Many forms of exercise incorporate the qualities of meditation. Focusing on your breathing as you lift weights is meditation in action. As is feeling the cool breeze against your body or the sand under your feet as you run along the beach. Well with this in mind it turns out that meditation may even affect your brain.
For thousands of years, Buddhist meditators have claimed that the simple act of sitting down and following their breath while letting go of intrusive thoughts can free one from the entanglements of neurotic suffering.
Now, scientists are using cutting-edge scanning technology to watch the meditating mind at work. They are finding that regular meditation has a measurable effect on a variety of brain structures related to attention — an example of what is known as neuroplasticity, where the brain physically changes in response to an intentional exercise.
To read more about this fascinating article follow the link:
http://zephyr.cariblogger.com/2008/11/24/meditation-may-protect-your-brain/
For sustainable ways to improve wellbeing and enhance energy visit www.sparkexecutive.com.au
Spark - Better ways of working that spark our collective intelligence
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Surviving & Thriving @ Christmas (Chris's latest article - this one for the MJCC newsletter
These days Christmas can appear to be more about stress, lack of sleep and over-indulgence! So here are some great ideas to help you get the most out of Christmas.
Be an A list picky partier – Everybody knows the smart A list Hollywood celebrities only attend a few of the parties on offer to them. Give it a try yourself! You’ll get alot more sleep and might enjoy the parties you do attend more.
Bring back the Christmas calm – With end of year deadlines and mad mobs of shoppers at Myers - Christmas can create chaos for some. If that’s you...give these a go:
1. Feel tense? Just STOP, think of something that makes you smile and take 5 slow deep breaths.
2. Get out of the office and go for a walk. Move and let your mind wander for 10 - 15 mins. People often get their best ideas this way.
3. Don’t feel guilty about eating lots over the Christmas break. Instead try looking forward to it, and when the day comes slow down and enjoy it! Funny thing is that if you eat more slowly you feel fuller faster!
By Christopher Eastham
Health coach, exercise physiologist & corporate wellness consultant
The Open Door Wellness Company
www.theopendoor.com.au
ph 0420 532 522
Be an A list picky partier – Everybody knows the smart A list Hollywood celebrities only attend a few of the parties on offer to them. Give it a try yourself! You’ll get alot more sleep and might enjoy the parties you do attend more.
Bring back the Christmas calm – With end of year deadlines and mad mobs of shoppers at Myers - Christmas can create chaos for some. If that’s you...give these a go:
1. Feel tense? Just STOP, think of something that makes you smile and take 5 slow deep breaths.
2. Get out of the office and go for a walk. Move and let your mind wander for 10 - 15 mins. People often get their best ideas this way.
3. Don’t feel guilty about eating lots over the Christmas break. Instead try looking forward to it, and when the day comes slow down and enjoy it! Funny thing is that if you eat more slowly you feel fuller faster!
By Christopher Eastham
Health coach, exercise physiologist & corporate wellness consultant
The Open Door Wellness Company
www.theopendoor.com.au
ph 0420 532 522
Sunday, October 12, 2008
First with the head, then with the heart!
‘First with the head, then with the heart’. This is the mantra offered by the heavyweight champion of south Africa to PK, the young boy in Bryce Courtney’ bestselling book The Power of One, who then went on to greatness. But how does this apply to me? You ask.
Maybe you want to lose weight, exercise more, eat less, enjoy life more, drink less or change your lifestyle in some way. An action is only the physical result of a corresponding thought. If people were simply machines designed to perform predefined tasks then maybe we could simply change the action and that would be the end of that.
But we are not and in fact these days even machines and new cars have computer chip brains. Little computers built into them to control their function. So to change the action we have to also go to the source of the action and change the thoughts that cause the action!
It’s not a new idea. In the 17th century the renowned philosopher Rene Descartes (1596 – 1650) coined the famous phrase: 'I think therefore I am'. And over 1500 years earlier the roman poet Juvenal uttered the words:
‘Healthy mind, healthy body’
Yes people have been talking about the relationship between thoughts and actions for quite some time. But how does this relate to weight loss, or lifestyle change? Well if you want to start a new exercise regime or change eating habits (actions) then it makes sense to assume that you will also have to change the way you think about things!
WHY reasons dig you deeper into habitual holes
Habits only become a problem when we want to change them. Have you ever noticed that with an old habit, you will have 100 different reasons or justifications for sticking with it? Now, I’m a simple man and so I need to simplify things as much as possible. Sometimes I like to think that we have two modes of operation and the first is reason mode (or WHY mode..as in why am I doing this or thinking that…). ‘Why mode’ allows us to dig ourselves deeper into our habit. For example I like basketball and I could give you 100 reasons why basketball is a fun game to play! This is a really useful mindset if we have a habit we want to continue with like eating carrots or driving on the correct side of the road or being hospitable to our house guests, the problem with this mindset occurs only when we want to change a habit. If we have spent years justifying our actions and building up a list of reasons (or excuses) for doing it…they will all effectively act as barriers to change. So how do we get around the barriers?
HOW options can dig you out of the habitual hole
Well if you have a barrier in front of you and you keep staring at it...all you will see is the barrier….not how to get around it. To get around it, you might like to step back so you get a different perspective, or move the side so you can see past it. Ask yourself, what habit do you want to change? When you notice yourself thinking about this habit, are you thinking about reasons, barriers and excuses? If you want to get a different result you have to start thinking differently about the situation. You need new options!!
Maybe you have spent years justifying why things have not been working, or ignoring things or talking about why the barriers are in your way….Well its good to know that whenever the time is right and whenever you choose to you can stop concentrating on the barriers and to start thinking about new options, thinking about how you will plan your lifestyle change and good your life will be in a years time when you are doing more of the things you want. Its about discovering new OPTIONS!
Mahatma Gandhi (1869 - 1948) was no weight loss guru but his approach to change resulted in the one of the biggest changes in the modern world. One of his best ideas is so simple it’s almost magical.
“Be the change you want to see in the world.”
If you want to be healthy, or slim, or to be exercising regularly and eating a balanced diet, it makes sense to start thinking like that successful version of yourself.
Maybe you could try this idea…Imagine yourself in two years time, living the life you desire. Maybe you are playing a sport, jogging or walking in nature, or involved in some activity you enjoy doing. If a problem arose would you immediately worry about it and get emotional? Or would you think about a solution. If you were going to motivate yourself to do a new activity would you stare in the mirror and put yourself down or would you tell yourself something encouraging? Your thoughts can dig you deeper into a hole or dig you out. So it’s good to know that ultimately it is you that is in control of the spade.
This is really important stuff! I know some people will scoff and question the relevance of Gandhi and dead Roman philosophers to weight loss, and that’s ok. But I have seen too many people join up at gyms and start on diet plans only to quit 4 weeks later on the 1st of February. So often we spend our time thinking about a result we want like losing weight and forget to think about the action required to get there and the thoughts and the best mindset to start & complete the action. I also personally know how good it is when you can live the healthy lifestyle you are aiming for. I love living the lifestyle of my choosing....it’s great! In fact it’s so good that I want other people to experience it too.
Our goals are all different. For some it’s all about achieving high performance and being in good shape so you can work hard and play hard, for others it’s more about getting a better work-life harmony. What-ever your goals and whatever you want to be eating, drinking and doing differently in a year’s time. Thinking about the way you are thinking, and learning how to control your mindset are powerful tools to have at your disposal. It’s good to think about problems briefly, because this balances up all the positive thoughts. But unless you want to, there’s no need to spend too much time worrying about or analyzing where you are at the moment If you want to make some sort of change. Thinking like that all the time will just dig you deeper into your existing habits. Worry & guilt create more worry & guilt.
Maybe, just to humor yourself for the rest of the day you could start thinking as if you were already comfortably on the road to achieving your desired goals. Go on, give it a try…I dare you! It’s just like riding a bike…you should be careful at the beginning and might come off the first couple of time if you try to go too fast…but take is slowly and after a few goes your balance and control improve…then before long you have another fun way to get to where you want to go faster!
So now we know we want to think more effectively, and why it will help…how do we start? There are many ways to tap into your inner resourcefulness. Personally I find mindset coaching works really well for clients and myself. But now you understand the idea, there are many alternatives you can explore...who knows… maybe you’ve already started.
For sustainable ways to improve wellbeing and enhance energy visit www.sparkexecutive.com.au
Maybe you want to lose weight, exercise more, eat less, enjoy life more, drink less or change your lifestyle in some way. An action is only the physical result of a corresponding thought. If people were simply machines designed to perform predefined tasks then maybe we could simply change the action and that would be the end of that.
But we are not and in fact these days even machines and new cars have computer chip brains. Little computers built into them to control their function. So to change the action we have to also go to the source of the action and change the thoughts that cause the action!
It’s not a new idea. In the 17th century the renowned philosopher Rene Descartes (1596 – 1650) coined the famous phrase: 'I think therefore I am'. And over 1500 years earlier the roman poet Juvenal uttered the words:
‘Healthy mind, healthy body’
Yes people have been talking about the relationship between thoughts and actions for quite some time. But how does this relate to weight loss, or lifestyle change? Well if you want to start a new exercise regime or change eating habits (actions) then it makes sense to assume that you will also have to change the way you think about things!
WHY reasons dig you deeper into habitual holes
Habits only become a problem when we want to change them. Have you ever noticed that with an old habit, you will have 100 different reasons or justifications for sticking with it? Now, I’m a simple man and so I need to simplify things as much as possible. Sometimes I like to think that we have two modes of operation and the first is reason mode (or WHY mode..as in why am I doing this or thinking that…). ‘Why mode’ allows us to dig ourselves deeper into our habit. For example I like basketball and I could give you 100 reasons why basketball is a fun game to play! This is a really useful mindset if we have a habit we want to continue with like eating carrots or driving on the correct side of the road or being hospitable to our house guests, the problem with this mindset occurs only when we want to change a habit. If we have spent years justifying our actions and building up a list of reasons (or excuses) for doing it…they will all effectively act as barriers to change. So how do we get around the barriers?
HOW options can dig you out of the habitual hole
Well if you have a barrier in front of you and you keep staring at it...all you will see is the barrier….not how to get around it. To get around it, you might like to step back so you get a different perspective, or move the side so you can see past it. Ask yourself, what habit do you want to change? When you notice yourself thinking about this habit, are you thinking about reasons, barriers and excuses? If you want to get a different result you have to start thinking differently about the situation. You need new options!!
Maybe you have spent years justifying why things have not been working, or ignoring things or talking about why the barriers are in your way….Well its good to know that whenever the time is right and whenever you choose to you can stop concentrating on the barriers and to start thinking about new options, thinking about how you will plan your lifestyle change and good your life will be in a years time when you are doing more of the things you want. Its about discovering new OPTIONS!
Mahatma Gandhi (1869 - 1948) was no weight loss guru but his approach to change resulted in the one of the biggest changes in the modern world. One of his best ideas is so simple it’s almost magical.
“Be the change you want to see in the world.”
If you want to be healthy, or slim, or to be exercising regularly and eating a balanced diet, it makes sense to start thinking like that successful version of yourself.
Maybe you could try this idea…Imagine yourself in two years time, living the life you desire. Maybe you are playing a sport, jogging or walking in nature, or involved in some activity you enjoy doing. If a problem arose would you immediately worry about it and get emotional? Or would you think about a solution. If you were going to motivate yourself to do a new activity would you stare in the mirror and put yourself down or would you tell yourself something encouraging? Your thoughts can dig you deeper into a hole or dig you out. So it’s good to know that ultimately it is you that is in control of the spade.
This is really important stuff! I know some people will scoff and question the relevance of Gandhi and dead Roman philosophers to weight loss, and that’s ok. But I have seen too many people join up at gyms and start on diet plans only to quit 4 weeks later on the 1st of February. So often we spend our time thinking about a result we want like losing weight and forget to think about the action required to get there and the thoughts and the best mindset to start & complete the action. I also personally know how good it is when you can live the healthy lifestyle you are aiming for. I love living the lifestyle of my choosing....it’s great! In fact it’s so good that I want other people to experience it too.
Our goals are all different. For some it’s all about achieving high performance and being in good shape so you can work hard and play hard, for others it’s more about getting a better work-life harmony. What-ever your goals and whatever you want to be eating, drinking and doing differently in a year’s time. Thinking about the way you are thinking, and learning how to control your mindset are powerful tools to have at your disposal. It’s good to think about problems briefly, because this balances up all the positive thoughts. But unless you want to, there’s no need to spend too much time worrying about or analyzing where you are at the moment If you want to make some sort of change. Thinking like that all the time will just dig you deeper into your existing habits. Worry & guilt create more worry & guilt.
Maybe, just to humor yourself for the rest of the day you could start thinking as if you were already comfortably on the road to achieving your desired goals. Go on, give it a try…I dare you! It’s just like riding a bike…you should be careful at the beginning and might come off the first couple of time if you try to go too fast…but take is slowly and after a few goes your balance and control improve…then before long you have another fun way to get to where you want to go faster!
So now we know we want to think more effectively, and why it will help…how do we start? There are many ways to tap into your inner resourcefulness. Personally I find mindset coaching works really well for clients and myself. But now you understand the idea, there are many alternatives you can explore...who knows… maybe you’ve already started.
For sustainable ways to improve wellbeing and enhance energy visit www.sparkexecutive.com.au
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Improving performance and quality of life through sustainable sources of energy
Many Personal Trainers and lifestyle change programs achieve their success by building hype involving animated displays of motivation. Clients are encouraged and motivated by the trainer who is full of energy. Their energy is infectious or it 'rubs off' on us.
Now this is great in some situations but the limitation is that the energy comes from the program or from the trainer. Like a 5.7l V8 Holden that constantly requires filling up with petrol. You use the energy up throughout the week and are not able to maintain it, so have to keep returning, week after week, to fill up at the source.
Sustainability is a really big topic at the moment, its everywhere in the news - And for good reason! Imagine if your aim was not to become just motivated but to inspire the creation of your own sustainable energy source.
And therein lies the difference between motivation & inspiration...
* Motivation - The energy comes from a non-renewable source which is unsustainable
* Inspiration - The energy comes from your own renewable source and is sustainable.
Motivation and the ability to generate hype are very useful tools, and you only have to go to see your favourite band live to experience the benefits and euphoria first hand. But just imagine for a minute how it might feel to have the opportunity to discover what drives you and genuinely inspires you.
Motivation and hype can be like a clock on the wall that is no longer with you when you leave the room, hype can be superficial because like motivation it is a product of somebody else's energy. True inspiration goes much deeper; it is internally driven and is like a wristwatch that is always with you.
Inspiration taps you into your own natural sources of energy & power. Like a pair of jumper leads to connect you on all levels with your internal solar panels and windmills so you can generate your own energy in a sustainable way 24/7. You will definitely still fill up with motivating activities when you want to - but you do them because you want to, not because you need to.
Improve performance and gain a new source of power
Jumpstart your lifestyle and achieve sustainability
For sustainable ways to improve wellbeing and enhance energy visit www.sparkexecutive.com.au
Now this is great in some situations but the limitation is that the energy comes from the program or from the trainer. Like a 5.7l V8 Holden that constantly requires filling up with petrol. You use the energy up throughout the week and are not able to maintain it, so have to keep returning, week after week, to fill up at the source.
Sustainability is a really big topic at the moment, its everywhere in the news - And for good reason! Imagine if your aim was not to become just motivated but to inspire the creation of your own sustainable energy source.
And therein lies the difference between motivation & inspiration...
* Motivation - The energy comes from a non-renewable source which is unsustainable
* Inspiration - The energy comes from your own renewable source and is sustainable.
Motivation and the ability to generate hype are very useful tools, and you only have to go to see your favourite band live to experience the benefits and euphoria first hand. But just imagine for a minute how it might feel to have the opportunity to discover what drives you and genuinely inspires you.
Motivation and hype can be like a clock on the wall that is no longer with you when you leave the room, hype can be superficial because like motivation it is a product of somebody else's energy. True inspiration goes much deeper; it is internally driven and is like a wristwatch that is always with you.
Inspiration taps you into your own natural sources of energy & power. Like a pair of jumper leads to connect you on all levels with your internal solar panels and windmills so you can generate your own energy in a sustainable way 24/7. You will definitely still fill up with motivating activities when you want to - but you do them because you want to, not because you need to.
Improve performance and gain a new source of power
Jumpstart your lifestyle and achieve sustainability
For sustainable ways to improve wellbeing and enhance energy visit www.sparkexecutive.com.au
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Is your lifestyle firing on all cylinders, or is it backfiring?
Well I have never believed that getting the lifestyle that you want should be hard work. I prefer to think of lifestyle change like a fastinating journey whereby you have the oppoerunity to go on a holiday or take a road trip.
But its important to realise that when you are learning how do drive a new high performance lifestyle, or if you are learning to drive on the other side of the road....you have to learn to drive the vehicle!
But its important to realise that when you are learning how do drive a new high performance lifestyle, or if you are learning to drive on the other side of the road....you have to learn to drive the vehicle!
You see, once you have reached your destination you can have a tourist mentality but if you decide to go on a lifestyle change road-trip you have to be the driver!so my question to you is:
- Whose driving your lifestyle change?
- Do you have your eyes in the road in front or are you too busy staring at the dashboard, or worrying about what is in the rear-view mirror?
- Are you in control, or are you just getting taken for a ride?
Monday, August 18, 2008
Using Helium Balloons to Start Change
Thursday, August 7, 2008
COMING VERY SOON!!
Chris Eastham from The Open Door (www.theopendoor.com.au) will be starting to put mini seminars from the Spark! lifestyle change performance program onto You Tube next week!
Thats right, you will be able to access the latest and greatest information for free. This will also give you a chance to get to know Chris a bit better and discover why Spark is helping so many people get such great LONG TERM results.
So WATCH THIS SPACE!
Thats right, you will be able to access the latest and greatest information for free. This will also give you a chance to get to know Chris a bit better and discover why Spark is helping so many people get such great LONG TERM results.
So WATCH THIS SPACE!
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