It cannot be overestimated when it comes to long term illness and disease. Especially where, as often can be the case, inner self-judgement or outwardly directed  blame compounds the illness and often results in a resistance, conscious or not, to healing and being well.Self compassion is one of the main keys to healing

Here is an article I came across recently by Tom Robinson which illustrates how that being a little easier on yourself can be very healing. (N.B Quotes in italics are mine)

Have a Chronic Illness? Live a Lot Better by Not Being So Hard on Yourself

Having coached such people for the past five years, I’ve learned that many of them often feel inadequate, guilty, and beat themselves up because they can’t do all the things for the important people in their lives that they formerly could.

Or they have a long-standing issue from the past where they blame themselves or others and it hasn’t yet been resolved. Check his following case study.

For example, not too long ago, a woman with fibromyalgia, a painful and often debilitating condition, contacted me. Amy (not her real name) wanted to know how she could do the housework and the many other tasks she felt she needed to do to be a good wife.

It’s admirable that Amy wanted to do her housekeeping and other tasks better. However, from the way she stated her question, it was clear that because she couldn’t do them as well as she could before she became ill, Amy didn’t think she was a good wife.

Every time I hear a story like hers – and I’ve heard many of them, I’m reminded again how sad it is that people with long term illnesses feel inadequate as spouses, parents, partners, or friends because they can’t do all the things they could when they were well.

Or because they have past issues about feeling judged, criticised or rejected by others or by themeslves. There is a real challenge to living with long-term illness

The challenge of living and dealing with its symptoms are hard enough. You certainly don’t need the additional burden of feeling inadequate because of your illness- imposed limitations. To help you get rid of that burden, I’m going to share with you two very effective methods for overcoming any feelings of inadequacy you may experience because of it.

The first method is this:

• Heed this slightly modified version of the well know Native American saying, “Don’t judge a man until you’ve walked a mile in his moccasins.”

That saying tells us to take into account all of a person’s present circumstances and challenges, as well as their past experiences and traumas, before passing judgment on them. My modified version of that saying is:

• “Don’t judge yourself until you’ve walked a mile in YOUR OWN MOCCASINS.”

What I mean is to fully let in and acknowledge all the ways your life has become more difficult, compared to how it was before the onset of your particular condition.

Now I’m not saying you should hold your own pity party, or otherwise feel sorry for yourself. But I’ve observed that most people minimize the pain they live with and trivialize the difficult, illness-related challenges they face every day.

If you do that, I strongly encourage you to admit to yourself how tough it can be to live with it.

Be Compassionate With Yourself

Here’s why: If you minimize and trivialize your pain and challenges, then, when you feel exhausted or depressed, you are likely to view the exhaustion or depression as a sign of your inadequacy.

In contrast, when you admit to yourself how hard your challenges are to deal with, you will realize that anyone in your situation would probably feel as exhausted and depressed as you do, if not more so.

You are beginning to acknowledge and listen to yourself with love and respect

Once you do that, you will most likely stop being so critical and judgmental, and begin being much kinder and gentler to yourself. Also, when you fully acknowledge how hard your symptoms are to manage, you are likely to feel a justified sense of accomplishment for how well you manage them and get through each day!

So as I said above, don’t judge yourself until you’ve walked that mile in your own moccasins.

Before telling you the second method you can use to stop getting down on yourself and to stop feeling inadequate, I have a question:

Q:What would you do if you found a bird that was injured and couldn’t fly?

If you’re like me and all the others to whom I’ve posed this question, you would either unhesitatingly take care of the bird yourself or find someone who could. And if you decided to try to find someone else but weren’t able to do so, you would certainly take care of the bird rather than abandon it.

I believe the reason you would act in this way is because, as a human being, you have an innately compassionate nature – a real desire to lessen the suffering of others, whether they be animals or people. This point is very important, because when you have a serious condition, then in a way you’re like that injured bird that can no longer fly the way it once could.

This is your body. Your inner spirit on the other hand is not chronically ill. It is a resource you can tap into to sutain and nourish yourself with. This is the springwell of compassion, of love and laughter, of soft kind caring, the gentle heart that goes out to the bird, that feels uplifted by a beautiful flower. The more you tap into this healing source the more likely you are to become well

Just for 30 seconds, turn your attention to this ‘Healing Moments’ video and see what a difference it can make to this moment

The more ‘healing moments’ you experience the more you will be nurtured from the inside and the less room there will be for self criticism and blame. Your power is the power of choice, of choosing what to focus on

Here’s another question for you:

Q: Would you ever say to that bird “Get up, dammit, and fly, like all the other birds are doing”?

Yes, the question is ridiculous. Of course you wouldn’t tell the bird that. The way I see it, being critical and judgmental of yourself because of your particular related limitations, is a lot like criticizing that injured bird for not being able to fly. Wouldn’t you agree?

The Healing Power of Compassion

Given that you would give the bird the care it needed to heal as much as it possibly could, my second method for stopping getting down on yourself is to give yourself the same compassion and care that you would, without a moment’s hesitation, give to an injured bird.

By using these two methods, a high percentage of my clients have stopped beating themselves up for their limitations. They’ve started taking much better care of themselves and they’ve then gone on to make many other positive changes in their lives.

The Power of Positive Change

A good example is a client I’ll call Linda, who has Crohn’s disease. Previously, when Linda’s life became stressful she would very often experience a major flare up.

Stress compromises the body’s immune system causing it to have to fight harder to become well

The antidote to stress is relaxation. When you stop judging yourself you relax and when you relax, self judgement loses its hold

There are lots of ways to relax and most of them are enjoyable and fun!

Have a look through the checklist below for some ideas:

Managing Stress, Preventing Illness

• Actively participate in your own healing and health management

• Learn To Meditate and do it at odd moments in the day

• Talk to yourself positively and watch uplifting movies
  

• Eat well balanced and nutritious diets

• Learn to say NO with confidence, to things you cannot do.

• Laugh more often – it’s a medicine

• Learn to  exercise regularly and get plenty of rest


Tom Robinson continues …

As we worked together, she markedly improved her ability to care for herself as she would “an injured bird,’ and worked through her remaining self-judgment by “walking a mile in her own moccasins.”

Linda’s mother recently died at the same time her best friend was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Linda shuttled between helping and supporting her friend, taking care of her mother’s affairs and putting on her memorial service. Doing those things involved a lot of flying, a lot of driving, a lot of work, and a lot of stress. Because of our sessions and the work Linda did between them, she was able to do all the things those two events called for without having a flare. Bravo, Linda!

I wish you the best as you start using these methods in your own life.

Author: Thomas W. Robinson

Chronic Illness Coach Tom Robinson works with those who are overstressed or overwhelmed by their condition and life challenges. Tom helps them meet those challenges, and then he helps them find–and keep–true happiness and joy.

His free report: How to Have a Better Life Than You Ever Thought Possible – Even When Nothing Else You’ve Tried Has Worked, is available at his website: ChronicIllnessCoach.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_W._Robinson

Here are some further articles I have collected about compassion that may be worth investigating  …

Compassion

The next step, when one has stomped and subdued and ‘cast away’ one’s ‘enemies’ and ‘old programming’ and ‘inner demons,’ seems to be the further cultivation of Compassion as a Sadhana or spiritual practice

Compassion Practices

In Tibetan Buddhism, a Bodhisattva is anyone who is motivated by compassion and seeks enlightenment not only for him/herself but also for everyone

Changing Our Habit of Judgment to the Practice of Compassion

How does judging our bodies mask our need for compassion?

Cultivating Compassion: Meditation

There are at least two components to one’s spiritual practice, Wisdom and Compassion, and associating with people, especially in difficult situations, helps us grow Compassion.

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As the name implies, the chronic illness, hypertension is simply having a blood pressure higher than usual. When it is lower than usual, we call it hypotension. But this is not as common.

Stress related hyper-tension

In this fast paced, career-demanding world, who is not under stress? I bet everyone is! But have you ever considered that this can lead to hypertension? I have news for you – both good and bad. But I will start with the bad news.

The bad news

In our modern society, because of our lifestyles, demanding work schedules and the economic pressure, we all stand the risk of having a high blood pressure.

If you think you are not a target for hypertension, you are deceiving yourself. In fact, as long as there is an amount of pressure or stress on you, there is every chance that you can develop this life-threatening illness. If you have been ‘overwhelmed’, ‘anxious’, ‘irritable’, ‘depressed’, ‘burned out’, ‘on the verge of losing it’ before, then you know what stress is about. It is this condition of stress which can lead to increased hypertension risk. Even more unfortunate for those who have high blood pressure, the stress levels make their situation worse.

But do you know how these stress levels come about? You know them:

• Traffic jams, workload, financial pressures, strained relations
• Rejection, negative or pessimistic thinking, etc.

These are the usual causes of stress. Who doesn’t go through these these days?

The good news

Now the good news is that there are ways to manage these stress levels. Doing this will help us reduce our risk of hypertension. If your blood pressure is high, then you need to critically follow these suggestions too

Managing Stres, Preventing Illness

• Actively participate in your own healing and health management

• Learn To Meditate and do it at odd moments in the day

• Talk to a friend or close relative regularly – when you have a problem and when you don’t.

• Talk to yourself positively – constantly

• Set and develop realistic goals and expectations for yourself – so that you don’t feel you are under achieving.

• Organize and plan your days – so that you don’t get disorganized and overwhelmed

• Take regular breaks from busy schedules – it helps to release stress

• Eat well  balanced and nutritious diets

• Learn to say NO (politely but firmly) to things you cannot do.

• Get a regular hobby – play is as important as work!

• Laugh more often – it’s a medicine

• Learn to  exercise regularly and get plenty of rest

If you are looking for natural hypertension remedies – for yourself or to help someone else – you will need to consider the suggestions above seriously. They will help you. Drugs will not do and no amount of therapy programs will be of any use if you forgo the suggestions above.

The main problem has always been the discipline to follow through. If you think this is hard and a waste of time, consider the other side – stressing yourself out and ultimately having to deal with hypertension.

If you are also hypertensive, then you need to practice these suggestions too. You may not see results immediately – as it is with any natural remedy – but you will find out that in the long term, you will live longer and will be able to add 10 or 15 more years to your life.

Here are a few more posts about this very common stress related condition…

Revolutionary surgery may cure high blood pressure levels

LONDON – British medical scientists have demonstrated a revolutionary new operation that can effectively cure persistent high bp and takes under an hour to carry out.  

How to Manage and Control High Blood Pressure Naturally?

These days, it is a very common heart problem that has affected both old as well as young people. Unhealthy eating habits, lack of physical activities and poor lifestyle are the leading factors responsible for this

How the Mediterranean Diet Beats High Blood Pressure

How the Mediterranean Diet Beats High B P. The Mediterranean diet is not some new fad diet … dreamed up by a weight-loss “guru” or as a new health measure. It is thousands of years old. People living along the Mediterranean 

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High blood pressure is one of the most common chronic illnesses in the West today and it is mostly down to a high paced stressful lifestyle

As the name implies, hypertension is simply having a blood pressure higher than the usual. When it is lower than the usual, we call it hypotension. But this is not as common as hypertension.

Lower hypertension through simple laughter exercises! Learn how

In this fast paced, career-demanding world, who is not under stress? I bet everyone is! But have you ever considered that this can lead to hypertension? I have news for you – both good and bad. But I will start with the bad news.

The bad news

In our modern society, because of our lifestyles, demanding work schedules and the economic pressure, we all stand the risk of having a high blood pressure or hypertension.

If you think you are not a target for hypertention, you are deceiving yourself. In fact, as long as there is an amount of pressure or stress on you, there is every chance that you can have hypertension.

If you have been ‘overwhelmed’, ‘anxious’, ‘irritable’, ‘depressed’, ‘burned out’, ‘on the verge of losing it’ before, then you know what stress is about. It is this condition of stress which can lead to hypertension. Even more unfortunate for those who have high blood pressure, the stress levels make their situation worse.

How these stress levels come about

Traffic jams, workload, financial pressures, strained relations, rejection, negative or pessimistic thinking, etc. These are the usual causes of stress. Who doesn’t go through these these days?

The good news

Now the good news is that there are ways to  manage stress levels. Doing this will help us reduce our risk to hypertension.

If your blood pressure is high, then you need to critically follow these suggestions too

• Learn how to meditate and practice regularly. Deep relaxatiuon is an excellent remedy for hypertension

• Talk to a friend or close relative regularly – when you have a problem and when you don’t.

• Talk to yourself positively – constantly and train yourself out of negative thinking

• Set and develop realistic goals and expectations for yourself – so that you don’t feel you are under achieving.

• Organize and plan your days – so that you don’t get disorganized and overwhelmed

• Take regular breaks from busy schedules – it helps to release stress

• Eat well balanced and nutritious diets

• Learn to say NO (politely but firmly) to things you cannot do.

• Get a regular hobby – play is as important as work!

• Laugh more often – it’s a medicine

• Learn to exercise regularly and get plenty of rest

• Learn how to do EFT and tap every day for good health

If you are looking for natural hypertension remedies – for yourself or to help someone – you will need to consider the suggestions above seriously. They will help you. Drugs will not do and no amount of therapy programs will be of any use if you forgo the suggestions above.

Lower hypertension through simple laughter exercises! Learn how

The main problem has always been the discipline to follow through. If you think this is hard and a waste of time, consider the other side – stressing yourself up and ultimately having to deal with hypertension.

If you are also hypertensive, then you need to practice these suggestions too.

See the list of natural remedies on this page: Chronic Illness Management

Your may or may not see results immediately – as it is with any natural remedy – but you will find out that in the long term, you will live longer and will be able to add 10 or 15 more years to your life and it will likely be that much more enjoyable

Technorati Tags: blood pressure, causes, chronic, eft, exercise, high, how to, hypertension, illness, information, learn, levels, manage, meditate, nutritious diet, stress, treatment

Psychologists studying the science of happiness believe that laughter promotes both physical and psychological health

>>   Boost your health with simple laughter exercises. Click here to learn how

A managed care consultant dies and goes to Heaven. Frankly, he can’t believe his good fortune in being there, given the life he has led. But St. Peter checks the records and says, ‘There’s no mistake, you’re supposed to be here. See, it says right here that you are scheduled for Heaven…and you’re authorized for three days.’

There may be a lot to laugh about in the health care system these days, but as a patient, humor is probably the last thing on your mind. Getting a frightening diagnosis is stressful-emotionally as well as physiologically. However, humor could be just the thing you need to get you through this period. Of course, there’s nothing funny about the fact that one has cancer.

But learning to find the light side of things that happen as a result of your cancer gives you a powerful tool to help you cope on a day-to-day basis. When you can  poke fun at your stressors , you remove some of their emotional power over you. Humor helps you sustain an upbeat, optimistic frame of mind, even on the bad days. This more positive emotional state helps give you the resilience you need to cope with the next problem thrown your way. Your sense of humor also helps bring back some joy into your life.

There’s no rigorous evidence that humor and laughter add years to your life, but they certainly add life to your years. Cancer patients will often say: ‘If it hadn’t been for my sense of humor, I would never have gotten through the treatments, let alone the disease.’ They note that finding a light side of things was essential to maintaining hope and determination to fight the disease.

>>   Boost your health with simple laughter exercises. Click here to learn how

Humor provides a sense of control over the stress that goes along with battling cancer by giving you more control over your daily mood. A good belly laugh also boosts both your energy level and immune system on the days when you don’t want to even get out of bed. This is especially important, since most patients experience fatigue as a result of their cancer treatment. Finally, humor and laughter provide a means of ‘letting go’ of the anger and anxiety.

>>   Sign up for Free ‘Benefits of laughter’  E-Course   >>   — >>

Dr. Bernie Siegel has been reminding us for years that emotional factors can play an important role in battling disease. By sustaining a more positive mood, and reducing the amount of time spent in a state of anger, anxiety, or depression, you are playing an active role in mobilizing your body’s own health and healing resources. Your emotional state begins working for your health, rather than against it. Laughter is one of the most powerful and rapid means you have of replacing a negative with a positive mood.

Ian Gawler, author of Peace of Mind and an Australian doctor who has survived bone cancer for several decades, used the power of laughter to heal himself. There are many similar examples related in Cancer Free For Life where the author describes the amazing  power of positive thinking and positive living for rapid healing of cancer . Watching funny movies and cartoons seem to have a healing and effective impact on cancer patients. They lift the mood and help strengthen the immune system, which through the laughter receives a message of joy and hope. Most stress can be alleviated with laughter, and this again helps the immune system concentrates its resources toward healing and scavenging cancer cells as opposed to reducing the impact of stress on the body.

Dr Magne has been researching the origins and causes of disease and cancer for the past 25 years. Visit www.cancer-free-for-life.com to receive a FREE report on The 10 Ways to Cure Cancer Immediately. This article is available for reprint for your website and newsletter, provided that you maintain its copyright integrity and include the signature.

By: Dr Laurence Magne Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Doctors thees days recommend laughter as a complementary practice alongside traditional treatments for such illnesses since they are regarded as being highly supportive of recovery

What are your thoughts on laughter and health?

Share your ideas in the comments box below

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As social human beings we naturally crave balance, connection and happiness.

But often lock ourselves away on the computer for hours at a time and end up isolated and stressed.

Stress leads to ill health. So do something about it now for your own happiness and well being. Here is an article I discovered recently from Grand Bahamas Freeport News …

Balance should be a natural state for us, but is it? Do you sometimes feel that you want to stop the world, even just for a moment, to catch up?

Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed and unable to complete all the items on your ‘to do list’? Do you sometimes feel that time is speeding up, giving you less time to do what you were able to do years ago?

If you say ‘yes’ to most or all of my questions, welcome, and you are not alone. If you believe it or not, time is actually speeding up, and yes, we do have more to do, or so we believe.

There was a time when we basically just had your profession, or work, and family. Time was naturally balanced between work time and free time to pursue private interests.

Without computers, air travel, instant messaging etc. our lives would be more focused within our families and communities; it would be less exciting, maybe, but naturally more balanced. We would live off the land, be in harmony with the seasons by eating what was natural to our bodies.

Yes, I know we don’t really want to live there anymore. The past feels so far away, so antiquated, and many of you are too young to have experienced this tranquil life anyway. But there is a primal instinct for balance in every living entity.

Subscribe to ‘Benefits of Laughter’ E-Course here   ==>

Our human instincts become more and more covered up in our modern world of ‘instant reward’ with the push of a button, and the overwhelming world of plastics and toxins.

Then there is the information overload. It is a love/hate relationship with the media, the TV and the computer. Can you imagine your life without these inventions?

No, of course not, me neither, but how many times have you spent late night hours on your computer until your eyes burn and your back aches?

It is so easy to ‘get lost’ on the ‘world wide web’.

It is definitely exciting as long as it does not rule your life. Yes, there is an addiction to TV and the computer in many of us.

Of course it is an amazing tool; I am using it right now to write this article for you and will send it shortly to the newspaper with the click of a button.

The question is whether we stay on the computer for hours on end or not. We have to ask ourselves this question: how much time do I spend on unnecessary ’surfing the net’, and how much time do I spend with my family, friends and in community activities? When was the last time you sat down with a good book?

You have to become aware of how much time you spend on unsocial activities, isolated from others, or only connected through a device like the phone or computer?

Although we are blessed being connected to the world through these devices and they have their purpose in our lives, they can also prevent us from satisfying our most primal desire to be in physical contact with each other. A lot of our modern mental, emotional and physical problems have an unrecognized root in this unnatural isolation; it can be the source of pain on all these levels.

It creates tension and stress, impatience and anger, amongst other disturbances. What can we do about this?

To balance your life will be a lifelong exercise, but well worth it. Why? Because only a balanced life will create the joy, peace and happiness you crave for, and are actually the most natural states of life.

Soothing the soul

What are the things that soothe your spirit, stimulate your imagination, and energize your body? Only you can find out by taking stock of how you live your life each day.

Very often, unwanted habits creep into your life, first uncomfortable, but through repetition you become accustomed to them until they create problems on a physical, mental or emotional level.

Now you feel you need help, but nobody can help you unless you recognize the root of your stress and are willing to break, or replace your bad habits with good ones.

Your body always knows when it is in misalignment, which means out of balance.

After you have become aware of the reasons why you feel so stressed (this may need the assistance of a health care professional), and you are willing to create more balance in your life, you only need to recreate your timetable.

That means, breaking old habits that prevent your natural state of happiness.

Here are a few tips on what you may want to do

• Throw out as many junk-food items as you find in your kitchen, because unless you start honouring your physical body and what you feed it, your body will be in stress and toxic overload.

• Supplement your food with appropriate vitamins, minerals and special combinations to support the weakest part in your body system, because your unique genes may need some extra support.

• Schedule time for outside activities; the gym is only a substitute for outside, and not the only one; your home can be your gym, even without equipment. Besides, our warm weather permits almost year round outside activities and sports training.

• Laugh and sing more often, laughter works wonders for your body chemistry, stimulating happy moods.

Sing in the bathroom (there is something about the acoustics there, because even my voice sounds pretty good in the shower), or sing on your beach walks, even if you just hum a song.

Sing all day long, it will keep your mood balanced. My grandfather used to hum all day long, not really a song, but just from his heart and spirit.

I have never heard him raise his voice in anger; he lived a very balanced life up into his 90’s. Play an instrument, play with your pet, play with your children and play with your partner! Play and childlike (not childish) behaviour is the best stress relief and a great communicator.

We never lose our inner child, it may just be a bit dusty or covered up; bring it out again. Life is serious, but it is also fun and beautiful.

We can only enjoy it to the fullest when we are in balance with ourselves, and the natural world around us.

An easy to learn method to ease stress and pain almost instantly is called Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT.

In the meantime, take stock of your life and take note of where you need to let go of stressors.

Author Angelika Christie ND is the managing director of Rad-iant Health Centre. You can reach her at 242-352-1010 or radianthealth1@mac.com or www.radianthealthcenterbahamas.com

Article Source http://freeport.nassauguardian.net/editorial/323141188519314.php

For the Time Being – Happy Days

It is thoroughly normal to be so tentative about the time of our lives, or so asleep within it, that we miss it entirely. 

Being happy is a state of mind

I am sure we all do it but being consistent and meaning it is the most important thing about gratitude. I have learned to love everything in my life and not take it for granted. 

Happy as You Want to Be

Living a happy, resilient and optimistic life is wonderful, and is also good for your health. Being happy actually protects you from the stresses of life. Stress is linked to top causes of death such as heart disease, cancer and stroke.

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What does worrying do? If you could be relaxing by the sea with a cool wind blowing in your hair right now would you be  able to enjoy it? Or would you be worrying about what’s going on back home?

Most of us can probably think of someone we know who seems to worry about every litttle thing

Having a chronic illness can seem to present us with a long list of justified reasons to worry. We worry if we should take it easy and rest for tomorrow’s tasks or if we should do all we can now, in case we end up feeling worse the next day. We limit ourelves as we ask ‘can I do it all?’ and even worry that we might not even be able to do some of it. We worry when our body goes downhill and we also worry when we are in remission. Maybe it won’t last. We worry about countless other things like raising our children, financial burdens, if we could be an adequate partner, mother, sister etc, about how to keep a positive attitude or whether we are in denial and we probably all have those intimate moments when we worry and wonder whether God is listening to our prayers.

He does hear our prayers and knows our worries, but our worries are in vain because everything is already in His hands. He’s already taken care of everything.

So you don’t ever need to worry about tomorrow or about anything that is happening in and around you. We have nothing to worry about! God knows our needs better than we know our own needs. And He knows not only what we need today, but also what we will need in the future; He’s already taken care of it. He promises to not only take care of our needs, but that he will fill our need in a glorious way. Besides, worry doesn’t do any good! What solutions can it offer? It is our attitude about the perceived lack of control that makes our experience seem much worse than it is. Worrying does not add an hour to our life. If anything it probably takes a few hours off of our life through the sheer stress of worrying. It has the opposite effect of laughter, depleting the immune system instead of boosting it so maybe a laugh or two at your situation could be a real turnaround.

Occasional worrying is a part of our human nature. The important thing is to not let it consume us. Allow yourself to relax,  breathe deeply and meditate or visualise yourself being surrounded by soothing compassion. Soothe means to calm or comfort with soft words. Imagine God’s soft voice in answer to your prayers about your worries and allow God the opportunity to soothe you.

Worry can control you, even consume you; when you are overwhelmed with anxiety your focus has moved away from trust in God and apprciation of life. Do not be anxious about anything, but give thanks and trust that there is a greater wisdom here.  Often if you look you can find the gift in any adversity that makes it all worthwhile. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds.

Whatever troubles we are experiencing, whatever illness we are going through they are always temporary and smaller than the bigger universal and eternal picture and we are also given  the means to cope and the opportunity to learn and find peace.

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The world in which we live provides for many stresses. We have the pressures of work, personal obligations and the day-to-day grind with which to contend. These pressures can take a toll on our mental and physical health. Unfortunately, responding improperly to these pressures such as by using drugs or alcohol, can result in long-term negative effects.

Wouldn’t it be so much better to find a way to  clear your mind  that can actually be good for you?

By taking advantage of the many benefits of meditation, you can put yourself on the road to a healthier mind and body.

Improved sleep, lowered blood pressure and decrease anxiety are just a few of the many benefits of meditation. Improved sleep serves to improve your work productivity. And high blood pressure can lead to a myriad of health problems, such as heart attack and stroke. You can remedy these potientially serious conditions by spending a small amount of time each day meditating.

Meditation is not exclusively a New Age or Zen process. It is a much broader process. You can maintain your current spiritual or religious beliefs and still achieve the full benefits of meditation. It is a simple process. Simply locate a private spot where you can spend 20 minutes each day without being disturbed. Make yourself as comfortable and still as possible, take some long, deep breaths and exhale slowly, allowing your mind and body to completely relax. If you do this on a regular basis, before long you will feel like a new person.

An even better way to experience the full benefits of meditation is to take part in a guided meditation. Guided visualizations assist you in placing yourself in relaxing scenes. These recordings are readily available for download to your mp3 player. By following instructions, you are relieved from having to think about the process and you can relax even further. Don’t let the pressures of daily living overcome you. Achieve calmness and inner peace through daily meditation.

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This hidden aspect is how we feel, react and respond, or cope or don’t cope with the condition we find ourselves in.

Living with chronic illness impacts one’s physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

Chronic illness often causes one to feel helpless and hopeless, discouraged and isolated. It can devastate one’s career and financial security, friendships and love relationships, creativity, concentration, motivation, and one’s very peace of mind.

It is important now and useful long-term, to remain as active, social, and productive as possible. That means focus on what you can do and let go of what you can no longer do. Create priorities for your body, mind, heart, and soul.

Ancient philosophers and healers recognized that the body and the mind were one. Modern research confirms this body/mind connection. In the last 15 years, Western medicine has coined a term for what the ancients knew: psychoneuroimmunology.

Harvard Medical School now publishes a professional journal called Mind/Body Medicine. Studies show that improved physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being stimulate an innate healing response in the body. It is possible to create a healthier lifestyle that will promote wellness. The key is to balance the physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual aspects of your life.

Improving and maintaining physical well-being includes proper nutrition, rest, and exercise. It means carefully selecting the activities in which you participate and the people with whom you spend time to ensure that you are making good choices about expending energy and making the most of each day.

Paying attention to the psychological and emotional aspects of your life includes becoming a good observer of your thoughts, feelings, and how/what you feel in your body. This is a time to allow yourself to experience, examine, and express your thoughts and feelings in an honest and forthright way.

Accurately expressing yourself is one of the most important aspects of living with chronic illness. No one will know how you feel and what you can reasonably be expected to do or not do unless you tell people directly. Value yourself and take ownership of your feelings, and thoughts, your resources and choices.

Honor and express your deepest truth and make what you say and how you say it match what you feel. Say your real ‘yes’ and your real ‘no’ and say what you feel without blaming or needing to please others.

Don’t avoid saying what is in your heart or on your mind to say. Don’t hide your worries and concerns because you don’t want others to know you are not in control.

Accessing your spiritual nature can be as easy as watching the sunset or taking a walk through a beautiful garden. You might also consider meditation, yoga, chanting, or praying. Whether you call it God, the Universe, higher power, or ‘the force’ a la Steven Spielberg, it is quite comforting and healing to experience the inner peace that is uniquely you.

Sitting in the quiet and allowing your attention to flow inward is very foreign to men and women in the Western world. It is, however, a fundamental practice if one is to develop and maintain health and well-being, inside and outside.

The gift in adversity

Human beings are resilient and adaptable. When faced with seemingly insurmountable tasks, we rise to the occasion. Chronic illness often motivates us to re-evaluate and reconsider every aspect of life; to review and change habits, goals, choices, and decisions.

This review includes everything from food choices, career/work, social relationships and recreational activities, to including naps and going to sleep earlier. Now is the time to create a more flexible schedule and intentionally pace yourself.

Determination and persistence will enable you to stay motivated through the tough times, and stay involved in activities that are meaningful and joyful. Maintaining your sense of humor is essential.

Invite people into your life who are kind, respectful, and compassionate. Stay away from well-meaning, well-intentioned people who have an agenda for you and can’t see you or hear you accurately.

This is the opportunity to create the changes in your life that will bring meaning to every day and cause you to choose and maintain a lifestyle that promotes and sustains your well-being: physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual.

While chronic illness may close some doors, it will no doubt open others. Take good care! You’re worth it.

Remember, only YOU can make it happen!

If you like this article, please read more about
Dr. Jackie’s relationship dating advice and help for issues and problems.

***

The inner critic

Coping with chronic illness can often include coping with all of the mixed feelings that arise around it and at the beginning  many of them can be negative . I see it as an invitation to ‘clear out’the old negative ways of thinking to make room for positive feelings and experiences to rise and take their place. Here is a short video about the inner critic which all of us have and many of us find ourselves victim to. The key is to take control of its wild ramblings and not to take them so seriously.

I look forward to receiving any comments you may have about this video or article or indeed about anything else related to chronic illness that you would like to discuss or comment on

***

A note about the author of the above article: Dr. Jackie Black

Dr. Jackie is an internationally recognized relationship expert, educator and coach. Advice and coaching about personal relationships is Dr. Jackie’s passion. Her goal is to inspire and support single men, single women and couples through the challenges and pitfalls of dating, loving and building lasting, committed relationships in today’s fast-paced world. Dr. Jackie’s Relationship Coaching Programs and Groups, her Blog, downloadable PodCasts and her Internet streaming radio show are jam-packed with valuable dating tips and strategies.

Check out Dr. Jackie’s Podcasts here: http://www.relationshiptalkpodcast.com

Check out Dr. Jackie’s Blog here: http://www.askdrjackie.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Jackie_Black

Local students do their part in fighting cancer

We’re trying to give support to those families who have lost members to cancer, to show support for those who are fighting it right now and to make it so future generations won’t have to worry about cancer

Living the Good Life: Have You Been Touched by Cancer?

Have You Been Touched by Cancer? Our family has had its run of cancer…as have many other families. Supporting our local Relay for Life is important. Our town used to have a HUGE event in which we participated in each year.

NIH awards benefit FIU College of Nursing

Examining the impact of breast cancer on couple interaction and relationships ; Identifying caregiver issues and the role of family dynamics in providing care to the chronically ill elderly ; Resolving grief issues post cancer surgery and in caregivers coping with Alzheimer’s Disease 

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Learn how to reduce stress through laughter

During World War Two, the soldiers between their battles would laugh and have fun whenever and wherever possible, so that they would put the negative and unpleasant memories out of their minds.

Why? Because it is a known fact that you can’t be stressed, depressed, or plagued with anxiety when you are having fun. They needed this diversion to forget, if even just for a limited time, so that they could carry on the extremely difficult tasks and responsibilities that they were charged with.

It was the same on the home front. There were more songs, plays, movies created than at any other time in history. There were all kinds of social activities to cheer up and keep people positively charged. And it worked on both the battle front, as well as at home. This ultimately with winning strategies and skilled efforts combined to bring victory.

The resiliency of people is truly remarkable and when times are tough, as is the case to day, people can, and must cope with an optimistic view of the future.

This is more easily accomplished when  humor, laughter and playfulness are employed.

Humor and laughter help the person see a lighter and brighter side and help us focus on more creative and effective solutions.

People should also bear in mind that nothing is accomplished by adopting and maintaining a pessimistic perspective, as this only translates in negative thinking, attitude and action. Negative thinking can actually increase pain!

Life is short, live it to the fullest, love with all your heart, and laugh at every opportunity.

Learn how to transform pain into joy

Author: Gerry Hopman

For more information on how powerful humor, laughter are, visit Gerry’s web site at: http://www.humor-laughter.com

Gerry Hopman is Humorist, Humor Motivational Speaker and Author. He believes that humor is essential to balance in life and career.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gerry_Hopman

Are Humor and Laughter Coping Strategies During Difficult Times?

Can humor and laughter help us in these difficult economic times. History tells us that this is indeed the case. 

The Importance Of Laughter

The importance of laughter in your life to keep you calm and happy makes perfect sense but is there really any evidence that this is true? Yes. And don’t take my word for it. This comes straight from the Mayo Clinic

Building Business Success: A Healthy Dose of Laughter

It can be used for coping, for saving face, for gaining status, for testing limits, for social control, and for bonding. Medical studies also show that laughter boosts levels of endorphins, the body’s natural pain killers 

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Do you have to think twice even before you laugh? Well, it’s time you take a look at  the importance of laughter therapy and many ways a good session of laughter can benefit you completely.

Laughter – is surely the best medicine! We probably realize the importance of laughter only when we grow out of our childhood days. Do we really need a reason to laugh? I don’t really think so! However, with work stress on the rise, laughter therapy sessions are gaining attention worldwide. The benefits of laughter are many! However, one may not really get into the nitty-gritty of issues at a young age. The importance of laughter therapy is realized only when one loses the reason to laugh about the simplest of issues. Well, laughter surely is good for all and those who are unaware of the benefits need to read about the importance of laughter therapy.

Importance of Laughter Therapy:
Have you observed the beauty of a child especially when it bursts into uncontrollable peals of laughter? Well, that’s the beauty of laughter! Laughter therapy provides you a great way to get rid of stress. This is  the best stress relief activity , which dissolves all feelings of irritation and anger.

Laughing also helps to motivate a person. This in turn, releases all the positive energy.

A good session of loads of laughter would help one to release all the pent-up feelings that are really not healthy otherwise. Laughter helps to reduce feelings of grief and depression and create a sense of well-being.

Daily sessions of laughter help to strengthen the immune system.

No matter how negative or dejected you feel, laughter is one such therapy that can uplift your emotional state to a very positive level.

Here is a social site I can recommend to get your daily uplift of laughter and join together with other like-minded people.

A good sense of humor can help in enhancing your personality whether in professional or personal life. Laughter therapy can turn you into a better team member and you can turn out to be an effective person at communication.

The importance of laughter is something that can be felt and known from within. Don’t wait anymore, call up your buddies and ensure you have a good laugh over all the silly things you can recall!

By Kashmira Lad

The Importance Of Laughter

The medical world has widely acknowledged the benefits of laughter to the human body. Many doctors around the world encourage their patients to induce laughter, be it through listening to jokes, watching comedies

Why We Should Laugh and Smile

All of us know that laughter is good for us. We’ve heard it being repeated over and over again about how laughter promotes good health, emotional well being etc. But do we actually know how it specifically benefits us?  

Is the Recession …

So, what is one to do to minimize or avoid this health “recession?” There are several very important components to overcoming stress. Laugh. You’ve heard the saying that laughter is the best medicine. It actually helps your body by … Numerous studies support the health benefits of regular exercise. Improved cardiopulmonary function, reduced blood pressure, muscle tension release and mental relaxation are all known benefits. 

Laugh Your Way to Good Health – Benefits of Laughter.

Recent studies show a lot of benefits of laughter. Good laugh has a very positive effect on the emotional and physical effect of a person. In fact it is being. 

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