Lessons

 
Every now and then, challenging situations come along. These challenges come to test our competence, resilience and confidence. Sometimes these tests of life are fun, almost like a trivia quiz, and sometimes they're scary, like a final exam. But rarely do these tests come announced. So maybe the best way to prepare for the tests of life is to keep expanding our competence, resilience and confidence. 

When the tests of life come, just do your best and remember:
- You never fail because you always gain lessons and experience.
- Tests in life do not come to shake you but to make you.

Acts of virtue emerge from deep within, from an inner sanctuary of silence from which inspiration flows. Every action has its seed in a thought and every thought is a creation of the thinker, the soul. I choose what thoughts I want to create and as is my thinking so are my actions and also my experience in life. Going within, I touch the stillness and pure love that lie at the core of my being and every thought that I create is of benefit to myself and of benefit to humanity.

Old post 2

I suppose this is the type of day it has been, and is still going strong. Would I do things differently if I could, I don`t mean us, I mean my life in general. Yes. I would probably have a dozen kids, do wild things, do all possible things that I would be able to do, visit strange place and stay in South Africa.

I miss it terribly . Johannesburg was the greatest place to grow up in beautiful, exotic and fabulous, you would have loved it then.  We had this house on a cliff called a kopje very rocky. The natives used to party every night drinking" Kaffir beer" that they made as they were prohibited to buy regular alcohol. I bet even then they had better lives than today. They danced, sang, played the "squeeze harmonica" and were very happy, every single one of them I assure you. As we were happy. Today they are just killing each other. 

Our house looked over a Bezuidenhout Valley, it wasn`t even a posh suburb, rather ordinary. But life was good. The house girl taking care of the house, the garden boy, they were our extended family. Life was comfortable we didn`t have to do a thing. We were never rich, but were comfortable, safe and very happy. Once a week we used to go to the "bioscope" the movies at the Apollo or up in Hillbrow at the Curzon or the Clarendon. Great films. When I was younger, we lived in Hillbrow then-it was Saturday matinees with a serial before the main event -and we used to swap comics before the show. Admission was 6 pence. We still had pounds, shillings and pence at the time. You could get a fish and chips for a shilling :-)with vinegar I have to add! Yep, for money to spend at the "tuck shop" in school I used to get a "tickey",that was 3 pennies, sixpence if I was lucky.

We used to go and see my grandfather every week--then the whole family would go to the Sanremo coffee shop, sitting on the verandah, or the Florian or Doney and stay all Saturday evening talking and meeting friends of my parents-they would talk politics and about the "old country".  It was at the Doney that we met Leslie, my husband, I was with my parents. He heard we were talking Hungarian and asked if he could sit down  and the rest is history:-) I was 17 had just  started college that month , I had just returned from Europe two months before .

Yes--then there were my friends in school--Muriel, Elvira and Lynn. Out of school; Alison , she was crazy about Elvis, she had organized a fan club called "Flaming Star Club" after one of his hits. I used to like Cliff Richard, then she used to call me a hypocrite as I said I liked Elvis as well. :-) Then there was little Jewish Alice and Beverly and of course Sandra-all great girls. Everyday in summer we used to go swimming in Ellis Park, we were black as the natives from all the Sun. Or we used to spend all day across the road there was a private school with a corner field. We used to sit and talk there for hours. We called the place "the weeds" as it was full of them. 

Every odd summer we would go to Durban for a week or two, we would stop at Howick Falls--also quite often to the Kruger Park or on Sundays to the Union Buildings in Pretoria or the Voortrekker Monument. Wow you should see Pretoria when the Jacarandas are in bloom, -pure magic. Or go to Hartebeespoort Dam and  have lunch at the tea-room the here with all the monkeys running free in the garden. In Johannesburg we used to spend lots of time at Zoo Lake and The Wilds. Or go down to the Vaal River and have a picnic--or to the Lido and have lunch or visit our friends in Vereeniging, Orlai family. Or go horse back riding on Sundays.

My parents had many friends, lots of card playing, friend over at the house. Dezso  crying into his beer or whatever my dad had. he used to distill his own booze--:-) and no TV of course :-). I had a little portable radio and I had a huge record collection. Yes later came Cliff, Elvis, Beatles, Troggs, Turtles, Rolling Stones and the whole gang of the  "British invasion". Then the parities, school dances and the "dance sessions" every Sunday afternoon at the "505 club", this was for teenagers only! No alcohol, cigarettes or drugs. We didn`t even know what that was. How great was that? And all the fabulous Christmases -with Magdineni and Nagypapa and Daisy their dachshund always with them. The tree went up only on Christmas eve! The fish soup, potato salad and the fried fish. I can still smell it. I loved it! Our beautiful dogs; Danny, was first. Then came Tinike and Lassie. They weren`t dogs but our family. We brought the last two to Canada. Tinike is buried under the huge maple tree in the garden in Montreal!!  Feel like I am ancient, but not quite! :-)

Then after these days, a year or two later came the boys--:-) On birthdays --16, 17, 18--I got a bouquet from a different one. From G-on my 16th I got 16 yellow roses, on 17 from Steve, a huge bouquet of Proteas, 18 a huge   one from Dennis he sent from New York. He had already graduated from Louis Botha Naval Academy and was  an assistant officer, I forget what rank on a ship. It was the merchant marines. Yes Admiral Sir Garth, that was going to have a house on Green Point in Cape Town. His dreams went to ashes also. Steve is in New Zealand, Julius in California, Dennis in Cape Town/Rio de Janeiro and G-Well I wonder where he is? Ah, and Richard from college?And all the girls?

It is different now, everything in life changes as we see! I believe this is the first time ever really admitted to it, but I do. maybe I miss my youth—don`t we all? The fun, the freedom and the wonderful life and childhood I had, but it was great. Every single moment growing up was happy. I was really one that never wanted to grow up. I remember when I was 16--I was at a school dance and the girls in the cloakroom were saying how they wished they were older. I remember the moment of looking into the mirror and seeing my reflection and thinking," I want to stay like this at 16 forever" . How weird is this? I was always happy with myself, the way I looked and the way I felt. 

When I was 13, I got a 5 year diary leather bound diary, with a lock and key,  one Christmas- and I wrote in it every single day can you imagine?  For 5 years! Always happy, good stuff. Sure some sad, but very little. There were no great secrets in it, yet-I was such an idiot as when I got engaged to Leslie at 18,  I burnt it in a bonfire. Why? Because I was stupid! It had a few things about a few boys, but nothing else. Yes, I was a virgin when I got married-well not when I got married, but Leslie was the first man I was ever with. Actually I am sorry about it now, it would have bee great to be with some of the people I loved-well they  weren`t men, they were boys at the time, really only 3 come to mind:-) Yes, such is life.

I wonder if I shall ever see you. I pray you don`t have to leave the US, I hope it never comes to that! Not because of me but because you have your family there--though you say your sister and parents would come back-. But I still wonder; what if you do have to? What would you do back here? You know one never knows what God has up her sleeve-do we? Life is often quite bizarre. At least now you have the boys, they shall grow up probably you being their dad more than Luis, that is different also. But, good.  Would you ever in your wildest dream think this when you were 18 ? :-) Even 28? Or 38? Wow!

 I think time to wrap this up or I shall go on forever. Enough of the crappy nostalgia and I am not even going to read it, it can all stay with mistakes and all. I shall read it one day-maybe.

Old post 1

I wrote this a while back, did not post it-this is part 1.

There are some days that I want to say so much, yet no words come. As I said the other day life goes in cycles and somehow today are one of those days. We are such a strange species wanting, needing so much from each other, yet when we have it we don`t appreciate it.  We only miss it once it is gone or realize its value. For some reason God created us only to be happy, fulfilled only momentarily as someone said the other day-"there is only the future and the past, for the present is already a memory this very moment already".

Yesterday , I thought about this as I was coming up in the lift with a man and a little girl coming home from school, I asked her if she likes school, the dad answered -"sure`, he said,:  " wish I were in school" . I answered in response ," Isn`t it funny that when we are children we want to grow up so quickly, yet when we are grown up we want to be children once more".  Now how ironic is that?
 

Strange, as a child I was already aware of this always taking a mental picture of the moment saying to myself to remember and not to forget. I actually remember many of those moments like a movie. I think I always appreciated and tried, as I do now to live in the moment though now, I feel the moments seem shorter and shorter and are becoming much harder. I mean literally time-wise shorter, maybe because as one gets older our expectations have run out, or we don`t have that much to look forward to our imagination gets old and all fun leaves us as we face all the stress of daily living. It gives me a strange chill to think that I have less time before me than behind me and what have I actually produced or done with my life. maybe today is one of those soul-searching days you would call "trawling in the depths" Yeah, in the depths of what? Despair, regrets would have, could haves, should haves. 
 

A movie on days like this comes to mind-"Loose change”-yes we all have become loose change. Once we were shinny, newly minted, all these great dreams, wishes, plans and then we got lost, rolled into cracks and become tarnished eventually getting back and melted down and our essence lost.  We become nothing . Shall we leave our mark? What legacy? I have no idea. How about you? 
 

No matter where I look I see dissatisfaction, unhappiness and frustration, no matter who it is. Money and fame make no difference man is an unhappy creature at heart someone said this I have no idea whom, but whoever it was   sure intelligent. Yes, ignorance is bliss. I wish at times I could just turn off my thinking and get lost . Buddha was right I remember when we were in Thailand and the tour guide saying that when he sat  under the Bodhi tree this is what he realized that life is simply four stages-,"born, live, sick , die" Guess Gautama was sure one well enlightened soul. 
 

Looking back what did you think you would be now? I sure envisioned a different life for myself would you have taken steps in a different direction. I sure would have though I really hate to admit it , for I can`t really say that I am unhappy. I have unhappy moments that is when I think and acknowledge people who drink, and do drugs, it is a way of escape. And today is one of those days I wish I could escape somewhere out of this world into a different one. 
 

Do I fear death. Yes, especially the unknown. I have faith, yet there is small doubt greater or lesser at times, but never gone. But then I have this strange thought where are all those people gone who have died that are now gone. My father, grandfather, Mamo, Leslie , other loved ones  and even  a few of my patients for goodness sake. Imagine they were here  -lived, breathed, loved and now; where are they? I see your frustration and the way you feel just that you are frequenting this space more frequently than I.

Differences

There are no two human beings alike-even identical twins, for their personality, reactions to the world and behavior may be completely different. This is even more so with our children-we tend to hope that they are our “mini me”, and will not follow the mistakes of our path, but learn from them. However-we only learn from our own experiences, sadly. We want the best for them, shield them from the pain, but that only seldom works for some.

One can only do the best we can-and allow them to find their way; we all have our mission and one never knows what that is unless one walks in that persons shoes. One can give advice, but then what is the guarantee that that advice is the best and good for the entire outcome. All we can do is do our best, the rest is out of our hands.

All this came to mind my best friend from grade school is contemplating to change the path of their lives completely-giving up life as they had known in South Africa and move to England. Her daughter and family  had moved there two years ago, and are doing extremely well.  She is continually in touch with her on Skype-and they have visited England three times already, always with high hopes. Each time they get there are huge fights-they are totally different personalities, and no matter how they try they cannot get it together. They are like oil and water.

This is often with many of us-but one just allow things to go and let fate play out its cards. She has now decided to stay in South Africa and move to the Cape, where it is much safer for white people than in Johannesburg is all in total chaos regarding safety. Life is high anxiety all the time. Paradise lost for a long time before it maybe regained.

Our children are reflection of us-but not us, the way they conduct their live-but we cannot control their behavior or judgments or way of living. Looking back one can see where one went wrong, but when one is young we do not listen-and that sets the path for the rest of our lives.

We are in fact all alone in this world, one individual soul along its path back to “Source”-we we just graced by bringing an other soul into the world-but we are not responsible for them, their behavior once they have grown up. Each have their “dharma” and that was decided a very long time ago. We are unique, special and different for any other soul, though we are all connected, in the “one” from the “one” -and that is why we make up the tapestry of creation because of our differences.

Occidentali`s karma

Got to give the prize to the Italians and their contribution to music. The other night we were watching the Sanremo Music Festival- each year is great. Every year it is  filled with “love and loss” not this year. There was some great and lyrics,  -but  this year it really hit the spot-shining a bright light on our civilization. This is such a cool insightful song-no wonder it won.

Occidentali’s karma- “Western’s karma” by Francesco Gabbani was the winning song of Sanremo /2017. The lyrics is by no means trivial, full of references and which offers food for thought on our present western civilization. It is  about the approach that we have in the West in searching inner peace, spirituality. We try to approach the eastern practices and in doing so we are a bit awkward. For the other cultures we will always be a bit “tourists”-a visitor to the ideas.

“To be, or have to be, the doubt of the Hamlet of these days”, recalls the famous line in Shakespeare’s Hamlet “to be or not to be” but with a change, because in our society the real doubt is to choice between to be, to have substance, or have to be, that is the appearance.

“As the man of the Neolithic, make yourself at ease in your cage of 2 × 3 “. This compares the prehistoric man,  to the modern man. The first lived in a cave, but the second finds himself in increasingly small spaces-like caves. The reference to the 2 × 3 meters could refer either to the size of the offices, which are often only cubicles, or to the apartments, where many of us live.

“Intellectuals in cafes". The intelligence is out of fashion, easy answers, unnecessary "dilemmas”. Here it is stressed that now anyone with an internet connection feels himself like an intellectual and you think you know everything just because you can do a search on the internet. While true intelligence is overlooked and undervalued in our society, we want quick answers just a click away, but that, in fact, arises only silly questions.

This concept we know; “all’s with the web, the people’s cocaine, opium of the poor”. The reference is to the famous Karl Marx’s phrase “religion is the opium of the people” According to the German philosopher, the people, especially the poorer classes, seeking consolation from the misery in which they are in religion and in the promise of a better eternal life in comparison to the earthly one, just as you look for a distraction from reality through drugs. Today this is the consolation in the internet search, where we all are “we-know-all’s” believing to be experienced and knowledgeable enough to be able to have their say on any topic or event. Also in their social profiles, they all show to others a full and happy life trying to erase the pain and suffering in this way.

“Honorary Members of the group of anonymous selfie-addicts”. Westerner addiction of today is not the alcohol, but  more to take selfies, a sign of our vanity and narcissism; that’s why in this verse, Alcoholics Anonymous are replaced by anonymous selfie-addicts.

“Wanted stories from the grand finale, hoping for whatever happens panta rhei and singing in the rain” The singer recalls the famous Heraclitus’ “panta rhei” phrase meaning “everything flows”,  that everything is always in progress, everything changes and nothing stays the same. Western man seems looking for a glorious finale, but in any case, everything will go on, without giving yourself too much importance. It also refers to the song “Singing in the Rain” eponymous musical, symbol of carelessness

“Wanted virtual humanity, sex appeal, whatever happens "plant rhei" and singing in the rain”. It recalls as more and more to us trying to establish relationships and relationships on the internet, with people who we have never even met; we feel the need of humanity, but we prefer virtual contact.

“Lessons of Nirvana, there is the Buddha in a single line, for every hour of air, of glory,” This refers to how more and more Westerners are seeking inner peace in Oriental arts and then go to “nirvana school”. In fact nirvana in Buddhism is the ultimate goal in life where you find peace and you are free of pain. The moment of meditation becomes “the hour of air”, literally means the moment when the prisoners in jail can get out of their cells, and then the moment when the West tries to take a break from your busy life, but in reality we can not fully understand these practices because they do not belong to us and, as stated by the singer, we turn out “awkward” and maybe even funny, as the picture of “Buddha in single line.”

“The crowd shouts a mantra, the evolution stumbles, the naked ape dances. Western’s karma”. The mantra is a sacred formula repeated continuously during meditation. In my opinion, this verse may refer to all those situations where we are continuously repeating a phrase or slogan, as at the disco when we together sing the hit of the moment with our hands held up towards heaven. At that moment, the evolution of the species seems to take a step back and the man dances. In fact, “The Naked Ape” is a book of the zoologist Desmond Morris, where he studied the man, watching him with a scientific approach as an animal, comparing its behavior with those of primates.

Karma, which literally translates to “act”, indicates in religions and Eastern philosophies the law for which man is responsible for his actions and each of these corresponds to a result that will have repercussions in future lives, and while a good action produces a result positive, negative action will have negative consequences.

“Drops of Chanel-perfume fall on aseptic bodies, save yourself from the smell of your fellow”. We Westerners are now devoid of authentic emotions, we are aseptic, and hide it with expensive perfume and in general with nice clothes and made attitudes. The reference to the smell, one of the many tools used by animals to interact with fellow beings, could be a reference to the theme of man as an animal, but tries to hide what it is really.

“When life is distracted the men fall … the monkey gets up. Namaste go!” I think this verse could mean that when our life is distracted, in the Latin sense of the word to go astray, the man drops the mask and goes back to be a monkey, an animal. Namaste, greeting of oriental origin, which could be addressed to the monkey that has resurfaced. Monkeys fall and get up again-Namaste-and “goes” once, more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OnRxfhbHB4

Unified field

There is a lot of research being done regarding  what is called a “unified field of energy”. This simply an energy field through, or in which we are all connected with and within this field .  This is not new thinking nor a new theory-but it is s controversial concept still in science. When a certain number of people come together, and they choose in a moment of time to create a precise emotion, in their hearts, that emotion literally, can influence, the very fields that sustain life on Earth. This is also how the power of “prayer or intention“ work. Thus the saying that “what we do unto others, we do unto ourselves”, is a true statement indeed-for everyone , every living thing is connected-there is no separation.  

As we awaken, we are becoming more conscious and aware of this field around us-we are within it.  Also we ourselves have a specific field-and it varies in strength, intensity to some degree. The body fields of "more enlightened" humans like, saints, avatars are said to be extending out many miles-this field round the human body is called in spiritual practice as the "merkabah".  All the fields are interconnect, interact and interfere with each other-within the context of the large "unified fields". These fields are now implicated in everything from the immune response of humans, throughout the planet, climate, weather patterns, cycles of war, in peace, our abilities to solve problems, our cognitive abilities. However, all of these as different as they sound from one another are all linked to our relationship to the magnetic fields of the earth.

So what makes this so beautiful is that every human on the planet is linked to the field, but not every human on the planet has to be consciously aware of their relationship to benefit from what a relatively few number of people come to understand. But-we all can understand this if we chose to do so-all is needed is an open, receptive mind.

And the bottom line is this, that when we choose to feel feelings that create what we call coherence in our bodies. Coherence is the language, the quality of the language between our heart and our brain.

Certain kinds of heart based experiences, such as appreciation, gratitude, forgiveness, care, compassion, those are the ancient understandings that have always been taught in the truest traditions of our past and now our own science is finding those same traditions are documenting this very real effect within our hearts.When we can feel those feelings in our bodies, they are mirrored in the field and everyone benefits from the experience of relatively few.

All we have to do is our own inner work, to practice love, compassion, gratitude and to be consciously aware that when we do fall out of alignment with our true self, we let go gracefully of our ego and fears to find our balance again. We are all well aware, from experiences giving and receiving, that our energy can effect ourselves and others in a positive or negative way.

Try and live life always in coherence, in harmony, in balance-this is the law of creation. Though this we shall –as humans, be able to achieve the highest form of energy vibration, which is love and light. 

We are all creations of God-all emerged from same place, we are all connected-especially at a quantum level. Great wisdom is to recognize this energy, which is small part of divinity within us, within life, within creation. We need to be aligned with this energy-accept it, realize it and treat it as sacred.

Scary

The human thinking is so very limited in every way. Fortunately, it is slowly changing its outlook , away from Newtonian thinking-to more of quantum thinking. Every change in history was difficult, but it is even so with the human mind. It mind needs physical proof, physical answers-the spirit does not-so live from spirit.  Our out look is very limited-any change is opposed. All the mind does is look back and form opinions about the past, and project its thinking on those assumptions into the future.  Its difficult to step out from the box-and to force it to “think for itself”.

Suspending all the assumptions that is based on the past needs a different type of thinking. We have to leave history behind -be that “personal history”, or ”human history“, and not allow future decisions, thinking to be based on those experiences.  For-if to one keeps doing the same, behaving the same we, one gets the same results. So, do something completely different. Just try it. This will also wake up your brain, that is bogged down in the old-and new neuro pathways get to be formed, irrespective of your age-you will actually growing “younger”. Old is living in the old energy and according to the old energy.

We doggedly hold onto the old. Why? One word “safety”. It is real scary to step into the unknown. Always  when I think of this, immediately the  story of  the allegorical story of “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” comes to my mind. Most of us are gripped  with fear just at the mere mention of “change”. One may feel safe in the old, this put tremendous limitations on ourselves. To transcend one`s own self one needs to suspend all beliefs, step over limitations and boldly try new things, new thinking, new ideas-no matter how strange how over the norm . Yes-all is possible but not without some risk of stepping into the great abyss of the unknown.

Our mind through evolution has been programmed to always take the safest route, to choose safety-for stepping out of the box has many dangers. Being in the crowd, being in the tribe, thinking like the tribe  gives us the feeling being “warm and fuzzy”, but above all acceptance. We all want to be accepted, be wanted and loved. Mavericks are not welcome for a number of reasons. They tend to upset the norm, they make us look in the mirror and face our true selves, but above all they make us uncomfortable by making us ask some real questions –and we certainly don`t want to do that.

So-we stay in the old, happily and stupidly ignorant-living in the same rut from day to day. Yes we all will die, but at least we should die taking some risks, having some adventure and experiencing “the good the bad and the ugly” of life. If we do not-at the end we shall have all forms of regret, about the “would haves, could haves and should haves”. Yes-failure is hard and painful, but so is just being ordinary-we are all exceptional, but to bring it out needs work. As is said in “The greatest Salesman in the World”-one needs to live like an olive tree, not like the simple onion-whose lifespan is but a few weeks, where as the majestic olive lives hundreds of years. Be like an olive tree.

The only remedy is look at everything with open eyes, with an open acceptable heart. All things are possible that the mind can conceive-even if it seems strange, weird unbelievable, it just maybe so. It just is so. Yes at times one will get frustrated, angry and want to give up. Don`t, for it is all worth it in the end.

If we do not do this, then we put limitations on everything-especially our spirit.  We are only limited by our own selves-by our restricted, constricted thinking. Through changing of our thinking, letting things that hinder us go-especially the past, and living with pure intention. One can let go of all the restrictions of the mind-and be no longer earth bound- and fly.

Briefly on stress

At times one has time, at times one tends to suffer from the lack of it. That is what is happening to me lately-maybe it is my fault-“too much on my plate”. I often get into corners like this, but lately so much information has resurfaced from my past, that has come to my attention, which I know I need to do. And for some obvious reason it is making a tremendous shifts in my life-some would call this “being in the zone”.

So-maybe then I have more insight into some areas of  life-see I am already all with it, as I said it in the present tense. What insight you may ask? Well as humans we do have many commonalities, though we are as individual as a snow flake. One thing that we all have in common is  “stress”-and the truth about this beast, that it is all in our control to dampen it down and understand that we are not a slave to it.

Most diseases start at a psychological level, whether you believe it or not. Stress is the trigger in turning on many unfavorable genes that may cause disease. Stress is a biological need to protect life  and produce “the fight or flight” response, with its hormone cortisol. Today`s lifestyle demonstrates that we are in an almost constant stress mode, which is very harmful to the system, then we wonder why we have so many health problems.  

We dream of a magic bullet to make us well and whole again. The magic bullet is decreasing the "stress hormones" and   raising of the "dampening hormone".  This lessens the stress-by reducing cortisol, adrinelin and norepinephrin and by increasing serotonin levels, as well as increasing the hormone DHEA which is one of the most important hormones in connection with aging as well.  One can have actual  power over ones hormones at will -by controlling the stress, there by controlling the “on and off “switch of  our genes; controlling actual gene expression.

I am not going to go into a huge dissertation about stress, neither about all the physiology or all the problem that it causes-needless to say it is the bottom line to most health problems-including aging and the health of the “telomeres” are triggered by the stress hormone.

Now one has to acknowledge that many of our problems that we carry are “emotional baggage” from the past, not just the present. This needs to be dealt with, and allowed to go. How do we do this? Easy-but one needs to do it. Neither are they secret-or magic or mystical. Nor does it cost anything but time.

There are many ways-here are a few ways that may help you, which I advise my patients, including myself to do. One often falls off the horse, but one needs to be persistent-and there are so very methods –and use whatever works for you.

 1.     Make a list of  10 positive I AM affirmations-recite them in the morning, in your car and in the evening

2.    As soon as you get to bed-recall 3+ things that you are grateful for

3.    Either in the morning or evening  or in your car-have a short 2 minute dialogue with “your divine self” about how happy you are to be alive, what you decided to let go and give thanks

4.    Play some relaxing music in your car- best would be classical; especially Mozart or something slow that you really love

5.     Spend a few minutes in silence-anytime

6.    Buy a spray of “rescue remedy”-and use it when you feel anxious or stressed

7.    Take some Rhodilola, Ashwagandha and omega 3

8.    Burn some incense- or plain candles in the evening before bed

9.    Find a mantra, a prayer-or make up your own-recite it anytime, especially in the car

10  . Don`t procrastinate, don`t beat yourself up; take a deep breath and say to yourself  -“this too shall pass, tomorrow is an other day”

11  . Practice mindfulness-reflect ; anchor your present moment when you are feeling good

12  . Laugh often; check out some funny quotes on the internet-produces the “feel good” endorphins

13  . Drink coffee only during the day; in the evening have some green tea, or herbal teas-with some Valerian, hops, passionflower, chamomile if you are anxious

14  .  Check out “autogenic training”, or some relaxation techniques if you cannot sleep

15  .  Learn the 9 “tapping points” EFT and learn to practice them

Of course there are many more other techniques that I am sure you are familiar with-exercise, walking outside, meditation, diet, sleeping 8 hours- making passionate love and having some great wine-. Well,  it is Valentine`s Day after all.