How are you doing with your New Years’ Resolutions?

Happy New Year!  I’ve been reading articles about the need to be careful when making a New Year’s resolution.The jist of these articles is that we start out with the best of intentions but do not stick to our resolutions. Most of us have forgotten our positive intentions by the middle of February. We aren’t quite “there” yet.  How are you doing?

Not sticking to what we said we would do or not do serves to harm self-esteem.  The majority of us will meet 2014 holding the same old worn out resolution. Isn’t this a sad state of affairs?

Does this speak to how difficult it is for the human being to change even if change is in a desired direction?

Perhaps it is difficult for the human being to achieve real and lasting change but I think we also make a mistake when we set our intention for change.  All too often the desired change is coupled with deprivation or hard work.  Examples of this are the intention to eat less or to work out more.  We set ourselves up for punishment; not reward.  Why would anyone want to stick with something that doesn’t feel good?

When I read these articles I was reminded that we are all more aware of our weaknesses than we are of our strengths.  When we want to change we look at behaviors we perceive that we do incorrectly instead of the things we do correctly and well.  We think of improvements we “should” make instead of thinking of how we can enhance our arsenal of strengths.

We also forget that as human beings we lead with our hearts; not our heads.  In other words, it is difficult to change a behavioral direction unless we acquire a means to relieve internal stresses.

Feeling positive leads to positive behaviors.  It is difficult to maintain positive behaviors if the feeling life remains chock filled with stress.

How about doing two new things in 2013.  First, think of something you do well and resolve to do more of it.  In this way you will enhance an existing strength.   Second, consider adopting an Ayurvedic lifestyle.

An Ayurvedic lifestyle is geared to helping the individual to feel perfect health and its by-product, happiness.  What more could you possibly desire for yourself in 2013 (or any other year, for that matter)?

In our book Healing Depression the Mind-Body WaySandra and I help you to identify your unique constitutional type and we give suggestions for the creation and maintenance of health and wellbeing. Ayurveda never suggests making a big lifestyle change all at once.  Big lifestyle changes are like New Years’ resolutions.  They aren’t lasting.

According to Ayurvedic philosophy we should chose one or two easy things to do.  The physiology responds quickly to positive change and as we feel better we can add another alteration to our lifestyle. The mind-body will always lean in the direction of more health if it is encouraged to go in that direction. Feeling good is the best encouragement one can have to add another positive lifestyle change.

How about re-thinking your resolutions and  choosing something easy?  Perhaps you will begin to go to bed an hour or even a half hour earlier. Maybe, for you, eating a warm lunch will be a health promoting change.  Or perhaps you will profit from choosing to imbibe in drinks which are at room temperature, foregoing ice and its deleterious effects on the physiology.  Maybe you will eat fresher food or to find another way to enhance digestion and create increased vitality for yourself.

Perhaps you desire to receive more positive feedback from other people.  If this is your wish you can begin to offer to others more of what you want from them.  Every communication is a response to what was heard and positive communication breeds more of the same.

Have you guessed yet what I am going to suggest for your New Year resolution?  I am suggesting that you buy a copy of Healing Depression the Mind-Body Way and that you choose something   positive that you can do to enhance your overall health.  Do this with the realization that as you feel better it will be easier to correct any perceived weaknesses.

Have a blessed and happy 2013! Sandra and I wish you health and prosperity in the New Year.

Ring in the New Year with Love and Joy!

Ring in the New Year with Love and Joy!

Happy New Year! I’ve been reading articles about the need to be careful when making a New Year’s resolution.

The gist of these articles is that we start out with the best of intentions but do not stick to our resolutions. Most of us have forgotten our positive intentions by the middle of February. Not sticking to what we said we would do or not do serves to harm self-esteem. The majority of us will meet 2013 holding the same old worn out resolution. Isn’t this a sad state of affairs?

Does this speak to how difficult it is for the human being to change even if change is in a desired direction?

Perhaps it is difficult for the human being to achieve real and lasting change but I think we also make a mistake when we set our intention for change. All too often the desired change is coupled with deprivation or hard work. Examples of this are the intention to eat less or to work out more. We set ourselves up for punishment; not reward. Why would anyone want to stick with something that doesn’t feel good?

When I read these articles I was reminded that we are all more aware of our weaknesses than we are of our strengths. When we want to change we look at behaviors we perceive that we do incorrectly instead of the things we do correctly and well. We think of improvements we “should” make instead of thinking of how we can enhance our arsenal of strengths.

We also forget that as human beings we lead with our hearts; not our heads. In other words, it is difficult to change a behavioral direction unless we acquire a means to relieve internal stresses. Feeling positive leads to positive behaviors. It is difficult to maintain positive behaviors if the feeling life remains chock filled with stress.

How about doing two new things in 2012. First, think of something you do well and resolve to do more of it. In this way you will enhance an existing strength. Second, consider adopting an Ayurvedic lifestyle.

An Ayurvedic lifestyle is geared to helping the individual to feel perfect health and its by-product, happiness. What more could you possibly desire for yourself in 2012 (or any other year, for that matter)?

In our book Healing Depression the Mind-Body Way Sandra and I help you to identify your unique constitutional type and we give suggestions for the creation and maintenance of health and wellbeing. Ayurveda never suggests making a big lifestyle change all at once. Big lifestyle changes are like New Year’s resolutions. They aren’t lasting.

According to Ayurvedic philosophy we should choose one or two easy things to do. The physiology responds quickly to positive change and as we feel better we can add another alteration to our lifestyle. The mind-body will always lean in the direction of more health if it is encouraged to go in that direction. Feeling good is the best encouragement one can have to add another positive lifestyle change.

This New Year choose something easy for your resolution. Perhaps you will begin to go to bed an hour or even a half hour earlier. Maybe, for you, eating a warm lunch will be a health promoting change. Or perhaps you will profit from choosing to imbibe in drinks which are at room temperature, foregoing ice and its deleterious effects on the physiology. Maybe you will eat fresher food or find another way to enhance digestion and create increased vitality for yourself.

Perhaps you desire to receive more positive feedback from other people. If this is your wish you can begin to offer to others more of what you want from them. Every communication is a response to what was heard and positive communication breeds more of the same.

Have you guessed yet what I am going to suggest for your New Year resolution? I am suggesting that you buy a copy of Healing Depression the Mind-Body Way and that you choose something positive that you can do to enhance your overall health. Do this with the realization that as you feel better it will be easier to correct any perceived weaknesses.

Have a blessed and happy 2012! Sandra and I wish you health and prosperity in the New Year.

- Nancy and Sandra

Happy New Year Everyone!

When a new year begins we all feel as though we are receiving a fresh start on life.  Hence, we make what are called “New Year Resolutions.”

We vow to get along better with our friends, wife, husband, children, boyfriend, girlfriend, mother, father, aunt or uncle.  We promise to lose weight, drink less alcohol, exercise more and quit any one of a wide variety of bad habits.  When we make these promises to ourselves we really, really mean it!

But, all too often, by January 15^th, we are feeling guilty, disappointed in ourselves and dismayed that once again the promises, so devotedly made, have been unfulfilled.

Why? Why do we so often sabotage ourselves?

Well, there are a few reasons why we do not keep our New Year’s resolutions.  One reason is that the emotion underlying the desire for change is guilt.  We feel guilty that we are not all we should be—that we eat too much, drink more than we should, neglect to exercise and don’t always treat family and friends as we would want them to treat us.  At the same time, we feel guilty after we indulge in these behaviors.

Guilt is a strong emotion and if it is buried within us we will return to it over and over.  Experiencing an emotion triggers the release of certain neuro peptides (bio-chemicals) and these determine how we experience the totality of how we feel.  We become addicted to feeling a certain way and return over and over to behaviors which foster the familiar feeling. “That old familiar feeling” is one of the major reasons why change is so difficult for us to maintain.

We suggest you analyze what feeling lies under the emotional release accompanying the behavior you wish to change.  Sit quietly, focus on your inner experience and let yourself delve into whatever comes up.  Talking ourselves out of experiencing feelings only nurtures the unwanted feeling.  On the other hand, allowing an unwanted feeling to wash over us is the beginning of a release.

How do you feel after you indulge in the unwanted behavior?  Acknowledge guilt, feel this emotion, and you will be able to move on. Your mind/body can become totally used to a new way of feeling.  You can give up that behavior which nourishes guilty feelings.  Imagine a life in which you never “beat yourself up.”

Another reason why New Years’ Resolutions often fail is that we try to do too much all at once.  Real and significant change only happens when it moves slowly.  According to Ayurveda if we put stress and strain on ourselves we are not helping.  If we make incremental changes we will succeed in ultimately making bigger changes.  We all want to feel better—-our capacity for happiness is enormous—-and once we begin to feel better we will move in that direction.  No stress, no strain, take baby steps and a year from now you will look back and realize that you have made some monumental moves in the direction of happiness and in being who you want to be!

Happy New Year!  God Bless and Enjoy the changes you make—–enjoyment will make these changes permanent.  Don’t change because you think you should but because you truly want to.

Nancy and Sandra