Turn on the Happy--Endorse!

There is a very helpful technique called "endorsing".  When a person endorses properly it floods their brain with positive neurotransmitters.  To define the word "endorse" in this sense, it is showing support or approval of something, which may even be thought of as "sanctioning" something.  More specifically, it's about thinking thoughts of support and approval towards oneself.

I think of "Endorsing" as giving oneself a "mental pat on the back".  Dr. Low, the "Recovery, International" founder, said that people who are struggling with feelings of self-efficacy or mental health challenges should endorse like an ever-flowing stream.  I would like to say that everyone in need of uplift needs to endorse at least 10 times a day!  When I learned how to do this I had a dramatic shift in my life.  Studies find that endorsing literally floods the brain with positive neurotransmitters.  I encourage my students and clients to do it all the time.

Pat yourself on the back for every honest effort you make each day, and for efforts made in the past.  I know one lady who, if she couldn't think of anything else to endorse for, would endorse for being born.  You know, that was a very difficult thing to go through, so it's a big thing to endorse for! Here are some endorsement examples: "I got out of bed, I made my bed, I fixed breakfast and wiped up the crumbs...." There are so many things to endorse for!  I have found that if I have a student come in who is down in the dumps, if I can get them to start endorsing themselves they make a quick shift and are soon smiling.  Things in their life can really stink, but they can endorse for get up, for coming to school, for smiling at their friends, for coming to see me...and so on and so on and so on.

A quick note about what endorsing isn't.  It isn't comparing what you do to others one way or another.  It's about telling yourself "good job" for anything you have done that is a challenge. And for someone in a deep down in the dumps, cleaning up crumbs off a table can be a real thing for which to endorse!  There can be times when everything can be challenging, and times like that give you LOTS OF OPPORTUNITY TO ENDORSE!

Because endorsing was such a foreign experience for me, it took some practice before I started endorsing.  And I remember the first time well!  It began to snap me out of that vicious cycle of hopelessness bit by bit. It can be helpful to have a family member or friend help you think of things to endorse for if you're ever really upset or down in the dumps.

Some years ago I was in a very busy season with school deadlines and family obligations, and I slipped into a cycle of indictment (beating myself up).  On top of that I felt very overwhelmed, which led to more indictment.  All this crept upon me with the stealth that is known by those who have experienced depression or anxiety. Thanks to former experiences, I realized I had stopped endorsing myself.  With that realization, it was like a big breath of fresh air came and swept me off my feet! Or better said, that a breath of fresh air came and put me back on my feet.  I started thinking of all the things for which I could ENDORSE. And suddenly, I could cope with my life.  That's the magic of endorsing. 

 Please start ENDORSING today!

ABCs of Effective Meditation

In this blog, I am going to disclose some of the methods I use in meditation. My son thinks meditation means you sit there with your legs crossed and think of absolutely nothing. That is one type of meditation, and it’s actually one of my least favorite. I can hardly go without a thought for 60 seconds, let alone 5 minutes! And then I really don’t feel much different when I’m done.

The meditation I am talking about could also be called “pondering”. I may also use guided visualization in meditations. And I ask questions to my Heavenly Father, and I listen.

When I meditate, I sit in a comfortable position usually in a chair.  I begin with some deep breathes, and then I focus on meditating from a certain “place”. That may be either above my head about 6 feet, like I’m floating*, or in the front of my sternum (one wise prophet said that “he sat pondering IN HIS HEART”—to me, that sounds an awful lot like meditating while focusing in the heart area). Or if it’s something really threatening and scary, I may focus my attention midway between my belly-button and my pubic bone. (Some know this as the HARA.)

*REMEMBER: If you choose to do a meditation like you are floating above your head, make sure you come back down into your body until you feel your toes connecting with the earth.* I think it’s a good idea to practice each of the places occasionally, so you don’t just get stuck on one place all the time.

So, I go to that place in my mind, and then I usually ask Heavenly Father to help me (in other words, I begin with a prayer). Sometimes I will be very specific in the help I ask for, and other times I will ask Him to help me know what I need to pray for. In that prayer, I might ask Him to protect me from negative influences as I meditate.

I continue to breathe deeply (I mean, just what you would naturally do when meditating.) Then I let it go, and I do my best to Trust God’s desire to help me heal and know what to do.

It seems that some things need to be healed at the deep level of consciousness.

This is not the same as self-hypnosis– I have never tried that, and I don’t plan on it. I just think it’s important to point out that people’s minds can actually play “tricks” on them, and have false memories, especially if their meditation is not grounded in the Rock, Jesus Christ.

As I said before, if something really upsetting comes up, I suggest you get some kind of loving support. And remember to TRUST THE LORD!!!!

You can meditate without praying, of course. But for me, it is a lifeline!
I will suggest certain things to meditate about later. For now, you can practice.

Oil Pulling May Aid Detoxification

This comes from an Ayruvedic procedure, but was reported by Dr. F. Karach, M.D., who presented a paper at a meeting of oncologists and bacteriologists belonging to the Academy of Science of the USSR. I got the information from Bevonne Birch. I did this daily for awhile, then backed down to every other day, then to as needed.

How to do "Oil Pulling":  The Method- In the morning before breakfast on an empty stomach, take 1 tablespoon of cold pressed Sunflower or Sesame (and I use Safflower) Oil by mouth. Avoid swallowing the oil. If you do swallow it, it's not going to kill you--it will come out in your feces later, but just don't do it again :-) Slowly move the oil around in your mouth. Sip it, suck it, pull it through your teeth for 15-20 minutes. This mixes the oils with your saliva and activates enzymes that help draw toxins out of the blood and into your saliva. Do not swallow the oil. As the process continues, the oil gets thinner and turns white in color. If the oil is still yellow, it has not been pulled long enough. Then spit it out and thoroughly wash your mouth and the sink you spit that nasty stuff in.

Why do "Oil Pulling?"

Dr. Karach has had some very interesting results reported to him. Some have had loose teeth fastened, and some teeth have whitened.

This method has helped a variety of symptoms disappear without unnatural side effects. It has been known to help with migraine headaches, bronchitis, diseased teeth, chronic blood disorders, arthritis, neuro- physiological paralysis, eczema, gastro-enteritis, peritonitis, heart disease, kidney disease, meningitis, and women's hormonal disorders (and detoxification has been known to help those with anxiety, depression, and obesity.) It has also been used for some terminal diseases.

One drop of the stuff you spit out at the end can have unhealthy microbes in the first stage of development. No wonder they tell you to wash your sink. You can do this up to 3 times a day, but always before meals and on an empty stomach.

With all the junk out there around us it seems our bodies really need help to detoxify, and I figure it's certainly worth the few minutes it takes. I just do it first thing while I'm making my bed, unloading the dishwasher, etc.

P.S. I am not a medical doctor, so please don't take this as medical advice:-)

The Language of Insomnia: Healing Insomnia Via Understanding of the Meridian System

Self-Help Tools For Insomnia Based on the Oriental Meridian Energy System:
Please refer to the Meridian Flow Wheel below.  You now get a crash course in the Oriental Meridians. They are paths of energy flowing through the body--kind of like streams of electricity. These paths have been scientifically proven to exist (called Bonghan Ducts). The body's energy travels through these meridians, peaking in different organ channels throughout a 24 hour period. The Chinese system reports flows in odd numbers (i.e. 1-3 a.m., etc.), where the Japanese system reports flows in even numbers (i.e., 2-4 a.m.). I don't know why they are different. But just know that the flows are in the same order in both systems. I figure it doesn't really matter whether it's odd or even, as long as you have a general idea of which system peaks when.

Helpful Suggestions For Insomnia Due to Grief Via the Oriental Meridians:

For example, I have worked through quite a bit of grief. I know that grief is an emotion that originates in the Lung Meridian. So when I am processing grief, I may wake up at 4 a.m. Sometimes on the dot. If I have a hard time getting back to sleep, I will press a point on the Lung Meridian called the "Letting Go" point (aka "Lu 1").  It is the area just between the chest and the shoulder. I will lay there and hold it, and think of letting go of my grief. If that doesn't do it, I will press the points St 36 and Sp 6. (I really recommend that you get a book that has the acupressure points for help on this.*) If I am just a little bit awake, I will gently hold my ring finger on either or both sides. This helps balance the Lung and Large Intestine Meridians (Jin Shin Jyutsu theory).  (You may find the link below to be helpful as well.)

If you are continuously having a hard time sleeping, I might start using a therapy light in the early morning, and even do an acupressure routine for insomnia before going to bed. It really does wonders! (If insomnia is due to tension,  you can also soak in the tub before bed.) I will suggest some books at the end of this article.

Insomnia, Anger, and the Oriental Meridian Systems:

If you wake up around 2:30 or 3:00 a.m.  you can suspect your Liver Meridian. People with depression and anxiety often have an imbalance in the Liver Meridian. If you wake up during the Liver or Gall Bladder Meridian time, it may be helpful to think about what anger or frustration you might be working through--would forgiveness work help? You might be angry at yourself rather than someone else.  Either way, it can help to push liver release points, or gall bladder release points depending on when you wake up. Detox can help with these meridians. Holding the middle fingers gently can help balance these meridians as well. BSFF work can help you let go of the hurt behind the anger--there is almost always some kind of hurt behind anger.

How Are the Meridian Flows Interrelated? 
The energy systems are interrelated, and this briefly explains one way they are related.  It is possible that your Bladder Meridian is actually what is out of balance if you wake up during the Lung time. If you look up on the chart, you will notice that the Bladder Meridian is directly opposite the Lung Meridian--so the Lung Meridian might be picking up on energy imbalance from the Bladder Meridian.  Think back on if you are working through some fear that is directed outward, or coming from an outside source. You may need to do some Bladder Meridian points. Hold the index finger to help balance the Kidney/Bladder Meridians.

How Can I Get My Energy System Balanced for Better Sleep?

Just an FYI on the energy systems and the fingers. The pinky fingers help balance the Heart/Small Intestine Meridian and the Triple Warmer/Circulation Sex (aka Pericardium) Meridians. Then the holding the thumb helps balance the Stomach/Spleen Meridians. If you want further information on this method, see The Touch of Healing which teaches the Jin Shin Jyutsu method.

Another thing I've found to be very effective is something I learned from a meditation cd for insomnia. You breathe in slowly, hold your breath for 5-10 counts, then breathe out and hold your breath for 5-10 counts. I have found this to help me calm down. Often it only takes a few cycles of this and I'm gone!

I often pray for help to get back to sleep, and since I've learned BSFF, I've found that cuing works wonders. Now, I hope you see a trusted health professional if you can't get in a good sleep cycle. When I was really sick, my emotions were very suppressed and I didn't know how to let go. (Emotional release techniques can really help with sleep.) And of course, giving our burden to the Lord helps.

Books: The Touch of Healing, Burmeister and Monte; Acupressures Potent Points, Michael Reed Gach; Energy Medicine, Donna Eden; Heal Your Body Louise L. Hay