OVERCOME ASTHMA and Much Moretag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-3021612008-08-06T09:50:52-04:00The postings in this blog are jampacked full of no-nonsense, practical, and life-transforming information on health and fitness. They are written EXCLUSIVELY FOR PEOPLE WITH ASTHMA to address our particular needs and concerns. I guarantee they will be honest, informative AND entertaining.
TypePadHow To Change Your State of Mindtag:typepad.com,2003:post-538281542008-08-06T09:50:52-04:002008-08-06T09:50:52-04:00I think depression, or feeling 'blah' or down, is underrated. Not that I enjoy feeling down. I'm usually an 'up', positive person. But I did go through a sort of funk or depression when dealing with my asthma. As I...Karen Van Ness
<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>I think depression, or feeling 'blah' or down, is <br />underrated.</p>
<p>Not that I enjoy feeling down. I'm usually an 'up', <br />positive person.</p>
<p>But I did go through a sort of funk or depression <br />when dealing with my asthma. As I mentioned yesterday, <br />I think most of us do whenever we face a health <br />challenge. </p>
<p>There's a reason for the depression you may feel <br />due to health challenges or life events. So, before <br />you take any of the latest and greatest drugs <br />designed to lift you out of your funk, listen to <br />how you are feeling. </p>
<p>Follow your depression, acknowledge the pain. Accept <br />and validate that something is not right in your <br />life. </p>
<p>It takes a lot of courage to do this. And many of <br />us are not prone to the type of introspection <br />required. So you have to give yourself the gift of <br />time...sufficient time and space to process what is <br />really going on inside you. </p>
<p>Once you have acknowledged or accepted or validated...then <br />you need to turn the corner and get back into living <br />life. For most of us, this begins with feeling <br />in control again. </p>
<p>Remember, the one thing you can control in life is <br />your state of mind. Your state of mind is something <br />you can create.</p>
<p>Positive and negative emotions can not occupy the <br />mind at the same time. One or the other dominates. <br />So, as part of your mental, emotional, and psychic <br />recovery, it is important that you cultivate the <br />habit of applying and using positive emotions, so <br />they eventually become the dominating influence.</p>
<p>The most practical way to cultivate a positive state <br />of mind is to have a definite goal or purpose. </p>
<p>Your initial goal may be to improve, reduce or even <br />eliminate the symptoms or limitations of your current <br />condition or challenge.</p>
<p>Later, as you achieve initial success, you may expand <br />or extend your goals to include more general health <br />and lifestyle changes - the types of changes that get <br />you excited about the possibilities of life. </p>
<p>Along with this 'mind work' - actually it's also <br />'spirit work' - you must take action. No matter how <br />small the step, begin today. </p>
<p>It's a proven fact that the most consistent and <br />successful strategy for alleviating depression - no <br />matter what the cause - is vigorous exercise. </p>
<p>You've got to get moving! </p>
<p>Literally, move that body, get winded and out of <br />breath. Do regular deep breathing. Let your exhalations <br />cleanse you, and your inspirations inspire you. </p>
<p>This is one reason why I place such importance on <br />enhancing your ability to breathe and energize yourself <br />through the exercises I teach in my programs. </p>
<p>It's at the heart of the benefits you experience when <br />you do the exercises in the Secret Power of Dynamic <br />Energy Exercise Course, Volume II - <br /><a href="http://www.overcomeasthma.com/dynamic_energy2.html">http://www.overcomeasthma.com/dynamic_energy2.html</a>. </p>
<p>Nourish yourself with deep breathing and with quality <br />food. Build yourself up and feel strong again with <br />exercise. And feed your mind and spirit with <br />predominantly positive thoughts and emotions. </p>
<p>Do a little bit of these things each day, and you will <br />be amazed at how much better you feel. </p>
<p>You Can Do It!</p>
<p>Karen Van Ness<br /><a href="http://www.OvercomeAsthma.com">http://www.OvercomeAsthma.com</a></p>
<p>P.S. Motivation to change and improve is thought to <br />come from without. And it usually doesn't last. On the <br />other hand, inspiration is more abiding. It gets <br />you moving, AND it keeps you going. One of the best things <br />you can do for yourself, anytime you face a challenge, <br />is to make sure your body and brain are getting plenty <br />of oxygen. This helps fuel your body in its fight against <br />the challenge...and infuses you with the energy you need <br />to keep on keepin' on. </p>
<p>For a wonderfully simple but powerful and energizing <br />routine you can do in just minutes, check out the Secret <br />Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course, Volume I - <br /><a href="http://www.overcomeasthma.com/dynamic_energy1.html">http://www.overcomeasthma.com/dynamic_energy1.html</a> - <br />or Volume II - <br /><a href="http://www.overcomeasthma.com/dynamic_energy2.html">http://www.overcomeasthma.com/dynamic_energy2.html</a>. </p>
<p>You can also order both courses together at one very <br />special price. Visit <br /><a href="http://www.overcomeasthma.com/DESpecial_orderpage.html">http://www.overcomeasthma.com/DESpecial_orderpage.html</a> <br />for details. </p>
<p>Copyright, KVN Enterprises, Inc. 2008</p>
<p>**The contents of this daily email are not to be considered <br />as medical advice. Always consult a physician before <br />beginning or changing any health or fitness regimen.**<br /></p></div>
A Message From The Godstag:typepad.com,2003:post-538281162008-08-06T09:49:57-04:002008-08-06T09:49:57-04:00Yesterday I introduced the concept of depression being a part of our journey and story anytime we face a health challenge. Whether you have a serious, chronic disease, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or asthma....or you face a challenging,...Karen Van Ness
<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Yesterday I introduced the concept of depression <br />being a part of our journey and story anytime we <br />face a health challenge. </p>
<p>Whether you have a serious, chronic disease, such <br />as high blood pressure, diabetes, or asthma....or <br />you face a challenging, unhealthy condition, such <br />as arthritis, panic or anxiety, or being <br />overweight.....I truly believe that everyone, <br />or nearly everyone - as in 99.99 percent - goes <br />through a period of depression. </p>
<p>It may be mild, you may not even notice it or <br />realize what it is. But we all go through it.</p>
<p>It usually is very subtle too. And you don't expect <br />it. It's not like losing a loved one, where there <br />is a specific event you can tie your feelings to. </p>
<p>In my case, my challenge is asthma. If you are <br />like me, you probably had a hard time believing <br />that you had a chronic disease, or a chronic health <br />challenge - one that you might have to battle the <br />rest of your life. </p>
<p>So, you may have first been angry about having to <br />deal with it, about having to take on an often <br />complicated medical regimen, and about suddenly <br />becoming dependent on medications. </p>
<p>It's the combination of something gone wrong with <br />your body....and losing a sense of control. </p>
<p>Even the most optimistic among us is bound to <br />have some low moments. </p>
<p>And most of us don't want to feel down or <br />depressed. We think it is wrong to be this way. <br />We don't like the feeling. It's something we want <br />to 'snap out of'. </p>
<p>But how do we snap out of it?</p>
<p>Well, let me share with you one way of looking at <br />any type of disease or illness, along with the <br />accompanying depression. </p>
<p>The ancient Greeks, who were pretty advanced in <br />their understanding of medicine and the body, viewed <br />any illness or disease as a message from the gods. </p>
<p>To them, the disease is the manifestation of <br />this message. It is also the cure, because it <br />forces you to stop what you are doing and pay <br />attention to your body. </p>
<p>Now, I'm not saying you should be happy that you <br />have a health problem. </p>
<p>But I do think it's useful to take this alternative <br />point of view. </p>
<p>Instead of thinking that your body has rebelled <br />on you, poor me, what did I do to deserve this, and <br />so forth....look for the message instead. </p>
<p>What is your body trying to tell you through the <br />onset of the disease and its symptoms? What in your <br />life, your lifestyle, your emotional and mental <br />approach to life, do you need to take stock of <br />and perhaps change? </p>
<p>When you change your approach, you begin to ask <br />better questions. You move from the 'poor me', <br />anger and frustration mode to a focus on what you <br />need to do to begin solving the problem. </p>
<p>This change alone can have a dramatic impact on <br />how you feel, and can help dissipate depression or <br />other negative emotions that have been casting a <br />shadow on your life. </p>
<p>In the next tip, I'll discuss another, absolutely <br />vital, approach to beating these negative emotions...so <br />you can move with purpose towards improved health. </p>
<p>You Can Do It!</p>
<p>Karen Van Ness<br /><a href="http://www.OvercomeAsthma.com">www.OvercomeAsthma.com</a></p>
<p>P.S. One of the best things you can do for yourself, <br />anytime you face a health challenge, is to make sure <br />your body and brain are getting plenty of oxygen. <br />This helps fuel your body in its fight against the <br />challenge...and infuses you with the energy you need <br />to keep on keepin' on. For a wonderfully simple but <br />powerful and energizing routine you can do in just <br />minutes, check out the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy <br />Exercise Course, Volume I - <br /><a href="http://www.overcomeasthma.com/dynamic_energy1.html">http://www.overcomeasthma.com/dynamic_energy1.html</a> - <br />or Volume II - <br /><a href="http://www.overcomeasthma.com/dynamic_energy2.html">http://www.overcomeasthma.com/dynamic_energy2.html</a>. </p>
<p>You can also order both courses together at one very <br />special price. Visit <br /><a href="http://www.overcomeasthma.com/DESpecial_orderpage.html">http://www.overcomeasthma.com/DESpecial_orderpage.html</a> <br />for details. </p>
<p>Copyright, KVN Enterprises, Inc. 2008</p>
<p>**The contents of this daily email are not to be <br />considered as medical advice. Always consult a physician <br />before beginning or changing any health or fitness regimen.**</p></div>
The Cycle We Each Go Throughtag:typepad.com,2003:post-538280882008-08-06T09:49:20-04:002008-08-06T09:49:20-04:00There's a well-known paradigm for grieving and serious illness which teaches us that we go through stages in our path, from first encounter to finally moving beyond the event. The stages are simplified into denial, anger, resignation and acceptance. Of...Karen Van Ness
<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>There's a well-known paradigm for grieving and <br />serious illness which teaches us that we go through <br />stages in our path, from first encounter to <br />finally moving beyond the event.</p>
<p>The stages are simplified into denial, anger, <br />resignation and acceptance.</p>
<p>Of course, most people who have lost a loved one, <br />or are facing their own serious illness, don't <br />proceed neatly through these stages. They tend <br />to move back and forth between them.</p>
<p>And no one knows for sure whether anyone truly <br />gets to the resignation phase and stays there. <br />I think you probably get to a point at which <br />you are resigned to what happened and have moved on.</p>
<p>But then something like a holiday or special life <br />event, or hearing a certain song, makes you feel <br />angry or depressed again. </p>
<p>I learned a lot about this theory of grieving back <br />in the 1980s, when I interned one summer in college <br />at a spinal cord injury unit in Boston. </p>
<p>The (mostly) young men - there were a few women - <br />who were injured and had become paraplegics or <br />quadraplegics definitely went through a profound <br />grieving process. </p>
<p>The nurses and doctors told me that each person <br />goes through at their own unique pace, and in <br />their own unique way. </p>
<p>But one of the most important components of their <br />treatment - equally, if not more important, than <br />the medical care they were getting - was providing <br />the mental and emotional support to get through <br />their dark days and begin to see that there was <br />still the chance for a full, happy life.</p>
<p>If they couldn't make this leap from mourning and <br />despair to hopefulness and expectancy, they were <br />literally doomed. </p>
<p>Over the years, I've been able to use my exposure <br />to this truth to help get through the inevitable <br />bumps and bruises of life. </p>
<p>Losing a loved one, having your heart broken, <br />suffering humiliation or defeat....not much fun at <br />the time. But ultimately you have to soldier on and <br />find your way past the heartbreak. </p>
<p>When you make it through, you then have the chance <br />to craft a new life for yourself. </p>
<p>Think about that. Out of the ashes of despair can <br />come a sparkling new life, perhaps better than <br />any you ever dreamed of for yourself.</p>
<p>You just have to be open to it. While at the same <br />time, remembering the lessons you have learned <br />from what you just went through.</p>
<p>Now, you may be thinking, 'What does this have to <br />do with breathing or my health, Karen?'</p>
<p>Well, in my own experience, as well as working with <br />other people who faced chronic conditions, such as <br />asthma, arthritis, anxiety, being overweight, and <br />so forth - I've seen a pretty clear pattern that <br />is similar to the stages of grieving.</p>
<p>First, when you begin having problems, or are <br />diagnosed with a disease or condition, or wake <br />up one morning and finally admit your are fat...you <br />may be in denial. </p>
<p>I know I was when I was first diagnosed with asthma. </p>
<p>You can't accept the fact that you have a chronic <br />disease, condition or health problem that you will <br />have to deal with for the rest of your life. </p>
<p>Then you may get angry. </p>
<p>Your body became an adversary, an unknown. You may <br />feel mentally and psychologically separated from it. </p>
<p>And when you are out of harmony like this, you tend <br />to do less healthy, even self-destructive things. <br />You stop honoring your body because you don't trust <br />it anymore.</p>
<p>In this type of situation, the most universal emotion <br />we all go through, or have been through, is depression. </p>
<p>What can you do to help yourself get through this <br />successfully?</p>
<p>I'll talk more about that in your next tip.</p>
<p>You Can Do It!</p>
<p>Karen Van Ness<br /><a href="http://www.OvercomeAsthma.com">http://www.OvercomeAsthma.com</a></p>
<p>P.S. Getting back into harmony with your body can be <br />as simple as learning to breathe and relax. The Secret <br />Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course, Volume I, <br />shows you how. Just a few minutes a day can help you <br />regain control. For more information, or to order <br />your copy of the program, visit <br /><a href="http://www.overcomeasthma.com/dynamic_energy1.html">http://www.overcomeasthma.com/dynamic_energy1.html</a>.</p>
<p>Copyright, KVN Enterprises, Inc. 2008</p>
<p>**The contents of this daily email are not to be considered <br />as medical advice. Always consult a physician before <br />beginning or changing any health or fitness regimen.**</p></div>
How Having A Strategy Helps Youtag:typepad.com,2003:post-534576402008-07-29T17:11:10-04:002008-07-29T17:11:10-04:00Strategy is a word often used in the context of sports, war and business. When it comes to your personal life, it’s probably not something you think about. But strategy – having a strategy, thinking strategically, and so forth –...Karen Van Ness
<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><P>Strategy is a word often used in the context of <br>sports, war and business. </P>
<P>When it comes to your personal life, it’s probably <br>not something you think about. </P>
<P>But strategy – having a strategy, thinking <br>strategically, and so forth – is a skill that you <br>can and should apply. Having a strategy or plan for <br>your life, and thinking strategically over the long <br>term, provide a way of avoiding fatigue and burn <br>out…because they focus your intention and give you <br>a definite objective for your actions in this world.</P>
<P>In these Daily Tips, as well as in my programs, I <br>often mention the fact that “Energy flows where <br>intention goes”. </P>
<P>Having a strategy or a plan, as well as goals, helps <br>you focus your intention so you can better apply all <br>of your talents and energies to achieving what you <br>want in life. </P>
<P>Hold the thought of how you want your life to be – <br>focus on this thought, this vision – and then release <br>this vision to the universe and give it the chance <br>to manifest. </P>
<P>This is a metaphysical principle: when you release <br>your well-thought out and emotionalized visions, goals <br>or intentions to the universe, the universe recognizes <br>your commitment…understands you are serious…and goes <br>out of its way to ensure you get what you want. </P>
<P>From a more realistic standpoint, I think when you <br>know what you want, and hold it in your mind and in <br>your heart, it provides a direction for your life. <br>You focus on the things - AND you take the actions - <br>that make your goal possible. Because you are focused <br>on what you want, you ensure that your energies <br>automatically and naturally follow your intention. </P>
<P>When you can believe and trust that things will go <br>your way – rather than always trying to push, pull <br>or force things – you will find that things start <br>to happen for you and with you. A key point is to <br>see, feel, hear, smell and taste the life you want <br>to have...as if it is happening now. </P>
<P>Whether your goal is large or small, short term or <br>long term, focus your intention and your emotions <br>on it and live as if it is already here. You may <br>be surprised at the energy and persistence you <br>aquire as you move inexorably towards that new <br>you or new life you have imagined. </P>
<P>You Can Do It!</P>
<P>Karen Van Ness<br><A href="http://www.OvercomeAsthma.com">http://www.OvercomeAsthma.com</A></P>
<P>P.S. Breathing is the direct and instantaneous <br>way to tap into the life force, the vital energy <br>that flows through each of us. Performed properly, <br>deep breathing coupled with dynamic exercises - like <br>those in the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise <br>program - is a powerful method for accessing and <br>flowing your internal power. Doing these exercises <br>strengthens your body and spirit from the inside out, <br>and has a more profound and lasting effect. </P>
<P>For more information, or to order your own <br>copy of this life-enhancing program, go to <br><A href="http://www.overcomeasthma.com/dynamic_energy2.html">http://www.overcomeasthma.com/dynamic_energy2.html</A>.</P>
<P><br>Copyright, KVN Enterprises, Inc. 2008</P>
<P>**The contents of this daily email are not to be considered <br>as medical advice. Always consult a physician before <br>beginning or changing any health or fitness regimen.**</P></div>