Jan/Feb's Breath of Fresh Air from Akasha

Hi Everyone

I know it’s the beginning of February, but as this is your first Breath of Fresh Air in 2007, I want to start by wishing you a very Happy New Year.  I hope it will be one that is filled with good health, laughter and abundance for you and your loved ones.

Well the start of 2007 sees a change of environment for us as we prepare to move house after 16 years.  Even though we are actually only moving half a mile, everyone has been reminding me that moving house is meant to be very high on the stress list. 

(The list referred to is the Holmes and Rahre Social Readjustment Rating Scale, on which moving house ranks as 17.  However, when you add all the things that can also go along with moving house, ie change of job, change of schools, increased mortgage etc…. it propels it to around number 3.)   So as a safety precaution, I am revisiting and resurrecting all the stress management skills that I have taught over the past 20 years. 

What I am aware of too from recent articles in the press is that despite all the coverage given to the whole topic, stress levels and their resultant problems seem to be just as high as they were when I started facilitating programs in 1987.

Just a few weeks ago, I read about a young couple who have emigrated to New Zealand in the hope of a less stressful life.  Statistics are showing that in the last year the number of people putting in extra hours at work has risen from 8.6million to 9.5million, with more than 4 out of 10 (41%) workers admitting that they put more time and effort into their relationships with colleagues than they do with their partners.  No wonder the divorce courts are full.  Longer hours, less help and more pressure all take their toll and lead to impaired relationships, poor health and in many cases, depression.

In fact, Monday 22nd January was designated as BLUE MONDAY – officially the most depressing day of the year!   Which is why we were contacted by local BBC Radio, to go into the studios and not only explain but also demonstrate why laughter is so beneficial for lifting mood and busting stress. 

The three presenters all enjoyed themselves enormously, as did a number of people who sent emails telling us how they had also had a really good laugh on their way to work.    The momentum continued the next day when BBC South came to film our 3 hour Laughter Event in Oxford for local businessmen and women.  In fact the video journalist laughed so much that the finished product had camera shake in places!

So if you’d like to see just why laughter is so powerful for physical, emotional and mental wellbeing, have a look at all the benefits listed on our Laughter School website. Here’s the link:
http://www.thelaughterschool.com/The_Business_Case_for_Laughter_Training.html

Perhaps you might even be tempted to join us at our next 3 hour Laughter Event in Oxford on Saturday 10th March or Swindon on Saturday 28th April……..so that you can also learn how to Live Life Laughing!  Full details at http://www.thelaughterschool.com/Open_events.html

Before moving on to this month’s feature, I wanted also to add a quick follow on from what I wrote in the October feature “Visualise to Materialise”.  Having the Oxford Laughter Event video’d was a visualisation that looked like it might not materialise as costs were prohibitive.  However, I held the intention that something would emerge and it did in three forms….the BBC, The Oxford Mail and a very generous colleague, Vince Knight! (www.anotherchancenlp.co.uk).  All going to show how important it is to keep believing that things can happen even when it is totally unclear as to how!

PS:  You can view the Oxford Mail video coverage from Wednesday 7th February at www.oxfordmail.net/index.php.   Click on Video News and then the feature.

Feature:  Half Empty, Half Full........continued

In case you missed last month’s newsletter or you are a new subscriber, you can read all previous issues at our newsletter archive http://www.empoweringpartnership.com/newsletter/archive/default.aspx.  (This is where you can also read it in full, glorious colour – if you only usually get the text version.)

What I was addressing in last month’s feature was whether you are an “optimist or a pessimist”.  I also said that this month, I would give you a short exercise that will demonstrate the inner impact of living from either half empty or half full.  So here it is.

Now silently and steadily repeat the word HATE to yourself about 8 times…and then open your eyes.

Consider what you noticed as you repeated it.  Did you feel comfortable?  Did your heart beat a bit faster?  Were you a bit fidgety?  Did your chest or stomach feel a bit tighter?

Now let that word do and close your eyes again.  Take a few deep breaths and this time the word to repeat silently and steadily about 8 times is LOVE.

What did you notice this time?  Was it a pleasant sensation?  Did it give you a warm glow?  Did you feel more comfortable and open?  Did it perhaps make you smile or maybe feel tearful?

Consider the differences between your feelings about each word.

Your physical health is likely to suffer long term because the body doesn’t know the difference between fact or fiction and constant negative thinking will lead it to believe that there is a major problem that needs fighting – and believe me, the cocktail of chemicals it uses are not want you want to have swimming around in your system for any length of time!   So the more you think about the positives of life, the better you’ll feel – physically, emotionally and mentally. 

I’ll say more about this in the next Breath of Fresh Air.

(NB: The above exercise is just one of 32 that can be found in my book “How to do Life – powerful pointers for powerful living”.  Full details at: http://www.empoweringpartnership.com/book/default.aspx )

Because we like them……

We decided that each month we would include a few links to other sites, either because we know the people concerned and think they are great or we were inspired by the site and wanted to share it with you. By the way, these are not affiliate links and no money is received for including them.

http://www.blissfulmusic.com/
Lucinda Drayton has one of the most beautifully haunting voices I have ever heard.  The music and lyrics that she and Andrew Blissett create are truly divine.

http://www.cygnus-books.co.uk/
Cygnus Books select the best mind body spirit books from the 100’s published every month, and make them available to you at reduced prices, so you can feed your soul….without burning a hole in your pocket!  This month’s selection includes tributes to the visionary, Eileen Caddy, founder of The Findhorn Foundation, 
http://www.findhorn.org/home_new.php

Really useful information….

Martin's Money Tips - Cheapest Calls

This link will take you to the page on Martin’s Money Savers that tells you how you can get the best deals for calling abroad.  It includes the FREE International Call Checker which lists the cheapest provider for each country and is updated daily.  I used this recently to call Canada…..and it cost me just 0.1p per minute.

If you have some really useful information that you’d like us to share with other readers in the forthcoming issues, email me at
akasha.lonsdale@empoweringpartnership.com
and of course, we’ll attribute the information to you.

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****DATES FOR YOUR DIARY****

THE NEXT 3 HOUR MIND-SHIFTING LAUGHTER EVENTS ARE:

OXFORD:  SATURDAY 10TH MARCH, 10.30am - 1.30pm

SWINDON: SATURDAY 28TH APRIL, 9.30am - 12.30pm 

Meantime, to see details of our life changing programs and other services, visit  www.empoweringpartnership.com  and for our laughter events www.thelaughterschool.com

Until next time, live with passion and on purpose

Akasha

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