Now you may not be at an age where this is a concern for you but prevention is always great so how do you know if your arteries are healthy?

In a new study published in the American Journal of Physiology research found that people 40 years of age and older who showed less flexibility in a sit and stretch test were more likely to have artery stillness.

Dr Kent Yamamoto of UNT says stretching exercises, including Yoga and Pilates many help slow age related stiffening of the arteries.

So if you can stretch your toes you may have healthier arteries.

I am ever happier that I am married to a lady who teaches yoga!

Enjoy a wonderful day,

David

I believe personal development is a life long experience and I enjoy each and every new discovery. Two weeks ago I discovered something I have been looking for over the last few years to help nourish my mind and body more effectively. It might be of interest to you.

It is a book by Richard Bandler one of the co founders of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP). This book finally (for me) puts into simple words step by step actions you and I can use to take control of our emotions. So we can use them to energize not de-stabilized our lives. All the other NLP books I have read have been very complicated.

Indeed, I have been a big fan of NLP for a quite a few years and if you remember parts of my seminars I have shared some of the tools I have learned. Today I am just going to share one of Bandler’s ideas on How to Feel Wonderful and really soon I am going to display here a more comprehensive review of the book Get the Life You Want by Richard Bandler which comes with an educational CD at no extra charge.

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How to Feel Wonderful

Step One

Take a quiet moment and focus on a time in your life when you felt really wonderful.

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Step Two

With your eyes closed imagine in as much detail as possible the event as if you were experiencing it again right now. If it was a fantastic vacation use your memory of the scenery and people to generate images and sounds and colors to really start to ignite the experience as if it was now.

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Step Three

As you build up the experience in your mind right now take a moment to notice how your body is responding.

How does your body respond when you have good thoughts and images rolling around in your mind? Focus on where you are experiencing the positive feeling in your body and as Bandler says ‘spin’ that feeling faster and faster so that it gets more and more intense. You most likely will start to feel even more positive sensations.

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Step Four

As you ‘spin’ the emotion to a greater intensity think now of a time in the future when you would like to feel positive feelings instead of negative feelings.

For example, perhaps you want to have a positive feeling when you are at work and the day is stressful. As you are ‘spinning’ your wonderful feeling start adding images and thoughts of doing your work during stressful times yet you still feel good. With practice you may be surprised you could start feeling good when you used to feel stressed.

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There you go.  Without copying Richard Bandler’s words I hope I have given you a sense of one of the exercises he shares early in the book. He offers many more approaches to help us all in many areas of our lives. Of course, it would be better you read his words. Naturally, since this book has helped me I do recommend you check it out. Follow this link to learn more about Get the Life You Want: The Secrets to Quick and Lasting Life Change.

Enjoy a wonderful day,

David

I have never written about this idea before on my website. Only those of you who have read a copy of my eWorkbook 19 Steps to Reduce Stress and Increase Success and Well Being will know it. It is an idea I created to use in my personal life with my family. However, I sincerely believe that if this idea is used more it may be one of the simplest and most valuable ways to help us all nourish positive relationships at home and at work. Please let me know what you think:

It goes like this: we all like to hear positive statements about ourselves (even if we only admit this secretly) ‘What I like about’ is based on the idea that in my family in the evening before the children go to sleep we each take turns to say what we like about each other person present with a particular focus on something that happened that day. Sincerity is requested and no interruptions or prompting is allowed and definitely no statements of dislike. The sharing of good thoughts and the anticipation of hearing good thoughts is refreshing. It is amazing how good we all feel when we do this activity.

To me, it would also be very interesting to hear and see the impact on a workplace or office board room if once a week before meetings each person in a room said what they liked about each person present. It will definitely help us all focus on the positive.

Action Step

The next time you have a family meal or work meeting or get together among friends share this idea. If you find a spark of interest take the time to test it out and please let me know with an email how things turned out.

If you would like to get your own copy of 19 Steps to Reduce Stress and Increase Success and Well Being or another one of my FIVE free resources click over to my Free Resources section now.

Your friend on the journey,

David