Only in Malibu California can you sit at a local bar and share a grilled cheeses sandwich with four strangers. Travel forty minutes outside of Westwood/Beverly Hills area and you enter a very different world – Malibu California. It’s not all surf, bikinis and beautiful people. It’s so much more.
Last Sunday we went to Malibu for brunch at a funky place called the Old Place. It’s a bit of a hole in the wall but with a lot of character and charm. It’s located off the beaten path in a rural area. It’s a local hangout with a reputation. We read about it in the Los Angeles Magazine so thought we would give it a try since the food sounded good and the ambience sounded like fun.
We pulled into the driveway and entered the tavern through an open door that stepped right into what looked like an old time saloon. There were only four tables – all occupied and a long community bar. We took two seats near the end of the bar. Soon another couple sat next to us and then another couple next to them. Everyone was friendly, smiling, chatting and having fun.
We ordered the special cinnamon rolls which are absolutely wonderful! Then we followed it with a frittata that was enormous and equally as good. Everyone was drinking mimosas which consisted of a 16ounce glass filled ¾ with Champaign and ¼ orange juice. Let’s just say that at noon on a Sunday everyone was in good spirits!
The couple next to us ordered the French toast and a grilled cheese sandwich on sourdough bread that looked delicious. It was lightly grilled in truffle oil with three kinds of cheese melted and gooey inside. The woman next to the couple asked if the sandwich was good. The woman told her it was to die for and offered her a bite since it was far more than she could eat. So the woman next to her took a couple of bites and moaned with delight. Her boyfriend then took a bite and shook his head and licked his lips. They then passed the half eated sandwich to us and we each took a bite and then returned it to its rightful owner. Three couples all strangers sharing a grilled cheese sandwich while drinking mimosas at a bar on a Sunday afternoon. Only in Malibu!
If you live near Malibu try the Old Place. The food is great and it’s a fun place to meet people and if you’re lucky share a grilled cheese sandwich with perfect strangers. Look up Old Place Malibu on the internet for directions, times and menu.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
A Successful Life – Time to myself
I’m a busy person. Seems these days we’re all very busy doing a lot of “stuff”. Taking time for you to do nothing is a luxury for me. With a busy schedule, children and a husband I often get lost in the fray. That’s when I know it is time to do nothing but reconnect with myself.
Some people are afraid to be alone with themselves. They feel lost and disconnected. For me time alone is a pleasure especially when I can do as I please which often times would be quite boring to another person. Ever wonder what people like to do when they’re alone?
I like to listen to music and dance around the house or clean my closet, organize my clothes or take a long hot bath. Shopping on line is fun but it can get you into trouble!
I’ve always liked my space; meaning I have never minded being alone. I am one of two children. My sibling is a brother so I always had my own room and my own space as a child. I grew up in a very rural area so I had plenty of time to wonder along the seashore or through the woods by myself. I have always appreciated the sounds of nature and the solitude of being one with the world.
But at the same time I love to talk with friends and socialize. Given the choice I would become a recluse. Why? Because sometimes it’s nice to not have to talk or entertain anyone. Sometimes it’s nice to just be alone with your thoughts.
Yoga has taught me many things over the many years I have taught. One of the things it has taught me is that time to yourself, to get in touch with myself is good for the body, the mind and the soul. It’s hard to hear the voice within when we are constantly being bombarded with noise.
I always start my yoga classes with a few moments to get quiet and reconnect with the inner self. And I likewise I end the class with a few moments of reconnection. Hopefully the moments of quietude resonate within and remind others that a few moments given to you is sometimes all it takes to gather the energy to give more to others.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Some people are afraid to be alone with themselves. They feel lost and disconnected. For me time alone is a pleasure especially when I can do as I please which often times would be quite boring to another person. Ever wonder what people like to do when they’re alone?
I like to listen to music and dance around the house or clean my closet, organize my clothes or take a long hot bath. Shopping on line is fun but it can get you into trouble!
I’ve always liked my space; meaning I have never minded being alone. I am one of two children. My sibling is a brother so I always had my own room and my own space as a child. I grew up in a very rural area so I had plenty of time to wonder along the seashore or through the woods by myself. I have always appreciated the sounds of nature and the solitude of being one with the world.
But at the same time I love to talk with friends and socialize. Given the choice I would become a recluse. Why? Because sometimes it’s nice to not have to talk or entertain anyone. Sometimes it’s nice to just be alone with your thoughts.
Yoga has taught me many things over the many years I have taught. One of the things it has taught me is that time to yourself, to get in touch with myself is good for the body, the mind and the soul. It’s hard to hear the voice within when we are constantly being bombarded with noise.
I always start my yoga classes with a few moments to get quiet and reconnect with the inner self. And I likewise I end the class with a few moments of reconnection. Hopefully the moments of quietude resonate within and remind others that a few moments given to you is sometimes all it takes to gather the energy to give more to others.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Monday, December 13, 2010
A Successful Life A Spa Treatment
What a luxury to treat yourself to a spa treatment. Mine was a facial and a body scrub. I feel very clean and soft! It was nice. I’ve had better. I went because I got coupon for half off and could not pass up a 50% off deal. Would I go back? May-be for 50% but not for full price. Why? The spa lacked the luxury of a spa that charges the rate.
When I traveled around the country and lectured on aromatherapy I visit many different spas and retreats. I was often times compt a treatment. I’ve been in some very nice spas with excellent treatments. So I am a bit bias.
The Egyptians are considered the inventors of western cosmetology or beauty treatments. They created beauty treatments such as scrubs and massages that have endured to the present day. The Greeks considered spas to be very therapeutic and healing. Many ancient cultures have accounts of using spa type treatments as healing aides. So although we often think of spa treatments as a luxury they can in fact help to relieve stress, stimulate circulation and release toxins which all good for the body, the mind and the soul.
May-be sometimes we get health and luxury mixed up. Especially in the United States. May-be it is not a luxury to take care of yourself, to relax, to play and to take time off. May-be a trip to the spa every once in a while will calm frazzled nerves. May-be it will change my state of being?
I had a sugar scrub. I wonder if it has made me sweeter.
Doctor Lynn
http:/www.doctorlynn.com
When I traveled around the country and lectured on aromatherapy I visit many different spas and retreats. I was often times compt a treatment. I’ve been in some very nice spas with excellent treatments. So I am a bit bias.
The Egyptians are considered the inventors of western cosmetology or beauty treatments. They created beauty treatments such as scrubs and massages that have endured to the present day. The Greeks considered spas to be very therapeutic and healing. Many ancient cultures have accounts of using spa type treatments as healing aides. So although we often think of spa treatments as a luxury they can in fact help to relieve stress, stimulate circulation and release toxins which all good for the body, the mind and the soul.
May-be sometimes we get health and luxury mixed up. Especially in the United States. May-be it is not a luxury to take care of yourself, to relax, to play and to take time off. May-be a trip to the spa every once in a while will calm frazzled nerves. May-be it will change my state of being?
I had a sugar scrub. I wonder if it has made me sweeter.
Doctor Lynn
http:/www.doctorlynn.com
Friday, December 10, 2010
A Successful Life – Doing what matters to you
Ever done something simple like clean your closet and feel really good at the end of the process? It’s a feeling of accomplishment and that is a feeling of success. When you get to do something that matters (to you) life takes on a happy glow. We all like to have time to do the things that matter to us even if they are simple things that in the big scheme of things mean nothing at all.
Yesterday I wanted to get my Skype up and running. I’ve had it connected for over a year and never used it. I decide it was time for me to make it work. It mattered to me that I accomplish this goal. So I took the time and set it up. I feel successful even though this is such a minor feat. The reason I feel successful is that I wanted to do it and I did it. I was proud of myself especially given the fact that most of my life I have been a “technofobe.” Suddenly I willing to test the boundaries and grow beyond my comfort zone.
Getting stuck and losing sight tend to make most people feel sad and unproductive. That is why learning something new gives us a sudden burst of energy. We are challenged and the challenge stirs emotion and the emotion stirs hormones and peptides and suddenly the body-mind is firing away with energy and enthusiasm.
If you want to lift yourself up – do something that matters to you, as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone and don’t worry about what anyone else thinks, says or does.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Yesterday I wanted to get my Skype up and running. I’ve had it connected for over a year and never used it. I decide it was time for me to make it work. It mattered to me that I accomplish this goal. So I took the time and set it up. I feel successful even though this is such a minor feat. The reason I feel successful is that I wanted to do it and I did it. I was proud of myself especially given the fact that most of my life I have been a “technofobe.” Suddenly I willing to test the boundaries and grow beyond my comfort zone.
Getting stuck and losing sight tend to make most people feel sad and unproductive. That is why learning something new gives us a sudden burst of energy. We are challenged and the challenge stirs emotion and the emotion stirs hormones and peptides and suddenly the body-mind is firing away with energy and enthusiasm.
If you want to lift yourself up – do something that matters to you, as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone and don’t worry about what anyone else thinks, says or does.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Thursday, December 09, 2010
A Successful Life Staying Balanced
Last night I did not sleep well. Perhaps you’ve had nights where the nature of your work or the problems in your family keeps you tossing and turning. You think of things you need to do, things you should have done and mistakes you have made. It’s hard to let go of problems especially when the night is quiet and you are trying to sleep.
I usually sleep very well. I love to sleep;the more the better. It’s not that I didn’t sleep. It’s that my sleep was light and a bit fitful so I woke up feeling tired. I’m teaching yoga this morning. That will bring me back into balance.
Balance is found in quietude. It takes simultaneously stillness and focus to reach a state of balance. When moving into a balancing pose one must be still but also focus the body and the mind on one spot, one position and one breath, to find both physical and mental balance. It only happens for a moment and then suddenly we change poses and the process begins again. And isn’t that life?
As soon as we find a state of inner balance life challenges us with change. Change is a constant and something we must continually confront in an attempt to maintain balance and stability in our lives. That is why it is best to seek balance in all things and in all things find balance.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
I usually sleep very well. I love to sleep;the more the better. It’s not that I didn’t sleep. It’s that my sleep was light and a bit fitful so I woke up feeling tired. I’m teaching yoga this morning. That will bring me back into balance.
Balance is found in quietude. It takes simultaneously stillness and focus to reach a state of balance. When moving into a balancing pose one must be still but also focus the body and the mind on one spot, one position and one breath, to find both physical and mental balance. It only happens for a moment and then suddenly we change poses and the process begins again. And isn’t that life?
As soon as we find a state of inner balance life challenges us with change. Change is a constant and something we must continually confront in an attempt to maintain balance and stability in our lives. That is why it is best to seek balance in all things and in all things find balance.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
A Successful Life Music for Stress
Are you spending big bucks to chill out at a spa? A study reported in Depression and Anxiety found that patients who spent time relaxing using deep breathing and listening to soothing music reduced stress and anxiety by 50 percent.
Relaxation and meditation have long been used as simple and effective tools for reaching altered states of being. Simply relaxing for fifteen minutes a day every day can reduce stress, anxiety and produce long lasting changes in your levels of pleasure producing neurochemicals. If you have a daily session for two weeks, you may undergo a “threshold effect” in which you go through dramatic and long lasting personality changes.
Don’t have fifteen minutes to spare? I bet you can find five minutes a day to relax. Download my relaxation meditation video complete with five minutes of soothing music. Just five minutes a day through a guided meditation will give you long lasting and significant changes in the energy of your body and your mind.
Go to my website where you can download the guided meditation video or download the fifteen minutes of soothing guitar music; listen, relax and focus on releasing your stress and anxiety.
There are many things we can do to relieve stress and anxiety. Taking a long walk, laughing with friends, doing yoga and simply sitting quietly breathing deep and listening to soft and soothing music are natural and healthy things that have been proven to reduce stress and anxiety.
Music or sound vibrations are great natural health tools that resonate with the body-mind bringing balance, peace and serenity. Just give it a try and observe what happens to your body and your mind.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Relaxation and meditation have long been used as simple and effective tools for reaching altered states of being. Simply relaxing for fifteen minutes a day every day can reduce stress, anxiety and produce long lasting changes in your levels of pleasure producing neurochemicals. If you have a daily session for two weeks, you may undergo a “threshold effect” in which you go through dramatic and long lasting personality changes.
Don’t have fifteen minutes to spare? I bet you can find five minutes a day to relax. Download my relaxation meditation video complete with five minutes of soothing music. Just five minutes a day through a guided meditation will give you long lasting and significant changes in the energy of your body and your mind.
Go to my website where you can download the guided meditation video or download the fifteen minutes of soothing guitar music; listen, relax and focus on releasing your stress and anxiety.
There are many things we can do to relieve stress and anxiety. Taking a long walk, laughing with friends, doing yoga and simply sitting quietly breathing deep and listening to soft and soothing music are natural and healthy things that have been proven to reduce stress and anxiety.
Music or sound vibrations are great natural health tools that resonate with the body-mind bringing balance, peace and serenity. Just give it a try and observe what happens to your body and your mind.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
A Successful Life A Monday Morning Workout
Every Monday morning at 6 AM the alarm sounds. It’s time to get up and go teach my 7AM cycle class. It’s cold, dark and I am not awake. Every Monday morning, I think to myself; why am I doing this? But nevertheless I get dressed and head for the gym.
It’s a small class but a dedicated class. About an average of ten people all trying to get their workout in before they start their day and their week. Everyone is quiet. It takes me about fifteen minutes to wake them up and get them going.
At the end of the class everyone waves good-bye and nods and thank you to me. We all feel good. We all feel strong and ready to begin another week of work, play and life. It is the moment at the end of the class when everyone is smiling, awake and feeling good that I realize the reason I get up and teach this class is because feeling good with a smile on your face is the best way to start the week. It takes discipline to get up early and go to an exercise class. I’ve always noticed that those who implement a little self discipline into their lives seem to be happier people. Happier people create a successful life. That’s why I do it!
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
It’s a small class but a dedicated class. About an average of ten people all trying to get their workout in before they start their day and their week. Everyone is quiet. It takes me about fifteen minutes to wake them up and get them going.
At the end of the class everyone waves good-bye and nods and thank you to me. We all feel good. We all feel strong and ready to begin another week of work, play and life. It is the moment at the end of the class when everyone is smiling, awake and feeling good that I realize the reason I get up and teach this class is because feeling good with a smile on your face is the best way to start the week. It takes discipline to get up early and go to an exercise class. I’ve always noticed that those who implement a little self discipline into their lives seem to be happier people. Happier people create a successful life. That’s why I do it!
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Monday, December 06, 2010
A Successful Life – to discover your passion
What is passion? It means to have a very strong feeling or emotion about a person or a thing. It is the one thing all of us desire to experience. Everyone wants to find their passion and express it in a meaningful way.
I found my passion quite early on in my life but could not find the means of expression that would bring about monetary gains. Like many people I equated success with the accumulation of money while doing something you truly loved. I have since discovered that love or passion and money don’t always go hand in hand. In fact sometimes it is the drive for money that kills the passion of the soul.
If a person should make money while doing the things that passionately fulfills them they will seldom say they did it for the money. It is done for the love of doing and the rest follows.
Sometimes we fear passion because it does not conform to the standards of society. It puts us outside the misconstrued constructs of what society deems “normal”. I believe this is at the basis of all mental and physical maladies.
How do you know you have found your passion? It’s the expression of something that transcends all time and space. When you are expressing it or feeling it time and space disappear and you slip into that place known as the zone or as the Zen master’s put it – the moment.
Science has studied this state of being and has found that the chemistry of the body and more specifically the brain changes when in a total state of passionate expression. It is a high that most people would return to over and over again. But you cannot get there without a little effort. It takes awareness and focus to bring about starts of creativity and passion.
Just as the physical fitness revolution of the last several decades has proven that the human body needs stimulation, challenge and exercise to stay healthy, there is now a wealth of brain research proving that the brain like the body also needs stimulation and challenge to work optimally. By exercising the brain we can actually strengthen it.
One of the ways to exercise the brain is through meditation. To reach a state of meditation one must reach a brain wave state that allows for a deep relaxation without sleeping. The brain works on four brain waves; beta with alertness, arousal and concentration; alpha with relaxation; theta with creativity, memory, integrative experiences and healing; and delta with sleeping, profound rest and releasing growth hormone. Meditation takes us to the theta state.
A series of studies involving skill Zen monks found that when they went into deep meditative states they did go into an alpha state but the most skilled meditators went into a theta state. Studies conducted on other individuals showed that when subjects were taught to reach a theta state they had life altering experiences. They fell in love, discovered new talents, decide to change jobs and to strikeout in new and more interesting directions. The test showed that these individuals became more psychologically and physically healthier. Could it be that theta is the gateway to discovering passion and discovering your passion makes for a healthier and happier person?
Studies also showed that lovers who could reach the same relaxed brainwave state of mind were more likely to experience a deeper and more fulfilling sexual experience. Sex books are constantly telling us to pay attention to our partner. Perhaps by sharing brain wave states we can really get in touch.
Followers of tantric yoga believe that the universe was creates when the Hindu gods, Shiva and Shakti united sexually and spiritually. In a tantric text Shiva says to Shakti;
You, O Shakti, you are my true self; There is no difference between you and me.
Relaxation and meditation have long been used as simple and effective tools for reaching altered states of being. Simply relaxing for fifteen minutes a day every day can reduce stress, anxiety and produce long lasting changes in your levels of pleasure producing neurochemicals. If you have a daily session for two weeks, you may undergo a “threshold effect” in which you go through dramatic and long lasting personality changes.
Music and color/light therapy have been used as tools to help us reach a state of relaxation. The mind needs something to focus on and when we give it soft sounds and mesmerizing colors and designs it releases itself from it’s every day grip and slips into a deep and relaxing state.
I created my meditation DVD, which combines 15 minutes of soothing music. It takes fifteen minutes daily to create the effect. Sit quietly listen and observe. Go to my website where you can download Meditation for the Body, Mind and Soul, http://www.doctorlynn.com use it as a nice backdrop of music for holiday gatherings.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
I found my passion quite early on in my life but could not find the means of expression that would bring about monetary gains. Like many people I equated success with the accumulation of money while doing something you truly loved. I have since discovered that love or passion and money don’t always go hand in hand. In fact sometimes it is the drive for money that kills the passion of the soul.
If a person should make money while doing the things that passionately fulfills them they will seldom say they did it for the money. It is done for the love of doing and the rest follows.
Sometimes we fear passion because it does not conform to the standards of society. It puts us outside the misconstrued constructs of what society deems “normal”. I believe this is at the basis of all mental and physical maladies.
How do you know you have found your passion? It’s the expression of something that transcends all time and space. When you are expressing it or feeling it time and space disappear and you slip into that place known as the zone or as the Zen master’s put it – the moment.
Science has studied this state of being and has found that the chemistry of the body and more specifically the brain changes when in a total state of passionate expression. It is a high that most people would return to over and over again. But you cannot get there without a little effort. It takes awareness and focus to bring about starts of creativity and passion.
Just as the physical fitness revolution of the last several decades has proven that the human body needs stimulation, challenge and exercise to stay healthy, there is now a wealth of brain research proving that the brain like the body also needs stimulation and challenge to work optimally. By exercising the brain we can actually strengthen it.
One of the ways to exercise the brain is through meditation. To reach a state of meditation one must reach a brain wave state that allows for a deep relaxation without sleeping. The brain works on four brain waves; beta with alertness, arousal and concentration; alpha with relaxation; theta with creativity, memory, integrative experiences and healing; and delta with sleeping, profound rest and releasing growth hormone. Meditation takes us to the theta state.
A series of studies involving skill Zen monks found that when they went into deep meditative states they did go into an alpha state but the most skilled meditators went into a theta state. Studies conducted on other individuals showed that when subjects were taught to reach a theta state they had life altering experiences. They fell in love, discovered new talents, decide to change jobs and to strikeout in new and more interesting directions. The test showed that these individuals became more psychologically and physically healthier. Could it be that theta is the gateway to discovering passion and discovering your passion makes for a healthier and happier person?
Studies also showed that lovers who could reach the same relaxed brainwave state of mind were more likely to experience a deeper and more fulfilling sexual experience. Sex books are constantly telling us to pay attention to our partner. Perhaps by sharing brain wave states we can really get in touch.
Followers of tantric yoga believe that the universe was creates when the Hindu gods, Shiva and Shakti united sexually and spiritually. In a tantric text Shiva says to Shakti;
You, O Shakti, you are my true self; There is no difference between you and me.
Relaxation and meditation have long been used as simple and effective tools for reaching altered states of being. Simply relaxing for fifteen minutes a day every day can reduce stress, anxiety and produce long lasting changes in your levels of pleasure producing neurochemicals. If you have a daily session for two weeks, you may undergo a “threshold effect” in which you go through dramatic and long lasting personality changes.
Music and color/light therapy have been used as tools to help us reach a state of relaxation. The mind needs something to focus on and when we give it soft sounds and mesmerizing colors and designs it releases itself from it’s every day grip and slips into a deep and relaxing state.
I created my meditation DVD, which combines 15 minutes of soothing music. It takes fifteen minutes daily to create the effect. Sit quietly listen and observe. Go to my website where you can download Meditation for the Body, Mind and Soul, http://www.doctorlynn.com use it as a nice backdrop of music for holiday gatherings.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Friday, December 03, 2010
A Successful Life A Problem turns into a Gift
Several weeks ago I ordered a product from a company and elected to have it home delivered through a service that promoted itself as being associated with the company. The product never arrived. When I tried to get a response the delivery company ignored me. So I emailed the manufacturer direct and told them the problem. Seems they did not know that the delivery company was offering to deliver the product and in fact had not given them permission to promote it as such. I had uncovered a glitch on their website.
I love their product and it is hard to find in the stores because they are a new company. So I asked if I could now order some product. They offered to send me some for free as a thank you for helping them. I had originally ordered about 6 bottles. They delivered me four cases of different flavors for me to try. They want me to be an ambassador for the product. That’s easy because I really like it and it’s a good product.
So we are going to meet next week. The problem turned into a gift for me and a voice for them. The local delivery company did not even have the common courtesy to return my email and try to fix the problem. I don’t want to bash them but if you ever see Dr Soda…don’t opt for delivery!
Now the product I will disclose in my newsletter next month. It’s free and only comes once a month through your email. I promote from time to time great health and fitness products as well as health tips and yoga moments (taking a few moments to reflect on life). Just go to http://www.doctorlynn.com and sign up for the newsletter. Don’t worry your email is safe. I respect your privacy ad safety.
If you have anything you’d like to send me info@doctorlynn.com ( if I like the product I’ll promote it)
So you see a problem sometimes can find a solution that comes in the form of a gift. And if you are lucky it benefits not only you but helps a fledgling as well. That is success; getting a gift while helping another succeed!
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
I love their product and it is hard to find in the stores because they are a new company. So I asked if I could now order some product. They offered to send me some for free as a thank you for helping them. I had originally ordered about 6 bottles. They delivered me four cases of different flavors for me to try. They want me to be an ambassador for the product. That’s easy because I really like it and it’s a good product.
So we are going to meet next week. The problem turned into a gift for me and a voice for them. The local delivery company did not even have the common courtesy to return my email and try to fix the problem. I don’t want to bash them but if you ever see Dr Soda…don’t opt for delivery!
Now the product I will disclose in my newsletter next month. It’s free and only comes once a month through your email. I promote from time to time great health and fitness products as well as health tips and yoga moments (taking a few moments to reflect on life). Just go to http://www.doctorlynn.com and sign up for the newsletter. Don’t worry your email is safe. I respect your privacy ad safety.
If you have anything you’d like to send me info@doctorlynn.com ( if I like the product I’ll promote it)
So you see a problem sometimes can find a solution that comes in the form of a gift. And if you are lucky it benefits not only you but helps a fledgling as well. That is success; getting a gift while helping another succeed!
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Thursday, December 02, 2010
A Successful Life – a good friend who appreciates your efforts
Having a friend who takes the time to give you constructive feedback and support you through all of your efforts is living a successful life. It has been said if you can count the number of good friends on one hand you are a lucky person. People come and go in our lives but some remain friends forever.
Working hard and having others appreciate your efforts makes the difference between success and failure. When you work hard because you truly love what you are doing and then it is reflected back with appreciation is one of the highlights of life. Every one likes to be appreciated.
One of the fundamental aspects of a healthy and good relationship is to appreciate each other. It takes work to show appreciation. Often times, especially in close relationships we only see the negative. It’s easy to find fault and express criticism. Appreciation takes thought and thoughts become the manifestation of our reality. When we see others, and the world for that matter, through the eyes of appreciation our reality softens. The world looks a little brighter and life takes on a tinge of joy.
Sadly sometimes it takes a major issue in life to make us stop and appreciate the good things. Everyone has something to appreciate. Perhaps if we would take the time to stop and reflect upon our lives we would see the beauty, the gifts and the pleasures that are bestowed upon us. Most of those come through our relationships. Friends and family are the support and foundation of a successful life.
Take a moment today and appreciate someone and something that makes your life a pleasure. Focus on it and watch what happens to your body and your mind. I bet you’ll smile and feel a sense of happiness and joy and isn’t that what it’s like to live a successful life?
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Working hard and having others appreciate your efforts makes the difference between success and failure. When you work hard because you truly love what you are doing and then it is reflected back with appreciation is one of the highlights of life. Every one likes to be appreciated.
One of the fundamental aspects of a healthy and good relationship is to appreciate each other. It takes work to show appreciation. Often times, especially in close relationships we only see the negative. It’s easy to find fault and express criticism. Appreciation takes thought and thoughts become the manifestation of our reality. When we see others, and the world for that matter, through the eyes of appreciation our reality softens. The world looks a little brighter and life takes on a tinge of joy.
Sadly sometimes it takes a major issue in life to make us stop and appreciate the good things. Everyone has something to appreciate. Perhaps if we would take the time to stop and reflect upon our lives we would see the beauty, the gifts and the pleasures that are bestowed upon us. Most of those come through our relationships. Friends and family are the support and foundation of a successful life.
Take a moment today and appreciate someone and something that makes your life a pleasure. Focus on it and watch what happens to your body and your mind. I bet you’ll smile and feel a sense of happiness and joy and isn’t that what it’s like to live a successful life?
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
A Successful Life – an interview
Today I was interviewed on talk radio. Haven’t done talk radio in a long time. Many years ago I had my own show about health and fitness. I loved the medium and the exchange. Today’s show was such fun and the host Tracy Mallett and Beth Aldrich were so professional. They have hit the stride of living a successful life.
To work hard and get some recognition for your hard work is truly a feeling of success. To laugh and enjoy the fruits of your labor makes all the work worthwhile. And to equally appreciate the hard work of others is a model of success. When you can appreciate the effort of another person; you appreciate your own level of success.
Tracy and Beth, I believe are in their late 30’s or early 40’s. Both are bright dynamic and full of great energy. I can easily flash back to that age and remember the determination and focus. I admire them for their hard work and proudly now can watch their accomplishments as young women forging forward in the world and making each of us proud of the energy they propel into our lives.
I love women in their late 30’s and early 40’s. They have a mature sense of themselves and a good perspective on life and at the same time look great and are so full of energy. The forties are the best time of your life. You’ve matured, financially you are a little more secure and you still look and feel young. This is when I think women are the most beautiful. The beauty then folds into elegance and sophistication as we mature through the following decades.
I enjoyed my interview with these two women so much and thank them both for making my day a success!
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
To work hard and get some recognition for your hard work is truly a feeling of success. To laugh and enjoy the fruits of your labor makes all the work worthwhile. And to equally appreciate the hard work of others is a model of success. When you can appreciate the effort of another person; you appreciate your own level of success.
Tracy and Beth, I believe are in their late 30’s or early 40’s. Both are bright dynamic and full of great energy. I can easily flash back to that age and remember the determination and focus. I admire them for their hard work and proudly now can watch their accomplishments as young women forging forward in the world and making each of us proud of the energy they propel into our lives.
I love women in their late 30’s and early 40’s. They have a mature sense of themselves and a good perspective on life and at the same time look great and are so full of energy. The forties are the best time of your life. You’ve matured, financially you are a little more secure and you still look and feel young. This is when I think women are the most beautiful. The beauty then folds into elegance and sophistication as we mature through the following decades.
I enjoyed my interview with these two women so much and thank them both for making my day a success!
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
A Successful Life – Bouncing Back
Sometimes we try at something in life and it does not turn out the way we would like. The key to success is to bounce back even after feeling defeat. Those who make defeat just an opportunity to reassess and reorganize find themselves living a successful life.
In yoga that which is taken from us is replaced by something we need more. This sometimes can be hard to accept especially when what comes into our lives is not exactly what we want. But if we learn from it and seek out the lesson, life has a miraculous way of bouncing us back.
Recently a friend of mine had a terrible problem with her home. It was discovered that it had a sink hole underneath it. She was devastated, I told her that whatever was to come of it she would be alright and that this was a good thing leading to something better. They were able to sell the house to a sink hole company and ended up buying a new house in a new area which is far more suited to her taste.
I just completed a project that did not go as smoothly as I had wished. I felt a bit of defeat. The next morning I got up and bounced back after assessing the situation. I learned a lot and because of the failure realized I had a lot to learn if I was going to make a success of this project.
When you feel like you failed it is not failure but simply an opportunity to readjust your plan of action. There is something in your plan that needs to be addressed and if you are aware and open it will appear making room for a new approach to any situation that life hands you if you simply bounce back.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
In yoga that which is taken from us is replaced by something we need more. This sometimes can be hard to accept especially when what comes into our lives is not exactly what we want. But if we learn from it and seek out the lesson, life has a miraculous way of bouncing us back.
Recently a friend of mine had a terrible problem with her home. It was discovered that it had a sink hole underneath it. She was devastated, I told her that whatever was to come of it she would be alright and that this was a good thing leading to something better. They were able to sell the house to a sink hole company and ended up buying a new house in a new area which is far more suited to her taste.
I just completed a project that did not go as smoothly as I had wished. I felt a bit of defeat. The next morning I got up and bounced back after assessing the situation. I learned a lot and because of the failure realized I had a lot to learn if I was going to make a success of this project.
When you feel like you failed it is not failure but simply an opportunity to readjust your plan of action. There is something in your plan that needs to be addressed and if you are aware and open it will appear making room for a new approach to any situation that life hands you if you simply bounce back.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Monday, November 29, 2010
A Successful Life –A Counter Balance
They say idle hands are the devil’s workshop. Time on your hands with nothing to do can lead to destructive behavior. That is why it is always good to be busy. Keeping active mentally and physically has always been a great antidote for some of life’s ills. When we keep busy and accomplish even the smallest of task there is a good feeling about accomplishing something of value.
When I’m busy I am the happiest. I look forward to time off. I appreciate the simple things like taking a few moments to drink a cup of hot tea on a cold morning, listening to music, visiting a friend or playing with my grandsons. It is precisely because I am so busy that I appreciate the time to relax.
A successful life balances productivity with time to relax and has an appreciation for both ends of the spectrum but strives to maintain a balance somewhere in-between.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
When I’m busy I am the happiest. I look forward to time off. I appreciate the simple things like taking a few moments to drink a cup of hot tea on a cold morning, listening to music, visiting a friend or playing with my grandsons. It is precisely because I am so busy that I appreciate the time to relax.
A successful life balances productivity with time to relax and has an appreciation for both ends of the spectrum but strives to maintain a balance somewhere in-between.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Thursday, November 25, 2010
A Successful Life a little turkey wisdom
I spoke with my daughter yesterday. She is young and struggling like most young parents to keep the bills paid, raise a child and work. It is such a difficult time in your life and yet it is the height of your energy and ability to maneuver through life. The energy and the strength exist but the years of experience make it seem like such a daunting task to be an adult. I remember those days all too well and although I assured her that she will get through it; the hard work of being young and raising a family is still very difficult. Thanksgiving rolls around so we take time to give thanks for what we have because what we have even with the struggles is not so bad. Things will get better. A little turkey wisdom.
Suddenly it seems you are free of the responsibility of children. Finances are better. The struggle to get ahead gives way to the satisfaction of a job well done. The middle years set in. The time in your life when you still have your health, you’re fit and able and money is available for travel and leisure. But still it was a long struggle to get here. You remember with no desire to return to those early years.
I would not go back and be thirty again. Forties’ are nice because you finally get a sense of yourself you have a little money behind you, the kids are older and you still look pretty good and have a lot of energy. Then you hit your fifties and to my surprise have a lot of energy and a very different outlook on life. And if you have taken care of yours elf over the decades – well you may not be a spring turkey but you can cook a juicy bird.
I was telling my next door neighbor about my trip to Africa. She is in her eighties, sharp and cute. Her husband is in his nineties, a very nice man but now requires around the clock care. She said to me – travel all you can and do everything you want because some day you won’t be able. She is wise. She always wanted to go on Safari and now regrets she didn’t when she was younger. We as humans have a habit of either spending beyond our means and getting into trouble or waiting until we can afford something and that time just never seems to come. A bit of wisdom tells you to do what you are capable of doing when you can. The key word is capability. Spend a little more for the turkey because it is the center of the dinner. Fid a recipe that works and stick with it. Don’t wait until u can afford a good bird but don’t break the bank on a dinner that is meant to be enjoyed.
My daughter is making Thanksgiving dinner. She has his relatives coming and although they mean well the food they bring is mostly blah. So I told her to make a cranberry relish (my special recipe) because it will add flavor and really works well with the turkey meat. It is tangy so it mixes well with blah vegetables and if it should happen can save a dry turkey. She thanked me for my Turkey wisdom.
I then reassured her that no matter how tough things can get something always comes along. Life can take you pretty far down a long dark road and just when you think you can’t make it something comes along to bring you back up. The secret is to ride each event with a sense of balance. But this comes from experience and experience is what brings us wisdom. And that comes with age. Never buy an old bird – they’re just too tough.
My best friend and I talked about wisdom the other day. She reminded me how she had said she was happy with the wisdom that had come with her age. She would not want to be young again But this day she changed her mind. Her back hurt and she could feel in body and mind the sixties just around the corner. Wisdom she told me is great but a strong tight little body sure sounded good today. She would love to be succulent, lean, spry and able to outrun the inevitable (turkey sacrifice) for another year. But then who would cook the turkey and pass down the special family recipes? The wise old bird.
Happy Turkey day. Here’s to wisdom!
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Suddenly it seems you are free of the responsibility of children. Finances are better. The struggle to get ahead gives way to the satisfaction of a job well done. The middle years set in. The time in your life when you still have your health, you’re fit and able and money is available for travel and leisure. But still it was a long struggle to get here. You remember with no desire to return to those early years.
I would not go back and be thirty again. Forties’ are nice because you finally get a sense of yourself you have a little money behind you, the kids are older and you still look pretty good and have a lot of energy. Then you hit your fifties and to my surprise have a lot of energy and a very different outlook on life. And if you have taken care of yours elf over the decades – well you may not be a spring turkey but you can cook a juicy bird.
I was telling my next door neighbor about my trip to Africa. She is in her eighties, sharp and cute. Her husband is in his nineties, a very nice man but now requires around the clock care. She said to me – travel all you can and do everything you want because some day you won’t be able. She is wise. She always wanted to go on Safari and now regrets she didn’t when she was younger. We as humans have a habit of either spending beyond our means and getting into trouble or waiting until we can afford something and that time just never seems to come. A bit of wisdom tells you to do what you are capable of doing when you can. The key word is capability. Spend a little more for the turkey because it is the center of the dinner. Fid a recipe that works and stick with it. Don’t wait until u can afford a good bird but don’t break the bank on a dinner that is meant to be enjoyed.
My daughter is making Thanksgiving dinner. She has his relatives coming and although they mean well the food they bring is mostly blah. So I told her to make a cranberry relish (my special recipe) because it will add flavor and really works well with the turkey meat. It is tangy so it mixes well with blah vegetables and if it should happen can save a dry turkey. She thanked me for my Turkey wisdom.
I then reassured her that no matter how tough things can get something always comes along. Life can take you pretty far down a long dark road and just when you think you can’t make it something comes along to bring you back up. The secret is to ride each event with a sense of balance. But this comes from experience and experience is what brings us wisdom. And that comes with age. Never buy an old bird – they’re just too tough.
My best friend and I talked about wisdom the other day. She reminded me how she had said she was happy with the wisdom that had come with her age. She would not want to be young again But this day she changed her mind. Her back hurt and she could feel in body and mind the sixties just around the corner. Wisdom she told me is great but a strong tight little body sure sounded good today. She would love to be succulent, lean, spry and able to outrun the inevitable (turkey sacrifice) for another year. But then who would cook the turkey and pass down the special family recipes? The wise old bird.
Happy Turkey day. Here’s to wisdom!
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
A Successful Life –Sharing with Friends
When you share something with a friend and it makes them happy it makes you feel good. You feel like a good deed has been done, especially when they benefit from it. When others benefit from your efforts put worth with a sincere desire to share; positive energy comes back to you three times over. The reverse is also true; do something evil and it will come back three times over.
Now my good deed was nothing miraculous but it did come back to me in a positive way. There is this little second hand shop that has the best stuff at ridiculously low prices. In hard economic times it sure is nice to find a place where you can shop and be happy with spending very little money. I have scored many times at this little shop. So I decided to share it with a few friends and they benefitted greatly. I too have benefited.
Mostly the benefit was helping my friends and seeing the delight in their eyes when they scored a great bargain at an affordable price. However I have also scored a few things.
Last week I found a 1950’s ceramic large ashtray with a lion artfully placed in the center. It had never been used. Now if you are my age you remember everyone had a large ashtray sitting in the middle of a coffee table in their home. In those days everyone smoked and every home had a large coffee table piece. This one was burnt orange, red and yellow. The lion is primitive and playful and the bowl is perfect for a fruit bowl. Yes I said fruit bowl! It has character and at the same time functionality.
So when I found it I had already spent too much money. I told myself if I went back in a couple of weeks and it was still there I would buy it. I went back yesterday and it was still there. It was still priced at $18.00 and of course I wanted to pay less. I asked and the woman in charge and she said she would give it to me for $15.00. And of course I bought it.
This morning it sits on my counter full of persimmons and bananas. It reminds me that one good deed deserves another. I need to email my friend who I took to the shop as I told her I would go back and if it was there I would buy it in a few weeks. It will make her laugh. She thanked me for introducing her to the shop and has been back since I took her that day.
My little lion ashtray also reminds me that I just got back from Africa where I was no more than ten feet away from a wild lion while on safari. Lions are beautiful and quite gentle when they are not hungry but like my little ashtray can be quite deadly if used ( provoked) for the wrong reason.
So when doing a good deed make sure it is a deed that will benefit all. Always do things for the good and you will be rewarded three times over. But don’t do it for the reward. Do it because the joy you bring to others is the reward in and of itself.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Now my good deed was nothing miraculous but it did come back to me in a positive way. There is this little second hand shop that has the best stuff at ridiculously low prices. In hard economic times it sure is nice to find a place where you can shop and be happy with spending very little money. I have scored many times at this little shop. So I decided to share it with a few friends and they benefitted greatly. I too have benefited.
Mostly the benefit was helping my friends and seeing the delight in their eyes when they scored a great bargain at an affordable price. However I have also scored a few things.
Last week I found a 1950’s ceramic large ashtray with a lion artfully placed in the center. It had never been used. Now if you are my age you remember everyone had a large ashtray sitting in the middle of a coffee table in their home. In those days everyone smoked and every home had a large coffee table piece. This one was burnt orange, red and yellow. The lion is primitive and playful and the bowl is perfect for a fruit bowl. Yes I said fruit bowl! It has character and at the same time functionality.
So when I found it I had already spent too much money. I told myself if I went back in a couple of weeks and it was still there I would buy it. I went back yesterday and it was still there. It was still priced at $18.00 and of course I wanted to pay less. I asked and the woman in charge and she said she would give it to me for $15.00. And of course I bought it.
This morning it sits on my counter full of persimmons and bananas. It reminds me that one good deed deserves another. I need to email my friend who I took to the shop as I told her I would go back and if it was there I would buy it in a few weeks. It will make her laugh. She thanked me for introducing her to the shop and has been back since I took her that day.
My little lion ashtray also reminds me that I just got back from Africa where I was no more than ten feet away from a wild lion while on safari. Lions are beautiful and quite gentle when they are not hungry but like my little ashtray can be quite deadly if used ( provoked) for the wrong reason.
So when doing a good deed make sure it is a deed that will benefit all. Always do things for the good and you will be rewarded three times over. But don’t do it for the reward. Do it because the joy you bring to others is the reward in and of itself.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
A successful Life – Survival of the Fittest
It’s the beginning of a new week after having surgery last week. I’ve recovered and am now ready to get back to work. It’s early in the morning and I’m about to leave and teach a cycle class.
Survival of the fittest is the story of evolution. When we think of evolution we think of Darwin but actually it was Herbert Spencer who coined the phrase. By 'fittest', of course, Spencer and Darwin didn't have in mind the commonly used meaning of the word now, i.e. the most highly trained and physically energetic. The 'fittest' referred to here are those animals which are the most suited to their environment, i.e. those which are best fitted to survive.
I’ve always bounced back faster than the doctor’s predicted. I am strong and seem to have a healthy immune system. My cancer surgery humbled me because for the first time in my life I could not bounce back. It was a long arduous process however I did go back to teaching long before I expected in part due to my good physical and mental shape prior to the surgery.
My environment like most modern humans is full of stress, anxiety and constant competition. Today’s environment demands that we are energetic and quick to change. Technology has made it so that change is happening at such a fast rate. Mental alertness and agility allow us to adapt. Mental agility and alertness are enhanced by a good diet and exercise. So I would argue that today the survival of the fittest is those who strive to stay in good mental and physical shape. The adaptation to any environment is so much smoother when you are healthy and strong.
My surgery last week was minor compared to my cancer surgery but still it took it’s toll on my body and my mind. It set me back a pace or two and gave me reason to pause. In the pausing phase I realize the fragility of my health and how we as humans take it for granted. It is only when our health is taken away from us that we truly take the time to appreciate.
My energy has not returned. I still need time to heal. I look forward to the day ( and I hope it will come soon) when I feel full of energy without any pain. There is nothing like a day when everything comes together and you feel at the top of your game. When those days come, appreciate them. Survival is found in appreciating the nature of life with a respect that strives to more than simply survive; it strives to truly live with passion and joy.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Survival of the fittest is the story of evolution. When we think of evolution we think of Darwin but actually it was Herbert Spencer who coined the phrase. By 'fittest', of course, Spencer and Darwin didn't have in mind the commonly used meaning of the word now, i.e. the most highly trained and physically energetic. The 'fittest' referred to here are those animals which are the most suited to their environment, i.e. those which are best fitted to survive.
I’ve always bounced back faster than the doctor’s predicted. I am strong and seem to have a healthy immune system. My cancer surgery humbled me because for the first time in my life I could not bounce back. It was a long arduous process however I did go back to teaching long before I expected in part due to my good physical and mental shape prior to the surgery.
My environment like most modern humans is full of stress, anxiety and constant competition. Today’s environment demands that we are energetic and quick to change. Technology has made it so that change is happening at such a fast rate. Mental alertness and agility allow us to adapt. Mental agility and alertness are enhanced by a good diet and exercise. So I would argue that today the survival of the fittest is those who strive to stay in good mental and physical shape. The adaptation to any environment is so much smoother when you are healthy and strong.
My surgery last week was minor compared to my cancer surgery but still it took it’s toll on my body and my mind. It set me back a pace or two and gave me reason to pause. In the pausing phase I realize the fragility of my health and how we as humans take it for granted. It is only when our health is taken away from us that we truly take the time to appreciate.
My energy has not returned. I still need time to heal. I look forward to the day ( and I hope it will come soon) when I feel full of energy without any pain. There is nothing like a day when everything comes together and you feel at the top of your game. When those days come, appreciate them. Survival is found in appreciating the nature of life with a respect that strives to more than simply survive; it strives to truly live with passion and joy.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Monday, November 22, 2010
A Successful Life to have someone love you and take care of you
I don’t always appreciate the things my husband does for me but he is always very caring and sweet when I am sick or injured. Yesterday I had mouth surgery. He was given the task of caring for me. Now we all know what it is like to be the care giver to someone who is under the weather or just had surgery. I do it for him and he does it for me. I’m lucky to have a person in my life that cares for me and I care for him.
Children are wonderful (most of the time) but children do not unless needed come around to take care of you. We understand that they are busy with lives of their own and families of their own to care for. It’s not until you get old and can’t care for yourself that they step up to the plate. But the day to day health occurrences of life are left mainly up to you and your mate.
There is a woman who lives in my building. She is about my age. She is a widow. I have never seen her with anyone significant ( meaning a lover or even a date). Her husband left her quite well off but she seems so lonely and sad. I wonder who takes care of her when she is sick, depressed or scared.
My husband and I share the burden of care giving with each other. We don’t always take the time to appreciate just how much we each do for the other but we do try very hard to acknowledge the caring and the love. Life has funny little gifts that cannot be bought with money. Someone who truly loves you and takes care of you is a wonderful gift and a real sign of a successful life. It does not need to be a lover, husband or significant other. It can be a friend, a relative or a child. Next time someone cares for you show a little appreciation and you will experience a moment in a successful life.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Children are wonderful (most of the time) but children do not unless needed come around to take care of you. We understand that they are busy with lives of their own and families of their own to care for. It’s not until you get old and can’t care for yourself that they step up to the plate. But the day to day health occurrences of life are left mainly up to you and your mate.
There is a woman who lives in my building. She is about my age. She is a widow. I have never seen her with anyone significant ( meaning a lover or even a date). Her husband left her quite well off but she seems so lonely and sad. I wonder who takes care of her when she is sick, depressed or scared.
My husband and I share the burden of care giving with each other. We don’t always take the time to appreciate just how much we each do for the other but we do try very hard to acknowledge the caring and the love. Life has funny little gifts that cannot be bought with money. Someone who truly loves you and takes care of you is a wonderful gift and a real sign of a successful life. It does not need to be a lover, husband or significant other. It can be a friend, a relative or a child. Next time someone cares for you show a little appreciation and you will experience a moment in a successful life.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Friday, November 19, 2010
A Successful – a little dried elephant dung to ease the pain
Yesterday I had mouth surgery. Everyone I told about the procedure recoiled. Seems that the consensus is that any surgery to mouth is pretty “awful” for most people. Now surgery is not fun but when it comes to the mouth most of us hate the dentist and really hate the thought of dental surgery even more. The only consolation is they put you out and give you “good” drugs to get through the healing.
I wish I had a little dried elephant dung. What? Elephant dung? When I was in Africa we had a guide that was from one of the local tribes. He would take us on bush walks teaching us about the plants, birds and medicinal plants that could be found in the wild.
We came upon a pile dried of elephant dung which is quite prolific in the wilds of Africa. (lots of elephant) He gave it a swift kick and told us that when he was a child he and the other children in the village would use dried elephant dung as a football or soccer ball, as we know it.
He went on to tell us that an elephant eats most of the herbs, barks and plants that the medicine man or woman from the villages use to treat a myriad of things. It is great for treating a headache, sinus problems and toothaches. We looked at him with curious caution.
He explained that if you take the dry dung and burn it you can inhale the smoke up through your nose and it will hit the back of your head and cure a headache, clean the sinus and dull pain. One good snort and the pain will be gone. Now none of us (which included a German medical doctor) had a headache, sinus problems or a toothache but for the sake of the experience we agreed to take the dried dung back the camp and have a whiff.
Once back at the camp our guide broke open the dung which really resembled a small bundle of dried twigs and plants. It was the consistency of a small bundle of dried hay. He lit it on fire and then blew out the flames so that a smoldering funnel of sweet smelling smoke drifted out through the center. He handed it to us one by one as we deeply inhaled the smoke up through our noses. He was right. The smoke wet straight into the back of my skull with a thug and I am sure if I had a headache or any othr kind of pain it would be gone.
As I sit here after my surgery I wonder what would happen if I had a little dried elephant dung to take the edge off this jaw ache that I now have from the surgery. I told this story to my cycle classes. In one class a nondescript woman in the back yelled out, “Sounds like Lynn has been smoking some good shit!” We all laughed. To ease our pain should it be drugs or dried elephant dung? I wonder? Wish I had some dried elephant dung to give it a try.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
I wish I had a little dried elephant dung. What? Elephant dung? When I was in Africa we had a guide that was from one of the local tribes. He would take us on bush walks teaching us about the plants, birds and medicinal plants that could be found in the wild.
We came upon a pile dried of elephant dung which is quite prolific in the wilds of Africa. (lots of elephant) He gave it a swift kick and told us that when he was a child he and the other children in the village would use dried elephant dung as a football or soccer ball, as we know it.
He went on to tell us that an elephant eats most of the herbs, barks and plants that the medicine man or woman from the villages use to treat a myriad of things. It is great for treating a headache, sinus problems and toothaches. We looked at him with curious caution.
He explained that if you take the dry dung and burn it you can inhale the smoke up through your nose and it will hit the back of your head and cure a headache, clean the sinus and dull pain. One good snort and the pain will be gone. Now none of us (which included a German medical doctor) had a headache, sinus problems or a toothache but for the sake of the experience we agreed to take the dried dung back the camp and have a whiff.
Once back at the camp our guide broke open the dung which really resembled a small bundle of dried twigs and plants. It was the consistency of a small bundle of dried hay. He lit it on fire and then blew out the flames so that a smoldering funnel of sweet smelling smoke drifted out through the center. He handed it to us one by one as we deeply inhaled the smoke up through our noses. He was right. The smoke wet straight into the back of my skull with a thug and I am sure if I had a headache or any othr kind of pain it would be gone.
As I sit here after my surgery I wonder what would happen if I had a little dried elephant dung to take the edge off this jaw ache that I now have from the surgery. I told this story to my cycle classes. In one class a nondescript woman in the back yelled out, “Sounds like Lynn has been smoking some good shit!” We all laughed. To ease our pain should it be drugs or dried elephant dung? I wonder? Wish I had some dried elephant dung to give it a try.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Thursday, November 18, 2010
A Successful Life – Solving a Problem
When faced with a problem to solve there is no better feeling than successfully solving it. It has been said that there are only two creative things we humans do; make decisions and solve problems. Take away the need to make decisions and solve problems and what would we do with our time?
The first stage in problem solving is identifying the problem. In my case it was how to streamline music over the internet and at the same time be able to hear it. Now that may sound simple but it involves a lot of wiring and careful thoughts. We had to break the problem down into smaller parts. The first part was how to stream music live from my computer to other people’s computers via a host site. I won’t bore you with the details but with a little thought and for about $2.00 we solved the problem with a “Y” jack. But then we were faced with the problem of me hearing the music. You see I could transmit but could not hear.
Now for some reason I wondered if my IPOD in my Boise hooked into the computer would both let me stream and hear at the same time. Again with the help of a wire and a jack we were able to solve the problem. Eureka! It worked! What a great feeling to solve the problem and now be able to make my new project work.
This was a relatively easy problem to solve when you step back and look at the big scheme of things in life. However there is a fundamental process to solving problems. Most problems are not solved in isolation. They involve other people. In my case it was the host company which was only too happy to help me solve this problem because they could not solve it so if we could work cooperatively to solve it we would both win. A mutual goal between two or more parties makes for easier problem solving. So a mutual concern and desire to solve a problem is essential.
When attempting to solve a problem never assume that others share your mutual concerns. If you do; you may be setting yourself up for failure. Brainstorming before attempting to solve a problem will let you know if you are on the same page. Before we attempted to solve my transmitting problem we had a phone brainstorming session. I agreed to get all the equipment together and be ready to transmit at a specific time. We had an alternative plan should the first one not work. But it was the prior brainstorming that let everyone know the possibilities and what everyone needed to do to make this work.
Problems to solve are fundamental to life. The ability to successfully solve a problem involves many facets. First and foremost you cannot solve a problem until you can define it. Second you must be sure that if others are involved that mutual concerns and desires exist. Do not believe that you can solve a problem in isolation. Brainstorm and listen to what others have to contribute. When we work together towards the solution of a mutually shared problem or goal there is nothing that we cannot accomplish.
Problem solved;check it out at http://www.doctorlynn.com go to my website and click the Physiic button and take my new class Doctor Lynn’s X-ercise for a Sexy Body Mind and experience the solution to my problem.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
The first stage in problem solving is identifying the problem. In my case it was how to streamline music over the internet and at the same time be able to hear it. Now that may sound simple but it involves a lot of wiring and careful thoughts. We had to break the problem down into smaller parts. The first part was how to stream music live from my computer to other people’s computers via a host site. I won’t bore you with the details but with a little thought and for about $2.00 we solved the problem with a “Y” jack. But then we were faced with the problem of me hearing the music. You see I could transmit but could not hear.
Now for some reason I wondered if my IPOD in my Boise hooked into the computer would both let me stream and hear at the same time. Again with the help of a wire and a jack we were able to solve the problem. Eureka! It worked! What a great feeling to solve the problem and now be able to make my new project work.
This was a relatively easy problem to solve when you step back and look at the big scheme of things in life. However there is a fundamental process to solving problems. Most problems are not solved in isolation. They involve other people. In my case it was the host company which was only too happy to help me solve this problem because they could not solve it so if we could work cooperatively to solve it we would both win. A mutual goal between two or more parties makes for easier problem solving. So a mutual concern and desire to solve a problem is essential.
When attempting to solve a problem never assume that others share your mutual concerns. If you do; you may be setting yourself up for failure. Brainstorming before attempting to solve a problem will let you know if you are on the same page. Before we attempted to solve my transmitting problem we had a phone brainstorming session. I agreed to get all the equipment together and be ready to transmit at a specific time. We had an alternative plan should the first one not work. But it was the prior brainstorming that let everyone know the possibilities and what everyone needed to do to make this work.
Problems to solve are fundamental to life. The ability to successfully solve a problem involves many facets. First and foremost you cannot solve a problem until you can define it. Second you must be sure that if others are involved that mutual concerns and desires exist. Do not believe that you can solve a problem in isolation. Brainstorm and listen to what others have to contribute. When we work together towards the solution of a mutually shared problem or goal there is nothing that we cannot accomplish.
Problem solved;check it out at http://www.doctorlynn.com go to my website and click the Physiic button and take my new class Doctor Lynn’s X-ercise for a Sexy Body Mind and experience the solution to my problem.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
A successful Life – to remain calm when perturbed
The very definition of being perturbed is to be bothered, upset and thrown into confusion. We all get perturbed with a variety of situation. Some appear valid and some seem to come from nowhere. To be perturbed cause perturbation or the disturbance of motion, equilibrium or orbit or an object such as a celestial body. In yoga we would call this losing your balance.
One of the main aims of yoga is to reach a place of total equilibrium or balance where even the smallest of things cease to disturb our sense of total balance. We become unperturbed by events in our life. We observe them without letting the emotional energy carry us into a whirling turmoil of anger and confusion. But this takes work and does not come easy.
This perhaps is the greatest challenge in life; to reach a place of total balance where nothing disturbs the body, the mind and the soul. That is why the fundamental process of yoga is to find and maintain balance. We obtain this by lifting our thoughts and feeling to a higher state of consciousness.
Most of us deal with life from the level of the ego. The ego is where balance and reality get distorted. This is because the ego is the false sense of self. It is unreal from the standpoint that perceptions are transitory and subject to change. The ego is how you see yourself and is based upon your experiences and judgment.
The ego is not a negative “thing”. It is necessary for evolution and enlightenment. The problem is in believing that the ego is the final reality. When we get caught up in the ego we stop at this point and no longer evolve. The technical term for this is ignorance. We stop reaching beyond the reality of the ego towards something deeper.
To be unperturbed by a situation takes stepping back from the ego which always seeks to be right and calmly evaluating the situation for what it really is…nothing more than an opportunity to learn, to observe and to grow.
When life is seen not as a challenge to the ego but rather as a way to bring about balance the ego steps aside and conscious awareness allows for a deeper and more insightful view of the world. Let the ego get in the way and stress, anger, anxiety and perturbation will ensue.
In the psychical world, maintaining constant balance is impossible. That is because everything in the physical world is constantly changing. Everything is transitory. Only the spiritual essence of life is permanent. And it is the very connection to this spiritual essence that constantly brings balance to a transitory world.
Be mindful of what is happening in your inner universe. Is it the ego or the spirit directing your energy? To remain calm when something perturbing happens in your life, let your spirit be your guide.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
One of the main aims of yoga is to reach a place of total equilibrium or balance where even the smallest of things cease to disturb our sense of total balance. We become unperturbed by events in our life. We observe them without letting the emotional energy carry us into a whirling turmoil of anger and confusion. But this takes work and does not come easy.
This perhaps is the greatest challenge in life; to reach a place of total balance where nothing disturbs the body, the mind and the soul. That is why the fundamental process of yoga is to find and maintain balance. We obtain this by lifting our thoughts and feeling to a higher state of consciousness.
Most of us deal with life from the level of the ego. The ego is where balance and reality get distorted. This is because the ego is the false sense of self. It is unreal from the standpoint that perceptions are transitory and subject to change. The ego is how you see yourself and is based upon your experiences and judgment.
The ego is not a negative “thing”. It is necessary for evolution and enlightenment. The problem is in believing that the ego is the final reality. When we get caught up in the ego we stop at this point and no longer evolve. The technical term for this is ignorance. We stop reaching beyond the reality of the ego towards something deeper.
To be unperturbed by a situation takes stepping back from the ego which always seeks to be right and calmly evaluating the situation for what it really is…nothing more than an opportunity to learn, to observe and to grow.
When life is seen not as a challenge to the ego but rather as a way to bring about balance the ego steps aside and conscious awareness allows for a deeper and more insightful view of the world. Let the ego get in the way and stress, anger, anxiety and perturbation will ensue.
In the psychical world, maintaining constant balance is impossible. That is because everything in the physical world is constantly changing. Everything is transitory. Only the spiritual essence of life is permanent. And it is the very connection to this spiritual essence that constantly brings balance to a transitory world.
Be mindful of what is happening in your inner universe. Is it the ego or the spirit directing your energy? To remain calm when something perturbing happens in your life, let your spirit be your guide.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
A Successful Life – Appreciating the morning
I woke up early today to teach my 7AM cycle class. Monday morning and getting up early can seem like such drudgery. The alarm goes off and it is the beginning of a new week. Who wants to get up and go to work? I ask myself why I am teaching this early morning class.
I stumble out o bed and make a cup of tea. The tea is warm and wakes me up. As I’m drinking my tea I notice the sun beginning to rise. It’s quiet and the early morning sun plays softly and beautifully like a stream of golden light gently waking the world. Shadows begin to disappear. Lights fade out and the sounds of the morning gives rise to a new day.
The morning has its own sounds and its own light. Most days we rush past it. But occasionally we stop and connect totally with the waking day. There is a peacefulness that permeates everything as the sun begins to rise. It’s the same at sunset accept with the sunrise there is a slow and deliberate awakening. Sunset brings the opposite effect. Energy builds as we prepare for the day.
It is cold and quiet as I leave my home and make my way to gym. The parking lot is not full. There are plenty of parking spaces. The gym is quiet. Even those working out are almost still asleep. Quietly waking up as they push their bodies to perform.
Monday morning cycle class is always quiet. It is my job to wake everyone up and make sure they get a good workout to start their day and to start their week. So I start off gentle and build to a full all out energetic fully awake conclusion to the class.
I pack up and leave. No one lingers to talk as most people are on their way to work. As I navigate my way through the gym and towards to front desk to clock out I notice the level of energy has increased. The gym is full. The parking lot is full. The day is in full swing.
I feel good and am so happy I teach this early morning class. It gives me the opportunity to appreciate the sights, sounds and feel of sunrise on just an ordinary Monday morning. It was a nice to take an ordinary day and appreciate it. Far too much time is spent complaining and rushing about. Every moment brings an opportunity to experience something so simple and yet so fundamental to our lives as the sun rising in the morning and the world awaking to just another ordinary day.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
I stumble out o bed and make a cup of tea. The tea is warm and wakes me up. As I’m drinking my tea I notice the sun beginning to rise. It’s quiet and the early morning sun plays softly and beautifully like a stream of golden light gently waking the world. Shadows begin to disappear. Lights fade out and the sounds of the morning gives rise to a new day.
The morning has its own sounds and its own light. Most days we rush past it. But occasionally we stop and connect totally with the waking day. There is a peacefulness that permeates everything as the sun begins to rise. It’s the same at sunset accept with the sunrise there is a slow and deliberate awakening. Sunset brings the opposite effect. Energy builds as we prepare for the day.
It is cold and quiet as I leave my home and make my way to gym. The parking lot is not full. There are plenty of parking spaces. The gym is quiet. Even those working out are almost still asleep. Quietly waking up as they push their bodies to perform.
Monday morning cycle class is always quiet. It is my job to wake everyone up and make sure they get a good workout to start their day and to start their week. So I start off gentle and build to a full all out energetic fully awake conclusion to the class.
I pack up and leave. No one lingers to talk as most people are on their way to work. As I navigate my way through the gym and towards to front desk to clock out I notice the level of energy has increased. The gym is full. The parking lot is full. The day is in full swing.
I feel good and am so happy I teach this early morning class. It gives me the opportunity to appreciate the sights, sounds and feel of sunrise on just an ordinary Monday morning. It was a nice to take an ordinary day and appreciate it. Far too much time is spent complaining and rushing about. Every moment brings an opportunity to experience something so simple and yet so fundamental to our lives as the sun rising in the morning and the world awaking to just another ordinary day.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Monday, November 15, 2010
A Successful Life – To teach and get a thank you
I’ve been teaching fitness classes for longer than I like to admit. Admitting the length of time will surely give away my age. I’ve done it over the years because it is something I love to do. My students tell me that it shows.
I’ve gotten many thanks over the years. I am constantly told from someone new to my class that they have taken plenty of classes and mine is the best. They make a point to tell me that they loved the class.
Now I am not so naïve and full of myself to believe that other instructors do not get the same comments. Teaching styles and music are very subjective. Anyone who has taught for any length of time has gotten the same comment from someone. But still it makes me feel good.
My regular students thank me on a regular basis. They continue to come to class because they like my style and my dedication. Over the years we’ve become friends even though we only see each other for short burst of time.
New people constantly come into a class. Some stay and some are never to be seen again. I’ve been teaching so long that there are hundreds of people that once were my students only to have moved onto other towns, other gyms and other lives. I can see some of their faces but probably don’t know their names.
The class structure changes and along with it the personality of the class changes. I adjust to the structure and welcome the change. I’ve matured along with my class.
The thank you(s) and the comments are what keep us motivated. I suppose this is true for most all of life. It is the little things that give us such a lift and make it all worthwhile. A smile, a laugh and a hug feel so much better than a pay check and yet the paycheck is what we need to keep our lives on track. We do forget sometimes in the scramble for money how little satisfaction it gives us. Money gives us more options and more options do give us a bit more freedom and it does make life easier but it doesn’t give us the same satisfaction as a thank you and an acknowledgment of our work.
Some days I wonder if I’ll ever stop teaching. Then I think of an instructor I know who is 80 and still teaching. She may be only doing a stretch class from which she mostly directs without participation but she is still teaching and has a following.
As I age I feel the difference in the movement of my body and I must admit I have my aches and pains but the love of teaching keeps me constantly seeking new poses, new music and new ways to express and motivate in a way that has always brought health and fitness to my students.
I can’t think of anything more rewarding than spending an hour making people feel better, look better and get healthier in body, mind and soul. And the thank you(s) are the added benefit that make it all worthwhile and make for a successful life.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
I’ve gotten many thanks over the years. I am constantly told from someone new to my class that they have taken plenty of classes and mine is the best. They make a point to tell me that they loved the class.
Now I am not so naïve and full of myself to believe that other instructors do not get the same comments. Teaching styles and music are very subjective. Anyone who has taught for any length of time has gotten the same comment from someone. But still it makes me feel good.
My regular students thank me on a regular basis. They continue to come to class because they like my style and my dedication. Over the years we’ve become friends even though we only see each other for short burst of time.
New people constantly come into a class. Some stay and some are never to be seen again. I’ve been teaching so long that there are hundreds of people that once were my students only to have moved onto other towns, other gyms and other lives. I can see some of their faces but probably don’t know their names.
The class structure changes and along with it the personality of the class changes. I adjust to the structure and welcome the change. I’ve matured along with my class.
The thank you(s) and the comments are what keep us motivated. I suppose this is true for most all of life. It is the little things that give us such a lift and make it all worthwhile. A smile, a laugh and a hug feel so much better than a pay check and yet the paycheck is what we need to keep our lives on track. We do forget sometimes in the scramble for money how little satisfaction it gives us. Money gives us more options and more options do give us a bit more freedom and it does make life easier but it doesn’t give us the same satisfaction as a thank you and an acknowledgment of our work.
Some days I wonder if I’ll ever stop teaching. Then I think of an instructor I know who is 80 and still teaching. She may be only doing a stretch class from which she mostly directs without participation but she is still teaching and has a following.
As I age I feel the difference in the movement of my body and I must admit I have my aches and pains but the love of teaching keeps me constantly seeking new poses, new music and new ways to express and motivate in a way that has always brought health and fitness to my students.
I can’t think of anything more rewarding than spending an hour making people feel better, look better and get healthier in body, mind and soul. And the thank you(s) are the added benefit that make it all worthwhile and make for a successful life.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Friday, November 12, 2010
A Successful Life – Being annoyed and not getting mad
There is something that has annoyed me. It is something that has bothered me for a long time. It keeps resurfacing from time to time. It is something that someone close to me does that upsets me. It used to make me mad. I would lose sleep and be frustrated for days. Now I am learning to accept it for what it is and move on. I no longer linger in anger and frustration.
It takes conscious effort to experience an annoying situation, know there is nothing you can do about it and without nay resentment or anger simply release it and move on to a better place. But how do you do that? You must let go of everything but what you need to work on within yourself to bring peace and harmony to your life.
What does it take? It takes patients and acceptance. Patience has been defined as: the quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like.
an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay: to have patience with a slow learner.
Acceptance has been defined as: Acceptance is when a person agrees to experience a situation, to follow a process or condition (often a negative or uncomfortable situation) without attempting to change it, protest, or exit.
So I need to not get irritated when something annoys me and then I must be willing to experience it without trying to change it, protest against it or exit the situation. That’s a tall order!
The real enlightenment is that I am the one who needs to focus on doing the work. I cannot ask another person to change or even to look at their shortcomings. I can only look at mine and then decide if I am willing and able to undertake the work to if not completely change at least learn how to control and temper my own shortcomings. It takes maturity to face yourself and face that you are partly at fault. As well as something may effect you in a negative way it is your inability to deal with it effectively that cause you discourse.
The wonderful thing about practicing yoga is that it constantly brings you up against uncomfortable situations. It brings into being conscious awareness of yourself and your relationship to the world. Yoga presents a basic understanding; that which is taken from you or not present in your life and is replaced by something else is exactly what you need in your life to bring about self awareness and wisdom. The problem is we resist that which makes us uncomfortable and that which we distain. And isn’t that exactly what we need to confront in order to bring patience and acceptance into our lives?
Although it is difficult to accept an annoyance in my life and truly a struggle to not let it become a major factor it has opened my eyes. Life is full of annoyances and sometimes people annoy us in ways that make it difficult to relate. But what if that person doesn’t mean to be annoying but just can’t help it. It’s part of their nature and we have invited them into our life.
I look at the annoying factors and then with patience and understanding I can look at the other side which is the side that is warm, loving and giving. Accepting the annoyances without irritation brings balance and harmony to the situation. And isn’t that the chief aim of a successful life….balance and harmony even when faced with annoyance.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
It takes conscious effort to experience an annoying situation, know there is nothing you can do about it and without nay resentment or anger simply release it and move on to a better place. But how do you do that? You must let go of everything but what you need to work on within yourself to bring peace and harmony to your life.
What does it take? It takes patients and acceptance. Patience has been defined as: the quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like.
an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay: to have patience with a slow learner.
Acceptance has been defined as: Acceptance is when a person agrees to experience a situation, to follow a process or condition (often a negative or uncomfortable situation) without attempting to change it, protest, or exit.
So I need to not get irritated when something annoys me and then I must be willing to experience it without trying to change it, protest against it or exit the situation. That’s a tall order!
The real enlightenment is that I am the one who needs to focus on doing the work. I cannot ask another person to change or even to look at their shortcomings. I can only look at mine and then decide if I am willing and able to undertake the work to if not completely change at least learn how to control and temper my own shortcomings. It takes maturity to face yourself and face that you are partly at fault. As well as something may effect you in a negative way it is your inability to deal with it effectively that cause you discourse.
The wonderful thing about practicing yoga is that it constantly brings you up against uncomfortable situations. It brings into being conscious awareness of yourself and your relationship to the world. Yoga presents a basic understanding; that which is taken from you or not present in your life and is replaced by something else is exactly what you need in your life to bring about self awareness and wisdom. The problem is we resist that which makes us uncomfortable and that which we distain. And isn’t that exactly what we need to confront in order to bring patience and acceptance into our lives?
Although it is difficult to accept an annoyance in my life and truly a struggle to not let it become a major factor it has opened my eyes. Life is full of annoyances and sometimes people annoy us in ways that make it difficult to relate. But what if that person doesn’t mean to be annoying but just can’t help it. It’s part of their nature and we have invited them into our life.
I look at the annoying factors and then with patience and understanding I can look at the other side which is the side that is warm, loving and giving. Accepting the annoyances without irritation brings balance and harmony to the situation. And isn’t that the chief aim of a successful life….balance and harmony even when faced with annoyance.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Thursday, November 11, 2010
A Successful Life - A day to myself
Today I have no deadlines to meet, no classes to teach and no commitments. I can work at my own pace and in my own time without answering to anybody. I can be as creative as I like. I can do nothing if I like. It is a pleasure and a gift to have a day to yourself with nothing to do but whatever you choose to do. Will I work? Yes I will because there are things I want to get done and I am not a person to sit ideally.
Sometimes you have to work awfully hard to get a day to yourself. They don’t come easy when you have a family, a job and commitments. But I am lucky today because my time is my own. I’m writing this blog because I want to write it and not because I feel the need to do it.
Lately I’ve met a few people who are having a hard time finding the time to take care of themselves. There is a guilt factor that sets in when we have others dependent upon us. This is especially true for women. We are the care givers constantly meeting the demands of our families. Add to that that many of us are working and there is little time to call our own.
I do have friends who don’t work. Their children are grown and they have financial security. Their days are filled with task that are only stressful when they self impose deadlines upon themselves.
I don’t need to work. That is a strange and awkward statement for me to make. My whole life I have been under the pressure to work and at this point in my life I am in a position of financial security and yet I still feel the need to be productive. I still need to feel a sense of accomplishment each day. I teach exercise classes for very little money but it gives me a sense of purpose and a fulfillment. I write my blog because I like doing it and I am promoting my new book and exercise DVD because it is a project that I want to see to completion. Whether I make money or not is irrelevant. It’s more about the fulfillment. What a nice place to be in life.
I have seen so many people in such tragic and hardship situation. Makes you wonder about life. It seems so unfair. Some people get lucky and some people struggle forever. In the end we all end up in the same place with nothing of significance to take with us.
I have a lot of self imposed tasks to do today and I will make it a productive day even if nothing really has to get done. I will feel a sense of accomplishment simply based upon myself imposed discipline and my enjoyment of accomplishing things at my own pace and in my own time.
I will enjoy the day to myself to do as I please. To appreciate the gift of a simple day with no deadlines is a mark of a successful life. Enjoying a simple day as just a day filled with simple things and wandering time is a wonderful gift.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Sometimes you have to work awfully hard to get a day to yourself. They don’t come easy when you have a family, a job and commitments. But I am lucky today because my time is my own. I’m writing this blog because I want to write it and not because I feel the need to do it.
Lately I’ve met a few people who are having a hard time finding the time to take care of themselves. There is a guilt factor that sets in when we have others dependent upon us. This is especially true for women. We are the care givers constantly meeting the demands of our families. Add to that that many of us are working and there is little time to call our own.
I do have friends who don’t work. Their children are grown and they have financial security. Their days are filled with task that are only stressful when they self impose deadlines upon themselves.
I don’t need to work. That is a strange and awkward statement for me to make. My whole life I have been under the pressure to work and at this point in my life I am in a position of financial security and yet I still feel the need to be productive. I still need to feel a sense of accomplishment each day. I teach exercise classes for very little money but it gives me a sense of purpose and a fulfillment. I write my blog because I like doing it and I am promoting my new book and exercise DVD because it is a project that I want to see to completion. Whether I make money or not is irrelevant. It’s more about the fulfillment. What a nice place to be in life.
I have seen so many people in such tragic and hardship situation. Makes you wonder about life. It seems so unfair. Some people get lucky and some people struggle forever. In the end we all end up in the same place with nothing of significance to take with us.
I have a lot of self imposed tasks to do today and I will make it a productive day even if nothing really has to get done. I will feel a sense of accomplishment simply based upon myself imposed discipline and my enjoyment of accomplishing things at my own pace and in my own time.
I will enjoy the day to myself to do as I please. To appreciate the gift of a simple day with no deadlines is a mark of a successful life. Enjoying a simple day as just a day filled with simple things and wandering time is a wonderful gift.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
A Successful Life – Back from Vacation
Today I officially came back from vacation. It’s Monday morning and the start of a full week or work. My Monday’s begin at 7AM teaching a cycle class. Sometimes it is hard to get up at 6AM and get inspired to teach so early. Today I returned to teach after being away on vacation for two weeks.
The class was happy to see me and anxious to hear my stories from South Africa. They let me know that they missed my class and thanked me for coming back to teach. They appreciate the time and effort I put into my classes even though there is very little monetary return. I don’t do it for the money. I teach because I love doing it and because it is something I can do to make others feel good and fosters good health. There are very few things in the world we can do to make others feel good and stay healthy. Teaching an exercise class is one of those things. It about giving without your eye on the dollar.
It only takes a few minutes into a class and I lose any resistance. I suddenly lose track of time and find myself absorbed into the moment. And of course that is the main goal of teaching…to help the students absorb the moment and all that it is possible to gain from the experience.
My work is to help others let go of the stress of their work and take a little time to take care of their health. Sometimes there are those who refused to give in. They cycle all the while texting or chatting. I don’t take it personally because the majority of the class is focused and working hard.
I finished the class and realized I am now officially back in the swing of things. I’m on schedule and back to work as if I never left for vacation. The transition is an interesting process as we slip back into our routines and the memory of the vacation begins to fade only to be relive through pictures and the occasional conversation that asks for insight into our personal escapes.
Vacations take us away from our everyday routines and if we are lucky we successfully let go of all our worries and stress and engulf ourselves in the new environment and the new experiences. It refreshes us. A change is perspective is always good. Especially when we get stuck in a rut and the routine of our daily lives becomes dull and empty.
I did not want to return from my trip to Africa. I did not long for my routine which I have done before at the end of a vacation. I could have extended it for a few days more. I did not miss my home or my things. Most times by the end of a vacation I’m ready to come back home. This time it was different. I’m not sure why accept that I felt so relaxed and peaceful in a world that was so primitive and natural. I was in a world of basic natural survival. Life was simple. Eat and try not to get eaten.
After my class today a new student came up to me and thanked me for the class. She said she had taken many cycle classes and mine was the best. She loved the music and my energy. She never once looked at the clock. I kept her motivated. I felt appreciated. The welcome back was warm and sincere. I felt inspired to keep up the work. And although I still miss the simple pure elements of the African wilds I am thankful for a place to call home and for all the wonderful people that enrich my life.
A vacation helps us to regroup. It also helps us appreciate. I keep thinking of the woman in the little village I visited, scrubbing her clothes in a small tin pan with water she had lugged on her head from the community well near her mud hut. She worked away so peacefully taking pride in her work. I believe she received some kind of a sense of accomplishment. It cannot be measured in dollars but only in the sense of fulfillment that you get from a job well done no matter what the nature of that job. I’m glad to be home.
Doctor Lynn http://www.doctorlynn.com/
The class was happy to see me and anxious to hear my stories from South Africa. They let me know that they missed my class and thanked me for coming back to teach. They appreciate the time and effort I put into my classes even though there is very little monetary return. I don’t do it for the money. I teach because I love doing it and because it is something I can do to make others feel good and fosters good health. There are very few things in the world we can do to make others feel good and stay healthy. Teaching an exercise class is one of those things. It about giving without your eye on the dollar.
It only takes a few minutes into a class and I lose any resistance. I suddenly lose track of time and find myself absorbed into the moment. And of course that is the main goal of teaching…to help the students absorb the moment and all that it is possible to gain from the experience.
My work is to help others let go of the stress of their work and take a little time to take care of their health. Sometimes there are those who refused to give in. They cycle all the while texting or chatting. I don’t take it personally because the majority of the class is focused and working hard.
I finished the class and realized I am now officially back in the swing of things. I’m on schedule and back to work as if I never left for vacation. The transition is an interesting process as we slip back into our routines and the memory of the vacation begins to fade only to be relive through pictures and the occasional conversation that asks for insight into our personal escapes.
Vacations take us away from our everyday routines and if we are lucky we successfully let go of all our worries and stress and engulf ourselves in the new environment and the new experiences. It refreshes us. A change is perspective is always good. Especially when we get stuck in a rut and the routine of our daily lives becomes dull and empty.
I did not want to return from my trip to Africa. I did not long for my routine which I have done before at the end of a vacation. I could have extended it for a few days more. I did not miss my home or my things. Most times by the end of a vacation I’m ready to come back home. This time it was different. I’m not sure why accept that I felt so relaxed and peaceful in a world that was so primitive and natural. I was in a world of basic natural survival. Life was simple. Eat and try not to get eaten.
After my class today a new student came up to me and thanked me for the class. She said she had taken many cycle classes and mine was the best. She loved the music and my energy. She never once looked at the clock. I kept her motivated. I felt appreciated. The welcome back was warm and sincere. I felt inspired to keep up the work. And although I still miss the simple pure elements of the African wilds I am thankful for a place to call home and for all the wonderful people that enrich my life.
A vacation helps us to regroup. It also helps us appreciate. I keep thinking of the woman in the little village I visited, scrubbing her clothes in a small tin pan with water she had lugged on her head from the community well near her mud hut. She worked away so peacefully taking pride in her work. I believe she received some kind of a sense of accomplishment. It cannot be measured in dollars but only in the sense of fulfillment that you get from a job well done no matter what the nature of that job. I’m glad to be home.
Doctor Lynn http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
A successful Life -discovering something new
Before I left for Africa I had a few white South African wines that I really liked. There are a few restaurants in Los Angles that carry South African wines on the menu. I had never had a red African wine and guessed they probably weren’t very good. Nobody I knew had any exposure to the reds.
Now my trip to South Africa was not about the wine. It was about the safari, the culture and the cuisine. The wine was an afterthought. In fact we opted to not go to the wine country and instead take the time to explore the Cape of Good Hope.
When we arrived at our first destination in Cape Town; a lovely bed and breakfast our host told me that in a short time we would be having sundowners. I quickly asked what was a sundowner? She told me it was a South African phrase for a drink to be shared with others as the sun was setting.
She served wine, beer and small appetizers. I had the white wine which was very good as I had always experienced South African white to be. With the other guest I had my first sundowner.
That night we went to dinner at a restaurant that served South African beef grown locally and grass fed. The owner of the restaurant had a large farm where they grew the vegetables and the beef. The waitress suggested a red wine with the meal. She suggested a Pinotage a South African red. To my surprise the meat was not very good as it was over cooked and a bit tough. The salad and vegetables were fresh but not any better than anything I’d had in the states. But the wine was unique and very good.
The next night simply by happenstance we found a local restaurant just around the corner from our bed and breakfast. It was the kind of place where the locals would go for sundowners and for good local food. It was not a tourist spot. We had met a waitress at lunch time who told us about this place called the Bombay Bicycle Shop. It sounded Indian but it was not. It was totally local cuisine.
We made a reservation as it is very small with a constant waiting line. We melted in with the locals and enjoyed our first game meal of Springbok shank, South African cheese and for dessert malva which is a pudding we get in Los Angles at a restaurant owned by a South African couple. Malva means mother pudding and everyone makes it different. It was very good but surprisingly not as good as the chef in Los Angeles. Hedley’s, a little restaurant in Los Angeles is the best malva and the food although not South African is also very good.
We wanted to have some red wine with dinner. The waitress suggested Pinotage. We ordered it and I was hooked!
Throughout the rest of the trip we ate local game each time enjoying a glass of Pinotage. On the occasion when I would revert back to a white wine I would regret that my meal did not call for red. I did not expect to return from South Africa with a love for Pinotage. In fact I didn’t even know what Pinotage was until I went to Africa.
Pinotage is a cross between Pinot Noir and the more obscure Rhone varietal, Cinsault, born in South Africa (There the latter grape was called “Hermitage,” giving the new grape the second half of its name). Pinot Noir is renowned for its aromas and flavors, but can be difficult to grow, whereas Cinsault yields an abundant crop and is cheerfully resistant to disease. Both could learn something from the other.
Like all of Africa there is a volatile nature to the wine making and the status. Africa is a country with a deep heritage that at times is not very pretty. And yet there is a simple warmth that permeates the landscape. Pinotage is an earthly blend without the sophistication of European or American wines and yet has a uniqueness that give it soul. I never expected to find a red wine in Africa let alone something so local and unique. That’s truly a successful moment in life when you discover something new that never existed in your world before and it truly leaves an indelible image and taste that lingers long after the last drop is drank.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Now my trip to South Africa was not about the wine. It was about the safari, the culture and the cuisine. The wine was an afterthought. In fact we opted to not go to the wine country and instead take the time to explore the Cape of Good Hope.
When we arrived at our first destination in Cape Town; a lovely bed and breakfast our host told me that in a short time we would be having sundowners. I quickly asked what was a sundowner? She told me it was a South African phrase for a drink to be shared with others as the sun was setting.
She served wine, beer and small appetizers. I had the white wine which was very good as I had always experienced South African white to be. With the other guest I had my first sundowner.
That night we went to dinner at a restaurant that served South African beef grown locally and grass fed. The owner of the restaurant had a large farm where they grew the vegetables and the beef. The waitress suggested a red wine with the meal. She suggested a Pinotage a South African red. To my surprise the meat was not very good as it was over cooked and a bit tough. The salad and vegetables were fresh but not any better than anything I’d had in the states. But the wine was unique and very good.
The next night simply by happenstance we found a local restaurant just around the corner from our bed and breakfast. It was the kind of place where the locals would go for sundowners and for good local food. It was not a tourist spot. We had met a waitress at lunch time who told us about this place called the Bombay Bicycle Shop. It sounded Indian but it was not. It was totally local cuisine.
We made a reservation as it is very small with a constant waiting line. We melted in with the locals and enjoyed our first game meal of Springbok shank, South African cheese and for dessert malva which is a pudding we get in Los Angles at a restaurant owned by a South African couple. Malva means mother pudding and everyone makes it different. It was very good but surprisingly not as good as the chef in Los Angeles. Hedley’s, a little restaurant in Los Angeles is the best malva and the food although not South African is also very good.
We wanted to have some red wine with dinner. The waitress suggested Pinotage. We ordered it and I was hooked!
Throughout the rest of the trip we ate local game each time enjoying a glass of Pinotage. On the occasion when I would revert back to a white wine I would regret that my meal did not call for red. I did not expect to return from South Africa with a love for Pinotage. In fact I didn’t even know what Pinotage was until I went to Africa.
Pinotage is a cross between Pinot Noir and the more obscure Rhone varietal, Cinsault, born in South Africa (There the latter grape was called “Hermitage,” giving the new grape the second half of its name). Pinot Noir is renowned for its aromas and flavors, but can be difficult to grow, whereas Cinsault yields an abundant crop and is cheerfully resistant to disease. Both could learn something from the other.
Like all of Africa there is a volatile nature to the wine making and the status. Africa is a country with a deep heritage that at times is not very pretty. And yet there is a simple warmth that permeates the landscape. Pinotage is an earthly blend without the sophistication of European or American wines and yet has a uniqueness that give it soul. I never expected to find a red wine in Africa let alone something so local and unique. That’s truly a successful moment in life when you discover something new that never existed in your world before and it truly leaves an indelible image and taste that lingers long after the last drop is drank.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Monday, November 08, 2010
A successful Life - Back to Work
Today I began my reentry back into the workplace. The vacation is officially over. Memories and a few souvenirs are all that is left. I’m finding it hard to settle down and get back into the swing of things. Partly because I’m still quite jetlagged and partly because I am resisting letting of the total escape from the world I just experienced. Two weeks without a paper, a television or the internet. The world disappeared and all that lay before me each day was the excitement of the safari and the adventure of experiencing the lost art of being one with the environment.
I’m back to work and although I am moving slowly I’ve had two meetings, answered two emails about being published in magazines, taught my two classes, written my blog, paid my bills and organized my work for the week ahead.
We all dread coming back to work after having a vacation that allows us to escape from the pressure and the stress. But what if we can’t ever escape? What if our lives are one continuous work in process of survival? That is what it is like in a third world country where the people work to exist.
I gave myself a full day to recover from my jetlag, resting within the confines of my luxury home. Just two days ago I visited an African village where the women cooked on an open fire and carried water from a hand pumped well to their mud huts where they lived alongside the chickens and the pigs. Each day they worked to exist, patching their mud huts, carrying water and cooking what food could be had from the chickens, goats and gardens.
I work to fill time and to feel a sense of accomplishment. I push myself, working hard and then tell myself I need a break. I take a vacation.
The women of the village work hard all day. At the end of the day they take a break. They take a few moments to sing and give thanks for another day.
Successfully back to work is relative.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
I’m back to work and although I am moving slowly I’ve had two meetings, answered two emails about being published in magazines, taught my two classes, written my blog, paid my bills and organized my work for the week ahead.
We all dread coming back to work after having a vacation that allows us to escape from the pressure and the stress. But what if we can’t ever escape? What if our lives are one continuous work in process of survival? That is what it is like in a third world country where the people work to exist.
I gave myself a full day to recover from my jetlag, resting within the confines of my luxury home. Just two days ago I visited an African village where the women cooked on an open fire and carried water from a hand pumped well to their mud huts where they lived alongside the chickens and the pigs. Each day they worked to exist, patching their mud huts, carrying water and cooking what food could be had from the chickens, goats and gardens.
I work to fill time and to feel a sense of accomplishment. I push myself, working hard and then tell myself I need a break. I take a vacation.
The women of the village work hard all day. At the end of the day they take a break. They take a few moments to sing and give thanks for another day.
Successfully back to work is relative.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Friday, November 05, 2010
Successfully Back to Work
Today I began my reentry back into the workplace. The vacation is officially over. Memories and a few souvenirs are all that is left. I’m finding it hard to settle down and get back into the swing of things. Partly because I’m still quite jetlagged and partly because I am resisting letting of the total escape from the world I just experienced. Two weeks without a paper, a television or the internet. The world disappeared and all that lay before me each day was the excitement of the safari and the adventure of experiencing the lost art of being one with the environment.
I’m back to work and although I am moving slowly I’ve had two meetings, answered two emails about being published in magazines, taught my two classes, written my blog, paid my bills and organized my work for the week ahead.
We all dread coming back to work after having a vacation that allows us to escape from the pressure and the stress. But what if we can’t ever escape? What if our lives are one continuous work in process of survival? That is what it is like in a third world country where the people work to exist.
I gave myself a full day to recover from my jetlag, resting within the confines of my luxury home. Just two days ago I visited an African village where the women cooked on an open fire and carried water from a hand pumped well to their mud huts where they lived alongside the chickens and the pigs. Each day they worked to exist, patching their mud huts, carrying water and cooking what food could be had from the chickens, goats and gardens.
I work to fill time and to feel a sense of accomplishment. I push myself, working hard and then tell myself I need a break. I take a vacation.
The women of the village work hard all day. At the end of the day they take a break. They take a few moments to sing and give thanks for another day.
Successfully back to work is relative.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
I’m back to work and although I am moving slowly I’ve had two meetings, answered two emails about being published in magazines, taught my two classes, written my blog, paid my bills and organized my work for the week ahead.
We all dread coming back to work after having a vacation that allows us to escape from the pressure and the stress. But what if we can’t ever escape? What if our lives are one continuous work in process of survival? That is what it is like in a third world country where the people work to exist.
I gave myself a full day to recover from my jetlag, resting within the confines of my luxury home. Just two days ago I visited an African village where the women cooked on an open fire and carried water from a hand pumped well to their mud huts where they lived alongside the chickens and the pigs. Each day they worked to exist, patching their mud huts, carrying water and cooking what food could be had from the chickens, goats and gardens.
I work to fill time and to feel a sense of accomplishment. I push myself, working hard and then tell myself I need a break. I take a vacation.
The women of the village work hard all day. At the end of the day they take a break. They take a few moments to sing and give thanks for another day.
Successfully back to work is relative.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Thursday, November 04, 2010
A Successful Trip to Africa
I’m back from Africa. The safari was amazing and the hunt for the big five was beyond successful. I saw more animals than expected and developed a love for Africa’s wildlife. I saw animals I never knew existed and found myself absorbed into the culture, nature and the environment.
There is something very exhilarating about sitting in a safari jeep ten feet away from a lion, a leopard, a cheetah and a rhino. There is something even more exhilarating about being in a jeep sitting in the middle of a herd of elephants, watching the beast stare you in the eye. But the most memorial experience for me was the day we saw a kudu ( which is like a very large deer) about ten feet away staring straight into my eyes with its head raised and it’s magnificent spiral rack of about four feet lifted high.
Yes seeing the big five was exciting but it was the unexpected animals, birds and plant life as well as the experience of being in the culture with the African people that made the trip so special. Africa is a beautiful country full of wildness but also a place of poverty and crime. It is an unstable world where many people starve and children go without shoes, food and proper healthy care.
The last day of our trip we went to a cultural village where the people actually live in mud huts without running water or electricity. The huts where made of a stick structure with mud layered to the outside and a grass thatched roof. There was one main house about the size of an American bathroom and then two small closet size stick structures for cooking over an open wood fire and one for a toilet. Chickens and pigs lived side by side with the natives. They had a community well where the women would go and hand pump water to carry back to their huts. There was no running water and no electricity.
Although it seemed so primitive and you could say the people were poor, they all seemed quite happy and relaxed. It was a way of life so far away from the modern world and yet so peaceful and happy. Makes you wonder just what makes for a successful life?
I was promised the big five and I did see the big five but I also saw so much more and that is what made my trip to Africa a success.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
There is something very exhilarating about sitting in a safari jeep ten feet away from a lion, a leopard, a cheetah and a rhino. There is something even more exhilarating about being in a jeep sitting in the middle of a herd of elephants, watching the beast stare you in the eye. But the most memorial experience for me was the day we saw a kudu ( which is like a very large deer) about ten feet away staring straight into my eyes with its head raised and it’s magnificent spiral rack of about four feet lifted high.
Yes seeing the big five was exciting but it was the unexpected animals, birds and plant life as well as the experience of being in the culture with the African people that made the trip so special. Africa is a beautiful country full of wildness but also a place of poverty and crime. It is an unstable world where many people starve and children go without shoes, food and proper healthy care.
The last day of our trip we went to a cultural village where the people actually live in mud huts without running water or electricity. The huts where made of a stick structure with mud layered to the outside and a grass thatched roof. There was one main house about the size of an American bathroom and then two small closet size stick structures for cooking over an open wood fire and one for a toilet. Chickens and pigs lived side by side with the natives. They had a community well where the women would go and hand pump water to carry back to their huts. There was no running water and no electricity.
Although it seemed so primitive and you could say the people were poor, they all seemed quite happy and relaxed. It was a way of life so far away from the modern world and yet so peaceful and happy. Makes you wonder just what makes for a successful life?
I was promised the big five and I did see the big five but I also saw so much more and that is what made my trip to Africa a success.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
How to successfully take a break -
I’m leaving today for a 2 week trip to Africa by way of Dubai. We’re going on Safari and are promised we’ll see the big five. My sense of adventure is high and I feel the need for a break from work. I’m quite well organized as I usually am with a few things to finish up before we board the plane this evening.
I am really looking forward to taking a break from work and from the normal daily grind. I love what I do and am very busy six out of seven days a week with teaching and launching my new book and video but there is a time when you feel tired and ready to let go. I am fortunate that I have the ability to travel around the world which is one of my life long passions.
To successfully take a break you need to let go at some point. There will always be things to do at the last minute and lose ends that don’t get tied as you wish they would be, but you need to surrender and just let it all go until you return. Take a break from it all. Otherwise the stress of getting ready to travel will overwhelm you. Pack early but not too early or you’ll forget what you packed and these days with the airlines you need to pay close attention to the number of bags and the weight.
Cancel the paper, leave the phone message, have the mail collected, call the family, shut down the computer, shut off the lights, turn off the heat, close the door and catch the cab to the airport – I’m off to see the BIG FIVE! That’s what it takes to take a successful break!
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
I am really looking forward to taking a break from work and from the normal daily grind. I love what I do and am very busy six out of seven days a week with teaching and launching my new book and video but there is a time when you feel tired and ready to let go. I am fortunate that I have the ability to travel around the world which is one of my life long passions.
To successfully take a break you need to let go at some point. There will always be things to do at the last minute and lose ends that don’t get tied as you wish they would be, but you need to surrender and just let it all go until you return. Take a break from it all. Otherwise the stress of getting ready to travel will overwhelm you. Pack early but not too early or you’ll forget what you packed and these days with the airlines you need to pay close attention to the number of bags and the weight.
Cancel the paper, leave the phone message, have the mail collected, call the family, shut down the computer, shut off the lights, turn off the heat, close the door and catch the cab to the airport – I’m off to see the BIG FIVE! That’s what it takes to take a successful break!
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Monday, October 18, 2010
What does it take to live a successful life?
To find the best in others. It is so easy to be critical and complain. It is quite another thing to seek out and focus on the best in other people. This is the path of compassion and understanding. We are all humans with the same human needs, wants, emotions and motivations. When we see each other as simply extensions of ourselves and learn to appreciate both the sameness and the differences, we have the opportunity to experience the best in others. Take a moment and focus on the best thing about a person close to you. What happens when you see this person in the best light? You may experience appreciation and this appreciation may in fact bring appreciation from others back to you. For when we appreciate the best in others it is a reflection that bounces back on us. Finding the best in others is the mark of a truly successful and well balanced soul living a successful life
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Friday, October 15, 2010
What does it take to successfully wake up in the morning?
First it takes a good night’s sleep and second enthusiasm about the day ahead. There are many theories on what it takes to get a good night’s sleep. Most have to do with avoiding certain foods, alcohol, stress, light and other stimulants. Now I would agree to try and avoid all of the above before bedtime but I would add that sometimes sleep simply eludes us without direct cause.
Yoga has always been a source of relaxation and a good method to help with sleep. Here is an easy yoga technique to help you relax and unwind at the end of the day or when you can’t sleep.
Sit up in a cross leg position or relaxed in a chair but keep the back straight .Bring the heels of the hands together. Make a fist with your left hand leaving the thumb pointing straight up. Cover the left hand with the right hand and bring the thumbs together so they touch and rest against the index finger of the left hand. There will be a hole between your thumbs.
Bring your elbows up against your ribs and forearms are angled up so the hands are about eight inches in front of your mouth. Inhale through the nose and exhale out through puckered lips into the hole between your thumbs Do this for five to ten minutes just before bedtime or if you wake up in the night.
This meditation Chata Chya Kriya will help you to stay young and healthy. And being relaxed, vibrant and healthy makes waking up in the morning a success!
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Yoga has always been a source of relaxation and a good method to help with sleep. Here is an easy yoga technique to help you relax and unwind at the end of the day or when you can’t sleep.
Sit up in a cross leg position or relaxed in a chair but keep the back straight .Bring the heels of the hands together. Make a fist with your left hand leaving the thumb pointing straight up. Cover the left hand with the right hand and bring the thumbs together so they touch and rest against the index finger of the left hand. There will be a hole between your thumbs.
Bring your elbows up against your ribs and forearms are angled up so the hands are about eight inches in front of your mouth. Inhale through the nose and exhale out through puckered lips into the hole between your thumbs Do this for five to ten minutes just before bedtime or if you wake up in the night.
This meditation Chata Chya Kriya will help you to stay young and healthy. And being relaxed, vibrant and healthy makes waking up in the morning a success!
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Thursday, October 14, 2010
What does it take to turn a “bad” day into a success life?
Yesterday morning I taught my yoga class. Before I left I had a slight disagreement with my husband and was feeling a bit ungrounded. I always start the class with some kind of message because yoga is much more than simply the poses and postures. So the message was about how your feeling influences your thoughts and how your thoughts influence the outcome of your day. Get in touch with your feelings, bring quiet balance to your feelings, then balances your thought and those thoughts will bring balance to your life.
The student’s eyes always open wide when I hit a nerve. Everyone can relate to being unbalanced and chaotic feelings that quickly move into unbalanced thoughts. Everyone can understand how those thoughts affect their day. But it is another thing to take the time to quiet the feelings and balance the body-mind through the experience of yoga. Ask yourself; what am I feeling in this moment and how is it affecting my thoughts? What can I do to quiet my mind and bring balance to my life?
And just where do feeling come from anyway? With a little insight you might turn your day into a success.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
The student’s eyes always open wide when I hit a nerve. Everyone can relate to being unbalanced and chaotic feelings that quickly move into unbalanced thoughts. Everyone can understand how those thoughts affect their day. But it is another thing to take the time to quiet the feelings and balance the body-mind through the experience of yoga. Ask yourself; what am I feeling in this moment and how is it affecting my thoughts? What can I do to quiet my mind and bring balance to my life?
And just where do feeling come from anyway? With a little insight you might turn your day into a success.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
What does it take to successfully get rid of a headache?
Sitting at a computer screen intensely concentrating can be the cause of a tension head ache. Ever feel it in your neck creeping up behind your eyes? It’s your body communicating its need to stretch, release and let go. Headaches come and headaches go. We say someone gives us a headache which is a kinder term than saying they are a pain in the A--! Nobody gives you a headache. To successfully get rid of a headache, get up stretch, breathe and smile. Whatever the aggravation or the tension remember it will pass. Better than a pill or a drink five minutes of yoga will successfully get rid of a headache. For a simple tension headache try this; sit quietly and close your eyes, inhale as you raise your shoulders up towards your ears and exhale as you lower them. Do this for one minute to successfully get rid of your headache.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
A successful Spotting
Last night I came out of a Beverly Hills restaurant and there standing at the valet service was the most interesting man in the world. He was handsome, sophisticated and every bit the part. My step daughter and my husband were as thrilled as me to spot him. After all he is the most interesting man in the world. Now what is it he drinks?
No matter what he does he does it perfectly. Everyone is in awe of him. Everyone knows him and no one knows his name but it doesn’t matter because he is the most interesting man in the world. He’s so cool he even impresses himself. But it’s not his ego – he just is most interesting man in the world.
Aren’t we all interesting in our own right? And isn’t being interesting a matter of attitude? Yesterday someone I know cried to me that she was lonely and that no one would want to be with her. I reminded her that she had plenty to give and that a nice man would see her worth but first she had to believe it herself. We’ve all been in a place where we’ve felt uninteresting and unattractive; sometimes worthless and afraid. How do you account for value when it comes to a human being? Value is found in being and not in the accumulation of money or status.
What makes the most interesting man in the world interesting is that he is full of adventure. He is game for anything and confident that he can master it. Creating adventure in your life whether large or small makes you interesting. So open up and enjoy your life and become the most interesting person you know!
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
No matter what he does he does it perfectly. Everyone is in awe of him. Everyone knows him and no one knows his name but it doesn’t matter because he is the most interesting man in the world. He’s so cool he even impresses himself. But it’s not his ego – he just is most interesting man in the world.
Aren’t we all interesting in our own right? And isn’t being interesting a matter of attitude? Yesterday someone I know cried to me that she was lonely and that no one would want to be with her. I reminded her that she had plenty to give and that a nice man would see her worth but first she had to believe it herself. We’ve all been in a place where we’ve felt uninteresting and unattractive; sometimes worthless and afraid. How do you account for value when it comes to a human being? Value is found in being and not in the accumulation of money or status.
What makes the most interesting man in the world interesting is that he is full of adventure. He is game for anything and confident that he can master it. Creating adventure in your life whether large or small makes you interesting. So open up and enjoy your life and become the most interesting person you know!
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Monday, October 11, 2010
What does it take to create a successful moment?
Just what is a moment anyway? Webster’s defines it as an indefinitely short amount of time. In Zen the moment is the present now. In my yoga classes every day we practice what is called a Zen moment. We stop close our eyes, locate ourselves on the mat and take in three deep long breathes. The experience teaches us to stop and connect in the present where the reality of life exists. Each moment leads to the next. What we create in a moment determines the next moment. And isn’t the success of life measured by the quality of the consecutive moment of our lives and not the quantitative accumulation of time?
Stop and really connect with the moment – be here right now. Relax and let the moment unfold pure and unadulterated. That’s a successful moment.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Stop and really connect with the moment – be here right now. Relax and let the moment unfold pure and unadulterated. That’s a successful moment.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Friday, October 08, 2010
Success only in LA
Last night I had dinner with Harrison Ford. No really I did. I didn’t exactly dine with him but I did dine at a table across the room from him. He was there with Callista’s son at the corner table of one of our favorite restaurants. I looked across the room and said to my husband I think that’s Harrison Ford?” I asked the waitress and she said “he dines here about once a week.”
Harrison Ford is only one of many stars I’ve spotted in my neighborhood. I’ve stood next to them in line, said hello as I passed by on the street, seen then at the movies and of course various other restaurants.
I’ve often thought I should keep a log of whom, when and where I spotted a star. However when you live in LA, seeing a star is just an occurrence with a commonly understood sense of etiquette to leave them alone. My biggest regret however is the day I was in a book store standing right next to Dustin Hoffman and I did not say hi. I mean we were shoulder to shoulder!
So does spotting stars make for a successful life? No, but it’s a lot of fun and having fun sure makes for a successful life.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Harrison Ford is only one of many stars I’ve spotted in my neighborhood. I’ve stood next to them in line, said hello as I passed by on the street, seen then at the movies and of course various other restaurants.
I’ve often thought I should keep a log of whom, when and where I spotted a star. However when you live in LA, seeing a star is just an occurrence with a commonly understood sense of etiquette to leave them alone. My biggest regret however is the day I was in a book store standing right next to Dustin Hoffman and I did not say hi. I mean we were shoulder to shoulder!
So does spotting stars make for a successful life? No, but it’s a lot of fun and having fun sure makes for a successful life.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Thursday, October 07, 2010
A Success Life
Everything in life costs more and takes longer. That’s a fact so you always need to provide for a cushion. I’m good at that because I have had to manage my money and my time my whole life. It’s a good skill to learn. If things come too easy too soon you never learn how to manage in difficult times. So a good part of living a successful life is to learn how to endure life’s difficulties without falling apart.
Now as I am being tested through all the various aspects of launching a project I remind myself that this is all part of the process. Every endeavor has pitfalls, changes, problems to solve and decisions to make. Without problems and decisions we would not have much to do with our lives. Things would be quite boring without any challenges.
I realize that if you are struggling to keep food on the table and a roof over your head that you might desire a bit of boringness but if you tackle the problems and the decisions with a clear head and a clear understanding that the mark of success in life is; always provide for a fallback position and if you have your health you can solve any problem life hands you.
What does it take to live a successful life? Get up, put one foot in front of the other and keep on walking.
Doctor Lynn
http://doctorlynn.com
Now as I am being tested through all the various aspects of launching a project I remind myself that this is all part of the process. Every endeavor has pitfalls, changes, problems to solve and decisions to make. Without problems and decisions we would not have much to do with our lives. Things would be quite boring without any challenges.
I realize that if you are struggling to keep food on the table and a roof over your head that you might desire a bit of boringness but if you tackle the problems and the decisions with a clear head and a clear understanding that the mark of success in life is; always provide for a fallback position and if you have your health you can solve any problem life hands you.
What does it take to live a successful life? Get up, put one foot in front of the other and keep on walking.
Doctor Lynn
http://doctorlynn.com
Wednesday, October 06, 2010
What does it take to live a successful life?
Last night I took my daughter and Grandson to dinner. Must say he makes me smile and when I spend time with him the world seems ok. I am very lucky to have two beautiful and very smart Grandsons. They are truly the joy of my life. And as I have written one of the successful things in my life has been to become a Grandmother. They say that is why you have children – to reap the benefits of being a Grandparent because children are a lot of work without a lot of appreciation but well worth the end result.
This morning I got up and receive the following email:
Dear Dr. Lynn,
I used to take your yoga classes at the Total Woman Gym in and at the 24 hour fitness in Sherman Oaks. Yoga has not been the same without you. Thus, unfortunately, I have been away from practicing yoga for some time now and would very much like to start doing yoga again and exercising more. I am writing to find out if you are still teaching yoga in the San Fernando Valley or Los Angeles area. Please let me know if you still are and where I can go. I deeply appreciate you taking the time to get back to me.
Namaste,
Tammy
I can tell you that it is the emails and notes like these that I have received over the years that have made everything I do worthwhile. Money has eluded me most of my life. I’ve always made a living and usually lived quite nice. But it is these notes and the thanks over the years that have truly touched my soul and made me realize that success is not measured in dollars. Truly when you do what you love with passion the money will follow. You will always be taken care of when you give from your heart and your soul.
Back to work editing the book which I will have done this weekend. I need to do a video for Justin and the virtual gym as well s do a you tube Promo. I also need to get the video from Scott and then get it all to Eric for the website. And then the book and video off to Amazon for hard publishing…whew I’m exhausted just writing all this stuff.
The PR agency sent me a proposal for about $1000 more than I want to pay but said they would negotiate so I need to take care of that. There are a lot of last minute decision and pushes I need to make if all of this is going to happen. And of course there is no guarantee but I have the fulfillment from accomplishing this and seeing it through to completion.
Let me share with you a card that one of my students sent me many years ago. I still have it and read it from time to time
She let go, forging a hole through the air, as she screamed past her limitations. And she wrote – thank you for helping me soar past my limitations. You are a great teacher and a peaceful spirit. I will remember you always and carry you in my heart. Blessings, Heather….and then Heather moved on never to be seen again.
These are the things I need to remember. Perhaps I am not here to make millions but rather to make a few people smile and touch their souls. That’s a successful life.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
This morning I got up and receive the following email:
Dear Dr. Lynn,
I used to take your yoga classes at the Total Woman Gym in and at the 24 hour fitness in Sherman Oaks. Yoga has not been the same without you. Thus, unfortunately, I have been away from practicing yoga for some time now and would very much like to start doing yoga again and exercising more. I am writing to find out if you are still teaching yoga in the San Fernando Valley or Los Angeles area. Please let me know if you still are and where I can go. I deeply appreciate you taking the time to get back to me.
Namaste,
Tammy
I can tell you that it is the emails and notes like these that I have received over the years that have made everything I do worthwhile. Money has eluded me most of my life. I’ve always made a living and usually lived quite nice. But it is these notes and the thanks over the years that have truly touched my soul and made me realize that success is not measured in dollars. Truly when you do what you love with passion the money will follow. You will always be taken care of when you give from your heart and your soul.
Back to work editing the book which I will have done this weekend. I need to do a video for Justin and the virtual gym as well s do a you tube Promo. I also need to get the video from Scott and then get it all to Eric for the website. And then the book and video off to Amazon for hard publishing…whew I’m exhausted just writing all this stuff.
The PR agency sent me a proposal for about $1000 more than I want to pay but said they would negotiate so I need to take care of that. There are a lot of last minute decision and pushes I need to make if all of this is going to happen. And of course there is no guarantee but I have the fulfillment from accomplishing this and seeing it through to completion.
Let me share with you a card that one of my students sent me many years ago. I still have it and read it from time to time
She let go, forging a hole through the air, as she screamed past her limitations. And she wrote – thank you for helping me soar past my limitations. You are a great teacher and a peaceful spirit. I will remember you always and carry you in my heart. Blessings, Heather….and then Heather moved on never to be seen again.
These are the things I need to remember. Perhaps I am not here to make millions but rather to make a few people smile and touch their souls. That’s a successful life.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
What does it take to live a successful life?
Woke up exhausted from a couple of bad dreams and a restless night. My shoulder still hurts and my knee also is still giving a little pain. I’m trying to pace myself so I won’t burn out my body. Some days I feel the aches and pains and other days I just ignore them.
I have a friend who is in her 70’s. She teaches about 8 classes a week and is still going strong. She looks amazing for a woman her age. If she can do it I can certainly keep on going. However one thing I am sure of is that our genetic material determines in many cases the aging, ability and condition of our bodies. We can make things worse by not taking care of ourselves or we can make things better by taking care of ourselves. My friend has good genes. Her father lives to be 101 and was healthy until he died.
I have friends my age that are old women compare to my friend Judy. I admire her get up and go. So I feel a little sad about my aching body today. I want to be 35 and stay 35 for ever but that is not the way life works. The body ages and the mind hopefully gets a little wiser.
My class last night was fun even if I am going in the hole. It’s giving me an opportunity to practice it. I’m thinking about asking one of the gyms if I can teach it as a specialty 6 week class. This would give me an opportunity to get in front of a lot of people and test it out. I hope then to take it to the virtual gym although I know it will take time and be very slow. It sounds good but most people want to get away from the computer and be social in the gym.
I edited over 50 pages of the book yesterday and now have only about 99 to go. I will have it done and meet the deadline of Oct 1st. if I can get the video on line at the same time I’ll be ready to market. I’m not sure how to push it or if all the social media and PR money spent will be money well spent. But what good is something if nobody knows about it? And today there is so much out there. It takes a loud voice to be heard.
So today I’ll edit and then this weekend I’m going to try and do a YouTube video to promote the book and the class. There are days when I ask myself why I am working so hard. I could just be a housewife and shop. But there is something in me that needs to create and needs to work. I can’t imagine ever not doing something that is creative and productive.
Back to work… that’ what it take to live a successful life.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
I have a friend who is in her 70’s. She teaches about 8 classes a week and is still going strong. She looks amazing for a woman her age. If she can do it I can certainly keep on going. However one thing I am sure of is that our genetic material determines in many cases the aging, ability and condition of our bodies. We can make things worse by not taking care of ourselves or we can make things better by taking care of ourselves. My friend has good genes. Her father lives to be 101 and was healthy until he died.
I have friends my age that are old women compare to my friend Judy. I admire her get up and go. So I feel a little sad about my aching body today. I want to be 35 and stay 35 for ever but that is not the way life works. The body ages and the mind hopefully gets a little wiser.
My class last night was fun even if I am going in the hole. It’s giving me an opportunity to practice it. I’m thinking about asking one of the gyms if I can teach it as a specialty 6 week class. This would give me an opportunity to get in front of a lot of people and test it out. I hope then to take it to the virtual gym although I know it will take time and be very slow. It sounds good but most people want to get away from the computer and be social in the gym.
I edited over 50 pages of the book yesterday and now have only about 99 to go. I will have it done and meet the deadline of Oct 1st. if I can get the video on line at the same time I’ll be ready to market. I’m not sure how to push it or if all the social media and PR money spent will be money well spent. But what good is something if nobody knows about it? And today there is so much out there. It takes a loud voice to be heard.
So today I’ll edit and then this weekend I’m going to try and do a YouTube video to promote the book and the class. There are days when I ask myself why I am working so hard. I could just be a housewife and shop. But there is something in me that needs to create and needs to work. I can’t imagine ever not doing something that is creative and productive.
Back to work… that’ what it take to live a successful life.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Monday, October 04, 2010
A successful Life - Oct 4th
To appreciate beauty. Beauty they say is in the eyes of the beholder. Beauty is subjective; however beauty can be found in everything depending upon your point of view. There is a saying in yoga that you and you alone bring the beauty to the sunrise and the sunset. It is seen through your eyes. It is not the sunset or the sunrise that is beautiful but your interpretation of it. To interpret life as a wonder of beauty and creativity is to live a successful life because life even in its darkest moments has an element of beauty. Realizing that beauty exist within you; you will see it everywhere. That’s a mark of a successful life.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com/
Friday, October 01, 2010
What does it take to live a successful life?
It’s Wednesday again and my online class is still not moving but I don’t feel bad because nobody is bringing in the crowds. Its’ a great idea and will take time to take off. I need to focus on the book and the video and the website. After I get back from Africa I’m going to make a bigger push for the online classes because I’m not going to teach in the studio any more. It is too much money with no return. Yoga works, which I bigger than me and has an advertising budget is giving away classes at 10 classes for $10.00. Everyone is hurting and struggling.
Now even though the online classes cost money they are not intended for LA where there are a multitude of gyms, studios and great teachers. It’s for mid America where things are limited. So I need to reach that audience with my book and my exercise class. But I can only focus on one thing at a time.
So tonight I will teach in the studio and hope that I get at least five people which is unlikely. I’ll do it for three more weeks and then focus on the online classes. In the mean time I’ll keep trying.
I am finishing the last editing of the book. He did a great job even if I am now paying him to do it over again after the last editor did a lousy job. When you hire somebody it is so difficult to know if the job will get done on time and professionally. Her intentions were good but her focus was somewhere else and it shows in the work. I thought she may be going through some emotional stuff. Just sensed it. Emotional turmoil will certainly affect everything you do. Studies have shown that emotional maturity and stability is a barometer of success. More than intelligence.
Need to get back to editing and organizing and hope that in time all of my hard work will pay off. Today is just a work day. Lots to do and not a lot of action. The bills are piling up. I need to invest about $ 5,000 more into this project. It needs the final push to make it happen. I’ll just take a deep breath and let it go.
Doctor Lynn
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
What does it take to live a successful life?
Back to work after a two day weekend. I really needed those two days off although in my mind I did do a little work. It’ hard to escape when you are immersed in trying to make a success of a project. It takes a lot of work to make money. It is so much easier to go to work for someone and collect a check. However you are always one check away from being fired, replaced, the company going bankrupt or keeping your mortgage paid. But then again when you work for yourself you are also subject to financial issues.
Well again Napoleon Hill list a cause of failure to be lack of ambition to aim above mediocrity. Meaning we should not be indifferent to what we want in life and be willing to pay the price. And that is the key…you must be willing to pay the price which includes financial commitment and a tremendous commitment of time and energy. Is it worth it? Yes…the enjoyment of creating and achieving is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Sometimes it makes money and sometimes it doesn’t but it is the process and not the final content that makes for excitement. So as I go back to work today with more work ahead of me than hours in the day I will keep my focus, take my aim and fire. It is my karma.
Karma builds character. Karma energy draws to the individual energy of both extremes. Good and bad, pain and pleasure, sorrow and happiness. It is the stuff of character. We learn from both sides of the spectrum and it is from these lessons that we gain wisdom. It is not about being good or bad but about living your karma which is simply the lessons we need to learn to hopefully ultimately gain wisdom and understand the nature of life.
So today I will remind my students the importance of living your karma and embracing all that life offers you. It is what you do with your karma that determines the nature of your life. Some people take misfortune and turn it into something good and others take good fortune and turn it into a disaster.
Life becomes what life does.
Doctor Lynn
Monday, September 20, 2010
A Successful Life Sept. 20th
To have your children tell you they appreciate you and forgive you for your mistakes for now they understand the role of parenting. My children have thanked me several times over the last ten years. They thanked me for teaching them manner although they complained all the time they were growing up about how strict I was. They thanked me for teaching them responsibility, kindness and caring. They thanked me for exposing them to culture and education. But it wasn’t always like this. When they were young they would complain and rebel. As a parent you ask yourself many times over if they will ever understand that you are doing your best to succeed at a job that you’ve never done before. It’s done out of love. Mistakes are made as parenting is not a perfect science. But those simple words of thank you make it worth all the effort and sacrifice.
Doctor Lynn
Friday, September 03, 2010
Back story Post Sept 3rd
I’m up before the crack of dawn. Its pitch dark outside and very still accept for the occasional car that rolls down Wilshire Blvd. I did go to sleep at 9PM so I guess getting up a t 5AM is not so bad. Most nights I’m exhausted from long hours of working. I need to stay focused and also need to implement a strong sense of self discipline. This is not something new. My life has always demanded self discipline in order to survive.
There was always money issues, children, work and responsibilities that demanded I be very self disciplined. Persistence is a mark of self discipline or may-be it is just plain stubbornness and an inability to accept defeat. Whatever it is I know how to super impose a sense of discipline upon myself. However there have been times in my life where the self discipline exhausted me and I went in the opposite direction. It’s sort of like denying yourself certain pleasures and then becoming a glutton of self indulgences. I think we’ve all gone there from time to time. The key is to find balance. To find a place where discipline is grounded and at the same time you can take time to laugh and play. Of course that is easy to say when you are not in a survival mode. Poverty and lack of support can be mighty forces in your life.
However I must find that balance point between the extremes. But a little more discipline is needed. I live a privileged life. It wasn’t always this way. I have struggled and gone without. Now I live a very upper middle class life, have money in the bank, travel, have clothes, jewelry and the ability to do what I want without a worry about money. I’ve never had this opportunity in my life.
When I was younger I watched other women who had supportive husbands, money, vacations, clothes, jewelry and all the accouterments of wealth take a position of entitlement without appreciation. It takes going without to learn to appreciate. And if I had to say the one thing that predominates in me these days it is appreciation for what I have because I remember all too clearly those days of struggle.
Character is a bi-product of discipline, struggle and hard work. Do I wish I had been born rich and had everything handed to me? You bet I do…but it would not be my life and I would not have an appreciation for things that most people take for granted.
So here I am about to launch my new classes, finish my book, finish the new DVD in my lovely condo, with money in the bank and an African vacation just on the horizon, appreciating the opportunity to be creative at a wonderful time in my life without the pressure of making money. What I appreciate the most is that at the end of the day I can put down my tools and laugh and enjoy the simple things in life.
Poverty, ill health and loneliness when turned around to become a comfortable, healthy and fulfilled life are a major feat. As I struggled to overcome each issue I remain constantly aware that at any moment poverty, ill health and loneliness can reappear. So for the moment and in the moment it is best to live life to its fullest.
Doctor Lynn
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