

June 15, 2009

Create a New Vision/Vibration for Yourself! Part I

The essence of all things and experiences is vibration. All our thoughts, feelings and actions have their own particular rates of vibration. These vibrations set up a resonance with whatever has a similar or identical frequency.

This is why it is so, so essential to be a very close observer of your thoughts and feelings. The way you think, feel and act creates the primary vibration of your being, i.e., your "energy signature." This fundamental "energy signature" then creates resonance with similar vibrational frequencies in the universe wherever they may be. The result is an attraction of experiences, people, challenges and opportunities that are in vibrational resonance with your own dominant frequency.

The fundamental law of "like attracts like" is immutable and eternal. Therefore, your dominant positive patterns of thought and action or your dominant negative enmeshments, entanglements, and projections are what you are living.

Thus, to draw what you want into your life, you begin by being very aware of your thoughts and feelings, i.e., your vibration. And then you make a practice of raising your vibration to match the desire or experience you want, no matter what. Most people do things the other way around. They come up with practical techniques to generate their desires and then go out and try to force them into manifestation.

However, when what you are seeking is not really in agreement deep down inside you with your dominant vibration, then you will have great difficulty making the desired result come to pass. In other words, if you want to have more money in your life, but you feel deep down inside unworthy, undereducated and unskilled, you will never attract more money into your life because you inherently do not believe it is possible for you.

This is Part I of a four part blog.

August 18, 2008

Compassion: A Meditation

Meditation is the art of learning how to tend the sacred ground of your life.
Meditation connects you with your inner world.
By meditating you learn how to care for the garden of your mind.
First, you learn to identify what is growing there.
Then you learn how to nurture and plant what you want
and weed out what you do not want.
Yanni Maniates


Mother Teresa once said:

"There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread."

The one thing that we cannot get enough of, the one thing that there is no possibility of ever overusing; of ever over receiving or of ever over giving is Compassion or Love. As the saying goes; "No matter what the question; Love is the answer."

Whenever you find your self caught up in your negative thought patterns, or your negative emotional states, being self-critical or critical of another, or enmeshed in your negative imagination or worry; sit back and drink in Compassion. As you drink in that Compassion all the tension and negativity will start to release. And then you will remember and accept that your natural state of being is that of feeling and being in the Embrace, of being at Peace, of being in Love!

It's quite easy to do, actually! Find a quiet place and moment, close your eyes, take a few deep cleansing breaths and then just imagine someone you love, be they a loved one or an esteemed spiritual teacher/master, and "see"/imagine them right there in front of you. Look into their eyes, the mirror of their soul, and then just feel their love flowing to you. Open up your heart to feeling their care, compassion and unconditional love for you. Hold this image and feeling for a couple of minutes. And in just a few minutes, you will feel so refreshed! You can do this a couple of times a day, too!

Compassion is at the heart of meditation because it connects us with who we really are and what is truly at our core. I would urge you to give yourself at least one dose of this daily, even for just a few minutes. You deserve it! Please try it. You will be very grateful you did.

If you haven't already, feel free to join my membership area and get a free audio talk on meditation and a free 6 minute guided meditation. As well, my Meditation CD "Peace of Mind is a Thought Away" goes into greater depth regarding how to make this connection with Compassion.

If you have interest, my CDs can be found at: http://www.learnmastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

Also, my book and audio package, Magical Keys to Self-Mastery: Creating Miracles in Your Life, is a primer on Meditation and Intuition: http://www.MagicalKeystoSelfMastery.com

July 20, 2007

Meditation—A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part IV Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Meditation—A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part IV Podcast"



Click Here to Download MP3/Audio

(length 12:10 minutes)


Subscribe to Feed Below:

July 18, 2007

Meditation—A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part VIII

This is Part VIII of an eight part mini-course in Meditation in which I discuss the benefits of Meditation, how to best do it and then lead you in a guided meditation. In order to get the most out of these blogs and podcasts, it would be best for you to go back and start with the first blog entry on June 25.

What follows in this and my previous blog post of July 16 is the text of the abdominal breathing meditation which I have recorded as the July 20th Podcast. Feel free to either listen to my recording or make your own. As well, read through the text below to get a feel for what you can do to calm yourself down during the day.

Continue counting your inhalations and your exhalations. If you lose count and don’t make it to ten, that’s fine. Start again and start counting all over again. Some thoughts or emotions may make it into your awareness as you do this, but just ignore them and keep counting your breath. Just do you best to keep your primary awareness on your breath. Allow everything else to fade away to recede.

If you get to ten, then just continue counting beyond the ten, just counting the breath, keeping your focus on your abdomen. When you focus on your abdomen and count your breath, it helps to calm you down. It draws the energies down that are bouncing around in your head and grounds them in your belly so to speak. This is a great breath to do whenever you feel anxious, worried or just plain hyper. Just breathe in and breathe out and note the rise and fall of your abdomen as you do.

As you continue, you might even notice or feel that your breathing has become deeper and slower. Your blood pressure is going down and your pulse is slowing. You are releasing relaxation hormones into your blood stream. Physiologically you have made a significant change in your blood chemistry in just these few minutes. Whereas before you may have been in a fight or flight state and your body was tense and poised to run or attack and filled with stress hormones, now you are in a relaxed state, a peaceful state, a healing state. Continue the counting of the breath, the inhalation and the exhalation for a few more breaths….

And now you can begin to let go of your focus on your breath… Make note of what your mood is now…. What your energy level feels like... As you did at the beginning just do a quick body scan from head to toe and just feel, sense, see how your body is doing now….And now become aware of your feet, your abdomen, your chest, your hands, your head, your breathing and your breath. Take a few conscious breaths and begin to come up and out. When you are ready you can begin to open your eyes, with a soft focus, so much more relaxed, so much more at peace, than when we began.

This is Part VIII of an eight part blog.

Please go to the following link if you have interest in my new book on Meditation and Intuition: http://www.MagicalKeystoSelfMastery.com/

As well, if you have interest in my Meditation CDs, please go to the following link:
http://www.LearnMastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

July 16, 2007

Meditation—A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part VII

This is Part VII of an eight part mini-course in Meditation in which I discuss the benefits of Meditation, how to best do it and then lead you in a guided meditation. In order to get the most out of these blogs and podcasts, it would be best for you to go back and start with the first blog entry on June 25.

What follows in my next two blog posts is the text of the abdominal breathing meditation which I have recorded as the July 20th Podcast. Feel free to either listen to my recording or make your own. As well, read through the text below to get a feel for what you can do to calm yourself down during the day.

Close your eyes now and get nice and comfortable... First thing I would like you to do is to just become aware of your physical body. Notice your feet, how and where they touch the floor. Notice, as well, how you are sitting in your chair, where your body touches the chair and the placement of your arms...

And now become aware, as well, of your whole body. Do a body-scan from the top of your head down to the bottoms of your feet. Just notice if there are any areas that are tight or tense or sore. Or maybe there are areas that feel relaxed. Just have an awareness, not a judgment. Just an awareness of how your body feels…..

Become aware, as well, of your mood, just an awareness of it, don’t try to change it…. And your energy level, just an awareness, an objective awareness of how you are right now.

And now I would like you to place your attention on your abdomen and your breathing. I would like you to notice as you breathe in that your abdomen expands slightly. And as you exhale, your abdomen contracts slightly. Now don’t force a change in your breathing pattern in order to expand your abdomen; I’m not asking you to change anything, just notice it. Breathing in, the abdomen expands slightly. Breathing out, exhaling, the abdomen contracts, slightly.

So just continue to be aware of your breath, your breathing, your abdomen expanding and your abdomen contracting. Just have an awareness of your breath, your breathing. If there are any distractions or noises that you might hear in the background or foreground, just ignore them. Any thoughts that may come to your mind now; just ignore them, they are not important. Or even any emotions that might bubble up; just ignore them, let them go, let yourself be still and let yourself be quiet.

What I would like you to do now is to begin to see if you can do ten full breaths, a full breath is one inhalation and one exhalation, without getting lost in your thoughts. Find your own rhythm and just see if you can do ten full breaths without losing track. Breathing in, breathing out, without getting lost in your thoughts, emotions or any distractions. Just be present within the stillness of yourself, for it is in that stillness that you will find the real you, that is, a human “being” and not a human “doing.”

This is Part VII of an eight part blog.

Please go to the following link if you have interest in my new book on Meditation and Intuition: http://www.MagicalKeystoSelfMastery.com/

As well, if you have interest in my Meditation CDs, please go to the following link:
http://www.LearnMastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

July 13, 2007

Meditation—A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part IIII Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Meditation—A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part III Podcast"



Click Here to Download MP3/Audio

(length 11:00 minutes)


Subscribe to Feed Below:

July 11, 2007

Meditation—A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part VI

This is Part VI of an eight part mini-course in Meditation in which I discuss the benefits of Meditation, how to best do it and then lead you in a guided meditation. In order to get the most out of these blogs and podcasts, it would be best for you to go back and start with the first blog entry on June 25.

Now, in terms of how you sit or what you do when you meditate, the most important thing is to make sure you are comfortable. If you have the flexibility to go into the yoga lotus or the half-lotus position, then certainly do so. If you don’t have the flexibility, then I would not suggest you do that. You can meditate very effectively sitting comfortably in straight backed chair. This is the way I do it all the time.

Just sit up straight with you spine erect, but not rigid. It is best that your legs are on the ground and are not crossed. Your hands are in your lap, palms up or down, whatever is most comfortable for you. And as we proceed with the meditation, if at any point you are uncomfortable, then shift. Move around a bit. If you need to cough, do so. Don’t spend ten minutes suppressing a cough or being physically uncomfortable and then conclude that you can’t meditate. As well, breathe in and out of your nostrils and not your mouth.

The most important thing to remember is to make sure you are comfortable while you are doing meditation. I might add, though, not so comfortable that you fall asleep. By the way, I do not recommend that you lie on the floor or a bed when you meditate because you are very likely to fall asleep. Lie down only if you have a significant back problem. So, again, the idea is to be as comfortable as possible, yet still alert; and, most importantly, enjoy the experience of “being” with yourself.

This is Part VI of an eight part blog.

Please go to the following link if you have interest in my new book on Meditation and Intuition: http://www.MagicalKeystoSelfMastery.com/

As well, if you have interest in my Meditation CDs, please go to the following link:
http://www.LearnMastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

July 9, 2007

Meditation—A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part V

This is Part V of an eight part mini-course in Meditation in which I discuss the benefits of Meditation, how to best do it and then lead you in a guided meditation. In order to get the most out of these blogs and podcasts, it would be best for you to go back and start with the first blog entry on June 25.

As well, please note that you can do the following breathing meditation/exercise with your eyes wide open while you standing in line at the bank or a grocery store, while attending a boring meeting, etc., in any setting where you don’t need to be putting your complete attention on anything in particular.

You can even do this, with your eyes open, of course, while driving your car. No, I’m not crazy! You can do this while driving. I always do it. As I drive to teach a class or to any destination, for that matter, instead of thinking about the hundreds of things that I may need to do, I choose instead to just BE, to be present and conscious with myself, with my body and with my breath. This way I am more relaxed while I am driving and as a result of being more relaxed, I am much more alert.

So, instead of incessantly thinking, I give myself a break from all that “thinking” and “doing” and just consciously breathe all the way to my destination. As well, I do this as often as I can in as many other settings as possible.

Again with regard to driving, you really are much more alert when you are relaxed. Accidents occur when you are distracted and usually you are distracted because you are overly caught up in some emotional or mental drama in your mind. By doing this technique, you will actually be much, much more alert and relaxed while driving and you also will be much more relaxed when you reach your destination. You will respond more effectively to any stimulus that occurs and you will be aware of a lot more of what is going on than you would be if your mind were overly cluttered and distracted by too many thoughts.

This is Part V of an eight part blog.

Please go to the following link if you have interest in my new book on Meditation and Intuition: http://www.MagicalKeystoSelfMastery.com/

As well, if you have interest in my Meditation CDs, please go to the following link:
http://www.LearnMastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

July 6, 2007

Meditation—A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part II Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Meditation—A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part II Podcast"



Click Here to Download MP3/Audio

(length 10:43 minutes)


Subscribe to Feed Below:

July 4, 2007

Meditation—A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part IV

This is Part IV of an eight part mini-course in Meditation in which I discuss the benefits of Meditation, how to best do it and then lead you in a guided meditation. In order to get the most out of these blogs and podcasts, it would be best for you to go back and start with the first blog entry on June 25.

So, meditation can help you to learn how to slow your mind down enough so that you can consciously and proactively choose what you think about and how you feel. Yes, there are stressors or “buttons” that will get pushed, and will cause you to “loose it;” that’s called “life.” But one can still choose how one reacts, no matter what is happening or has happened. You can choose to loose it completely or just step back and be objective with regard to what is going on.

So, the key here is to learn how to bring forth the relaxation response more and more often during your day instead staying stuck in a constant state of overdrive, of over-thinking. In other words how can you minimize being hyper during the day? How can you minimize the fight or flight response?

You can minimize it by creating many little mini-breaks during your day to help calm yourself down. All you need is three minutes at a time. I will outline a breathing exercise shortly that will change your blood chemistry from one that is overloaded with stress hormones to one that is full of healing relaxation hormones. All you need is three minutes. And in those three minutes you will have affected a profound physiological change in your body and you will feel quite different.

What I would like to share with you now is a breathing meditation. The whole point of teaching you this breathing meditation is to help you to remember to take regular breaks from your incessant “thinking” and “doing” so that you can give your mind a respite and your body a breather, physiologically.

This is Part IV of an eight part blog.

Please go to the following link if you have interest in my new book on Meditation and Intuition: http://www.MagicalKeystoSelfMastery.com/

As well, if you have interest in my Meditation CDs, please go to the following link:
http://www.LearnMastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

July 2, 2007

Meditation—A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part III

This is Part III of an eight part mini-course in Meditation in which I discuss the benefits of Meditation, how to best do it and then lead you in a guided meditation. In order to get the most out of these blogs and podcasts, it would be best for you to go back and start with the first blog entry on June 25.

Our bodies were not built to live under the mental stresses of this age nor were they meant to be sedentary. Now, I am not suggesting that you go into a cave, eat wild berries, roam the forests and meditate for the rest of your life, and forget all of your responsibilities.

But what we can do is to learn how to lessen the intensity of the over-stimulation that we experience. Our bodies are not capable of handling this over-stimulation for long periods of time without significantly breaking down, be it physiologically or emotionally. So, what meditation does, and it has been around for many millennia, is to help you to slow down and to feel physiologically and emotionally better and more balanced. This is the incredible gift that meditation freely offers anyone willing to experiment with it.

What we do not realize is that our minds do not think on their own; we choose what we think about. It may seem at times that we don’t choose our thoughts and that we don’t choose our emotional reactions and that our minds and emotions have a “mind of their own.” But, in fact, you can learn to choose what you think about and you can learn to choose how you feel.

You can choose to “awfulize” or you can choose to see the best in yourself and your situation.

There can be a big difference in how you experience an event. It depends on whether you see the cup half-empty or half-full. How you choose to perceive an event determines how you physiologically and emotionally experience it.

This is Part III of an eight part blog.

Please go to the following link if you have interest in my new book on Meditation and Intuition: http://www.MagicalKeystoSelfMastery.com/

As well, if you have interest in my Meditation CDs, please go to the following link:
http://www.LearnMastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

June 29, 2007

Meditation—A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part I Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Meditation—A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part I Podcast"



Click Here to Download MP3/Audio

(length 10:15 minutes)


Subscribe to Feed Below:

June 27, 2007

Meditation—A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part II

This is Part II of an eight part mini-course in Meditation in which I discuss the benefits of Meditation, how to best do it and then lead you in a guided meditation. In order to get the most out of these blogs and podcasts, it would be best for you to go back and start with the first blog entry on June 25.

So, as your mind slows and calms down, so does your body. And not only does your body slow and calm down so that it is not as tense, but, as an added benefit, the relaxation hormones you are now releasing are “anabolic,” that is, they actually build up or heal your body.

In contrast, when you secrete stress hormones, you create a “catabolic” effect; that is, an effect that breaks down your body. So when you are stressed you are creating an environment within yourself physiologically that is literally breaking you down (catabolism). That is why there are a lot of stress related illnesses. Some experts believe that nearly 80% of all doctor visits are stress related.

So, therefore, in order to be as fit physiologically as you can, it really is important to learn how to master your mind. You need to learn how to allow your mind to go into a neutral state more often than it does now. [By the way, there is nothing wrong with multi-tasking. It is a very useful function. But the problem occurs when you are multi-tasking all or most of the time.] Our human bodies have been around a very long time and there really is only about a 1.0% difference between the makeup of a Neanderthal’s body and ours.

So, we were created to function optimally by being, as our ancestors were, physically active. As well, we are not made to be as mentally over-stimulated as we are with all the data and information and “doing” and “thinking” we engage in in this modern technological age.

This is Part II of an eight part blog.

Please go to the following link if you have interest in my new book on Meditation and Intuition: http://www.MagicalKeystoSelfMastery.com/

As well, if you have interest in my Meditation CDs, please go to the following link:
http://www.LearnMastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

June 25, 2007

Meditation—A Way to Become Physically, Mentally and Metaphysically Fit, Part I

Starting today and continuing through the next four weeks of blogs and podcasts, I will be offering a mini-course on Meditation. The first three weeks will be a discussion about Meditation, its benefits and how to best do it. The last week I will lead you in a guided meditation.

Most people discount meditation when they speak of getting fit. They usually think of fitness solely in terms of doing exercise and eating a proper diet. From my point of view it is not only physical fitness that we want to aim towards, but there is also a mental and psychological or even a metaphysical fitness that I personally believe is primary in attaining well rounded health and wellness.

What meditation really helps one learn how to do is to slow down and quiet the mind. Of course, you might well ask, “What good does that do?” Actually slowing the mind down is a very valuable skill to learn because every thought and feeling that we have gets expressed in every cell in our body.

This happens because every thought and feeling we have creates synaptic exchanges in our brain which then creates a hormonal response. So, a hormone of some kind, either a stress or relaxation one, is released as result of the kinds of thoughts and feelings we have. These hormones, courtesy of our cardiovascular system, are then pumped throughout our whole body and bathe all our cells. So that when you are angry about something, the cells in your big toe are bathed in an anger hormone and you now have an angry big toe, so to speak.

So, too, with being uptight or anxious, when you are uptight or anxious it is not just something that is going on in your mind, it is something that also is happening in you physiologically--in your body. So the kinds of thoughts and feelings you have determine whether a stress or a relaxation hormone is released into your bloodstream and that then determines what your body is experiencing.

This is Part I of an eight part blog.

Please go to the following link if you have interest in my new book on Meditation and Intuition: http://www.MagicalKeystoSelfMastery.com/

As well, if you have interest in my Meditation CDs, please go to the following link:
http://www.LearnMastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

June 20, 2007

Embrace and Embody Your Soul’s Wisdom and Soar, Part XII

This is Part XII of a twelve part blog. Part I begins on 05/14/07. In order to better understand what follows, it would be best to read the previous parts.

So, in conclusion, learn how to relax and let go emotionally and let God/Goddess and your Guides lead you into the fulfillment of your life.

When you have something that is hard to let go of, ask God/Goddess to take away that old baggage—to simply take it away—and to replace it with clarity. Just hand it over; it’s not your problem any more!

And by just simply doing this, you can release your hold on the problem. And by doing so, you create enough distance from it so that you can see the bigger picture and listen to the guidance that is coming in from a broader perspective.

Doing it the old way from within the box of your ego’s mind, will get you nowhere. It will just get you further boxed in.

So, allow yourself to be helped by God/Goddess. Have faith and confidence in Her/Him. If you can’t let go of a thought or situation, ask God/Goddess to help you release it. And She will. Be patient, gentle, generous and compassionate with yourself and with others.

Constantly keep refocusing the negative “stuff” by asking to see the “Good” in any given situation. As well, honor other people’s journeys rather than judging them, appreciate and accept every one and every thing with gratitude, and always ask yourself: what did this situation or individual teach me and then sit back and listen for the answer?

You are not alone! By no means are you alone! Hold on to God/Goddess’s hand. Do not let go! He/She is your strength and sustenance.

You were never intended to “go it” alone. You are not a “spiritual orphan.” God is always on your side, that is, inside you! So, quiet the ego mind and listen and you will come to hear and Know Thy Self.

So, learn how to look for “Soul”lutions in your life. Rather than trying to it do it all by yourself and then getting stuck in finding only “sole”lutions.

You don’t have to “wing it” on your own anymore. You’re not alone anymore! You have this wonderful group of souls who are very ready and able to assist you in finding your Self and being true to your Self.

You have an incredible well of Wisdom and Love you can tap into at any time. Just ask and then open to receive.

In conclusion, stop and ask yourself; “Who now do I choose to talk to or ‘commune with’ all day long?”

Give it a try! You have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain. “Everlasting life” is waiting for you!

Please note that the word “communion” or “communicate” comes from the Latin and means to become one with. So, our purpose in life is to “communicate” with God/Goddess so that we can become one with Her/Him and then we can truly come to know and BE who we really ARE!

Peace be with you!

This is the final blog post of a twelve part blog.

June 18, 2007

Embrace and Embody Your Soul’s Wisdom and Soar, Part XI

This is Part XI of a twelve part blog. Part I begins on 05/14/07. In order to better understand what follows, it would be best to read the previous parts.

So, take the time every day to connect with and “listen” to your Soul’s promptings. Ask God/Goddess to help you with this. Ask your Guides to help you with this. Just ask and ask and ask and in time you will receive the guidance and clarity you seek.

And you will, through this process, have learned how to no longer listen to your ego, but instead to be guided by the promptings of your Soul. You will then know what it means to live a “Soul-filled” life.

So, whenever you find yourself lost in your thoughts of limitation and fear, ask God/Goddess and your Guides to help you find your way back home again. Ask for clarity and then refocus your negativity to positivity, so that you can release yourself from the yoke of the fears, anger etc that encumber you.

In other words, learn how to give it over to God/Goddess or your Guides for a solution. Don’t try to figure it out all by your self or try to control it, just offer it up to God/Goddess, let go and trust that it all will work out for your Highest Good and for the Highest Good of all concerned.

Your ego mind could not possibly have all the answers, only your God/Goddess mind does. Quiet the ego mind and then listen to the promptings and inspirations you get. Release your fears and let God/Goddess be your strength and inspiration.

Your ego is not strong; it is actually very weak and will eventually crumble at the slightest provocation. Your real strength lies in your connection with God/Goddess and your Guides. There you will find solace, strength and inspiration. There you will find your Self.

This is the source of all real strength and power. All the rest is worldly and will fade. What you have come forth in this lifetime to experience and embody is to really understand and learn what it means to dwell in the Love of the “Embrace;” and by doing so you really will have gained strength and wisdom.

None of us can do it on our own. We are all a part of a wonderful Soul family that is here to guide us to a higher and purer expression of the unconditional Love of God/Goddess. It is all rather incredible and so magnificently beautiful!

Part XII of this blog entry will post on 06/20/07

June 13, 2007

Embrace and Embody Your Soul’s Wisdom and Soar, Part X

This is Part X of a twelve part blog. Part I begins on 05/14/07. In order to better understand what follows, it would be best to read the previous parts.

So, your Guides are very essential in helping you to feel “connected.” And, with their help and expertise, you can gradually trust that you are held in the heart and hands of the “Embrace” and that you are really, totally and completely cared for and loved.

And then you can flow effortlessly and joyfully down the stream of your life. You can, as well, just slide on over to the passenger’s seat and let them chauffer you around. You can let go of trying to control your life and instead allow it flow to you. You can let go of your ego’s point of view and learn to now see with and through the eyes and heart of God/Goddess.

So, quit trying to control everything! You can’t and you never will. It is totally futile. Learn to surrender your ego’s will and accept and dive, instead, into your Soul’s will for you. Embrace and Embody Your Soul’s Wisdom and Soar!

It’s all about quieting the ego mind and connecting with your Soul. And when you do, you feel so strong, free and light. And then you always know what to do next because it is always intuitively, not intellectually, obvious what is for your Highest Good.

Quiet the mind and learn how to wait and intuitively “listen in” so that you can hear what is for your Highest Good and the Highest Good for all involved. For most of you this is a radically different way of functioning.

Most people try to control events and others by imposing their will on a situation. They do this despite the fact that the actions they take are based on all kinds of false assumptions and partial truths that their ego has “bought into.” And they do it all without any real due diligence; they just do it out of raw impulse or ignorance.

The mind/ego is meant to be a servant of the Soul. But we have turned it all around and allow our ego minds to be the master and we ignore our Soul. We only listen to our minds and we never “hear” our Soul. This is a recipe for disaster!

June 11, 2007

Embrace and Embody Your Soul’s Wisdom and Soar, Part IX

This is Part IX of a twelve part blog. Part I begins on 05/14/07. In order to better understand what follows, it would be best to read the previous parts.

Another aspect of this that I would like to discuss now is that it is so important that we have a strong, clear loving relationship with our Guides. Firstly, all our healing comes through a direct relationship with God/Goddess and our Higher Self. And it is our Guides who are so pivotal in this process of connecting us with God/Goddess and our Higher Self.

Our Guides know us better than we know ourselves. As well, they can see where are lives are going and can help us to make the best decision regarding any situation that comes up. They know what is for our Highest Good and, if we touch in with them, they can help us find the straightest and clearest path to our healing and awakening.

Guides even help create situations that will help us to grow. They are really there for us. They are a part of our “Soul Family” and really care for us. And, again, they can help us make the best choice for our growth in any given situation.

But so few realize that they exist and even less people realize how helpful they can be. God/Goddess did not leave us out here to fend on our own. There is an incredible support network available to us. We just need to open the channels of communication to them and, boy, oh boy, will our lives change! But if we continue to just listen to our little selves, we will end up missing out on so much of what is possible for us.

So, to create this connection, all you need to formally do is to sit and just “listen” for ten minutes a day. Yup, that’s all! Just sit and quiet the ego mind, connect and listen. You do not need to do it for hours and hours, really!

As well, as you go through your day, keep a constant dialogue going with God/Goddess, your Higher Self and/or your Guides rather than waste your time and energy ‘talking” with a bunch of surly, unruly, negative characters that just drain your energies and have no vision for your life. With God and your Guides, you can dream big and then live those wonderful dreams, but with your low-life motley crew all you get is more of the same, old, sad story.

Be joyful always,
Pray continuously,
Give thanks in all circumstances,
1Thessalonians 5, 16-18

June 6, 2007

Embrace and Embody Your Soul’s Wisdom and Soar, Part VIII

This is Part VIII of a twelve part blog. Part I begins on 05/14/07. In order to better understand what follows, it would be best to read the previous parts.

You can’t solve a problem at the level that it was created. You must get out of your box—that is your limiting mindset. You must get out of your own way! And the only method to do this with is to learn how to see things through the broadest perspective possible, namely, through the eyes and heart of God/Goddess.

So, it is all about connecting with God/Goddess, your Higher Self and your Guides and it is in this way that you get answers and see the bigger picture. But more important than just getting answers and seeing the broader perspective is “feeling” a sense of “connection” with All That Is. This is “the key.” This is why you were created—so that you could embody and experience this ultimate Love and “communion” with all of creation.

And as you make this connection, you truly learn how to develop unconditional Trust in God/Goddess, your Self and your Guides. As well, you learn how to appreciate that everything is perfect in your life and in Divine Order and Timing. Life becomes a magical adventure rather than a fearful series of unknowns. You now enter into the mysteries of life and can trust and “Let go and let God!”

As well, you learn as you evolve through this process how to develop high acceptance of your circumstances and, as well, how to release your ego’s limited and limiting expectations. This, too, is another key to becoming a Master—acceptance, appreciation and letting go! Once you see the bigger picture this becomes so much easier.

So, lastly, to understand God/Goddess and to develop a relationship with Him, you must be like Her. You are made in His/Her image. You are a reflection of the Source that created you. Be like who you ARE and you will “know!”

The more of God/Goddess in your life, the less needs and voids there will be in your life. Fill up with God/Goddess and you will never again run on empty again or feel alone!

June 4, 2007

Embrace and Embody Your Soul’s Wisdom and Soar, Part VII

This is Part VII of a twelve part blog. Part I begins on 05/14/07. In order to better understand what follows, it would be best to read the previous parts.

So, in order to bring in these positive, life-affirming energies and for you to return to the Land of your Soul, spoken about previously, talk to God/Goddess all the time; and, while you are at it, feel free to talk to Her/Him about anything! Yes, anything--just as you would with a loved one or a very close friend!

Ask Her/Him questions and trust that you will receive a response. God/Goddess communicates through Love. And Love is everywhere and messages are hidden in His/Her countless expressions Love.

For instance, notice the beautiful cloud formations in the sky, or the warm gentle breeze or the smile of a child, or the beauty of a tree. All these are talking to you! All these are expressing God/Goddess’s Love for you and are answers to your questions, if you just know how to “listen,” if you know the “code.” All of creation is a gift of Love from God.

By contemplating the Love that is all around you, clear answers come to you--no, not through the logical mind, but, instead, through your heart and through the intuitive, non-cognitive right brain.

The language of God/Goddess is Love. If you want to hear God/Goddess and develop a deep personal bond and relationship with Her, you must learn “Love.” You must see Love, look for Love, be Love, become Love, give Love, open to receive Love. Then you’ll get IT!!!! Then you will be able to speak face to face! Then you will find the answers to all your questions.

Also, whenever you find yourself with questions about why you find yourself in a “challenging” situation regarding your relationships, health or wealth, you might want to ask your Higher Self the following question: What lesson is there in this situation that will help me to learn how to more fully and completely love and accept myself or another?

So, rather than trying to avoid the situations you find yourself in, this process will help you to learn how to face them, embrace them and then, after having done that, you will be better able to replace or transmute them. Just ask your Higher Self or God/Goddess to guide you and the keys and answers to your healing will be given. But you must ask and then “listen.”

May 30, 2007

Embrace and Embody Your Soul’s Wisdom and Soar, Part VI

This is Part VI of a twelve part blog. Part I begins on 05/14/07. In order to better understand what follows, it would be best to read the previous parts.

The best way, I have found, to bring in more of these positive, loving energies is to talk to God/Goddess. Yes, literally chat all day long with God/Goddess. You “chat” all day long with all kinds of other characters in your mind, why not make God/Goddess your primary companion.

At this point, I would like you to literally stop and ask yourself: Who are my primary companions?

Who are you talking to most of the time: your “little self” with all its fears and limiting beliefs; your “imagined” enem(y)ies; your long lost friend; a fictional character; a TV personality? Who are you talking to and why?

And, most importantly ask yourself, “Is this doing me any good?

Why waste energy on “someone” or something that is of no benefit to you!

Also, why assume that it is impossible to talk to God/Goddess and to have a personal relationship with Her, if you have never really tried it? God/Goddess, aka, the “Big Kahuna,” started it all and is certainly the most experienced at Unconditional Love.

So, the real question here is, why do you keep “looking for Love in all the wrong places?”

Go to the Source and give it a try. What in Heaven’s Name do you have to lose--a boring, banal relationship with projections of your “lower self?” Please take the time to slow down enough to notice the company you keep! And when you do, I can assure you that you will want to make a change.

We are meant to be a human expression of God/Goddess. So, why not embody that now? Why not come to truly know your Source? What a great way to spend your time and energy!

Also, if you truly want to build up your self-worth, believe me, this is the best way to do it. Just imagine having a personal, loving, uplifting, eternal relationship with All That Is, your Source. It really doesn’t get any better than this!

So, return to the Land of your Soul. Get back to who you are as a Soul—no longer identify yourself with your present personality and lifetime! This will help you to really ground yourself and bring more fun and freedom into your life.

May 28, 2007

Embrace and Embody Your Soul’s Wisdom and Soar, Part V

This is Part V of a twelve part blog. Part I begins on 05/14/07. In order to better understand what follows, it would be best to read the previous parts.

Yes, God/Goddess made it simple to create the life you want and to release your negativity, but it isn’t that easy to change your old habitual ways of thinking and feeling-- especially since you have practiced them in many lifetimes and, as well, have had them reinforced by your family and by society in general.

So, this is all a process in which you gradually, like peeling off the layers of an onion, become aware of more and more of the layers of limiting beliefs and negativity that you participate in, and as you do, you gradually release them.

So, to most expeditiously facilitate this process for yourself, begin by becoming very aware of your thoughts.

What do you think about most? What do you worry about most often? What issue, situation, or person is most dominant? Also, ask yourself, what thoughts am I having that I can not let go of? Just sit and listen to yourself; you’ll be amazed at what you find!

This is no different than driving a car. In order to drive a car you must know how to start it, steer it, etc. and then while it is in motion, you must be very cognizant of where you are spatially and where you want to go and where others are relative to you. But you didn’t learn how to do this all at once. It took time. And what was initially a complicated task to achieve, namely driving a car, has now become routine and easy.

So, too, if you give the ruminations of your mind as much attention as you did the mechanics of driving your car, you will gradually become a Master of your thoughts, and, therefore, a Master of your Life.

So, practice raising your level of awareness with regard to how the negativity comes in for you. Also notice what thought patterns leak your energy and then let them go and bring in more positivity.

So, you gradually notice the patterns and then you gradually release them and in time you have created a whole new reality for yourself.

You do this one step at a time: “Inch by inch, it is a cinch; yard by yard, it is hard.”

May 23, 2007

Embrace and Embody Your Soul’s Wisdom and Soar, Part IV

This is Part IV of a twelve part blog. Part I begins on 05/14/07. In order to better understand what follows, it would be best to read the previous parts.

Your mind is the problem and your mind is the solution!

God/Goddess made it simple for you to get out of this trap where your mind is both the problem and the solution. All you have to do is to shift out of the fear, anger, worry, etc that you usually are focused on and instead move into trust and gratitude!

Shift what you place your attention on from negative to positive; and what you see and experience in your life will be radically transformed. You can change yourself, if you change your self; that is, if you change your thinking!

So, slow down enough to take the time to ask yourself the following: What leaks your energy out, what disconnects you from Source? And when you do, you’ll see that negative thinking is the culprit.

Negativity closes down your ability to receive the Universal prime energy of Love and Wisdom that is there waiting for you to tap into. It puts up a defensive barrier to all the pure positive energy that the Universe wants to pour into you.

Positive thoughts and expectations draw in this pure, positive life force energy through your crown chakra. But when you are in a negative loop, you restrict the flow of these positive, loving energies to you. You close the door to them, so to speak.

The experiences you have in your life are created by the variety of thoughts you have. Happy thoughts create happy and healthy experiences; negative thoughts attract and create unhealthy experiences. You get to choose.

So, too, different cells are created in your body by the different thoughts you dwell on. Happy thoughts create happy and healthy cells, negative thoughts create unhealthy cells. You get to choose.

So, it is very important to observe the limiting beliefs you have that restrict you. Take the time to just “be” quiet with your Self and you will see your patterns. Notice what comes up.

Ask yourself: What makes me lose it? What blocks me from bringing it all in? And then after you identify your energy drains, choose to let them go and then bring in more joy and love.

More about how to do this in the next blog post.

May 21, 2007

Embrace and Embody Your Soul’s Wisdom and Soar, Part III

This is Part III of a twelve part blog. Part I begins on 05/14/07. In order to better understand what follows, it would be best to read the previous parts.

So many people get caught up in the details and minutiae of life and miss the bigger picture. Many see the dot on the top of the “i” but completely miss the “i” as well as the word that the “i” is contained in, least of all do they even imagine that there is a sentence, paragraph, chapter and whole book that that “i” is a part of. As well, they miss that the book is part of a library that is part of a culture, that is part of a planet, that is part of a solar system, that is..., that is …, ad infinitum…a part of…

We are so much more than that little “i” that we identify ourselves with. We are not the ego mind, we are the Self! We are the Divine Self!

So, I hope to help you to better see the bigger picture that the words above are pointing to through what I will be sharing with you in this series of blogs.

So, how does one learn how to love purely and unconditionally?

It all boils down to developing your own very personal relationship with God/Goddess.

As well, it depends on you developing a very direct connection with your Higher Self.

And the greatest tool you have to help you create this special, personal relationship with God/Goddess and your Higher Self is all your Guides, Mentors, Masters, Angels, etc—your heavenly crew of helpers who are there solely for this purpose—namely they are there to help guide you into a very deep connection, “communion” and oneness with your Self or Soul and with God/Goddess.

These Guides, Mentors, Master, Angels, Extra-Terrestrials, or whatever name or identity you want to give to them, really do exist and they really are here to help you—really!

You are way more powerful than you ever dreamed of, and have all of God/Goddess’s Love and Wisdom surrounding you in every way, wherever you go and whatever you do! That is what your Angels, Guides and Mentors want you to know and feel. You are not alone. You are not a “spiritual orphan.” You are a very powerful being who has a whole host of help at your side!

This is Part III of a twelve part blog.

May 16, 2007

Embrace and Embody Your Soul’s Wisdom and Soar, Part II

This is Part II of a twelve part blog. Part I begins on 05/14/07. In order to better understand what follows, it would be best to read the previous part.

In order for any of what I will be sharing with you in this series of blog posts to “work” for you, you will have to not only suspend judgment, but also let go of trying to make sense of any of this with your ego, left-brain mind.

“All of reality is not thinking” as Carl Jung wrote. So, in order to get into these new realities, you will have to shift out of your old habitual way of receiving and processing information, that is by using your left-brain and shift instead into a whole new, non-cognitive, non-linear, right-brain way of “knowing,” receiving and processing information.

So, just let go and enjoy the ride! Allow yourself to enter into other realities--other dimensions, other paradigms, other ways of “knowing.” Let a whole new series of worlds open up to you—ones that the mystics and sages of old have been pointing to for millennia.

So, join me now on a magical, mystery tour into your Self and the world of Unconditional Love and Perennial Wisdom.

Ultimately, from my point of view, it all comes down to the following question:

What is my Purpose in this Life?

And, for me, at least, the answer to that question all boils down to learning how to Love, embrace, appreciate and accept myself, my experiences, others and the whole Universe unconditionally. My purpose in life is definitely not about acquiring, skills, power, possessions, positions, etc. It’s all about learning how to Love.

Of course, in the process of learning how to love unconditionally, you may, in fact, acquire some skills, power, possessions, positions, etc. But it’s not about any of these “things” that your life is really all about.

Actually, you don’t need any of the above “things” to learn how to love; poverty and misfortune can teach you the same lesson. You have your experiences simply and solely to help you, as quickly and permanently as possible, to learn how to love at higher and higher levels of purity and unconditionality.

This is Part II of a twelve part blog.

May 14, 2007

Embrace and Embody Your Soul’s Wisdom and Soar, Part I

This is Part I of a twelve part blog.

This next series of blog posts can be read on their own, though they are a continuation of a theme that I have been developing the past month or so. In order to get the full context for what follows you might want to go back and read my blog posts entitled: What Does it Mean to Have a “Personal” Relationship with God/Goddess? posted 04/16/07 and Who are You Really Talking to All Day Long and Why! The Art of Mindfulness, posted 04/30/07.

If we take the time to become aware of it, we discover that we are constantly having some kind of an internal dialogue going on in our minds. And as I wrote in my earlier blogs most of it is repetitious, boring and usually rather negative.

What I would like to share with you in this next series of blog posts is how one can channel this previously mostly wasted energy of negative mind drivel into something very wonderful, life transforming and enriching.

Instead of spending most your energies rehashing old, worn-out scenarios or dialogues in your mind, why not take that time and energy to consciously and intentionally develop a personal relationship with God/Goddess, your Higher Self and your Guides?

I realize that for some of you the above statement, in and of itself, may seem rather absurd. But I ask you to reserve judgment until you have both read through what I have to offer and tried what I suggest.

Yes, I understand that many believe that a personal relationship with God/Goddess is either unimportant or impossible, but until you have taken the time to try it out, please hold off judging the proposition. [See my previous blog posts referred to above for more about this.]

Also, many believe developing a relationship with our Guides is also rather preposterous-- that any such relationship is basically a projection and not real. Well, that’s what I thought about it at one point, but as time went on, I began to develop a very real connection and communion with an incredible group of energies that was more “real” than real. I have no doubt that what I presently experience is not projection. It is very, very real.

As well, for me the concept of connecting with my Higher Self had also been one that was, initially, quite hard to grasp. It all felt so amorphous, ethereal and hard to believe, but, in time, I was able to learn how to shift into an awareness that allowed me to “hear” and “listen” to my Self, that is my Higher Self. And, boy, oh boy, it has been such a blessing and wellspring of incredible comfort, guidance and wisdom since then.

This is Part I of a twelve part blog.

May 11, 2007

Who are You Really Talking to All Day Long and Why! The Art of Mindfulness, Part II Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Who are You Really Talking to All Day Long and Why! The Art of Mindfulness, Part II Podcast"



Click Here to Download MP3/Audio

(length 9:28 minutes)


Subscribe to Feed Below:

May 9, 2007

Who are You Really Talking to All Day Long and Why? The Art of Mindfulness, Part IV

This is Part IV of a four part blog. See my blog post of 04/30/07 for Part I.

So, from my point of view, we are literally meant to “whistle a happy tune” and that happy tune then creates our reality. We can, if we wish, let go of the past and focus instead on the present. We can look for the good in situations and for the beauty in the present moment and let of go of old negative fixations. We can trust that the future is a peaceful, positive place that we are heading towards rather than a fearful void of unknown disasters.

We get to choose all of this! We really do!

So, be very mindful about who and what you invite into your internal dialogues. It has a profound impact on your life. When you invite anger, you experience anger; when you invite fear, you experience fear; when you invite worry, you experience worry. On the other hand, when you invite joy, you experience joy; when you invite peace, you experience peace; when you invite love, you experience love.

The kind of thoughts you choose are no different from the kind of friends you choose in your life. Who you hang out with, determines who you bring home with you. And who you bring home with you, determines the quality of your life.

So, choose your thoughts consciously and wisely. Choose who you speak with internally very carefully. Ask yourself why you are having these thoughts. This is so important because if you chose poor thoughts, you create poverty and live down in the dumps; but if you choose lofty thoughts, you create a life of freedom, joy and love and live a regal life.

So, choose very carefully who you are talking to throughout your day; your life depends on it.

In my next series of blog posts, I will offer suggestions about what I believe is the best kind of internal dialogue to have.

Rather than talking to all these disparate voices, instead why not talk to God/Goddess, your Higher Self or your Guides on a consistent basis? You’d be amazed at how different your life will become and how much more in touch with who you really are you will become when you do this. As well, you will discover a very profound place of peace, love and contentment.

This is Part IV of a four part blog.

May 7, 2007

Who are You Really Talking to All Day Long and Why? The Art of Mindfulness, Part III

This is Part III of a four Part blog. See my blog post of 04/30/07 for Part I.

So, it is rather amazing to realize how much of what we think about in the present is just a rehash of what we have been thinking about in the past. And it usually is at best boring, if not down-right negative. It’s no wonder that nothing ever changes in our lives! It’s no wonder that life is rather mundane and tedious!

An interesting fact about all this is that modern science has come to understand that every thought we have is also connected to an emotion. And these thoughts/emotions that we are having trigger “pictures in our minds.” And these “pictures in our minds” are experienced by us as very “real” both psychologically and physiologically.

Whatever we are thinking about creates these “pictures in our minds.” Whether what we are thinking about is actually something that we are physically experiencing in the moment or whether it is a fanciful projection into the future or the rehashing of the past--all of this is experienced by us as “real.”

Our subconscious does not distinguish between what is actually happening to us and what we are imagining is happening to us.

So, our reality is purely, totally shaped by what we choose to focus our minds/emotions on—period!

That’s why it is so important to pay close attention to your thoughts because once launched, they gather momentum and shape the experiences you are having.

So, minimizing most of the internal dialogue, especially the negative stuff, releases you from the clutches of a downward spiral of thinking. If you allow yourself to get into these downward spirals, you create both a negative emotional experience and a negative physical experience for yourself.

Science has discovered that we release the same hormones and have the same muscular contractions in our body when we are actually experiencing an event and also when we are “just” imagining it!

So, why not focus on all the good around us so that that we can then experience that same good within us?

This is Part III of a four part blog. Part IV will be posted on 05/09/07.

May 4, 2007

Who are You Really Talking to All Day Long and Why! The Art of Mindfulness, Part I Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Who are You Really Talking to All Day Long and Why! The Art of Mindfulness, Part I Podcast"



Click Here to Download MP3/Audio

(length 9:41 minutes)


Subscribe to Feed Below:

May 2, 2007

Who are You Really Talking to All Day Long and Why? The Art of Mindfulness, Part II

This is Part II of a four part blog. See my blog post of 04/30/07 for Part I.

It is rather interesting to note how busy and active our minds are! It is amazing how much energy we expend towards “thinking” all the time. And it is amazing how much of that “thinking” is either takes us into the past or projects us into the future.

So, little of it is focused on what is happening in the here and now! So little of it pays any attention to what is in front of us at the moment. So little of it gives us the opportunity to “stop and smell the roses” or to appreciate the sunset or receive a smile or look into a child’s wondrous eyes.

It’s usually all a pile of mind drivel that we place our attention on—really rather boring and monotonous stuff. We become so self-absorbed in little meaningless, repetitious dramas that drain and distract us from what is happening in the present moment!

We have often heard it said that children have a very short attention span. That may be true, but I have observed that most adults have even shorter ones. Their minds are constantly jumping around from one thought or scenario to another. The Hindus call it “the drunken monkey mind.” It is really an incredible waste of energy and quite something to observe in action!

But why? Why do we get stuck in these quagmires of the mind? Why do we race around in our minds, but ultimately end up going nowhere? Why do we walk down the same street each day and fall into the same old hole? Why do we repeat the same old experiences and wonder why life is so meaningless? Why? Have you stopped to ask yourself why? Or do you think this is just the way it is?

Actually, all it is--is a habit! Albeit, a bad habit, but it’s all just a habit. And habits can be changed, if they are first identified, that is made conscious, and then they can gradually be changed.

This is Part II of a four part blog. See my blog post of 05/07/07 for Part III

April 30, 2007

Who are You Really Talking to All Day Long and Why? The Art of Mindfulness, Part I

This is Part I of a four Part blog. See my blog entry of 05/02/07 for Part II.

Who are you really talking to all day long and why? Have you ever stopped to ask yourself this question? Have you ever stopped long enough to listen in—to be mindful?

Have you slowed down enough to realize that almost always there is an internal dialogue or monologue going on within you? And if you have slowed down enough to listen to this dialogue, you have come to realize that you are in fact talking to someone, so to speak.

You are either talking to yourself or to someone else. And, if you are talking to yourself, you are either being self-critical or appreciating yourself. Actually most of our internal dialogue is about us. And unfortunately, most of it is negative.

Or, if you are not talking to yourself, you are having a “fantasy” dialogue with someone else, whether it is your partner, your child, your dog or cat, a character in a novel you are currently reading, your mother-in-law, a parent, a friend, an “enemy,” a commentator on TV, a political figure you agree or disagree with, your neighbor next door, an old friend, someone you want to meet, a celebrity, a TV character, etc. The list is rather endless and rather amusing when you look at it.

Or, if you are not having a dialogue with one of these or a million other characters, perhaps you are rehashing or reliving a past experience, be it a good one or a “bad” one. Or perhaps you are imagining a future dialogue or a meeting with someone or anticipating a situation that you know will be coming up.

Just take the time a couple of times during the day to slow down and take note of what you are thinking about. I do not mean when you are in the midst of accomplishing a task, but I suggest you do this when you are idle or alone. What you discover will amaze you. The amount of banal repetition will, as well.

This is Part I of a four Part blog. Part II will be posted on 05/02/07

February 9, 2007

How to Reprogram Your Self Image, Part IV Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"How to Reprogram Your Self Image, Part IV" Podcast



Click Here to Download MP3/Audio

(length 12:05 minutes)


Subscribe to Feed Below:

February 7, 2007

How to Reprogram Your Self-Image, Part VIII

If you want to change; you must make a change inside yourself.
You can’t just wish or think that things will change.
You must take internal action!
All change is an inside job!

This is Part VIII of an eight part blog. In order to understand and make best use of what follows, please go back and read Parts I, II, III, IV, V, VI & VII on 01/15/07, 01/17/07, 01/22/07, 01/24/07, 01/29/07, 01/31/07 and 02/05/07 respectively.

Some More Phrases to Read, Feel and Visualize, con’t:

XIX.
I am free.
I am whole.
I am one.
I am free to receive and give.
I am good.
I am worthy.
I release my limiting memories, fears, and feelings; I bless them for what they have taught me.
I am truly blessed.

So, work or “play” with these phrases. Certainly make up more of your own. As you do this you will be tilling the soil of your soul and planting and nurturing the “seeds of greatness” that are within you.

As Meister Eckhart wrote:

The seed of God is in us.
Given an intelligent and hard-working farmer,
it will thrive and grow up to God, whose seed it is;
and accordingly its fruits will be God-nature.
Pear seeds grow into pear trees,
nut seeds into nut trees,
and God-seeds into God.
Meister Eckhart

We are so much more than we “think” we are. In other words we are so much more than what our limited programming allows us to believe we are. We are “gods and goddesses in training” as Deepak Chopra has written.

Or as I am wont to say: “We are chips off the old holographic block called God/Goddess who have come forth to embody the Divine in finite, three dimensional form.” We are truly made in His/Her Image.
This is Part VIII of an eight part blog.

February 5, 2007

How to Reprogram Your Self-Image, Part VII

If you want to change; you must make a change inside yourself.
You can’t just wish or think that things will change.
You must take internal action!
All change is an inside job!

This is Part VII of an eight part blog. In order to understand and make best use of what follows, please go back and read Parts I, II, III, IV, V & VI on 01/15/07, 01/17/07, 01/22/07, 01/24/07, 01/29/07 and 01/31/07 respectively.

Some More Phrases to Read, Feel and Visualize, con’t:

XV.
I am amidst a beautiful spiritual family.
Doors open easily and quickly for me.
I am who I AM in this current of time.
God/Goddess is pleased with me.
I am truly worthy of a fulfilling, loving, lasting relationship that is perfect for me.

XVI.
I ignore the Here
I ignore the Present.
I pretend There.
I fantasize my Dreams.
I pretend what I intend.
I Relax, Enjoy, Pretend, Trust, and Believe.
I always, without ceasing, intentionally and consciously INTEND any and every moment of my life. I never forget and always remember—ever being mindful of what my priorities and passions are.

XVII.
I want it!
I figure it out!
It’s easy!
The universe is on my side.
The universe is a friendly place.

XVIII.
This ______ is who I am, what I do, what I was born to be and do. [Fill in the blank.]
I struggle because I still haven’t come to terms with it.
As I do, a calming will come.
I am a channel for understanding and wisdom. When I get this, my fears will cease.

This is Part VII of an eight part Blog. See my blog entries of 01/15/07 01/17/06, 01/22/07, 01/24/07, 01/29/07 and 01/31/07 for Parts I, II, III, IV, V & VI.

February 2, 2007

How to Reprogram Your Self-Image Podcast, Part III


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"How to Reprogram Your Self Image, Part III" Podcast



Click Here to Download MP3/Audio

(length 11:31 minutes)


Subscribe to Feed Below:

January 31, 2007

How to Reprogram Your Self-Image, Part VI

If you want to change; you must make a change inside yourself.
You can’t just wish or think that things will change.
You must take internal action!
All change is an inside job!

This is Part VI of an eight part blog. In order to understand and make best use of what follows, please go back and read Parts I, II, III, IV & V on 01/15/07, 01/17/07, 01/22/07, 01/24/07 and 01/29/07 respectively.

Some More Phrases to Read, Feel and Visualize, con’t:

XI.
Nothing serious can or will be allowed to happen to me.
I feel the anger and fears and pain, but I joyfully live my life anyway. All this can do is to slow me down at worst, but it can never stop me.
I am safe and will succeed without pain.
Failure is impossible—even if I try to fail.
I can not fail; it will not be allowed.

XII.
I am gentle with myself.
I am a beautiful precious child of God/Goddess.
God/Goddess would let nothing happen to me.
I am eternally, lovingly held in the Embrace.

XII.
I can feel fearful, a failure, and unworthy, but it has no bearing on reality.
With regard to money, I always affirm: “In God I trust.”
Whenever I am concerned about money or whenever I am receiving it, I see three times as much.

XIV.
SHINE
It takes work to hide.
I confront, embrace and conquer my fears and shine brightly in the world.
I claim the piece of the Grand Puzzle that I AM.
I ease into my life—the true current—and surrender into it.

This is Part VI of an eight part Blog. See my blog entries of 01/15/07 01/17/06, 01/22/07, 01/24/07 and 01/29/07 for Parts I, II, III, IV & V.

January 29, 2007

How to Reprogram Your Self-Image, Part V

If you want to change; you must make a change inside yourself.
You can’t just wish or think that things will change.
You must take internal action!
All change is an inside job!

This is Part V of an eight part blog. In order to understand and make best use of what follows, please go back and read Parts I, II, III & IV on 01/15/07, 01/17/07, 01/22/07 and 01/24/07 respectively.

Some More Phrases to Read, Feel and Visualize, con’t:

VII.
I listen to my inner voice.
I respectfully and in a detached manner demand of the Universe what I want.
I am very clear about what I want.
I clearly and confidently claim and affirm my love-ability and worthiness.
I notice the negative judgments, but just treat them like another opinion that I don’t have to give any power to.

VII.
I AM SAFE
I am safe to live my truth.
I am safe to be a powerful spiritual person.
I am safe to have people honor and respect me.
I am safe to expand and go to more and more places.
I am safe to find others to help me in my work.
I receive love, blessing, support and praise.

IX.
I can tell and reassure my body that I am healthy now.
My body is my friend, it is just letting me know what is happening and if a healing is necessary.
I pay attention to my body like it was a baby.

X.
I can tell and reassure my mind that I am psychologically healthy and grounded.
The very fearful and angry emotions can continue to happen, but they are for my amusement only.
Life will go on and on and I will succeed at finding personal and professional mastery.

This is Part V of an eight part Blog. See my blog entries of 01/15/07, 01/17/06, 01/22/07 and 01/24/07 for Parts I, II, III & IV.

January 26, 2007

How to Reprogram Your Self Image Podcast, Part II


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"How to Reprogram Your Self Image, Part II" Podcast



Click Here to Download MP3/Audio

(length 11:25 minutes)


Subscribe to Feed Below:

January 24, 2007

How to Reprogram Your Self-Image, Part IV

If you want to change; you must make a change inside yourself.
You can’t just wish or think that things will change.
You must take internal action!
All change is an inside job!

This is Part IV of an eight part blog. In order to understand and make best use of what follows, please go back and read Parts I, II & III on 01/15/07, 01/17/07 and 01/22/07 respectively.

Some More Phrases to Read, Feel and Visualize, con’t:

IV.
The trick is that I know the agenda; and the agenda is:
Steadily, step by step, I will connect with larger and larger numbers of people.
I will steadily and increasingly uncover my gifts and they will be appreciated and sought after by many.
I will enjoy what I do and it will all flow effortlessly.

V.
I externally put myself out there persistently.
Inwardly, I gently hammer away with positive self-talk, affirmations and visualizations in order to change the negative programs inside.
I am truly ready.
I am truly worthy.
I truly can handle it.
I am truly good enough.
I feel an inner grace, peace, and strength.
I am truly worthy of praise.
I am truly worthy of love.
I am truly worthy of attention.
I am truly worthy of _________. [Fill in the blank.]

VI.
I clearly call in what I want, not as a request but as a demand because I know I am worthy.
I want ________ income for my work.
I want to look forward to and always enjoy my work.
I want to feel good about myself.
I want to feel free to express my creativity and to be praised by others for expressing it.
I am ready
I can handle it; no problem.
I want it NOW.


This is Part IV of an eight part Blog. See my blog entries of 01/15/07 01/17/06 and 01/22/07 for Parts I, II & II.

January 22, 2007

How to Reprogram Your Self-Image, Part III

If you want to change; you must make a change inside yourself.
You can’t just wish or think that things will change.
You must take internal action!
All change is an inside job!

This is Part III of an eight part blog. In order to understand and make best use of what follows, please go back and read Parts I & II on 01/15/07 and 01/17/07 respectively.

Some Phrases to Read, Feel and Visualize:

I.
I invest in Faith, Hope and Love, but not in worry or fear.
I face my fears and embrace them.
It is my beliefs and interpretations of events that are the problem.
All is in Divine Timing and Order.
I see the wisdom of the situation(s) I am in.
I see my life through the eyes and Heart of my Soul.
I am Loved!

II.
Believe and Say:
I truly want this_________.
I truly deserve this_________________. [Fill in the blanks.]
It’s truly in alignment with my Soul’s purpose.
I am worthy and deserving of good!

[You get to fill in the blanks here. It can be something internal or external. Go for it!]
[See my blog posts of 01/01/07, 01/03/07, 01/08/07 and 01/10/07 for suggestions on what to put in the blanks.]

III.
I believe that I deserve only good and that all things come to me on a silver platter.
I am used to being praised, honored, and wanted.
Others see the treasure in me; they do not see the childhood distortion that I incorrectly “think” I am.
I am totally convinced of my value.

There is only Light and Goodness–Anticipate it!!!

This is Part III of an eight part Blog. See my blog entries of 01/15/07 and 01/17/07 for Parts I & II.

January 19, 2007

How to Reprogram Your Self Image Podcast, Part I


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"How to Reprogram Your Self Image, Part I" Podcast



Click Here to Download MP3/Audio

(length 10:53 minutes)


Subscribe to Feed Below:

January 17, 2007

How to Reprogram Your Self-Image, Part II

If you want to change; you must make a change inside yourself.
You can’t just wish or think that things will change.
You must take internal action!
All change is an inside job!

This is Part II of an eight part blog. See my blog entry of 01/15/07 for Part I in order to get the full context of what is in today’s blog post.

So, what follows is a series of phrases that you can repeat over and over again. Some may appeal to you more than others, so go with those that jump out at you first. Repeat them with feeling and visualization as often as you can remember in a day.

Work with each set of phrases for at least twenty-one days or until you feel you’ve “got it.” Some phrases may take a lot longer than twenty-one days to really sink in, so don’t try to rush any of this.

Work with up to three sets of phrases at a time, but not more. And keep doing it and keep doing it. At any point, please feel free to add any phrases you come up with on your own or modify any of the ones I have suggested.

Really get into this and “own” the process. By doing so, you will ensure your success. Trust that in time you will significantly have changed your internal terrain and your self-image so much that you will no longer recognize your (old) self.

In practicing this process you are becoming a master gardener of your mind. You are weeding out what no longer serves you and are feeding and nurturing yourself with what really does. Have fun!

Remember, you get to write the script of your life! You get to be the author or author-ity in your life. It doesn’t matter what old, dysfunctional programs you presently have running in your subconscious mind, this process will act like an anti-virus software and clear out of you all malicious, unwanted, stale, dysfunctional programs.

This is Part II of an eight part Blog. See my blog entry of 01/22/07 for Part III.

January 15, 2007

How to Reprogram Your Self-Image, Part I

If you want to change; you must make a change inside yourself.
You can’t just wish or think that things will change.
You must take internal action!
All change is an inside job!

This is Part I of an eight part blog.

I thought that I would share with you in my next series of blog entries further ideas and techniques that I have gathered and used over the years on how to change my internal terrain.

All change is an inside job! So, in order to change we must change how we feel and think about ourselves. But usually most of us are not in touch with what our own internal dialogue is nor are we aware of what our internal self-image is. In other words, most of us are not in touch with how we see ourselves nor are we in touch with how we think about ourselves.

Often, our estimation of ourselves is a lot less generous and accurate than what others see about us. Often we are our own worst enemy and our own worst critic. How we see ourselves, whether it is a conscious process or not, greatly determines how others see us and it also determines what we attract into our lives.

So changing all this is of paramount importance if we want to change how we experience life. What follows are a series of internal dialogue exercises or affirmations that I have used over the years to reprogram my self-image.

Please read through them slowly. They are meant to be savored and not swallowed. They are meant to be repeated over and over again not only as words, but also they are meant to be “felt” and “seen,” that is visualized.

Please go to my blog entry of 12/27/06 for an envisioning exercise that will help you learn how to really “see” and “feel” these phrases. The actual phrases will follow in Part III of this blog on 01/22/07. My next blog, Part II, on 01/17/01 will give more information on how to use these phrases.

This is Part I of an eight part blog.

January 12, 2007

Setting New Intentions, Patterns and Habits, Part II Podcast

Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Setting New Intentions, Patterns and Habits, Part II" Podcast



Click Here to Download MP3/Audio

(length 16:38 minutes)


Subscribe to Feed Below:

January 5, 2007

Setting New Intentions, Patterns and Habits, Part I Podcast

Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Setting New Intentions, Patterns and Habits, Part I" Podcast



Click Here to Download MP3/Audio

(length 9:52 minutes)


Subscribe to Feed Below:

December 29, 2006

The Power of Visualization, Part III Podcast

Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"The Power of Visualization, Part III' Podcast



Click Here to Download MP3/Audio

(length 14:28 minutes)


Subscribe to Feed Below:

December 27, 2006

The Power of Visualization: Peace of Mind is an Image Away, Part VI

Worry creates more worry: Joy creates more Joy! You get to choose!

This is Part VI of a six part blog. See my 12/25 blog post for Part V.

What follows is a simple, yet highly effective visualization technique that can help you to imagine and manifest all the good you ever wanted in your life. Since you are imagining or visualizing all the time, anyhow, why not do it consciously and intentionally. Why not create what you want?


Envisioning in Order to Achieve a Desired Outcome/Goal

I. Decide what outcome you want to work on, e.g., to meditate regularly; to laugh a lot; to be true to oneself in all circumstances; to not experience stress in specific situations; to lose weight; to effortlessly create abundance; to improve your health; to feel self-esteem and confidence in specific situations; to get a raise, to get a new job, a new house, etc.

II. Get very specific about what you want, e.g., I want to meditate once a day for ten minutes; I want to listen to my Higher Self in all situations and at all times; I want to weigh 100 pounds and be a size four; I want to be relaxed and feel confident every time I meet new people, etc.

III. Get quiet. Take three deep breaths into your abdomen. Now start relaxing your body. Begin with relaxing the top of your head and slowly and gradually relax your forehead, eyelids, cheek, jaw, chin, neck, throat, shoulders, arms, hands, fingers, chest, back, abdomen, pelvis, thighs, knees, calves, ankles and feet. Breath deeply into any area that feels especially tense.

IV. Know that now that you are in this relaxed state you are able to access your subconscious mind and your super-conscious mind and that anything that you visualize clearly and think positively about will definitely come to pass. So, see yourself succeeding: truly believe and expect yourself to achieve your ideal manifestation. Envision as many scenes as you can with you being successful at achieving your goal. Really feel it! Really praise yourself! Use your imagination to bring other people into the scene. Hear them tell you how excited they are about how healthy, successful, and good you look, etc. See it and really Feel it! Really feel how good it would be to already have accomplished your desire. Feel as if you have already accomplished it. This is how you can create new manifestations in your life and use your imagination to bring the desired results you want into your life.

V. Worry creates more worry: Joy creates more Joy! You get to choose!

VI. Thank yourself for taking the time to consciously create your life.

VII. Bring yourself slowly out of this relaxed state.

VIII. Do this as often as you can; at least once a day.

This is Part VI of a six part blog.

If you would like to know more about the power of visualization, please check out my Meditation CD: Peace of Mind is an Image Away: Visualization Meditations.

You can hear a sampler at: http://www.learnmastery.com/AudioTapesByYanni.htm

December 25, 2006

The Power of Visualization: Peace of Mind is an Image Away, Part V

Worry creates more worry: Joy creates more Joy! You get to choose!

This is Part V of a six part blog. See my 12/20 blog post for Part IV.

In order to help you get a better grasp on the role and power of visualization, I thought the following two quotes would be quite helpful:

"Although research in this field is still in its infancy, we have already found that visualization has a definite effect on the body's EEG, or electrical field. Physiologist Edmund Jacobson has shown, for example, that if you imagine yourself running, small but measurable amounts of contraction actually take place in the muscle you use for jogging." [This certainly happens when we dream.]

"Anatomists have demonstrated that there are pathways between the part of the brain where our pictures are stored and the autonomic nervous system which controls such so-called "involuntary" activities as sweating, blood pressure, and digestion. These same pathways link the autonomic nervous system and the pituitary and adrenal cortex. The end result is that a picture in the mind has an impact on every cell in our bodies."

These two quotes come from a book entitled: Visualization, by Adelaide Bry.

So, what we imagine, we experience viscerally in our bodies. Our imagination has a very, very powerful effect on our bodies.

As well, what we imagine, we experience as real psychologically. And by doing so we then we attract more of what we are imagining or visualizing into our life experiences. So, we really can’t afford the luxury of a negative imagination! It gets us into a lot of trouble!

Please see my next blog entry for a simple, yet highly effective visualization technique that can help you to imagine and manifest all the good you ever wanted in your life.

This is Part V of a six part blog. See my 12/27 blog post for Part VI.

December 22, 2006

The Power of Visualization, Part II Podcast

Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"The Power of Visualization, Part II' Podcast



Click Here to Download MP3/Audio

(length 10:50 minutes)


Subscribe to Feed Below:

December 20, 2006

The Power of Visualization: Peace of Mind is an Image Away, Part IV

Worry creates more worry: Joy creates more Joy! You get to choose!

This is Part IV of a six part blog. See my 12/18 blog post for Part III.

Why not be relaxed in dealing with events rather than be totally stressed out in dealing with them?

Am I saying don’t be proactive and anticipate things? No, not at all! What I am suggesting is that you “see” and expect the best of all possible outcomes and then you will be in a better place to respond wisely and effectively to what does in fact happen.

So, why would you want to be stressed out all the time? Worrying can not and will not bring you the results you are looking for. It will only make you feel lousy and create unnecessary and unhealthy tension in your body. As well, it will attract more worry.

As you begin to slow down and meditate on a regular basis you will notice the incessant, fearful, worrisome, angry, confused, disoriented thinking and imaginings that you have constantly playing around in your mind; but by observing all of this you can then learn how to instead shift away from all this static and noise into more positive thoughts and imaginings.

So, what I am suggesting here is that you can learn how to avoid your landmines of negative thinking and imaginings, and by doing so you will feel better and be physically and psychologically so much happier and so much more at peace. As well, you will attract more good into your life.

Peace of mind is an image away. You can learn to see/imagine the best in everyone and everything, including yourself! You can learn to not only make “the best of it.” You can learn to make your life the best!

So, give your self some time now to imagine the best! It will transform your life.

This is Part IV of a six part blog. See my 12/25 blog post for Part V.

December 18, 2006

The Power of Visualization: Peace of Mind is an Image Away, Part III

Worry creates more worry: Joy creates more Joy! You get to choose!

This is Part III of a six part blog. See my 12/13 blog post for Part II.

Negative imaginings create enormous tension in your body. Because what you imagine, you experience as real in every cell in your body. And so learning to consciously visualize the most positive outcome and to see the best in yourself, in others and in any situation you are in is one of the greatest gifts you can give to yourself because this is what is really going to help you to relax and be at peace.

If you were to stop and observe your imaginings you would begin to realize how often they are caught up in “seeing” the worst. You will see how often you “awfulize” and “catastrophize” a situation. You will notice how often you worry.

You can change this and then change how you feel physiologically and emotionally and also change what you experience practically in your life. You can choose to experience peace, happiness, joy and fulfillment every moment by what you choose to focus on and how you choose to interpret events.

We create an enormous amount of stress on ourselves physiologically and emotionally when we worry. Eighty to ninety percent of what we worry about does not happen. So, why worry, so much? Why create so much tension in our bodies and minds?

This is Part III of a six part blog. See my 12/20 blog post for Part IV.

December 15, 2006

The Power of Vizualization, Part I Podcast

Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"The Power of Visualization, Part I'" Podcast



Click Here to Download MP3/Audio

(length 10:04 minutes)


Subscribe to Feed Below:

December 13, 2006

The Power of Visualization: Peace of Mind is an Image Away, Part II

Worry creates more worry: Joy creates more Joy! You get to choose!

This is Part II of a six part blog. See my 12/11 blog post for Part I.

Why it is so important to learn how to positively visualize is because what you imagine, you experience physiologically, emotionally and practically in your life. Science has discovered that when you visualize something, your mind and body respond to your imaginings as if they are real.

So perceived threats and or positive fantasies are both experienced as real by your body whether you are conscious of the effect they are having on you or not. Therefore, it is so important to consciously choose what you imagine, to choose what you “space out” on, to choose what you place your mental attention upon.

You have a choice as to whether you are engaging in happy imaginings or not. Being happy or at peace is a choice you make each moment by the thoughts you choose, the images you envision or the feelings you allow yourself to experience.

It is not about what is happening around you or “to” you. It is about the choices you make each moment. It’s about how you choose to “see” things; about how you choose to interpret them and what meaning you give to them.

Peace of Mind is an image away or a thought away.

This is Part II of a six part blog. See my 12/18 blog post for Part III.

December 11, 2006

The Power of Visualization: Peace of Mind is an Image Away, Part I

Worry creates more worry: Joy creates more Joy! You get to choose!

This is Part I of a six part blog.

Some of you may be thinking as you start to read this: “I’m not so sure that I can visualize very well.” But if I were to ask you what your bedroom looks like, your living room, or a loved one, I am sure that you can easily bring a picture to mind as to what they look like. And by doing so, you have successfully visualized. This is all that visualization really is; we all have the inherent ability to visualize, the ability to imagine.

My goal in these series of blog entries is to teach you or remind you again how important it is to know how to consciously visualize or “space out.” It is actually a gift for an adult to know how to “space out.” Of course, I do not mean all the time, but at least some of the time. Actually we all “space out.” We are constantly, whether we realize it or not, visualizing or imagining or spacing out on something.

So, I would like to teach you how to consciously and positively visualize or imagine; and, also, I would like to teach you why doing it regularly and consciously is so important.

Again, we all visualize all the time. But mostly we “awfulize” or “catastrophize” – in other words we imagine the worst. We worry and worry is just negative imagining or anticipating the worst. And by doing so, we create that which we worry about and draw into our lives that which we do not want.

This is Part I of a six part blog. See my 12/13 blog post for Part II

December 1, 2006

Create a New Vision/Vibration for Your Self, Part II Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Create a New Vision/Vibration for Your Self, Part II" Podcast



Click Here to Download MP3/Audio

(length 12:08 minutes)


Subscribe to Feed Below:

November 29, 2006

Create a New Vision/Vibration for Yourself! Part IV

This is Part IV of a four part blog. Please see my previous blog entries of November 20, 22 & 27 for parts I, II & III.

The reason most people achieve very little in comparison to what they are capable of is because they have no vision for themselves or their future, whatsoever. They feel that they are at the whim of others or at the whim of some outside force like of the Lords of Karma. But they definitely are not!

You are the captain of your ship! You are the Master of your fate!

So, create the Vision, i.e., the Vibration, and the Universe will match it. It already is doing this, whether it is happening for you consciously and volitionally or whether it is happening by default!

So, what is your dominant Vision or self-image? Release your old, worn, stagnant, crystalized, and mutated visions and Embrace the New You!

You are made in His/Her Image! Learn to reflect your Divinity, your True Image!

“Without a vision, the people will perish.” “Without a vision, you will perish.”

So, take the time to both write down a general vision for yourself over the next five years and then go into meditation and get a picture and a feeling of how you would look and feel when you have already achieved all that you have written down; and then come back to that image and feeling whenever you think about your life.

You are the artist who is now creating your own self-portrait. You are the author who is writing the script of your life.

Take the time to create the most beautiful and satisfying portrait and script that you can imagine. Then keep refining and defining it. And then hold that image of yourself in the foreground of your awareness all the time. This is what creation is all about.

Peace and Joy be with you! It is your birthright.

For more information of this topic, see my book: Magical Keys to Self-Mastery: Creating Miracles in Your Life.

This is Part IV of a four part blog.

November 27, 2006

Create a New Vision/Vibration for Yourself! Part III

This is Part III of a three part blog. Please see my previous blog entries of November 20 & 22 for parts I & II

So, you must first honestly and lovingly “Face” yourself (i.e., your thoughts and feelings) and then “Embrace” them (accept what you find) and then you can begin to gradually “Replace” them with a clear vision of who you really are and what you really want to create in your life and with your life.

Every time you have a thought or a feeling you are creating or drawing to your self something new from the universe and bringing it into your reality. You do not have to base your expectations for the future upon your past experiences, your perceived weaknesses, or anything else that reinforces your present, limited self-image. You no longer need to use your past as your frame of reference for your future, unless, of course, your past is filled with good.

By creating a clear vision of your desired state and putting energy (i.e. focus) into it regularly, you are using your mind (i.e. vibrational) power to shape the very stuff or essence of the universe into what you want.

So, to summarize, you hold this “imagined reality” in your mind to the point where your subconscious actually believes it to be so real that it goes about making it manifest in your life. Once you have this clear image in your mind, your subconscious will then attract the circumstances, people, and opportunities you need to bring about the vision you have “imagined.”

Or, on the other hand, if you are not connected to a clear positive image, and are in a negative default mode of thinking and feeling, you will then attract the nightmare you dread!

This is Part III of a four part blog. Please see my next blog entry of November 29 for part IV

November 24, 2006

Create a New Vision/Vibration for Your Self, Part I Podcast


Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:

"Create a New Vision/Vibration for Your Self, Part I" Podcast



Click Here to Download MP3/Audio

(length 12:08 minutes)


Subscribe to Feed Below:

November 22, 2006

Create a New Vision/Vibration for Yourself! Part II

This is Part II of a four part blog. Please see my previous blog entry of November 20 for part I

So, one very important thing to do is to have a crystal clear vision of your life as you want it to be; one that is completely independent of the conditions of your present or your past.

Lack of absolute clarity about your desired future is the number one reason why people struggle in life.

That is why it is so, so important to take the time to get in touch with what you actually feel and think about your life and yourself. If you find some of it to be critical and uncomplimentary, then begin to change it.

The best way I know of to do this is to simply sit in meditation and listen to the predominant thoughts and feelings that arise. By the way, you can’t just sit one time to get the full picture, but if you sit consistently with yourself, within just a few weeks, you will get a pretty clear picture of what your predominant thoughts and feelings are. Then because of this awareness, or “mindfulness” as the Buddhists call it, you will now be more conscious of what you are vibrating and, therefore, more able to change it.

After you have taken the time to really see your patterns, it then becomes easier for you to create a clear vision about your future and a practical plan for success.

But until you have taken the time to look within, you literally are in the “dark” about yourself. And in the dark it is very difficult to see or create a vision for your self. You really do need to shed light on the darkness within in order to create something new without.

This is Part II of a four part blog. Please see my next blog entry of November 27 for part III.

November 20, 2006

Create a New Vision/Vibration for Yourself! Part I

This is Part I of a four part blog.

The essence of all things and experiences is vibration. All our thoughts, feelings and actions have their own particular rates of vibration. These vibrations set up a resonance with whatever has a similar or identical frequency.

This is why it is so, so essential to be a very close observer of your thoughts and feelings. The way you think, feel and act creates the primary vibration of your being, i.e., your “energy signature.” This fundamental “energy signature” then creates resonance with similar vibrational frequencies in the universe wherever they may be. The result is an attraction of experiences, people, challenges and opportunities that are in vibrational resonance with your own dominant frequency.

The fundamental law of “like attracts like” is immutable and eternal. Therefore, your dominant positive patterns of thought and action or your dominant negative enmeshments, entanglements, and projections are what you are living.

Thus, to draw what you want into your life, you begin by being very aware of your thoughts and feelings, i.e., your vibration. And then you make a practice of raising your vibration to match the desire or experience you want, no matter what. Most people do things the other way around. They come up with practical techniques to generate their desires and then go out and try to force them into manifestation.

However, when what you are seeking is not really in agreement deep down inside you with your dominant vibration, then you will have great difficulty making the desired result come to pass. In other words, if you want to have more money in your life, but you feel deep down inside unworthy, undereducated and unskilled, you will never attract more money into your life because you inherently do not believe it is possible for you.

This is Part I of a four part blog. Please see my next blog entry of November 22 for part II