Controlling Your Own Mind

Controlling Your Own Mind

You are what you think... Scientists are now saying that your mind creates your reality and that what you think about now will create itself and manifest in the future. Thinking about that is a scary thing for some people. However, if you are fully conscious of what you think about every moment of your waking day, you should be able to control what will manifest. Now, that may sound a bit 'out there', so to speak, and most people think that they are already fully conscious of their thoughts at any given time. Well, I'm here to tell you that you are not.

Try this simple exercise next time you're in the shower:

Think about each and every movement you make while washing your body, how the soap feels on your skin, the texture of your skin, feeling the water from the shower head on your back and head and how that feels. While doing this, count the number of times your mind wanders to another issue or topic that has nothing to do with you having a shower. You will be surprised.

Now this exercise will show you just how quickly and easily your mind gets away from the 'HERE and NOW' and starts to think about things of which you are almost unaware. How many times have you driven your car from point A to point B and been unable to remember how you got there, or at least part of the way?

I know this has happened to me many times. In fact, one day I was walking home from school; I remember walking out of the school gates, and then up the last little bit of the road leading to my home. I have, however, no memory at all of which way I took home or anything else along the way. Now that has stayed with me for over 40 years. It is also a good illustration of the mind, or rather the body, operating on autopilot, while the mind/brain is off somewhere else.

To stay totally in the moment of the Here and Now is extremely difficult and yet so very important. Considering we cannot change the past and have little if any real control of the future, the only thing we all have total control over is the HERE and NOW. What we do and think about right NOW is the only thing we really have full, 100% control over.

This concept is so important and yet so underestimated. Ask any smoker whether he or she is actually aware of taking a puff on their cigarette and if they're honest, most of the time, they are totally unaware of the physical aspect of smoking. In fact, some smokers will light and smoke a cigarette and not even be aware of having done so. It's so automatic that they don't think about it at all. I should know - I used to smoke.

This illustrates just how NOT in control of our mind we sometimes are and how the mind can wander off on a given path without consciously controlling where it goes.

Try this simple exercise. It takes only one minute.

Sitting down or lying down, take slow breaths in and then out. Each cycle should take about six seconds. Breathe in through your nose and out through your nose (not your mouth). Listen to the sound and feel the flow of air moving into and out of your lungs; feel your ribcage expanding and relaxing. Don't think of anything else other than breathing in and out and experience the changes in your chest.

As before, with the exercise under the shower, notice how many times your mind wants to wander off on to what you need to do later or forgot to do so far today. Each time your mind wants to go off on some tangent, refocus on your breath... in... and out... , listen to the air passing through the nose into your lungs and feel the expansion and contraction of your chest.

Over time, as you keep practicing this exercise daily, you'll find that your mind will start to wander less often and you'll notice more quickly when it does wander off. Eventually, you'll be able to keep your mind focused on exactly what you're doing for the whole minute. At this point, you are starting to be able to focus on the Here and Now. If you think this was difficult to achieve, try being that focused for a whole day... It's a work in progress for all of us, but it's achievable with practice.

The more proficient you get, the more focused you'll get, and your energy will not get as depleted as quickly. You will also become much better at assessing any given situation less emotionally and more calmly. Over time you will actually gain greater insight into any given situation because you will not be thinking about past failures or unrealistic future outcomes. You will be much more focused on the task or problem at hand and less scattered by the 'bad news' or whatever has just come up.

Obviously, this is not something that can be achieved overnight. It takes time, patience and practice, but if you keep in mind that the only thing you have control over is the Here and Now, then what really matters is what you think and how you react to any given issue now, right now.

Here's another exercise to practice being in the Here and Now. If you have access to a little place of nature, say your backyard or even just a pot plant, look at a flower and focus on it 100%. Do not let any other thoughts enter your mind. Focus on every little tiny detail of the flower. Immerse yourself in every detail of the flower you're focusing on. You will actually notice that you relax more and more as your focus becomes more intense. Try it.

If you don't think you can meditate, think again. By doing these simple exercises you are actually starting to meditate. Meditation is just an extension of the one-minute breathing exercise or the flower detail exercise. What you are learning in these exercises is to take control of your own mind, rather than letting your mind control you. And that's the key.

10 Ways to Improve Your Personality

We now know that not only can we improve our personality, we can develop it in ways we previously did not understand, or believe possible!

What is Personality?

The personality is the typical pattern of thinking, feeling, and behaviors that make a person unique.

When we say that someone has a "good personality" we mean that they are likable, interesting and pleasant to be with.

Everyone wants to be attractive to others. To that end, having a good personality is vital - probably even more so than good looks.

In fact, approximately 85 percent of your success and happiness will be a result of how well you interact with others. Ultimately, it is your personality that determines whether people are attracted to, or shy away from you.

While we can only enhance our looks to a certain extent, we have the ability to improve the personality as much as we want. We can develop or integrate into our personalities any trait we deem fitting and agreeable.

Top 15 Benefits of Drinking Milk

Top 15 Benefits of Drinking Milk

Drop your body weight:

A lot of research has been done on weight loss for people who drink milk regularly. Researchers have found that low fat and skimmed milk helps people reduce their body weight more efficiently as compared to people who do not include milk in their everyday diet. The reason behind it being the fact that there is a high calcium level that is naturally inculcated in milk. Calcium helps in breaking down the fat efficaciously which ultimately helps in reducing the body weight.

De-stress yourself:

Milk consists of certain properties that relaxes the body’s tensed muscles and the nerves that are frayed. Researchers have found that consuming a glass of milk relieves the person of excessive stress because of certain proteins that are present in milk. Studies have found that Lactium, a substance present in the lactic drink reduces the blood pressure of the body and reduces the release of hormones which cause excessive stress, thereby calming the mind and body.

Immunity booster:

Milk contains an essential mineral, Selenium, which is considered to be a key component for the proper functioning of the immune system. One needs to have a strong immunity build up in order to protect himself/ herself from the attack of various foreign particles, germs, infections, fungi etc. Consumption of milk helps the body to boost its immune system which in turn helps the person remain disease free and have a hail and hearty long life.

Strong teeth and bones:

Milk is considered to be one of the richest source of calcium. A decent amount of calcium consumption is essential for the overall growth of the body, but alongside a good enough amount of calcium intake is necessary in order to prevent tooth cavity and also decaying of teeth. Because of the richness of calcium mineral in milk, it aids in the strengthening of bones which in turn prevents bone injury and fractures.  It becomes important to note that the body absorbs calcium only if it contains the required value of vitamin D.  Calcium absorption by the body takes place only with the help of the D vitamin.

Palliate symptoms of PMS: 

Milk has been proved of having minerals which act as a stress buster. Researchers have found that drinking a glass of milk relaxes the body and reduces the negative effects of the body during the menstrual cycle in women. The calmness that consumption of milk provides is further accompanied by a sober and happy state of mind.

Prevents and cures heartburn or indigestion: Milk works as a cooling agent for the body. Consumption of a cup of milk (cold) along with one teaspoon of sugar blots out heartburn and indigestion. It helps in digestion because of the cooling effect it has and soothes the body of uneasiness caused by acidity and other digestive issues.

Helps lower high blood pressure:

Milk is believed to be a rich source of potassium alongside calcium. The potassium level, if maintained appropriately, brings down the high cholesterol (if high) and maintains it. This in, as a result, reduces the risk of heart strokes almost by 20 percent.

Reduces and maintains the level of cholesterol in the body:

Because of so many solid and healthy nutrients that are present in the lactic drink, it becomes essential that a person consumes at least a glass of milk daily. skimmed milk or low fat milk are more beneficial as it not only provides the required nutrients to the body but also lowers the Cholesterol level as because it aids in breaking down the unnecessary and extra fat from the body.

Richness of Protein:

Apart from the high Calcium content, milk is believed to possess a grandiose amount of protein in it. Protein helps in the overall growth of the person. It is essential for both, infants and adults. Infants and children are specially advised to gulp down minimum two glasses  of milk daily, without fail. It keeps the body healthy, both in terms of mental health as well as physical growth and health.

Soothing drink for sore and bad throat:

A hot cup of milk with a pinch of turmeric powder added in it is considered to be a best remedy to cure bad and sore throat.  It soothes the throat because of its medicinal properties and also provides an instant relief for the same. This method is considered to be one of the oldest traditional methods to be taken up to cure bad throat.

Hydrates the body: 

Researchers have found that milk is sufficiently packed with electrolytes. The electrolytes present in it helps the body deal with dehydration. People are advised to consume sufficient amount of milk to deal with any kind of issue related to dehydration caused by digestive problems etc.

Building up of strong muscles:

Acknowledging the fact that milk is rich in protein content, it becomes a matter of fact that it will help in the strong built of the body. The high proteins in milk help to strengthen the body muscles. A decent amount of the rich protein drink (milk) intake will also help the person to cure damaged or injured muscles in an accelerated time than usual.

Prevent Osteoporosis: 

Osteoporosis has become a common phenomenon in women after menopause. It weakens the bones and its density which consequentially increases the risk of bone injuries and fracture manifold. Milk intake in the daily diet becomes of utmost importance for women. The reason being the fact that milk is excessively rich in calcium and protein which are the main essentials to reduce the risk of bone ailments (in women).

Detoxification:

Milk helps the body to detoxify the unessential substances that are present in the body. Firstly, the high protein content helps in releasing the extra fat from the body. Intake of hot milk along with turmeric or honey also helps in the process of detoxification. It helps to eliminate the extra minerals from the body, thereby protecting the body from various infections.

 Sound sleep: 

Last, but not the least a cup of hot milk lets people have sound sleep. Scientists have found that milk contains tryptophan, which when released, goes into the brain and produces serotonin, which in turn calms the body and gives the person a chance to relax and have a sound sleep. It, therefore, becomes important to note that consumption of milk is essential for people of all age groups. It has benefits and cure for almost all the diseases and problems. Milk can help a person be healthy, happy and stress-free, if consumed in an optimum quantity.