Live Your Truth Using Intention, Energy and Manifestation.

Featured in Mind, Body, Food Institute May 19, 2020

Original Title: Intention, Energy and manifestation- Living your truth.

By Robin Zenczak

Intention is not simply wanting something; it is feeling into something, it is action oriented- purposeful action. You can want an object on the other side of the room, a new job, or a different relationship- but, if you do not put purposeful action or feeling toward the intended outcome, then it will not happen. I suggest, that in order to begin manifesting something- you start by using your intention; throw out the verbiage of, ‘want’ (which is passive) and replace it with requirement. I require A, B, C or X, Y Z in my life and then begin purposeful action.

But what is purposeful action- what does it look like? It looks like living in alignment with what you require in order to be the best possible version of yourself. Simply put, do what you say. If I truly want something, and it aligns with my values, I will take actions toward having or making my requirement into reality. This theory applies to EVERYTHING from relationships to behaviors, to finances, etc. For example, if you want to save money for a vacation of a lifetime, but you keep spending your money on other things; leaving you nothing to save, how can you ever make taking that vacation a reality. You are putting all your resources and energy in the opposite direction of your goal.

Energy is: time, money, thoughts, actions (there is that word again). If your energy is moving away from your intention your reality will not manifest either. It’s like trying to catch a train by running in the opposite direction. Energy is also- scientifically, “the capacity for doing work”, (“energy | Definition, Types, & Examples”, 2020) or potential. So, think about this for a minute; your words can potentially affect the outcome of your intention, your attitudes, thoughts and actions are the potential for you to succeed- why the heck not align them- in the same row, in the same direction? I mean potentiate that manifestation so hard that it happens and becomes your living truth!

Manifestation is the spot on your journey in which ‘you have arrived!’ It is reaping the light of your truth that you have been creating. You arrive here through your purposeful actions and intentions, doing what you say and saying what you do. You get here by not giving up when it gets hard. You create it by creating your own reality not the one other people tell you that you should have, or do, or be. It’s exciting; I know, right?! It seems like a miracle, a dream- well IT IS. It was your dream that you manifested into reality. It was the relationship you have always felt you deserved, the new job you have wanted…. You name it, it is now yours.

Disclaimer, no one says its easy to do- especially when old wounds and patterns and thinking rear their ugly head, but it is possible and YOU are worth it. There is no uber to get there, no taxi to take; you drive your own tour bus! Enjoy the journey, see the lessons, feel the feels, live your truth.

What is your truth?

Reference:

energy | Definition, Types, & Examples. (2020). Retrieved 6 May 2020, from https://www.britannica.com/science/energy

Things I Thought I Would Never Hear Myself Say to my Ex-husband… Even in a Worldwide Pandemic! Breaking the chain

Things I Thought I Would Never Hear Myself Say to my Ex-husband…  Even in a Worldwide Pandemic!

The divorce decree, the coveted rules put in place of how to play the game for the remaining formative years of your children’s lives.  It lists the rules and regulation of who gets the kids when and for how long, it directs when we can see our child and on what holidays, even when we are allowed to take vacations with them. Love them or hate them; they do bring some sense of order- and often times animosity to our already fragile and damaged relationships with our ex’s. What happens though, when the game comes out with a new edition? The current edition we are playing is COVID-19, maybe you’ve heard of it? It’s all the rage.

This edition is riveting; and the card I recently drew while landing on the, ‘stay at home’ space was: All the things I thought I would never hear myself say to my Ex-husband. Seriously, I never truly thought I would be saying things like: “for the safety and well-being of my Ex-husband…”, or “If you need anything, let me know I will drop it by, so you don't have to go out.”, “How are you feeling? How is your family doing?” The last 3 are those types of statements that we would ask a stranger or a friend, but not ever our Exes! More often than not, in casual conversation with another divorce` we discuss how oftentimes our Exes are more of our adversaries than our comrades. And if this is not you, then I applaud you. This article is not for the flawless achievers of divorce or the ones where BOTH people respect each other as individuals- we don’t all have that type of relationship, though I would like to believe most of us try.

These statements of compassion and- dare I say caring can seem superficial and disingenuous. I assure you that these statements ARE genuine; and not for the benefit of my ex-husband, but for the benefit of my child- and yet sincere just the same. These past weeks since the COVID-19 pandemic has taken hold in my state, I have found myself being more flexible than ever with the ‘rules’ of the parenting plan game and these offerings of kindness. In these past weeks I have also been under a lot of scrutiny and judgment because of it.

Could this be the beginning of self-discovery, of self-growth? Perhaps, but more so it is that I am honoring the fact that my child needs both of his parents alive and healthy. With the immense stress, panic and pressure we are all under; I have found that letting go of the structure of the parenting plan and focusing on what brings the most comfort to my child actually creates less stress for him. It also decreases my own personal stress- and allows me to schedule the, "me-time" I need. This me time consists of focusing on my coaching business, my own education and schooling, and recharging my immune system by decreasing stress with rest and exercise.

I have (in this new edition of the game) drawn the additional complication ‘card’ of working on the front lines while having an Ex-husband with a compromised immune system. Plot twist! I am taking every precaution to keep the father of my son safe and like I said, this is creating a lot of judgement toward me. The truth is that it is no one’s business but mine. This does not mean I am in love with my Ex- it simply means I am honoring the fact that my child's needs both of his parents- regardless of my feeling about my Ex-husband. My Ex-husband is an important part of my child's life. To this end I may have to go without being physically close to my child if exposed and symptomatic because I am a Nurse. This idea does not thrill me, but it maybe what is necessary AND my reality very soon- to leave him with his dad while I take care of others; or yet still my worst fear exposing them both. I know my Ex well, and I know that I will not get any post-apocalyptic extra visit tokens when this is all over, but again it is about my child and his needs.

How did I come to these uncomfortable decisions? I asked myself what I value most in this situation- the answer was my son’s happiness, health, and my sanity. Was I living in alignment if I would I rather consume my energy arguing with my ex and creating stress? Or would I rather use my energy toward my own happiness and my son’s welfare? Seems like a no brainer, but letting go is so hard to do, especially when it is wrapped up in years of resentment and seemingly unfair situations. All of that is ego and a sense of righteousness that is necessary to lay down to respond rather than react. In situations like these, it helps to realize there is a lot we do not have control over, but if we focus on what we DO have control over and live in the moment- we can make better decisions that align with our well- being. When we do this, we are responding to our situations from a place of power.

Eventually and slowly we will return back to the normal parenting plan to achieve a sense of ‘normalcy’- which is also good for my child; and in this I remember that flexibility is a lesson that is learned by example. Every opportunity presents a lesson and sometime those lessons are uncomfortable. The goal is not to love the lesson, but to learn from it so that we can grow and be the best versions of ourselves that we can be- on any given day.

What are you doing? How are you handling and navigating your parenting plans through this pandemic? I truly never thought I would see this day come over 6 years ago after the gavel dropped on my marriage. But here I am, giving compassion an empathy to my past and cultivating a future precedent, one that shows my child what a divorce could be-should he ever find himself in this circumstance. After all, if I couldn't model what a good marriage should be, shouldn't I model what a good divorce should be?

Stress Management during the Covid-19 Pandemic and Beyond: Techniques for the Long Haul

Stress Management

What is Stress?

Stress can be one of the most debilitating things if we allow it to be. No one wants to be stressed. No one has total control of the stressful events that affect their life, but you CAN control your awareness of it AND how you carry it, deal with it and eliminate some of it. Stress in and of itself is not bad- yes, that’s right. Stress perception is actually a defense mechanism in the brain. It happens when we perceive something to be life threatening, i.e. if a wooly mammoth was chasing you; it is clear to see that in this situation the stress response- to run would potentially save your life.  In modern day the stress response looks more like those seconds you have to avoid a car accident.

When the stress response is activated in the body as a result of perceived threat interpreted by the amygdala in the brain; quite a few things happen such as: an adrenaline rush which creates a heightened sense of awareness and focused thinking, pupils dilate to let in more light and improve vision, blood vessels constrict allowing blood to be shunted to vital organs, such as the heart, lungs and brain, the lungs Broncho dilate to allow easier air flow and oxygen to the body, and the adrenal glands produce cortisol (which is both a hormone and a short acting sugar) to be used immediately by the body to avoid the threat. All of this is the body’s automated defense mechanism to keep you alive.

Is stress bad?

Stress only becomes bad when our bodies lose the ability to turn on the parasympathetic nervous response, or the stress, “off switch.” There are many environmental stimuli that can provoke the stress response, such as bright digital screens, hectic ‘go-go-go, I must do it all’ attitudes of a busy schedule, certain emotional states and how we perceive different situations. When we are constantly on the go despite our bodies ability to keep up, the stress response takes hold in the body. Our bodies are sensing a need to keep going past our reserve. When this happens our “off switch” never turns off and runs idle in the background (like those apps on our phones)

This has become our every day for most people. Now more than ever, our stress response is being triggered by fear. Fear of any part of this Covid-19 pandemic. Fear of the loss of freedom: to do, to go, to be. Fear to gather. Fear of becoming ill or dying. Fear of the loss of loved ones, loss of finances, you name it. In fact, regardless of this pandemic we have lost our ability to recognize stress. Mentally we push away stress- because it is perceived as bad, but what we are really doing is ignoring it. By not acknowledging that we are stressed, we are pushing those stress to manifest in the physical body.

The following is a stress management guide on how to identify stress in the body when you aren’t “feeling stress” and you can do to carry or minimize your stress.

How do I recognize stress?

First, check in with how you are feeling:

·       Are you feeling challenged by a person, situation, relationship?

·       Are you feeling anxious or angry?

·       Are you feeling unhappy?

Remember, your stress might be so normalized that you won’t recognize it this way.

Next, check in with our physical body (these are the other signs of stress):

·       Muscle tension

o   Especially in the jaw, shoulders, low back

·       Breathing

o   Shallow breathing, quick breathing

·       Appetite

o   Cravings

o   Lack of appetite or over eating (stress eating)

·       Sweaty palms

·       Brain

o   Racing thoughts/ Lack of focus

o   Short Term Memory Loss

o   Word finding difficulties

·       Extraneous movements

o   Leg tapping

o   Fidgeting

o   Finger tapping

o   Inability to sit still

Tension is the result of built up energy that is not being released or distributed, i.e. excess adrenaline.

What Can I do about it?

Identify stress as an emotion, not a state of your being. Be very careful with your word choice (words are energy) ** for more on this read my blog on Intention, Energy and Manifestation- Living your truth.

“I am anxious” or “I am worried”

Vs.

“I am feeling anxious.” Or “I am feeling worried.”

One of these statements tells your brain that you ARE that. The other tells your brain that you are Feeling that; there by labeling it as exactly what it is a feeling. It is important to note here that feelings are temporary states that pass. This removes that anxious or worried energy from the body and allows you to become a witness to the emotion instead.

·  Challenge your catastrophic thoughts

o   Is this (fill in the blank) a life-threatening situation?

o   Am I in immediate danger?

o   Is it true for me that I will not overcome this challenge or situation?

  Ground in to your body

o   Bring awareness to a space in your body that feels comfortable to you.

o   Close your eyes to bring awareness inward.

o   Visualize your feet standing firmly on the ground.

     Focus on the present

o   What is happening right now for me?

o   What is my next step in the immediate now?

o   Remember you only need to take one step at a time.

   Control

o   Realize what you CAN and CANNOT control.

o   I may NOT be able to control what is happening to me.

o   I may NOT be able to control what is happening around me.

o   But I CAN control how I respond, behave, release, cope.

    Here is what I can control (especially during this pandemic)

o   Hygiene

• Showering

• Grooming

o   Socializing

•   Via: Telephone, Video Chatting, E-mail, Regular mail (written letters)

•   Drive-by (STAYING IN YOUR CARS)

•   Birthday parades in decorated cars to celebrate and offer birthday wishes

•   Video games

o   Nutrition

•   Stay in your usual meal cycles

• Take the time to prepare non processed food.

o   Sleep cycle

• Go to bed at your usual time

• Wake up at your usual time

• Keep usual bedtime routines

o   Exercise

• Yoga

•   Walk

•  Run

• Hike

• Bike

• Treadmill

• Calisthenics

• Walk the dog

o   Monitoring the flow of your energy through:

• Meditation

•   Art

• Movement (Dancing)

•   Positive affirmations

• Positive thoughts and self-talk

•   Singing

•  Mindfulness

• Flow of intention

o   Breath

• Deep diaphragmatic breathing (Yogic 3-part breath)

• Box breathing (works well for beginners and children)

•   Both help stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system-

  the “off-switch” to the stress response.

What is Diaphragmatic Breathing (Three-part breath)?

It is deep breathing, consisting of lengthened inhalations and exhalations.

            The first part of the three-part breath:

              Inhale deep as if you are drawing breath into the belly

                                    Think Buddha belly

            The second part of the three-part breath:

(inhaling to fill the belly and continuing your inhale…)

So that you feel your side ribs expand

Think of an Accordion instrument

            The third part of the three-part breath:

               (breathe in to fill the bell and side ribs and continue your inhale…)

So that you feel your upper chest or collar bones lift gently

                                    Think of a lifting motion, but not of the shoulders~ only your chest

**If you are not a visualization person and would like to think of this breathing in terms of numbers, to can breathe into the belly for the count of 1,2 ~ the side ribs 3,4 ~ and chest 5,6. As you exhale the chest counts 1,2 ~ the side ribs remain 3,4 and the belly becomes 5,6.

It is important to note that you do not stop or pause inhalation between each step; it is one fluid inhalation and exhalation. This is a great breath to meditate with because by definition your concentration on breath and inward attention can be considered a meditative state. Focusing on the breath quiets the mind.

What is Box Breathing?

It is a series of inhalation, exhalations and holds. Its purpose is to help regulate the breathing.

•   Inhale to the count of four

•   Hold at the top of the inhale for the count of four

•   Exhale to the count of four

•   Hold at the bottom of the exhale for the count of four

• Repeat

Yoga and Coaching blog

Look what yoga can do for you!

If you can get this kind of stretching and opening results as dramatic as this from one Yoga class or private session, can you image the positive changes you could achieve from a regular practice?!

I keep saying that yoga is for every-body…. This is proof! My client got these results from after one class. She was absolutely amazed and couldn't wipe the grin off of her face when I showed her these pictures…. Which of course made me smile! This is what I do. I help you to remember your powerful self.

A bit about this pose: Gomukahsana or cow face pose is a fabulous pose for stretching and lengthening the thoracic spine, strengthening back muscles and toning triceps muscles. Additional benefits are opening up the axillae or armpit area where a lymph nodes reside. The student here is not utilizing the hip opener portion of this pose and is instead supported by a bolster. This helps to bring better attention to her specific needs and how this posture can help her with it.