31 Tips to Boost Your Mental Health

31 Tips to Boost Your Mental Health

Your mental wellbeing, positiveness and mental health are all in your hand. No one else can control it! Most of you don’t know how to take charge of your wellness while others fail to follow what they are supposed to do. You may also seek professional support or treatment to win over your psychological well-being however there are a few things that you can try on your own. In the next 10 minutes, this article will guide you through ways to improve your mental health.

1. Believe That You Are Positive –

The way you think about yourself always puts a powerful impact on how you feel. You should always practice the use of self-worth and personal power words to promote your feelings.

2. Focus on One Task at a Moment –

Don’t let your mind wander on negative emotions. Multitasking is a good practice but thinking in multiple directions at a time will lead you nowhere.

3. Exercise Your Mind & Soul –

Meditation and Yoga is a good exercise to keep your mind calm and focused on one task at a time. Physical exercise also stresses your body and releases anxiety.

4. Eat a Good Meal –

I always decorate my plate with my favorite healthy food before having my meal. I guess it gives you a rich feeling and brings positiveness and satisfaction.

5. Open your heart Out –

Everyone has a friend or relative where one can open his heart out. Trust someone who can lend an ear to your positive or negative thoughts and suggest wisely.

6. Give a Helping Hand –

Help a person in need and you will get a heavenly feeling. His smile or blessings will make your day full of gratitude and confident feeling.

7. Give a Break to Self –

Whenever it all seems like too much to handle, step away, and involve yourself in something that pleases you. Move your eyes, take a deep breath or close your eyes for 10 minutes and you will feel better.

8. Follow Your Routine –

Set rules and try to stick to them. Follow them positively as much as you can. If needed, make amendments and again start following the new ones. RULES are NOT meant to be BROKEN!

9. Sleep on Time –

One should always take at least eight hours of sleep until it is not dead urgent to spend those extra hours. A sound sleep will keep you energized for the long run as this is one of the ways to improve your mental health.

10. Value Yourself –

You are a gem for someone, the life of your loved ones, someone is always waiting for you. Value yourself and avoid self-criticism, respect and surround yourself with loved ones.

11. Healthy Breath Health Mind –

Try to be close to nature as a health and oxygen-rich breath will give you positiveness. Avoid cigarettes and drink plenty of water to stay calm and happy.

12. Retreat Yourself –

For every accomplishment, every success or every moment of happiness, give yourself a treat. Gift yourself small or big things whenever it is possible. It will motivate you!

13. Learn How to Cope with Stress –

Practice good stress-busting skills. Some get relief by playing with pets, playing with dart, stress ball, take a walk, reading, shower, pumped-up music. What’s yours?

14. Set Realistic Goals –

Be justified while settings goals for self. Your academic, professional and personal expectations and capabilities may vary. Aim high but with a realistic approach to tasting the sense of accomplishment or fate.

15. Practice Routine Things Differently –

A disciplined, timebound and challenging routine is important to accomplish something however you can always do things differently. You just need to learn the art to spice up your daily tasks with different flavors and ways to improve your mental health.

16. Seek Help Whenever Needed –

It doesn’t mean that you are incompetent. Everybody is in need of help some or other times. It's not a weakness but a helping hand can double your strength and improve your mental health.

17. Diary Writing –

There are people who practice diary writing to list out their life’s good or bad events. This may include reactions to things, ambitions, or appreciations that gives you a smile.

18. Repeat Happiness –

Do things that make you happy. Repeatedly schedule activities that keep you calm and spread happiness within self and others. Stress can’t cure problems, but repeated moments of happiness can fade your stress out.

19. Eliminate the Bad in You –

Enjoying cigarettes, alcohol or any drug may give you short-term pleasure however will seriously damage your overall well-being in a longer run. Do whatever it takes to quit it as soon as possible.

20. Volunteer Yourself –

Volunteering your time to society or for a good cause will boost up your self-esteem and will give you a feel-good factor. You will feel confident when your deeds are appreciated.

21. Expose Yourself to Sunlight –

Taking a good sunbath (not between 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM) will keep your energy level up and help you to stay close to nature while emerging positiveness and boost your mental health.

22. Do It Now –

We tend to dwell with a habit of ‘Will Do It’ or procrastinate things that we are supposed to do. Try to inculcate the ‘Do It Now’ approach within self and you will excel success.

23. Challenge Your Memory –

Try to remember things, dates, names, numbers by heart not just by writing them somewhere. Learn new things and memorize them to challenge your brain.

24. Take a New Hobby –

If you feel that your life is not exciting or you feel monotonous, add a new hobby to your routine and it will boost up your energy level and fun factor to your boredom.

25. Go for Routine Checkups –

We never know what’s happening within our body. Even if you feel strong, energetic and healthy, go for routine checkups. A positive body checkup report will boost your mental health.

26. Refrain from Social Fever –

Spend more time with your loved ones instead of spending time on social media. Avoid yourself being addicted to phone, laptop or TV rather play games or quizzes with your dear ones. This is one of the best ways to boost your mental health.

27. Worry Less & Move On –

You must have experienced that worrying more won’t change anything. If you have a solution, just do it else move on. Worrying on something that can’t be changed or undone needs to be avoided as said by the Psychotherapists.

28. Start Your Day with What You Love the Most –

I love to pump up my morning with bombastic music. I feel energetic and plan my day with passion and ensure that my goals for the day are met before I go to bed.

29. Learn to Say NO –

It is not advisable to take every burden on yourself. One should not over commit and underachieve. Only make commitments what you can do within the stipulated time. Say NO to tasks that are out of your reach or capabilities. There is no harm in saying NO!

30. Find a Purpose of Your Life –

Set short term goals followed by long term goals. When your short-term goals are met, you will feel confident to achieve long-term goals. Every short success will boost your mental health and encourage you to meet your long-term goals in life.

31. Never Hesitate to Try Something –

I know that failure tastes bitter, but it is still far better than not trying. Challenge your capabilities and try new things, take new tasks because even if you fail, you will end up learning new things.

If you try these ways to improve your mental health, you will surely move towards a blissful life and always feel confident and energetic. Every step will boost your mental health and will keep you calm and happy throughout your life. Keep Trying, Stay Happy and Blessed!

Why Forgiveness is Crucial to Your Happiness By: Sonia Devine

Why Forgiveness is Crucial to Your Happiness By: Sonia Devine

Your ability to forgive those who have hurt you in the past is a crucial stepping stone to your spiritual and emotional growth. Throughout the course of our lives, we collect emotional baggage. This is unavoidable, and even though it can cause us a great deal of pain, it helps us to define who we are as people; the result is, we grow even more and learn valuable lessons along the way about ourselves and others.

So there you have it - emotional baggage is an unavoidable part of all of our lives - but it's not actually this that is the real cause of unhappiness in your life. What's really important is how you choose to deal with that baggage, because what you do here will determine the success or failure of your future relationships.. Now, there is another very important point I want to make:

People come into our lives to teach us lessons

It's what you do with these lessons that determines how your future will be. Think of all the people you have encountered in your life. Isn't it funny to look back and think about the last time you saw a particular person; it may have been several years ago, and it's quite possible that you will never again see him/her in this lifetime!The reason? Because this person has served their purpose in your life. So now that you know this, think about this; what did this person teach you? Some relationships or encounters that we have with other people last only a few days, and some last a lifetime. But either way, each experience serves a specific purpose and is extremely relevant to your life!.

Now, given that every experience we have is a lesson for us, think about the people who have hurt you in the past. Have you allowed yourself to forgive them? Or are you still holding into the emotional pain? Do you find yourself conjuring up scenes of "sweet revenge" in your mind, or worse still, acting out those scenes? Are you able to forgive and let go? If you are not, then who holds the power - you or them?

Don't let people who have hurt you in the past have any control over your future!

When you make a choice to forgive others, you are NOT lying down and becoming a doormat, nor are you admitting that person who hurt you is in the right. Forgiveness is about taking back control of your life and not allowing your negative emotions to rule you. And forgiveness is also about letting go of all those debilitating emotions that could be responsible for sabotaging your current relationships! So ask yourself this question: Do you want to feel good? If you are still carrying feelings of resentment and anger towards someone who hurt you, then what are you getting out of it?

Hanging on to feelings of resentment, hatred or anger, will ensure that these destructive feelings WILL spill over into your current life and stop you from enjoying positive, successful relationships with other people.

The fact is, your subconscious mind never ignores negative energy and emotions. It will remind you every day that you need to deal with them, and until you do, it will manifest your unresolved emotional pain through insomnia, chronic physical pain and in extreme cases, through life threatening illness. So there it is; make a decision today to take back your life by practising forgiveness. Your energy is extremely precious so don't allow yourself to give it away to those who don't deserve to have it it! Move on with your life today, and you will experience miracles.

Author Bio
Sonia Devine is a qualified professional hypnotherapist and success coach with a caring and committed approach to healing, who lives in Melbourne, Australia. You can find more of her information on attracting wealth, self image, love, relationships, phobias and much more on her website Manifest Your Success

Hypnosis for Releasing Anger and Resentment with Guided Forgiveness

The Triangle for Success By: John Neyman Jr

The Triangle for Success By John Neyman Jr

Success is a direct result of applying the right principles to your professional life and your personal life. The question is what are the right principles to apply in order to achieve success? Over the years of studying, four primary principles of success continue to surface from the ancient writers. I call these four principles the triangle of success.

The "triangle" of success because one principle is placed at each corner of the triangle and the crucial principle is positioned in the heart of the triangle. The heart of the triangle is what promises success to the other three principles.

The other three principles at the corner of the triangles embody the essence of men and women. You will see what I am talking about as I unfold these three.

Mind
The first corner of the triangle is your thinking process; or in other ! words exercising your mind. Learning is a necessary step towards growing. Growth is imperative to achieve success. Aristotle puts it succinctly, he writes, "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."

Success follows the ability to analyze a subject, make sound judgments while moving toward your objectives. "You are to be a student, not a follower", says Jim Rohn. That is exactly what professionals are, they are students. Success is the goal; therefore, continuous training, instruction, and being mentored is the process.

Those who are successful pay the price. They apply the disciplines of learning. They have placed value on education and training. I, personally, think that if you are a student, always applying the disciplines of learning, that your philosophies of life will be improving, better ideas come to your thinking, which all leads to success.

Education is something that no one can ever take away from you. It helps to develop and define who you are.

"The best of all things is to learn. Money can be lost or stolen, health and strength may fail, but what you have committed to your mind is yours forever."
--Louis L'Amour (1908-1988)

Emotions
Your emotion is the second corner of the triangle. Passionately pursuing after your objectives leads to success. This is not to say that your objectives come before people in your life, but the principle is to be well taken-success is dependent on your inner drive to achieve it.

The truth is, you will do what you want to do. If you want something bad enough you will dwell on it all of the time doing whatever is necessary to reach your goal. That is passion. Kahlil Gibran said, "All that spirits desire, spirits attain."

Perhaps G. W. F. Hegel says is best, "Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion." You see what I mean when I said above that these principles surface every where I studied? These are the principles that made men and women great.

The reasons that they do surface is that these principles are at the core of who and what we are made of inside. You were designed with a purpose and the driving force within you motivates you to accomplish your purpose in life.

"Dwell not upon thy weariness, thy strength shall be according to the measure of thy desire."
Arab Proverb

Will
The third corner of the triangle is your will. Eventually, you have to step out and do what you desire. If you never decide to reach for your dream, you will remain in the stands with the majority of people in life.

Perhaps you have fear, hurt, or insecurity, holding you back; if you permit these or any others to control your actions success stands aloof. A mentor at this point may be more helpful, than, reading a book or two. At times we need someone to hold us accountable so that we will do the necessary follow through.

Depending on your temperament exercising your will towards your objectives may take a lot of courage, but courage is what guarantees that these others will work. If you don't have the courage to start you never will know, now will you?

I can not stress it strong enough that taking action is one of the most important principles to achieving your dreams. Jim Rohn, says, "Some are always picking the fruit, while others are always, examining the roots." Consistent action will produce results. It is the law of sowing and reaping. You reap what you sow, in other words, you get what you deserve, not what you need. Plant enough seeds and you will find growth. It is the law of ratio. Ask enough people and someone will join or buy.

"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will."
- Vincent T. Lombardi

Perseverance
Now, what is in the heart or center of the triangle that will enable you to succeed? Every successful person has this. Do you know? I will give you a clue it begins with a P, now you fill in the blank, P__________. It is perseverance! Perseverance is the inner strength to get back into the battle after you have been wounded. As I observe those who succeed and those who don't, it appears to me that the difference is in perseverance.

Those with perseverance don't stop until they reach their goal. They are relentless! Just when you thought they were down and out this time, sure as the world, they manage, some how, to get back up again.

I love to visit Chocolate World. It is located in Hershey, PA. They make, obviously, Hershey's chocolate. You get to take a tour to see how they make all of that chocolate and at the end of the ride you get a piece of free chocolate and/or the opportunity to buy all the chocolate you want. But, the significant part of the tour is reading "bits and pieces" of Milton Hershey's life (the founder). He, like so many others, failed three times in the business world, before he was successful. He had a dream and would not let go of it.

Was he ever discouraged? You know he was. Did he ever want to quit? Who doesn't? Did others talk bad about him? I think some still do. However, those are not the right questions to ask. Better questions are: "Did he quit?" And "What kept him from quitting?" Or, "How did he persevere?"

No, he did not give up. He persevered through the hard times and some unbearable problems. How did he do that? What kept him going? The same way thousand's of others did it. The big "P" was in the center of the triangle. Perseverance was the heart of their passion, attitude, and will.

Napolean Hill captures the three corners of the triangle when he writes, "Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire and begin at once, whether you ready or not, to put this plan into action." As you add perseverance to this success formula it is one sure way to, at least, do your part to succeed. There are never any promises how life will turn out, but one thing for sure, neglect the right principles and you are removing the possibilities of success.

I will conclude with the words of Abraham Lincoln, "Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing."

Author Bio
Dr. John E. Neyman, Jr. is a Pastor, author, speaker, and relationship coach. You may contact Dr John at drjohnneyman@gmail.com or visit his site at LeadersExcel.com

Lisa Nichols on Rescuing Yourself, Overcoming Fear, and Finding Success ...

Ten Powerful Keys to Healing Yourself By: Wayne McDonald

1. Be Present
Live in the now. The past is gone. You can never go back and make it right. You can never re-live a life that was yesterday. Live positively in the present moment, no matter what is occurring. It is All right and perfect. Do not look ahead and dread what may come. Our mind creates a lot of chatter and makes us afraid in order to keep us safe. Tell your mind "Thanks for sharing" and affirm "I am here, I am present". You are always at choice and you know how to make this day beautiful.

2. Nature
Sit on the lawn or next to a tree. Feel the pulse of the earth, the grandeur of the sky, the coolness of the breeze on your face, or the warmth of the sun on your face. Smile at nature, say hello to the bugs and all the animals you meet. Take a walk in a park or hike on a trail.

3. Exercise
Daily exercise gives you a break from ! your mind chatter, helps pump your heart, circulates your blood, clears toxins from your body, charges you with energy and has many other benefits. Choose an activity that is fun and mix it up. Do walking one day and yoga another day. Take a Tai Chi class and meet new people. The list of possibilities is endless.

4. Spirituality
Recognize and know you are important and unique. Meditate, or sit quietly, and be in the moment. Read books that are uplifting and have positive messages. Give thanks for your health, your home, your friends, all the joy and happiness in your life and all the good that surrounds you.

5. Forgiveness
It is time to let it go. Forgive all parts of yourself to be whole and perfect. Forgive yourself for any past mistakes or shortcomings; forgive the child within for being afraid; forgive the teenager that spoke words of anger; forgive the young adult for not being a risk taker. Forgive others in the past. Forgive your parents, your siblings and relatives. Let go of all grudges. Forgiveness is about coming to peace within yourself.

6. Bubble Bath
Give yourself permission to relax and savor quiet times. Read a book for fun. Spend that extra money and get a massage or a facial. Do something selfish for yourself.

7. Nutrition
Listen to your body. Feed it good nutritious food. Take a high quality multi-vitamin or a liquid supplement. Most health challenges can be reduced or eliminated with a dietary supplement.

8. Let Go of Judgment
Give up judgement and give up blame. Never speak critically of others or yourself. Speak words of encouragement to yourself and everyone you meet. Accept everyone for who they are and embrace their differences.

9. Service To Others
Reach out and lend a hand to a friend in need. Offer unconditional service to others. Be a great listener and really listen to people when they speak. Find ways to help others to lift their spirits and help lessen their burdens.

10. Love
Love yourself and use positive words of encouragement. Compliment strangers and make others smile. Speak from a loving heart and shine with joy.

Author Bio
Wayne McDonald is a licensed Life Practitioner and a Public Speaker and the founder of www.HolisticWebDirectory.com - an on-line health directory of complimentary health care professionals. Signup today for your monthly Health Ezine at submit-ezine@aweber.com.ten Powerful Ways to Healing Yourself by Wayne Mc Donald

How Enthusiasm Can Help You Reach Your Goals By: Arina Nikitina

How Enthusiasm Can Help You Reach Your Goals By: Arina Nikitina

If enthusiasm can be bought as an item from a store, do you think it will sell? And if it does, just how much are you willing to pay for it?

I believe your response will be: "You must be kidding. It'll be a sellout. The store might probably run out of stock, you'll have to wait in queue for a long time before you can get your order no matter the price."

Just how important is enthusiasm in goal realization; in one's life? It is so important that it occupies one of the top slots in the list of elements needed for successful living. It is so important that it is one of the deciding factors to realize one's goal.

There is no doubt that everyone likes talking to enthusiastic people, unless a person likes to be in a gloomy state, which I doubt that person does. Enthusiastic people keep the conversation alive and upbeat. You feel like you are partying. And when you feel like partying, you'd wish the night will never end.

Enthusiasm brings out the hyper character in us. It is like adding more wood to a bonfire making you feel like you want to roast marshmallows in it. Honestly, as I am writing this, I'm beginning to be more enthusiastic myself.

The point is, enthusiasm is contagious like a disease. This is one contagious disease that has a desirable effect. Matter of fact, enthusiasm is the only disease everybody wants to contract. If there is a category in the Guinness Book of World Records of being the contagious disease most people would like to have with them, it is enthusiasm. Law enforcers would probably ban quarantine of this disease.

Now, just how do you get enthusiastic especially when your surroundings, the weather condition, and the general situation feels down and out?

Here are some helpful tips to develop enthusiasm:

- Adopt the "as if" principle. It is believed that this was first stated by Professor William James, at times known as the father of American Psychological Science. This is an effective time and people tested principle.

I would suggest at this point that you try to apply the "as if" principle with someone near or beside you to confirm its effectiveness. Think creatively.

Another similar principle is the "what if". If you are in the business of developing products of specialized use, you are most likely exposed to a lot of experimentation. When you come up with an idea on a product you'd like to try even if the idea seems unconventional, would you try it? Would you be saying to yourself: "What if I try to... "

- Adapt enthusiasm into the "practice makes perfect" principle. In other words, be enthusiastic on almost everything you do every day no matter how insignificant they are, no matter how small they are. All those small things when added up become big. This is the "as if" principle in small ways.

- As you wake up each morning, be enthusiastic about the things you are going to do that day. Bring enthusiasm to even the routinely morning chores like taking a shower, getting dressed, eating breakfast, taking the bus or driving your car (even in heavy traffic), in the office up to the time you reach home for dinner till you go to bed, enthusiastically looking forward to tomorrow.

- Remember that each day in your life is God's gift to you. Show your appreciation to Him for the gift you receive by being nice to other people, helping others and thanking Him through prayers.

Author Bio
Arina Nikitina is the owner of www.RecipesForYourSuccess.com website where she shares proven tips and techniques on how to lead happy and fulfilling life you deserve.

Oprah's Gratitude Journal Oprah's Lifeclass Oprah Winfrey Network

Home - Day 1 - Recognize | 30 Days of Yoga With Adriene

Yoga with Adriene is such a lovely Youtube channel, full to the brim of gorgeous free yoga videos! Each new year, she does 30 days of yoga, I can't recommend it enough, she's just so lovely!

I do a session after I've put the little fellas to bed, it's the perfect way to unwind before bed and release the stresses of the day!
It makes me feel less stressed, more creative, I sleep better, have more ideas and feel stronger! If you've tried any online yoga feel free to share the links, it's great to learn about other lovely teachers.

The Higher Self by Deepak Chopra By Ben Sanderson

The Higher Self by Deepak Chopra By Ben Sanderson

Deepak Chopra Quick Facts

Main Areas: Spirituality; Mind-Body Medicine; Healing
Best Sellers: “The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success” (over 2 million copies sold)
Career Focus: Author; Speaker; M.D.; Endocrinologist
Affiliation: Chopra Center for Well Being
Dr. Deepak Chopra is a leader in the field of mind-body medicine. He created the Chopra Center for Well Being in California in 1995 and serves as its director of education. The Center, which offers training programs in mind-body medicine, is a vehicle for expanding his healing approach and integrating the best of western medicine with natural healing traditions.

Dr. Chopra is the former chief of staff at Boston Regional Medical Center and built a successful endocrinology practice in the 1980s. He realized that perfect health is more than just the absence of disease. He has discovered practical skills to ensure perfect health and total well-being that enable people to take control of their lives. In 1992, he served on the National Institutes of Health Ad Hoc Panel on Alternative Medicine.

Dr. Chopra is the author of more than 35 books, including The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, and over 100 audio, video, and CD-ROM titles. He has sold more than 20 million copies of his books worldwide. Dr. Chopra is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.

Recent Articles

Book Review: Seven Spiritual Laws of Success

Get Inspired with 10 Powerful Deepak Chopra Quotes

Articles published on SelfGrowth.com

Get Inspired with 10 Powerful Deepak Chopra Quotes

Free Articles & Book Excerpts

Coming Soon

Free Audio & Video Samples

Coming

Deepak Chopra Audio & Video Programs

Magical Mind, Magical Body

Sacred Verses, Healing Sounds

The Way of the Wizard: Twenty Spiritual Lessons for Creating the Life You Want

Deepak Chopra Books

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A Practical Guide to the Fulfillment of Your Dreams

How to Know God: The Soul’s Journey into the Mystery of Mysteries

The Path to Love: Spiritual Strategies for Healing

Other Programs & Highlights

Dr. Chopra is an international presenter and keynote speaker. Esquire magazine named him as one of the top ten motivational speakers in the country, and in 1995, he joined four others as recipients of the Toastmasters International Top Five Outstanding Speakers award. Dr. Chopra has been a keynote speaker at several academic institutions.

Favorite Quotes & Thoughts from Deepak Chopra

• If you and I are having a single thought of violence or hatred against anyone in the world at this moment, we are contributing to the wounding of the world.

• Most people think that aging is irreversible and we know that there are mechanisms even in the human machinery that allow for the reversal of aging, through correction of diet, through antioxidants, through removal of toxins from the body, through exercise, through yoga and breathing techniques, and through meditation.

• The physical world, including our bodies, is a response of the observer. We create our bodies as we create the experience of our world.

• The way you think, the way you behave, the way you eat, can influence your life by 30 to 50 years.

• There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in.

• We are not victims of aging, sickness, and death. These are part of scenery, not the seer, who is immune to any form of change. This seer is the spirit, the expression of eternal being.

• You and I are essentially infinite choice-makers. In every moment of our existence, we are in that field of all possibilities where we have access to an infinity of choices.

• You believe that you live in the world, when in fact the world lives within you.

• Perfect health, pure and invincible, is the state we have lost. Regain it, and we regain a world.

• From a pure heart anything can be accomplished. If you ask what the universe is doing, it is eavesdropping on your every desire.

• Silence is the great teacher, and to learn its lessons you must pay attention to it. There is no substitute for the creative inspiration, knowledge, and stability that come from knowing how to contact your core of inner silence.

• The possibility of stepping into a higher plane is quite real for everyone. It requires no force or effort or sacrifice. It involves little more than changing our ideas about what is normal.

• In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.

Getting Started With Deepak Chopra

Deepak Chopra has contributed considerably to teaching us about spiritual growth, the mind-body connection, and healing. His impact makes it difficult to decide how to get started. His seminars probably have the greatest impact, his books contain the greatest details, and his audio programs provide a quick, easy way to get a sense of what Dr. Chopra has to say.

Dr. Chopra has a soothing, reassuring voice that instills a sense of well-being in the listener. With all of the information that he provides, I would suggest starting with the The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, in either book or audio form. In it, he discusses natural laws which govern all of creation.

Dr. Chopra teaches us that after we understand our true nature and learn to live in harmony with natural law, we can develop a better sense of good health and improved relationships. We can gain an increased energy and enthusiasm for life. These benefits will then lead us to greater material abundance.

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success contains practical steps that we can start applying immediately to our lives. The seven laws include “The Law of Pure Potentiality,” “The Law of Giving,” “The Law of ‘Karma’ or Cause and Effect,” “The Law of Least Effort,” “The Law of Intention and Desire,” “The Law of Detachment,” and “The Law of ‘Dharma’ or Purpose in Life.”

Some specific suggestions from Dr. Chopra include the following:

• Listen with your heart.
• Evaluate consequences of your choices.
• Take responsibility for actions, not blaming others/things.
• Give something to everyone you meet (i.e.—a compliment, a silent blessing, a gift).
• Be open to receive from others.
• Practice silent meditation.
• Commune with nature—appreciate the beauty.
• Serve others. Ask yourself, “How can I help?”

Deepak Chopra has a unique spiritual quality and a tremendous ability to teach and communicate this spirituality to others.

Contacting Deepak Chopra

ADDRESS: The Chopra Center at La Costa Resort and Spa
2013 Costa del Mar Rd.
Carlsbad, CA 92009
PHONE: 888-424-6772
WEBSITE: www.chopra.com

Guided Meditation on Gratitude with Deepak Chopra

Effortless Living: Finding Joy in Today's World. Interview with Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev By Amanda Fraser

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev is an enlightened yoga master who travels to the US twice each year to teach the art of effortless living. His program is composed of powerful techniques that are designed to transform physical, mental and spiritual levels. These include Pranayamaa (powerful breathing techniques) and Shoonya-an opportunity to transcend the dimensions of body and mind. Not a religion but a science, this program is the result of Sadhguru Jaggi's commitment to communicate a form of yoga suited for this age and simple enough to integrate into one's daily life practice. But on another level, he offers much more. As he has said, "This life for me is an endeavor to help people experience and express their divinity." If you have any questions about Sahaja Sthithi Yoga, you are welcomed to call 615-665-3812. An Isha Foundation volunteer will return your call. There is also a Web site at www.ishafoundation.org.

When I first attended the Sahaja Sthithi Yoga program, I didn't know what to expect. My yoga instructor had attended several of Jaggi's programs the previous year and had said that her life had been affected dramatically. I was surely open to that. The first session was a free introductory talk and an excellent opportunity to "meet the guru."
That evening the essence of this gentle man from India spoke to me in ways that we don't have the opportunity to experience here in these United States. I signed up for the program, consisting of seven consecutive evenings, including full days on the weekend. During the program, I learned extremely helpful Pranayama or breathing techniques and a powerful mediation technique. I also began to absorb and experience the vibrant teachings of life and spirit that Jaggi so masterfully and lovingly shared with us.
Since that time, and following an additional program that I attended, my life has found direction and peacefulness that are difficult to express. My goals are more clear, my sinus headaches (if I get them) go away while doing the Pranayama, my relationships feel more intimate and loving, and my spiritual life has a vibrancy that I have always longed for.
With a goal of sharing just a portion of what was offered in these programs, I conducted an interview of Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. It is my hope that his words inspire you and touch the immeasurable power and strength that exists deep within each of us.

Amanda Fraser: Why would a person want to try out the Art of Effortless Living or Sahaja Sthithi Yoga program?
Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev: If you look at people's lives, if you look at yourself, you will see that every single action that you perform in your life-whether you're trying to educate yourself to make money, raise a family, begin a career, whatever you may be doing in your life-fundamentally you're doing it because you think it's going to make you happy. It's just that one person thinks so much education is happiness, another person thinks that much money is happiness, somebody else thinks so much pleasure is happiness, for another power is happiness. But with every single action, consciously or unconsciously, people are trying to be happy. So one way, in this level of living, in this dimension of existence, happiness is the goal of everything that man is doing.
But if you look at life, we have done so much in this world for our happiness. But all we have ended up with is creating more and more comfort and convenience-but not happiness. For example, if you consider-one hundred years ago, what queens and kings could not dream, today an average citizen has. But we cannot say in a hundred year's time, we are much happier than what we were. In the process of trying to be happy, we are destroying the world; but still it is not happy.
So fundamentally, whatever you call peace or happiness, is a certain state within you. State does not mean just a state of mind-your energy, your body, your mind, or how you keep it-that only then you can be happy. Whenever you are happy, the real source of happiness is within you. It bubbles up. It is just that you are looking for an external stimulus to make you happy.
So yoga, or Sahaja Sthithi Yoga, or what I call Effortless Living, is a way of creating one way of understanding that happiness or peace or whatever you're looking for follows from the fact that every experience has a certain chemical basis. For example, you lose your peace, you go to the doctor; he gives you a pill. It's a dose of chemical; he gives you a little bit of peace. Or in other words, peace is a certain kind of chemistry. Similarly, happiness is, love is, fear is, hatred is, suffering is, misery is-everything that you go through is a certain kind of chemistry.
With proper practice of yoga, you are creating the right kind of chemistry where you are naturally peaceful, naturally joyous, naturally loving within you. It is not because of somebody or something. It is simply-that's the way you are. In other words, once you become like this, your peace and happiness is not at stake with every single action that you perform in your life. So whatever you do, you can do in total freedom, because it's an expression of your peace and joy. Not seeking of peace and joy in life.
Once it is like this, life is definitely effortless. And who wouldn't like to go through life effortlessly? Or, in other words, if you really get into a state of Sahaja Sthithi, then you can play with life whichever way you want, but life cannot do anything to you. Life cannot scar you or wound you. One can live absolutely stress-free-which is effortlessness.
So what I see is-it is just that people do not know that such a possibility is there within themselves. And if they come to know, I am sure everybody in the world desires to be in that state. It is just that right now we are making an effort to make them aware that this is possible within themselves.

AF: What spiritual traditions does the Effortless Living program draw from?
SJV: Fundamentally, I don't come from any particular tradition as such. It is from inner experience that I come. But, if I look at it now, I'm a part of every tradition in the world. Because, whatever the traditions have become over a period of time, that's different. When I look at the source of all traditions, all traditions have started the way I have started. It cannot be any different.
Whether it is this religion, or that religion, or Tao, or Zen, or yoga, whatever-it all comes from the same source of an inner experience-when a person experiences the unity with themself. So, in a way, I belong to all traditions, while I don't belong to any because the presentation is unique.
What you call a tradition is a certain way to presenting. The reason Gautama Buddha choose to teach in a particular way, the reason Jesus chose to teach in a different way, and somebody else in a different way-is simply because of the kinds of situations around them. What was most understandable for the people around them, accordingly they proceeded. Depending on the quality of minds around them-the level of receptivity available to them, accordingly they chose their teachings. Even now it's the same thing, so we are presenting it in a certain way, as it will be most appealing to the modern mind.

AF: I understand that the Sahaja Sthithi program that you introduce offers two paths-one which can enhance a person's normal daily living experience, and one that gives a person an opportunity to deepen their spiritual life. Can you say any more about which option your 7-day yoga program focuses on?
SJV: If you ask me, you cannot really separate these two things. People are seeking well-being, people want health, people want to be peaceful, but they have a confused mind. And how will health happen, how will peace happen, how will happiness happen to them? They think they can buy it from the outside; it's a very wrong notion. So, if you're really seeking well-being, whether peace or happiness or health, you need to dig into yourself, to go deeper into yourself, which is a spiritual process.
Now, this question comes up because there is so much misconception about what is spiritual. We are posing spirituality versus a materialistic way of life. There is no such distinction. If you live here, your body, which is material; and who you are within you, is a spirit. So, can you separate these two things in living? You have to live here as body-spirit. So there is no such distinction as to: this is spirituality; this is materialistic.
It is just that, if you're enslaved to a materialistic way of life, then we will say, to find a little release from it, you can focus on the inward. But with or without focusing on the inward, on the inner situation, there is no well-being in life, it's only a struggle.
So definitely, Sahaja Sthithi Yoga focuses on health, well-being, natural living, and all these things. But if a person can be truly peaceful and happy in this world, irrespective of what's happening around him, I consider that person a spiritual person. How deep he's gotten is questionable, but he's started being spiritual-because he's happy by his own nature.
So, how I would put the distinction between a spiritual person and a materialistic person is just this. Generally how we describe this in India is this: a materialistic person earns his food; everything else he begs from outside-for his love, for his happiness, for his peace-he begs from outside situations. A spiritual person earns everything within himself; only food he begs. But if he wants to earn his food, that's no big deal; he can do that also.

Author's Bio: 

Sathguru Jaggi Vasudev is a Yoga Master from South India who has been practicing yoga since age 13. Jaggi is the founder of the ISHA Foundation, a non-profit organization which administrates over 25 yoga centers, a medical center, and orphanage in India. ISHA Yoga Centers worldwide impart yoga in its full depth and dimension in a supportive atmosphere in which people can make the change to a more healthy lifestyle. ISHA offers yoga as a vehicle for personal growth and self-realization of the vital spirit.

Born in Mysore - Karnataka, he graduated from the Mysore University. Even as a child Sathguru was different, independent and did not fit into the logical ways of the world. As a physician's son, there was tremendous support from his family, who saw in him something beyond an average childhood.

He started Yogic practices like Pranayams and Asanas under Shri Raghavendra Rao, popularly known as Malladihalli Swami. At the age of 25, he had an experience of the self that completely changed his life. From then his entire quest has been to share those experiences. Jaggi's important teachings revolve around Universality of Man, Union of Body Mind and Spirit, and the Unfoldment of the Inner Being.

Jaggi Vasudev developed his Sahaja Sthithi Yoga program as a vehicle for personal growth and health. Yoga programs are taught at his Ashram near Coimbatore, India as well as in the US and other countries. More than 100,000 people have studied his Sahaja Sthithi (Natural State) Yoga Program to date. Besides conducting yoga programs, the Ashram also supports destitute children, tribal development work, and conducts bi-annual medical camps and nature awareness camps.

In ancient Sanskrit, "Guru" means dispeller of darkness, and "Sath" means within. Jaggi is an enlightened being, whose very presence and energy is a source of inspiration. His teachings have transformed thousands of lives and his guidance helps relieve people of their physical and mental suffering. Medically hopeless cases have been completely cured in his presence. Sathguru Jaggi Vasudev is a great teacher and humanitarian. He is a source of strength and solace, and devotes his life to helping individuals break through limitations into their natural state of health, freedom and joy.

For more information, visit
www.ishafoundation.org

https://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/fraser.html

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