Brain fog blocks our ability to think clearly.  The fog is especially thick when accompanied by anxiety and intense emotions.  Emotions are a strong force that impedes logical thought processes and problem solving abilities.  How do we maintain a clarity in the presence of strong emotions.  The answer is with mindfulness.

Bring yourself to the moment with your breath.  Focus on each inhale and exhale as you relax and allow brain fog to dissipate.  The key word here is ‘allow’.  This involves letting go of all thoughts and attachment to the turmoil you are experiencing in your mind and rest in the reality of the moment.  The reality involves your body’s senses, your breath and the physical environment just as it is, without interpretations.

Tune in fully to the moment and what is.  Focus on grounding yourself in this moment and like debris settling in water, the chaos of your mind will gradually settle to renewed clarity.  When this happens, rest in this clear and easy space  you have created for yourself.  Take a few deep breaths to further relax yourself and as you do this, solutions will rise within like bubbles rising to the surface.  Clarity awaits in moments of intense emotions, when you practice mindfulness.

Mind Master is pleased to present its newest program, a 3 part series entitled G.L.A.D., the remedy for S.A.D.  GLAD is an acronym that reveals 4 proven effective strategies for dealing with SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder.  SAD is a type of depression that affects many people who live in northern countries like Canada, where significant changes in daylight hours dramatically impacts quality of life for many.

According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, Seasonal Affective Disorder affects 3% of the population at some time in their life.  SAD generally occurs between September/October and April/May of each year.  Many people in Metro Vancouver experience six months or more of decreased energy and low moods.  What can one do to ward off the effects of SAD and minimize its impact?

Join insightful conversations in this participant-centred, dialogue driven series where you will discover keys to overcoming SAD and becoming more resilient in winter months.  More than just strategies for releasing negativity and embracing positive thinking, this program covers proper diagnosis, various types of treatment and available resources in the area.  Embrace a mindful approach as you assess your strengths and create personally effective goals that are realistic and achievable.  Treat yourself to the true gift of lasting Joy this season.  Sign up for all 3 sessions at the special price of $99+GST or choose one session for $40+GST.

Session #1 opens your mind to possibilities with enhanced awareness of your situation and strategies for releasing negative thought patterns and beliefs that keep you in a depressed state.  This session takes place on Tuesday, November 19 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm at Douglas College, David Lam Campus, 1250 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam, in Room C1004.  Register now!

Session #2 teaches mindfulness with techniques for generating greater peace of mind, compassion and better choices for enhanced quality of life.  This session takes place on Tuesday, November 26 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm at Douglas College, David Lam Campus, 1250 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam, in Room C1004.  Register now!

Session #3 promotes authentic alignment with techniques for drawing out natural strengths, talents and positive energy in life.  This session takes place on Tuesday, December 3 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm at Douglas College, David Lam Campus, 1250 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam, in Room D1020.  Register now!

ALTERNATE OPTIONS:

Join an afternoon discussion at Glen Pine Pavilion on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.  This session covers essential habits for warding off Seasonal Affective Disorder.  Register on-line at coquitlam.ca/registration, by phone 604-927-4386 or in person at 1200 Glen Pine Court, Coquitlam.

Create your own discussion group with 4 or more friends at a local coffee shop.  Click on S.M.A.R.T. Cafe to register.

Fog hinders our ability to see clearly while brain fog impacts our ability to think clearly.  Clarity is a much desired state that allows us to move ahead with comfort.  Without clarity, we may wander aimlessly, lost in a fog.  Everyone experiences brain fog at some time in their life.  What can you do to achieve clarity when brain fog seeps in?

For the next few weeks, I will offer strategies for overcoming brain fog in a timely way.  Similar to an autumn road trip where you pass through areas of dense grey fog, you will eventually come to blue skies when you have driven far enough.  Your journey to clarity is a process that requires forward momentum.  This is the single most important step to moving beyond brain fog.  Choose one thing that you can do and act upon it.  Be confident that every act you take will bring you one step closer to the clarity you desire.

The first strategy to get yourself out of brain fog is to check your stress levels.  Are you managing your daily stressors or have they accumulated to overwhelming proportions?  It may be time for you to step back and re-evaluate your priorities once again.  Have you taken on too much and if so, which tasks can you delegate, delay or dismiss.  Revisit your values and re-assess what is most important to you.  Commit to only those that meet your highest values and relieve yourself from the rest.  Limit your load and clarity will surely return!

Your beliefs create your reality.  If you believe you are strong and capable, it is likely you will take more risks in life.  If you believe you will not fail, it is likely that you will persevere until you meet success.  If you believe there is great danger in our world, chances are you will guard yourself and take precaution with the many perceived risks.  Whatever you believe will be your reality.

Believe in greatness and possibilities.  Believe that you have untapped potential.  Live life beyond your current place of knowledge and understanding.  The world awaits your discovery.  If you seek growth and wish to improve your circumstances, the answer lies beyond your current level of thinking.  Look up and beyond.  Believe that there is so much more to life than what you have experienced to date.  Aim high and at the very least, you will land among the stars!

Are you ready for Aging Brilliantly?  Aging Brilliantly: Mindful Wellness takes place next Tuesday, October 15 from 7:00 – 8:30 pm at the Gallery Bistro, 2411 Clarke Street, Port Moody.  There are still seats available for this fun and adventuresome workshop where you will journey towards great clarity and embracing conscious wellness for years to come!

Aging is similar to a road trip with unexpected speed bumps, surprising detours and new destinations.  Do you have the essentials for a positively rewarding journey?  Do you know what they are?  To give you a clue, they involve a healthy mindset, the ‘right’ attitude, healthy habits and inspiring plans.  Of course, compatible companions are the icing on the cake!

Whether you choose to venture alone and enjoy a variety of friendships along the way or journey alongside a partner and a few good friends, designing a future of optimal wellness requires mindful intention and commitment to your best life possible!  No two paths are identical.  Create your path to future wellness by attending the Aging Brilliantly workshop.  The best is yet to come!  Are you ready?

For many, the onset of Fall with shorter daylight hours and cooler temperatures brings a change in moods.  Grey skies and rainy wet weather can dampen our enthusiasm for life if we allow.  Bring awareness to resisting the winter blues by reaching reach deeply into the bag of self-nurturing strategies.

View Fall as a time for replenishing your inner sources.  Just as the earth requires rainfall for sustaining plant life, humans require time and space to fortify mental reservoirs.  A good place to start is with a gratitude journal.  If you have not already done so, write down each morning 10 things you are grateful for.  This is a wonderful way to start each day and an extremely powerful tool for maintaining a positive attitude in life.

Commit to at least one self-nurturing activity each day.  Everyone has their favourites and if you are prone to the winter blues, this is the time to really indulge yourself.  Schedule time for meditation, time for friends, time for a leisurely bath and time to cozy up by a fireplace and read an inspiring book.  Treat yourself to a new adventure and engage your senses in the wonders of Fall.  Revel in the scent of a freshly showered world, observe glistening foliage, and feel the cool droplets of rain water on your skin.  Take control of your happiness and vow to remain engaged in life.  Joy comes in the most unexpected places!

Are your thoughts constructive or destructive?  If they are constructive, they are positive, inspire growth and energize your day.  Conversely, if they are destructive, they are negative, limit your potential and dampen your enthusiasm in life.  Destructive thoughts are like a silent disease that dulls ones’ experiences and distorts perspectives.  Take action against destructive thinking to construct the life you desire!

Destructive thoughts and negative thinking are born from a state of doubt: doubt from within and doubt from others.  Fear, worry and anxiety are the result of negativity, creating dark shadows all around.  Cast a light on doubt and shine loving-kindness on worries and fears.  Construct a world that supports you and brings out the best in you.  Embrace the habit of positive thinking to live your life beyond the shadow of a doubt!

Confusion comes from the state of being overwhelmed.  Too much information, too much stimulation, and too little processing time all create havoc in the mind.  It is like the perfect storm with all the predictable hazards only visible to the most alert observer: the mindful witness.

What is mindfulness?  Mindfulness is more than just everyday awareness where your mind is focused on the task at hand and doing it well.  Mindfulness involves a deeper state of awareness that includes the subtleties in and around you.  Noticing that knot in your stomach, growing tension in your head and loss of focus are all a part of mindfulness within.  The changing scenery, events and conversations outside of you are also a part of mindfulness.

Mindfulness is the remedy for confusion.  When you are feeling confused, step back from where you are and take a deep breath.  Notice your feelings and do not judge or resist them but simply acknowledge them.  Then create space for positive change.  Change can only happen in the moment.  Relax your mind and make space for clarity.  Mindfulness is the key.  

Depression is like the common cold.  Just as it comes, it goes away in its own time.  The severity and duration vary according to individual personalities, beliefs, circumstances and choice of remedy.  Embrace love and compassion for yourself when depressed feelings visit.  Nurture yourself as you would any young child.  Take control of what you can and commit to healthy choices that move you forward to a place of hope and engaged living once again.

Healthy choices involve the basics of self-care such as a balanced diet, regular exercise, adequate sleep and effective stress management.  Supportive relationships are worth their weight in gold at this time.  Depending on how stuck you feel, you may also want to confide in a professional that you trust and respect or try a new one that feels right for you.

Beware of poor choices that do not feel right, that are not uplifting or offer only short-term relief.  Excess eating, drinking, and indulging in other distractions only mask the situation temporarily.  Lapsing into old coping styles are not the solution.  The remedy lies beyond your current way of living.  If you observe yourself cycling in and out of depression repeatedly over the years, it is time to change your approach to life.  Long term solutions require growth and the courage to stretch yourself beyond your place in life.  Embrace new habits that serve you better and your reward will be a lighter and brighter future.  Hope and vitality are just around the corner.  Take a look!

“Let depression be your alarm, compassion your teacher.” – Wise Sister Fay

Mind Master is pleased to present its second annual charity workshop: Aging Brilliantly: Mindful Wellness.  This workshop is delightfully entertaining and highly engaging, assimilating a road trip and journey of ultimate discovery.  Join stimulating conversations and learn the keys to developing conscious wellness, maintaining a sharp mind and enhancing quality of life for years to come!  Opportunities to assess your current coping styles, visualize hopes and brainstorm possibilities are abundant.  Hear stories of inspiring elders and create your very own personal plan for aging brilliantly!

This workshop is specially priced at $25, including tax, and will be held at the beautifully renovated Gallery Bistro, located at 2411 Clarke Street, Port Moody on Tuesday, October 15, 2013 from 7 – 8:30 pm.  100% proceeds will go to the Alzheimer Society of BC.  The Alzheimer Society is a leading national non-profit health organization dedicated to helping people affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Register today to help others have hope for tomorrow and treat yourself to brilliant aging!  Click here to register.