Cure Mind

Forget   happy   people. How about we go for ecstatic? Maybe a little mind-blowing even? When it comes to your sex, workouts, food or relationships, why do we stop at happy? Who told you that content was enough, and more was greedy? I’m currently sorting this out for myself, beginning to understand the way I grew up created a fear around wanting more than just happy. Nowadays, I find myself really excited about the miracles around me and super enthusiastic about my role in the Universe, and how I might help others break out of their rule boxes and get to living more fiercely alive. I’m beginning to see whoever told us to shoot for the moon was right – although I’m aiming for another galaxy at this point, forget the moon. I want to feel so alive my toes curl, and the smile brought on by the mix of the waves crashing on the beach – blanketed by a trillion, sparkling stars – is so big I have trouble getting rid of it for days. Here’s the thing about what I’m proposing...

Recently, I was working with a couple and was explaining how the ego works, or rather doesn’t work, as it relates to relationships . The ego mind is great at seeing problems, but horrible at solving them. And, in fact, tends to utilize problem-solving methods that make the problem worse. I explained the difference between the manipulation of the ego and the authenticity of the spirit. Ego pushes people away and triggers resistance, while authenticity triggers responsibility. Ego manipulates, Spirit inspires. I explained that we need to notice what is actually our responsibility to solve or resolve, and what is not, and to allow others the opportunity to take responsibility for what is theirs to manage. A quizzical look crossed the woman’s face and she asked, “So when I give my husband his jacket in the morning and tell him to take it with him, he always argues with me and says he doesn’t want it. I make him take it anyhow, explaining it is supposed to be cold or rainy, and we ...

A mother loves her newborn child without reservation, and romantic love, in its first stages of infatuation, can make the beloved seem perfect. But most of us doubt that love without reservation, completely forgiving and accepting, exists in our everyday lives Looking in the mirror, all of us see too many flaws and remember too many past wounds and failings to love ourselves without also putting a limit on it.  In order to expand the love you experience now into unconditional love, a spiritual element is involved. There’s a path to unconditional love, as with any spiritual aspiration, and on this path success depends on allowing the goal to unfold naturally. The world's wisdom traditions have provided many road maps, but here I'll offer a few common elements without religious overlay. Step 1: Make Contact with Your Inner Self This implies paying more attention to self-care. Through meditation, self-reflection, or contemplation, and the experience of quiet at least a f...

Even the harshest criticism from a stranger rarely surpasses the judgment we put on ourselves. Individuals tend to be their own worst critics; it can take considerable work, patience, and mindfulness to stop judging yourself. It is possible. And once you’ve stopped judging yourself, you can begin to have a more fulfilling life. Meditation, acceptance of who you are, and loving yourself as you love your family and friends are all ways to learn to stop the destructive habit of self-judgment. But before you start trying to correct this tendency, it’s worth examining why you judge yourself. When you look at yourself, what do you see? Do you look with love or shame? Trying to push yourself to reach your full potential is a worthy effort. But it needs to be done with love and compassion for you. Without love and compassion, your desire to better yourself can take a negative turn anytime you miss or fall short of a goal. Discipline yourself to think and act with grace and positivit...

For many, daylight savings means nothing more than setting your clocks back, and perhaps waking up in the dark for that pre-work yoga class. But it turns out daylight savings can impact much more than your gym schedule. “Moving the clocks back an hour is an artificial change in our routine and can upset our circadian rhythm,” says Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen, Co-Founder of   Take Shape For Life. Andersen explains that before we invented clocks, we relied on our pineal gland, a light-sensitive pea-sized organ that secretes melatonin to help us know when to fall asleep. The gradual shift in day-length from summer to winter gives the pineal gland time to adjust. An overnight changing of the clocks does not. But what does it look like when our circadian rhythm is thrown off whack? According to Andersen, this annual adjustment can not only disrupt our sleep pattern, but also our moods, eating habits, levels of stress and the time we set aside to exercise (remember the aforement...

You have probably achieved many things in your life and hopefully those achievements have given you a sense of satisfaction. But let me ask you this, are you happy? The reason I ask is because for many people   true happiness  is an elusive pursuit. Even though they are able to achieve success in many areas, for some reason it still doesn’t lead to the happiness they were expecting. Have you ever wondered why? We’ve been taught that a good education, meaningful career, nice home and family are a sure formula for a   happy life . Oddly enough, a person can have all or most of those things and still feel like something is missing. It’s a situation that can be both confusing and frustrating. So what does it take to feel truly happy? As it turns out, happiness does not automatically accompany achievement or success like we’ve been led to believe. There is actually something more involved. In fact, it is something that you can do right now regardless of whether you...

“Some people talk to animals. Not many listen though. That’s the problem.” - A.A. Milne Animals can be some of the best teachers in life, if you simply pay attention to the way they live, love, and interact with the world around them. They possess an incredibly grounding energy that: ·          Teaches us how to stay present (they’re rarely worried about the future or tormented by the past) ·          Provides unconditional love ·          Heals hearts and souls This is the reason why therapy dogs and cats, rabbits, and other creatures have become so ubiquitous in hospitals, long-term living facilities, and prisons. These compassionate animals provide love and affection to those who need it most. They bring joy into lonely hearts, comfort the sick, and offer physical contact to people who otherwise receive little or no touch. If you’ve ever been ...

Stress and anxiety are major problems in the modern world, with anxiety disorders affecting about   18 percent   of adults in the US. That figure doesn’t even take into account undiagnosed anxiety and everyday stress. A self-care routine can be a vital part of combating stress and anxiety, helping to calm you down and normalize your stress response. And—bonus—these strategies can also be beneficial tools for helping you fall asleep! Next time you need to chill out, consider these 10 natural stress reduction techniques. Breathing Exercises Did you know that by breathing slowly and steadily, you can actually change your body’s physiological state, which will have the effect of   calming you down ? Anxieties.com explains: “By shifting your breathing rate and pattern, you can stimulate the body’s parasympathetic response. This is the body’s equally powerful and opposite system to the Emergency Response and is often called the relaxation response.” There are many d...