Can you really develop more FOCUS and CLARITY by changing the way you exercise?

You sure as hell can, thanks to a little phenomenon known as the Mind Body Connection.

Simply stated, your thoughts and feelings influence your physiological systems ( heart rate, breathing, pulse, glandular secretions, etc.)

This is more commonly seen in the Fight Or Flight reflex. Whenever we perceive a threat, real OR imagined, our breathing, heart rate, pulse, all speed up (due to the release of adrenaline into your blood stream) to help us meet the demands (imagined or real).

This reflex is good when we need to fight for our lives. However, this can become a problem when the FOF reflex is triggered for simple things, like being cut off in traffic, or being late to work. The presence of adrenaline in our system over a long period of time will weaken the immune system, leaving us vunerable to all sorts of diseases.

Stress is the cause of 99.9% of all disease. Here, let me say that again because it is so important for you to allow that to sink into your head:

99% of all disease is STRESS RELATED.

Having said that, it's common sense that you next logical thought will be:

If 99% of all illness is stress related, then all I need to do is find a way to deal with the stress that I experience in my daily life.

The answer to that is:

YES.

There are many ways to change the way that you deal with those little situations in life that stress you out.

There's Behavior Modification.

There's Hypnosis.

There's deep breathing techniques that you can do so that you can activate the Relaxation Response, natures's gift to mankind.

There's Accupressure.

There's Mental rehearsal, in which you relax... and YOU choose the way you want to respond to the situations that stress you out. It's very effective when done properly.

So, we have the FOF reflex and the Relaxation Response. The Relaxation Response is characterized by the following changes in our physiology:

1) Blood pressure decreases
2) Pulse rate decreases
3) Breathing rate decreases and becomes deeper
4) Brainwave activity slows down dramatically
5) physical relaxation of the body occurs


Normally, these two responses/reflexes are unconscious and automatic. However, with training ( behavior modification for example), you can take control of these normally automatic reflexes...

And activate them whenever you like, anywhere you like.


Now before you read on, stop for a moment, and think about biting into a juicy lemon.

Imagine yourself holding a bright yellow lemon in your hand. You can feel the lemon in your hand now. As you bring it your mouth and take a big bite out of it.

Did you notice what happened? If you started to salivate a little bit, then you now have a "taste" of how much control we have over our physiological processes, in this case, your salivary glands.


Or how about this: Think about a food that you just can't stand. What's a food that you find absolutely disgusting and gag inducing? Now, as you think about that food, imagine taking a bite of it. Imagine swallowing that food.

Did you notice your reactions?

Now...


What does all this talk about the Mind-body connection have to do with working out in a way that will help you develop more focus and concentration?

Well..


Unless you're lifting a extremely heavy weight, which demands you total focus on the present moment, many people will curl/bench/squat extremely fast, in an effort to get in as many reps as possible before their muscles start to tire.

When you take the time to lift slower... to take the time to notice the tension in your arms as you curl... to notice the tension in your legs as you attempt to stand up with the bar across your shoulders...

You start to develop Present Moment Awareness.

You start to Focus on the the here and now.

As you start to be more aware of all the sensations and feelings that are going through you as you lift/ run, you start to develop the ability to focus on the tasks on your daily life more and more.

Present Moment Awareness is a Behavior, one that you can start to develop right now.

Once you have the behavior installed into your neurology by constant repetition, which can be seconds at a time throughout your day, then you will have that useful behavior available to you for the REST OF YOUR LIFE.

Cool, right?


So, in your daily life, as you go about your daily routine, start to remember to Be in the present moment. Focus on the sounds and sights around you. You don't have to set aside 30 mins. to an hour a day to practice this.

I personally think that's a waste of time. If you have the time to do that, then more power to you.


Slow down, and pay attention to the reports coming from your senses:

Take a sniff. What can you smell?

Look around you now: What colors and objects can you see?

Feel the object nearest you with your hands. What does it feel like?

Listen to the sounds around you: What sounds do you hear now?

Can you taste anything? What did you recently eat?

Pay attention to your breathing: are you breathing fast? Are your breathing slowly? Are you barely breathing? If you are, then take control over your breathing and start to breath in... and breathe out...

Developing Present Moment Awareness is simple and you can develop the behavior in SECONDS each day.

Have fun,

Amir C.

PS. If you're looking for ways to improve your memory and increase your energy levels, then you're gonna wanna sign up for my Radiant Vitality Yahoo group, which you can do RIGHT NOW by going here:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/radiantvitality

Have Fun!!!