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5 Creative Ways to Practice Conscious Thinking

January 3, 2015 by Power of Positivity

How much do you practice conscious thinking versus performing actions by rote or habit?

When you woke up this morning, did you mean to drink coffee while simultaneously checking emails, or did you merely do this out of sub-conscious habit? Maybe you’d rather wake up slowly, and only have one cup of coffee. Maybe you’d rather lay in bed for ten more minutes than immediately rush to your phone to check for notifications.

Oftentimes, people become aware of things and make them a habit without even realizing it.

“Life is too short to spend in negativity. So I have made a conscious effort to not be where I don’t want to be.” – Hugh Dillon

You can create conscious thinking patterns, and adopt a conscious lifestyle by becoming aware of your daily habits, and actually deciding if those are habits you want to keep around or not. To become aware of your own actions, we’re sharing creative techniques to help you start thinking more consciously.

5 Creative Ways to Practice Conscious Thinking

1. Make Daily Chores a Time for Self-Awareness

While you vacuum the house or wash the dishes, pay attention to how you feel. Do you feel tired, unenthused, uninspired, or apathetic?

Conscious thinking means you put all of your awareness into the act of doing the chores. Soon, you will find that completing your daily tasks can actually be fun. Or, you might still hate doing chores, but either way, you can become aware of your thoughts during this time when most people let their brains run on autopilot.

If you give life to your chores and inject meaning into your daily tasks, you will feel more present in life rather than just being a silent spectator.

2. Pay Attention to What you Eat

Do you eat foods that give you life and nourish your cells, or do you feed your body with processed, chemical-laden products that have no nutritional value? When you live a fast-paced life, it can be very easy to drive through the closest fast food restaurant and settle for convenience rather than nutrition, but you may not even realize how often you opt for unhealthier choices. Once you become aware of this practice, you can easily incorporate a new practice.

You can choose to skip the fast food or frozen dinners, and instead eat more whole, fresh fruits and vegetables. You have the power to change your habits, and what you eat can either be a healthy or dangerous habit.

Think about what you eat before you put it in your mouth. Food serves as one of the most important aspects of conscious thinking.

3. Keep a Journal

One of the best ways to keep tabs on your thoughts is by writing them down. Not only will this allow you to release bottled up emotions, but you will be able to see what your dominant thinking patterns are. If you have a lot of negative things to say, this could be the deciding factor in taking responsibility for your thoughts and your life.

Keep a gratitude journal, and list everything you’re thankful for, rather than everything you dislike in life. Even if you don’t enjoy writing, you could just write down a couple things that you enjoyed about your day before bed. This will empower you to keep paying attention to your thoughts, and encourage you to focus on all the good around you rather than the bad.

4. Spend Time on Technology Wisely

Every time you get on your phone or computer, what do you spend the majority of your time doing? Is it scrolling through Facebook or Instagram for hours, constantly checking emails, or shopping for new clothes or gadgets? Many people waste hours on social media or other unproductive websites each day, without even realizing it.

Technology isn’t inherently bad, it’s what you do with it that counts. You could spend your time online reading about things you enjoy, or emailing an old friend to say hi. Also, setting a limit for how much time you spend online each day can help you manage that time more efficiently. Use your online time to become aware of your technology habits, and then decide if those habits are benefiting or hurting you in the long run.

5. Do Something Outside of Your Comfort Zone

There’s not much of a better way to test your mind and spirit than taking them into unknown territory. By trying something new, you stimulate your spirit and immediately invalidate negative thinking patterns. Let’s say you decide to go to a poetry reading and present one of your best poems.

You might feel extremely nervous about how people will react, but by facing your fears, you can create new thinking patterns that reinforce hope and confidence, rather than despair and unease. Before you get up on stage and read that poem, you can practice positive thinking. You can turn the “This poem isn’t good enough; everyone will hate it” or “I am too shy to speak on stage” into “I wrote this poem from my heart, so it can’t be bad” and “I am perfectly capable of reading this poem to everyone in this room.”

Oftentimes, the life experiences that lead us far away from the beaten path will uncover the most about us and propel us into an entirely new way of thinking and living.

What techniques do you use to practice positive conscious thinking? Add to the discussion below! And, please do take moment to follow PoP on Facebook.

9 Signs You’re In A Life Long Relationship

January 2, 2015 by Power of Positivity

When you find someone who shares the same interests, life background, sense of humor, and taste in music as you, you feel like you’re on top of the world. The excitement of being in a new relationship begins to set in. And, you probably spend all your free time with your new flame and spread the news to all your friends and family. But how can you tell it will be a life long relationship?

“Relationship is an art. The dream that two people create is more difficult to master than one.” – Don Miguel Ruiz

After a few months, you may find that the once casual relationship has turned into a much more serious one, but the signs of a committed relationship aren’t always obvious. If you have wondered where your relationship stands, the following tips can help you discern between a short-term relationship and one that could last forever.

9 Signs You’re In A Life Long Relationship:

1. You Have Unbreakable Trust

In a committed relationship, trust usually ranks in the top 5 must-have characteristics of a partner for a reason: without trust, you can’t have a solid foundation to build on your relationship. You must be able to trust your partner and count on him or her to show honesty, no matter the circumstances. If you truly have trust in the relationship, you can depend on your partner for anything, and you never feel like he or she is hiding something from you.

2. You Share Common Values and Morals

While you both may enjoy the same type of ice cream and favor comedies over horror movies, a long-term relationship requires more than just shared interests and hobbies. After the first couple of dates, both of you may have started talking about your morals, religious or spiritual beliefs, your outlook on life, and your long-term goals. For a relationship to last, you both need to share the same general ethics and ideas about life, because these determine many aspects of how you live.

For example, if you are a vegan or vegetarian and your partner still eats meat, you may clash with him or her in the future about your stance on animal cruelty. If your partner wants kids down the road but you don’t, this would obviously cause friction in the relationship. Your hobbies and interests can change yearly, monthly, or even daily, but deep-rooted convictions generally never change. If you want to grow in the same direction with someone in the future, you will probably want to find a partner whose general values and morals in life match up with yours, or at least come close.

3. They Always Remind You of How Amazing You Are

In the first couple of months of the relationship, the novelty of it will make you feel like you had the air knocked out of you, and you and your partner probably can’t get enough of each other. But if your relationship is in it for the long haul, your guy or girl will always make you feel special, even after the newness of the relationship has worn off. He or she still honors your amazing qualities after months, or even years of being together, and can see your beauty even on days where you don’t see it yourself. If both of you can still recognize each others positive qualities even in the darkest of days, you have found a truly special connection.

4. You Say “I Love You” Often

Those three words symbolize a deep affinity for another person and represent who we all are at the core of our being. People in committed relationships have simply found someone that matches the frequency they emit into the world and can share that deep bond with one another.

If you feel truly comfortable saying those three words without feeling awkward or vulnerable, and your partner says them back, you have likely found someone who truly loves you on the deepest level.

5. You Feel Comfortable Around Your Partner’s Family

The day will come when your partner wants you to meet their family. Because, in a committed relationship, some people say you aren’t just dating your boyfriend or girlfriend. Indeed, you are in a relationship with his or her entire family. Getting to know them is just as important as getting to know your lover, because you will inevitably see them at family functions in the future, and you want to make sure you can feel comfortable around them.

A person’s family is one of the biggest parts of his or her life, and your partner’s mom might become your mother-in-law before you know it. If you feel at ease around the family, you will probably keep a close relationship with them, which will further enhance you and your partner’s relationship, too.

6. You Have Deep Conversations Often

The ability to have meaningful conversation aside from how your workday was, or what bills need to be paid, or who gets to do the dishes tonight is a telling sign of the intimacy of your relationship. If you can talk openly and honestly about anything under the sun, and beyond, you might have found a partner that will stick around for a while. When you talk about your philosophies about life, or your deepest secrets, you allow new channels to open up within your relationship that will strengthen your bond and help remind you what attracted you to your partner in the first place.

7. You Feel Safe and Protected Around Each Other

A romantic relationship should feel like “coming home,” which is usually a place where you feel warm, welcomed, and loved. You should never feel alienated, threatened, or confused about how your partner feels about you, or his or her level of commitment to you. After a long day at work, you probably can’t wait to get home and fondly embrace him or her and shower them with love and attention. A strong relationship will make you feel like all the world’s problems melt away in the presence of your partner, and you will never have to wonder about his or her intentions with you.

8. You Can Share Your Problems Without Feeling Like a Burden

If something is bothering you, you should be able to go to your partner without feeling like an unnecessary weight on their shoulders. While you should also be able to deal with problems yourself, having the support and guidance from your partner can help you through the situation at hand. They should actually want to take on the issue and help you brainstorm some solutions. A committed partner will always serve as your shield from life’s storms, and help you see the sun even through the dark clouds.

9. Your Partner Encourages You to Follow Your Dreams

Even if your dream requires you to travel or commit to a huge project, your partner will support you every step of the way. They will realize that you following your dreams will help you reach ultimate fulfillment, and will put your happiness above theirs. A good partner will not discourage you from your happiness for selfish reasons, such as waiting for them to finish school or find a career before YOU can do something that resonates with you.

While both of you will likely share a similar life path if you are in a long-term relationship, you might suddenly have an epiphany about your true life purpose somewhere along the way. Your partner will stand beside you, regardless of where your dreams take you or what that might mean for the status of the relationship.

Final Thoughts on Being in a Life Long Relationship

We’d love to hear how you knew YOU were in a life long relationship. Share your story in the comments. And, remember to follow PoP on Facebook!

3 Signs You’re Trying Too Hard to Think Positive

January 1, 2015 by Power of Positivity

In the process of overhauling your mind to make positive thinking a dominant part of your thought process, it can become easy to get lost in the rabbit hole. The result? You actually try too hard to think positively. This can actually end up creating the opposite effect of your original intention. Worse yet, you end up feeling like you’re back at square one in mastering the art of positive thinking.

You might find yourself comparing yourselves to others, seeing how you measure up against them spiritually, or even reject negative thoughts altogether. Or, you’ll begin following ill-advised self-help “gurus” who claim that experiencing the full spectrum of human emotions, including pain or frustration, will “lower your vibration” or “cause an imbalance in your chakras.”

In short, the path to positivity should be yours and yours alone. Never should you be dictated by what others claim as absolute truth. Perhaps you even have learned to follow your own path to enlightenment. But you might still encounter some of these common signs that you’re forcing yourself to feel more positive, rather than allowing it to happen naturally.

Signs You’re Trying Too Hard to Think Positive

1. You find yourself over-thinking

This still happens on our own spiritual journey from time to time. It’s easy to let your mind take over and rule your life. This sidetracking can occur even if you have discovered that positive thoughts create positive outcomes. For example, you might start noticing every single thought that comes into your realm of consciousness.

Thus, you start creating commentary in your head for each of those thoughts, rather than just observing them. Or, you get frustrated and angry at yourself for thinking any negative thoughts at all. A lot of people subscribe to the idea that any sort of negative thought or emotion means you have not reached enlightenment, or you have not mastered your mind. However, I believe that allowing yourself to explore your darkness serves as a vital tool in the evolution of consciousness. After all, without darkness, how will you recognize the light?

In the beginning, you will develop an awareness behind your thoughts rather than just letting your mind chatter away senselessly. At times, it may almost feel as if you have stepped into a hyperaware state of consciousness. In contrast, you probably never even bothered to check in with your thoughts before. You might actually wish you could go back to that from time to time, but there is a middle ground.

Instead of worrying so much about what goes through your mind, just let it come without judgement, and focus on “Being” rather than “Becoming.” Realize that you can slip into a state of being whenever you want, whether you are waiting in line to pick up your kids at school, sitting in an office meeting, or giving a speech in front of thousands of people.

Forgive yourself already!

A lot of people make the mistake of condemning themselves for allowing negativity into their minds, without realizing that they can become aware of the thought without accepting it as truth. If you find that your mind won’t stop firing off demands of what you should be and how you can be a more spiritual person and why your state of consciousness is inferior or superior to others, try to just breathe deeply and listen to the ever-present silence that exists in everything. This will help you stay grounded and remove that heaviness you might feel when your brain tries to run the show.

2. You’re overdoing it

You might feel that you aren’t doing enough to achieve “enlightenment,” and try to “become” a more spiritual person. You feel that you must incorporate a spiritual practice every day, such as meditation, in order to become this spiritual guru that you have envisioned in your head.

While meditation should become a part of your routine, you shouldn’t use any sort of practice or thought process to “become” a more spiritual person. In reality, you embody the universe anyway, which means you already are spiritual. You come from the same force as everyone else, and you don’t have to try to become anything. You already possess all the qualities you need to act positively and peacefully, and all it takes is accepting this fact to quiet your mind and allow it to align with who you already intrinsically are.

Strive to become enlightened, every day!

Aside from regular meditation or yoga, you might also feel you have to always relate occurrences in your life to the spiritual realm, or universal vibrations. Sometimes, you might just want to live without relating it to any sort of spiritual happening, and that’s fine. Many people believe that once they become “awake” in any sense of the word, they must integrate this newfound knowledge and mindset into every waking moment of their days and every event in their lives. In reality, this actually complicates your life and can cloud your mind after a while. While your intuition definitely guides you through life in many circumstances, you still possess cognitive abilities that allow you to perform day-to-day functions, without the Universe necessarily stepping in to help you.

Finally, you might overdo positive thinking by integrating all sorts of new age, healing elements into your home or office space. You might start buying copious amounts of crystals, essential oils, chakra-balancing items, or tarot cards. Or perhaps you spend large amounts of money on Reiki sessions and past life regressions.

All of these items and services can help you on your spiritual journey. But you can achieve a positive mindset without relying on things outside yourself as well. I have crystals myself. And I sometimes incorporate them into my meditation sessions. However, I believe in the minimalist approach toward everything in life, including spirituality. You, yourself, are the most powerful crystal. Thus, you can easily transform your thoughts and your life by simply believing in yourself and making the decision to do so.

3. You’re comparing yourself to others

On a spiritual journey, or any journey, seeing how you size up compared to others can become the focus if you allow it to. You might feel threatened by spiritual masters or gurus, or wish you could read people’s auras and heal their energy. You might have a friend who has a calm, peaceful demeanor, and talk down on yourself for being more energetic and scatterbrained. All of this results in unhappiness. And in the end, it will make you feel like you will never reach true enlightenment unless you reach their state of perceived consciousness.

At the end of the day, you are your worst enemy. Chances are, the other people probably aren’t judging you or comparing you to their own state of being. Just feel comfortable in your own skin. Realize that you have talents that other people may not have. The spiritual journey is a highly personal one. Comparing one to another is sort of like comparing an opera singer to a rock star.

Final Thoughts on Your Ability to Think Positive

Each person must walk their own path in life and realize their own strengths, and once you stop comparing your journey to someone else’s, you can begin to nurture your soul and follow your own heart. You are neither superior nor inferior to anyone else. You are equal. Furthermore, you don’t have to justify your own state of consciousness by seeing how it measures up to your neighbor’s.

How do you remain positive? We’d love to hear your thoughts. Comment below or join up on Facebook.

6 Morning Habits to Guarantee a Great Day

December 31, 2014 by Power of Positivity

How many times have you heard that morning habits can make or break your whole day?

It’s true. The way that we begin our day has a definite impact on how the rest of the day unfolds. We can choose to be proactive and set ourselves up for success, or we can choose to just let things unfold as they may.

Since how we begin our day is so important, why would we choose to be lax in our morning routine? We certainly don’t have to be and we’ll show a few different ways to make the morning more productive.

Here are 6 morning habits that we can practice to guarantee a great day…

1. Stretch – even before getting out of bed.

Stretching is as important as getting regular exercise. Most people do not know this. As a result, stretching is often a neglected practice. Not only is stretching important for your body, but it’s also important for your mind.

Here are some benefits to stretching:

-Stretching helps with posture.

-Stretching improves flexibility by increasing the range of motion.

-It decreases injury by warming up the muscles before activity.

-Stretching increases blood flow and nutrient supply to muscles.

-Stretching helps to calm the mind.

-It releases both physical and mental tension.

To increase the effectiveness of stretching, try these tips:

– Stretch muscles that you know are tight, focusing more of the stretching routine on these areas.

– Practice one long-duration stretch session each week. Take 30-45 minutes doing flexibility work, even if you would normally use this time for a different exercise routine.

2. Set your intentions for the day.

Intentions are important to fulfilling our wants and needs; whether it is related to love, money, relationships, or something else. As such, you should consider spending some time in the morning setting your intentions for the day.

Here are some steps to help set your daily intentions.

– Meditate. So often, our minds are busy dealing with constant inner dialogue – emotions, thoughts, and memories – all of which can detract us from being truly conscious about what we hope to achieve. Meditation assists with this by quieting the mind.

– Release your intentions. The best time to do this is after a period of restful awareness, such as meditation. After releasing the intention, simply let it go and don’t think about it. Spend a few minutes after each meditation releasing your intentions.

– Remain centered. Intentions are more powerful when done from a state of contentment than from a state of lack or need. Refuse to allow doubts and criticisms to creep into your consciousness. Understand that your higher power knows that everything is all right and will continue to be, even if you don’t currently understand the details of what is to take place.

3. Drink plenty of water.

After a period of sleep, your body is certain to be dehydrated. This is true even if you cannot “feel” the dehydration or “feel” the need to quench your thirst. It is important to rehydrate with water in the morning.

According to the CDC, here are four benefits to drinking an adequate amount of water.

– Water maintains body fluid levels. The human body is comprised of about 60% water. It is essential to maintain this fluid balance, as it is responsible for food absorption and digestion, blood circulation, saliva creation, transporting nutrients, and maintaining body temperature.

– Water regulates calories. While not having a direct effect on weight loss, water assists by helping the body feel full. This makes it less likely that the individual will drink or eat high-calorie foods or beverages.

– Water energizes muscles. Dehydration often results in muscle fatigue, making it more difficult for muscles to work and perform when needed. Drinking water before and during exercise is especially important. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends drinking at least 17 ounces of fluids before exercise and continuing to sip on water during.

– Water enhances the look of skin. As with other organs, your skin contains a large amount of water. As such, dehydration causes the skin to appear dry and wrinkled. In addition to drinking water, dermatologists state that using a skin moisturizer can enhance the appearance of the skin.

4. Practice gratitude

Remembering what you are grateful for is so important because it keeps things in perspective. When faced with the stress of daily life, it is very easy to pinpoint everything that is going wrong. However, evidence continues to mount showing why we should do the opposite.

The importance of being grateful has found its way into both psychological and scientific studies. Accumulating research is continuing to show the positive benefits that practicing gratitude has on both mental and emotional well-being. According to a study done by the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, here are some of the benefits of practicing gratitude.

– People that keep gratitude journals on a weekly basis: feel more optimistic, exercise more regularly, have fewer physical ailments, and feel less stress.

– Individuals who think, talk, or write about gratitude have lower levels of depression and stress, and increased alertness, attentiveness, determination, energy, and better sleep.

– People with a disposition towards gratitude place less importance on material goods, are less judgmental, less envious, and more charitable.

So do yourself a favor and take 10-15 minutes in the morning to write a few things that you are grateful for. It will give you a great start to the day and you’ll soon begin to realize some of the wonderful benefits of being grateful.

5. Practice yoga or other exercise

Add this info to your morning habits.

Exercise (of any kind) will likely remain the best way to boost your mood and strengthen your body. It doesn’t matter what kind of exercise – lifting, jogging, yoga, biking – do whatever you’d like as long as it gets your heart pumping.

Exercise is so effective because it increases two important brain chemicals – dopamine and serotonin. It also causes the release of endorphins, which creates a “natural high” and is also a natural stress and pain blocker. In addition, exercise creates euphoric feelings, regulates appetite, enhances the immune system, and drastically increases energy.

In setting aside 30 minutes in the morning for some exercise, you’ll feel “euphoric”, less hungry, increased energy, and less stress. What better reasons could there be to take some time to get active?

6. “Mirror” your affirmations

The way that you talk to yourself is critically important to the way that you approach life. Unfortunately, when you feel negative for whatever reason – loneliness, unhappiness, sickness, etc. – you will have an innate tendency towards negative self-talk. To reverse this trend, it is important to retrain your thinking and speaking through positive self-talk.

The answer to any negative self-talk is to say (not just think) the opposite in the form of positive affirmations. For example, when you don’t feel good about yourself state with full intent that you can feel good about yourself. Even if you don’t fully embrace this belief (and oftentimes you won’t) it’s still powerful. By planting the seed of positive affirmations in your subconscious mind, you will eventually begin to believe them to be true.

It is also important to see yourself making these positive affirmations. To do so, stand in front of a mirror once or twice a day and repeat the following affirmations ten times:

– I can do it!

– I can _____ (insert goal, feeling, outcome, etc.)

– I’ll create positive changes in my life!

– I can feel good about myself!

Keep in mind that these are just examples. Affirm whatever thought comes to mind, including the opposite of whatever negative self-talk you may happen to be experiencing at the time. Eventually, you will begin to experience a positive shift in your mindset and the way in which you talk to yourself.

Final Thoughts on Forming Positive Morning Habits

Join the discussion: What morning habits do you practice that help you have a great day? Add your personal happy morning habits to the conversation below! Also, be sure to follow us on Facebook.

Scientific Proof That Mindfulness Can Rewire Your Brain

December 30, 2014 by Power of Positivity

Not so very long ago scientists thought that the human brain could not be developed beyond a certain point. The terms “hardwired”, “fixed”, and “unchangeable” were associated with the nerve development of the human brain once a person reached a certain age. They typically defined that age as early childhood to adolescence.

Science now reconsiders that hard line. Today, they define neuroplasticity as: “The brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming neural connections throughout life.”

So, no longer do researchers think the human brain is a static, unchanging organ that is limited by our age. In fact, neuroscientists now find evidence that demonstrates the brain’s ability to restructure and form neural connections to compensate for damage caused by injury, disease, and age. So not only can your brain repair and strengthen itself despite age. In fact, it can do so even if it’s been damaged!

Further studies demonstrate that mindfulness, the awareness of thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and the environment. And that the practice greatly assists with the development of our brain. In short, it serves to aid the neuroplasticity process. Brain power is nothing short of amazing!

The understanding that you can change your thought processes, feelings and emotions via neuroplasticity through the practice of mindfulness is incredible.

Here are three scientific studies that prove how mindfulness can rewire your brain.

Study #1: Mindfulness meditation reduces depressive episodes

Millions of people every year are diagnosed with depression and prescribed medication. In the United States alone, depression will affect about 10% of the population in any given one-year period – about 19 million people. In the UK, the number of people taking antidepressant medication has doubled between 1998 and 2010.

Professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto, Zindel Segal, utilized a grant given by the MacArthur Foundation to conduct a study on Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (or MBSR). With the assistance of two of his colleagues from the University of Oxford, Dr. Segal found the study to be a resounding success. This study was so promising that Dr. Segal initiated another study to demonstrate the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation on depressed patients. And the outcome of this led to the creation of Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).

In the study, all of the patients shared a diagnosis of depression. Of those, 80% experienced three or more depressive episodes (“pervasive and persistent low mood accompanied by low self-esteem and loss of pleasure.”). And 34-36% of MBCT participants who experienced three or more depressive episodes had not relapsed over a one-year timeframe compared to those who adhered to prescribed care (antidepressants or other).

The study’s results

The results were encouraging. Indeed, the outcome led to subsequent research at both Cambridge and Oxford University in the UK. Moreover, both subsequent studies produced similar results. This research proves immensely valuable in promoting mindfulness meditation as a viable, healthy alternative to drug-based therapies in the UK; leading to more physicians “prescribing” mindfulness meditation to their patients.

MBCT studies and mindfulness meditation continues to find a foothold within the scientific and medical communities within the US and other parts of the world. With results such as these, it is easy to see why.

Study #2: Mindfulness meditation improves learning, memory, and other cognitive functions

“Although the practice of meditation is associated with a sense of peacefulness and physical relaxation, practitioners have long claimed that meditation also provides cognitive and psychological benefits that persist throughout the day.”

Harvard University Medical School professor Sara Lazar and other Harvard-affiliated researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital set out to demonstrate her claim through the development of an eight-week mindfulness meditation program.

The eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program consisted of weekly mindfulness meditation meetings and audio recordings for the 16 participants to practice alone. They were then instructed to keep track on how much time they practiced individually each day, which averaged out to approximately 27 minutes for all participants. The focal point of the mindfulness meditation for the study was on “nonjudgmental awareness of sensations, feelings, and state of mind.”

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to take brain structure images of the 16 participants, with a separate set of images taken for the control group. Non-meditating individuals did not participate in the program.

The results were astounding.

The participants stated that they experienced exceptional cognitive benefits, which were demonstrable through mindfulness questionnaires. Additionally, MRIs showed measurable physical differences in gray-matter density within the brain.

The images revealed the following:

– Increased gray-matter density within the hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for learning and memory.

– Changes within the brain structure areas responsible for compassion, introspection, and self-awareness.

– Decreased gray-matter density within the amygdala, the brain structure responsible for anxiety and stress.

A distinguished professor at Giessen University in Germany perhaps best sums up this groundbreaking study:

“It is fascinating to see the brain’s plasticity and that, by practicing meditation, we can play an active role in changing the brain and can increase our well-being and quality of life.”

Study #3: Mindfulness meditation alleviates stress

Professor J. David Creswell of Carnegie Mellon University proves that long-term mindfulness practice is not necessary to relieve the symptoms of stress. In fact, just 25 minutes of mindfulness meditation for just three days can accomplish just that.

Creswell and his team conducted a study consisting of 66 individuals ranging in age from 18-30 years. One group of participants entered a short meditation program, consisting of 25 minutes of mindfulness practice for three consecutive days. The meditation group did exercises, designed to focus on the breath while turning attention inward to their present moment experiences. The other group utilized the same time period to read poetry to enhance problem-solving capabilities.

For evaluation purposes, all participants completed challenging speech and math tasks in front of stern-looking evaluators. Each participant reported their stress levels in response to these tasks. And, they gave saliva samples, measured for cortisol, a common stress hormone.

The results:

– The meditation group reported less stress induction from the tasks given; demonstrating that mindfulness practice (even in short duration) can increase the resilience to stress.

– Interestingly, the meditation group showed greater levels of cortisol. That result opposed what Creswell and his team expected.

Creswell explains: “When you initially learn mindfulness mediation practices, you have to cognitively work at it — especially during a stressful task…these cognitive efforts may result in the task feeling less stressful, but they may also have physiological costs with greater cortisol production.”

The research team now focuses on automating the mindfulness practices, making it less cognitively taxing while decreasing the levels of cortisol. Even in its early stages, short-term mindfulness meditation is showing great promise in alleviating psychological stressors.

30 Things that Happen when we Practice Self-Love and Self-Care

December 29, 2014 by Power of Positivity

Self-love and self-care aren’t about being self-centered and selfish. They’re not about a “me, me, me” mentality. They’re not about fighting against the world to express ourselves or to get what we want. Self-love and self-care are about loving ourselves for who we are and taking the time to care for ourselves. What would you love about yourself if there was no little voice of self-doubt buzzing around your ear? How would you care for yourself physically and mentally with unlimited amounts of time?

Self-love and self-care are simply about owning our own power, acting from a place of kindness toward ourselves, and taking the time to remind ourselves of this power and kindness. Both are essential to living a happy and healthy life. What is selfish about that? And when you practice these things, changes in your life begin to occur.

Here are 30 things that happen when we practice self-love and self-care in our daily lives.

When we love and care for ourselves…

1. We stop comparing ourselves to others and participating in a self-made competition. As a result, we’ll always be enough for ourselves and others

2. We lower our risk for depression, anxiety, hypertension, heart attacks, and other heart-related problems. It can also help to boost your immune system, lowering the chances you have to catch a cold.

3. We embrace our reality and stop blaming and fighting it. The struggle against reality becomes tiresome when you do not love and care for yourself.

4. We know that love is around every corner, not only from the love that we have for ourselves, but the love that we offer to others and the love we get from others. This love creates a more peaceful and accepting world around us.

5. We start living a life of abundance in every area of our lives without the need to fight or push to get it.

6. We allow for growth to occur in our lives. The more we grow, the more we spread love and joy.

7. We become energized to get back to living, loving, caring, helping, and serving.

8. We feel safe in knowing that will be there for ourselves through life’s journey. When others may turn their backs on us, we have the power of our self-love helping us get through all of life’s difficulties.

9. We practice more love and acceptance of others. When we love and care for ourselves despite our flaws, we begin to recognize that flaws don’t make up the entire person. When we realize this, we can then be more forgiving of others’ flaws, growing to accept them as part of a full package.

10. We know failures and setbacks get us one step closer to growth.

11. We know our significance isn’t dependent on what we produce.

12. We know that we’re enough and don’t need to prove ourselves

13. We create significant relationships with more harmony, peace, and space because we are providing our loved ones with a true representation of ourselves. When we are unable to share with others who we really are, conflicts arise in our relationships. But when we are able to share our true selves with others, our loved ones can clearly see and understand the person that we are.

14. We are not focused on loneliness, and can instead embrace a deeper connection and oneness with the world.

15. We feel at peace by accepting ourselves, our strengths, and our weaknesses unconditionally.

16. We become better caretakers for others with our refreshed spirit. When we try to take care of others with a broken spirit, we are ineffective in the love and care that we provide. Once we become balanced in the love and care that we provide for ourselves, we are better able to care for those around us.

17. We accept the mistakes and failures that come along with being human, inviting vulnerability into our lives.

18. We don’t care what others think or say about us because we know what ultimately matters most in our life is how we feel about ourselves.

19. We are more resilient and able to take on any challenge life throws our way, seeing these challenges as opportunities to learn and grow.

20. We allow our natural shine to easily show itself because we become unafraid of showing our true selves to others. This is because we love the person that we truly are without the fear and shame that come from hiding who we are.

21. We become better problem solvers because we tend to see the world more clearly.

22. We take responsibility for our lives, realizing that we are the source of all happiness.

23. We hold the power to alter our futures, careers, relationships, passion, compassion, empathy, and authenticity.

24. We are not controlled by fear because we recognize love as the strongest power.

25. We know what our purpose is and we live it. Our purpose can be hard to find and accept when we are not willing to love and care for ourselves in a proper way. Once we do, our life’s purpose becomes much more clear and we are able to plan and take action to fulfill that purpose.

26. We will accept when someone disagrees with us and will not worry about these disagreements as we recognize everyone is entitled to their own views.

27. We replace blame, shame, and anger with ownership and creation.

28. When realize that there is no truth in our stressful thoughts and turn them around by inviting stillness into our lives.

29. We become more creative, inspired, and open. As a result, we are not only producing great works of love and care, we become better problem solvers from our clearer awareness.

30. We inspire others to love and care for themselves. When others see the love and care that we give ourselves, they will notice the ways in which they can change their attitudes and lives to better love and care for themselves.

Final Thoughts on Living a Life of Self-Care and Self-Love

Feel free to lead a life that is full of self-care and self-love. Dispel any thoughts of this being selfish behavior. In fact, you cannot care for others unless you are well-cared-for yourself.

Feel free to comment your thoughts on this subject in the comments below. And, remember to follow PoP on Facebook.

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Every day is a day to shine. Shine on!

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1. Make Daily Chores a Time for Self-Awareness

2. Pay Attention to What you Eat

3. Keep a Journal

4. Spend Time on Technology Wisely

5. Do Something Outside of Your Comfort Zone

9 Signs You’re In A Life Long Relationship:

1. You Have Unbreakable Trust

2. You Share Common Values and Morals

3. They Always Remind You of How Amazing You Are

4. You Say “I Love You” Often

5. You Feel Comfortable Around Your Partner’s Family

6. You Have Deep Conversations Often

7. You Feel Safe and Protected Around Each Other

8. You Can Share Your Problems Without Feeling Like a Burden

9. Your Partner Encourages You to Follow Your Dreams

Final Thoughts on Being in a Life Long Relationship

Signs You’re Trying Too Hard to Think Positive

1. You find yourself over-thinking

Forgive yourself already!

2. You’re overdoing it

Strive to become enlightened, every day!

3. You’re comparing yourself to others

Final Thoughts on Your Ability to Think Positive

Here are 6 morning habits that we can practice to guarantee a great day…

1. Stretch – even before getting out of bed.

2. Set your intentions for the day.

3. Drink plenty of water.

4. Practice gratitude

5. Practice yoga or other exercise

6. “Mirror” your affirmations

Final Thoughts on Forming Positive Morning Habits

Here are three scientific studies that prove how mindfulness can rewire your brain.

Study #1: Mindfulness meditation reduces depressive episodes

The study’s results

Study #2: Mindfulness meditation improves learning, memory, and other cognitive functions

The results were astounding.

Study #3: Mindfulness meditation alleviates stress

The results:

Here are 30 things that happen when we practice self-love and self-care in our daily lives.

When we love and care for ourselves…

Final Thoughts on Living a Life of Self-Care and Self-Love

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Rise and Shine On! Master Your Day with the Ultimate Positive Morning Guide + Checklist

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Rise and Shine On!
Master Your Day with the Ultimate Positive Morning Guide + Checklist