Poor	concentration	is	when	one’s
mind	can	hold	its	attention	for	just	a	few	seconds. The	more	thoughts	you	have	running	through	your	head,	the	lessconcentration	you	have. The	less	concentration	you	have,	the	poorer	your
ability	to	hold	your	attention	on	something	for	a	certain	period. Improve	your
concentration	by	taking	back	control	of	your	mind	by	reducing	your
breathing,	following	your	breath	or	keeping	your	attention	on	your	inner
body.Chapter	11
	You	know	all	of	this!Accept	it	as	if	you	had	chosen	it	so
	
When	something	in	life	does	not	go	according	to	our	expectations,	we	feel
aggrieved. It	might	be	a	loss	of	money,	children	going	astray,	a	partner
deciding	to	leave	you,	losing	your	job	or	any	other	dilemma. When	confronted	with	this,	we	have	two	choices. We	can	either	accept	the
dilemma	or	refuse	to	accept	it. By	refusing	to	accept	it,	the	mind	creates	mental	turmoil. The	situation	has
happened. It	is	as	it	is	and,	in	many	situations,	there	is	little	we	can	do	to
change	it. What	is	within	our	complete	control	is	our	perception	of	the
situation. Shakespeare’s	famous	line,	“nothing	is	good	or	bad,	but	thinking
makes	it	so,”	rings	so	true. It	is	not	the	event	itself	that	is	the	problem. It	is
our	reaction	to	the	event	that	determines	our	happiness. If	we	choose	not	to
accept	a	situation,	we	generate	conflict	between	what	has	happened	and	what
we	believe	should	have	happened. Depending	on	the	intensity	to	which	we	refuse	to	accept,	the	mind	may	be
energized	for	days,	weeks	or	years	to	come. Life	is	often	put	on	hold	until	the
event	sorts	itself	out. Ultimately,	if	we	do	not	accept	what	has	happened,	we
simply	generate	misery	within	ourselves. Understanding	the	above	is	simple. It	makes	sense. But	is	the	acceptance	just
through	words	or	is	the	acceptance	actual	and	outright? “My	partner	has	left	me. Ok,	I	will	accept	that. I	don’t	need	the	stupid	idiot	in
my	life	anymore. I’m	going	to	screw	him	for	every	penny	he	has	and	I	hope
the	bitch	that	he	ran	off	with	also	suffers. Yes,	I	will	accept	that	he	has	left. He
has	left	me	stranded.”
	
The	above	is	a	story. It	is	acceptance	only	in	words. It	is	not	peaceful
acceptance. There	is	peace	of	the	mind	only	when	acceptance	is	outright,	with
no	negativity	for	what	has	taken	place. William	James	expressed	it	with	the
following:	“Be	willing	to	have	it	so,	because	acceptance	of	what	has
happened	is	the	first	step	in	overcoming	the	consequences	of	any	misfortune.”
	
Feel	your	inner	body. Reduce	your	breathing! Shut	the	door	to	the	past	and	move	on!M
aking	mistakes	is	a	significant	human	trait. The	greatest	people	on	earth
have	all	had	numerous	setbacks	and	have	made	mistakes. If	you	make	a
mistake,	analyze	the	past	for	just	a	short	time. When	you	fail,	it’s	okay	to	get
upset	or	to	feel	down	for	a	while. Don’t	make	the	mistake	something	that	you	continuously	live	from. If	you
constantly	think	about	a	past	mistake,	you	will	develop	it	into	something	so
big	that	it	will	wash	over	and	affect	every	aspect	of	your	life,	and	will	only
serve	to	increase	your	thought	activity	and	create	an	agitated	and	distracted
mind. A	distracted	mind	will	divide	your	attention	every	minute,	every	hour,
every	day. At	some	point	in	the	past,	if	you	carried	out	an	action	that	greatly	hurt	other
people,	understand	that	such	action	was	based	on	the	conditioning	and	beliefs
of	your	mind	at	that	time. Make	amends	if	you	can. Ask	for	forgiveness	if
possible. Your	pain	is	there	to	give	away. Thirty	years	ago,	it	was	customary	in	Ireland	to	have	a	few	pints	of	alcohol
and	drive	a	car. Two	local	men	from	Dun	Boyne	went	to	a	football	match	in
Trim. After	the	match,	they	had	a	few	drinks. On	the	way	home,	they	crashed
their	car	and	the	passenger	was	killed. The	driver,	who	was	35	years	of	age	at
the	time,	escaped	with	injuries. For	the	next	thirty	years	until	his	death,	the
driver	frequently	thought	about	the	accident. In	his	later	years,	he	became
depressed	as	a	result	of	these	thoughts. Yes,	the	man	made	a	mistake	and	did
an	unintentional	act. But	the	human	mind	turned	this	into	thirty	years	of
anguish. The	driver	was	my	father. A	child	grows	up	in	a	housing	estate	where	drugs	are	openly	sold	as	the	main
form	of	income. From	a	young	age,	the	childis	immersed	in	this	culture. The	police	are	enemies	and	other	people	are	a
means	to	make	money. When	the	child	grows	older,	he	peddles	drugs. The	pusher	sells	a	bad	batch. A	quiet	22-year-old	buys	drugs,	develops
permanent	brain	damage	and	is	placed	in	life-long	care. The	22-year-old	is
my	brother. Do	you	think	the	pusher	sold	the	drugs	with	a	free	mind? Do	you	think	a
conscious	choice	was	made? The	pusher’s	actions	were	based	on	the
conditioning	of	his	mind	at	that	time. You	might	have	done	bad	things	in	the	past. You	might	have	made	terrible
mistakes. But	don’t	allow	the	past	to	totally	consume	your	life. If	you	do,	you
will	shut	yourself	off	from	life. Your	mind	is	kept	alive	when	it	is	allowed	to
dwell	in	the	past	or	future. You	can	only	think	of	either	the	past	or	the	future. There	is	no	room	to	think	when	your	attention	is	absorbed	in	the	present. See
your	mind	as	a	moving	right	arm. “What’s	done	can’t	be	undone.”
—
William	ShakespeareStop	stirring	the	problem
Y
ou	have	a	bucket	of	muddy	water	and	you	would	like	the	water	to	be	clear. Therefore,	you	get	a	stick	to	stir	the	water	in	an	effort	to	see	the	bottom. However,	the	more	you	stir	the	water,	the	more	the	sediment	is	agitated,
further	muddying	the	water. This	is	the	human	mind. The	water	is	muddy,	which	is	akin	to	having	a
problem. Instead	of	stirring	the	water,	we	run	the	problem	through	our	mind
over	and	over	in	an	effort	to	reach	a	solution. If	we	allow	the	water	to	settle,
the	sediment	would	fall	to	the	bottom	of	the	bucket	and	the	water	would
become	clear. If	we	allow	the	mind	to	become	quiet,	it	becomes	clear	and	a
solution	can	enter. There	is	no	room	for	a	solution	to	enter	an	agitated	mind. We	tend	to	dwell	on	problems	with	thought	after	thought	after	thought. We	go
for	a	drive	and	think	about	the	problem. We	go	for	a	walk	and	think	about	the
problem. We	lie	wrapped	up	in	our	cozy	beds	at	night	and	think	about	the
problem. We	talk	with	our	friends	and	family	and	think	about	the	problem. Our	decision-making	process	becomes	clouded	by	the	intensity	of	worry,	fear
and	anxiety. The	more	we	think	about	the	problem,	the	larger	it	grows	within
our	heads	and	the	less	likely	the	possibility	becomes	of	finding	an	outcome. Upon	identifying	the	problem,	connect	with	the	problem	instead	of	running
away	from	it. See	it	as	something	that	needs	to	be	attended	to. I’m	not	saying
avoid	the	problem	or	ignore	it	and	hope	that	it	sorts	itself	out. What	I	am
saying	is	make	an	attempt	to	solve	the	problem	but	without	the	mental
commentary. See	it	head	on	for	what	it	really	is:	something	to	be	addressed. Think	about	finding	a	solution	for	a	few	minutes,	then	drop	the	problem	and
enter	stillness	for	a	period	until	your	mind	settles. Alternate	between	thinking	and	stillness. When	the	time	is	right,	a	creative
solution	will	enter	your	mind. You	will	know	it	to	be	right. You	will	have	a
good	feeling	about	it. A	creative	solution	does	not	arise	from	constant
thought. It	arises	from	a	gap	in	thought,	from	a	cessation	of	thinking. Drop	the
belief	that	constant	thinking	will	solve	your	problem,	as	it	won’t! If	you	don’t	have	a	solution	to	your	problem,	put	a	request	out	there	and	feel
that	a	solution	is	coming. Have	faith	that	it	will	be	sorted	out	at	the	right	time.But	whatever	you	do,	don’t	keep	running	the	problem	through	your	head. Feel
your	inner	body. Reduce	your	breathing! Do	you	have	the	patience	to	wait	till	the	mud	settles	and	the
water	is	clear? Can	you	remain	unmoving	till	the	right	action	arises? by	itself? Lao-Tzu,	Tao-te-ChingThe	bullying	child
C
ian	returned	home	from	school. Some	child	was	calling	him	names	and	he
was	upset	and	not	at	all	happy. His	mother	instinctively	tried	to	find	out	what
happened,	listened	to	him	and	then	told	him	not	to	worry	about	it,	that
everything	was	okay	and,	if	necessary,	she	would	chat	with	his	teacher. Cian
went	outside	to	play	and	soon	forgot	about	the	whole	incidence. What	if	this	situation	ended	differently? What	if	Cian’s	mother	was	to
repeatedly	ask	him,	“What	did	he	call	you? When	did	he	call	you	this? Why
did	he	call	you	this? Where	did	he	call	you	this? What	did	the	other	children
do? Were	they	laughing	at	you? Did	you	like	getting	called	names? How	did
you	feel	when	he	was	calling	you	names?”
	
Imagine	if	she	asked	Cian	the	same	questions	half	an	hour	later	and	again
before	dinner,	again	before	he	went	to	bed	and	first	thing	in	the	morning	when
he	awoke? Instinctively,	Cian’s	mother	would	not	do	this. She	knew	that	constant
rehashing	the	situation	would	only	turn	the	problem	into	a	drama. If	she	asked
Cian	to	repeatedly	run	the	same	situation	through	his	head,	he	probably	would
have	been	unwilling	to	return	to	school	the	next	morning. Do	you	repeat	the	same	stuff	over	and	over	in	your	own	mind? Feel	the	inner	body. Reduce	your	breathing! Your	enemies
S
omebody	did	something	to	you	once. This	is	bad	enough,	yet	you	choose	to
repeat	the	same	problem	over	and	over	by	running	it	through	your	mind,
sometimes	for	weeks,	months	or	years. It	might	have	been	a	negative	event,
or	person	or	situation. How	long	did	it	actually	happen? The	event	usually	happens	in	a	minute	but	you	run	it	through	your	head	over
and	over	again. Drama	is	added	through	layers	of	thought. When	somebody
says	negative	things	to	you,	learn	from	it	if	possible	but	then	drop	the	mental
baggage. As	you	live	in	presence,	you	will	become	more	conscious	of	the	thoughts	thattake	place	in	your	mind. You	will	become	aware	of	the	effect	of	this	and	will
automatically	drop	the	repetitive	thoughts	a	lot	earlier. For	past	thoughts	that	you	are	repeating,	wouldn’t	your	enemy	be	delighted	to
know	that	you	have	kept	your	problems	alive? Feel	the	inner	body. Reduce
your	breathing. A	reporter	once	asked	the	Dalai	Lama	whether
he	held	anger	towards	China. He	replied
“They	have	taken	everything	from	us,	should	I
let	them	take	my	mind	as	well?”Positive	thinking	is	limited	at	best
T
houghts	create	emotions	and	emotions	create	thoughts. One	feeds	off	and
contributes	to	the	other. You	are	feeling	down	and	emotionally	drained. There
is	a	dark	cloud	over	you	and	the	emotional	charge	has	taken	over. You	feel
like	crying. The	more	you	think,	the	greater	the	emotion. In	turn,	this	feeds	your	thinking
processes. You	don’t	like	feeling	this	way	and	make	an	attempt	to	do
something	about	it. You	attempt	to	replace	your	negative	thoughts	with
positive	thoughts. This	will	not	work. You	have	too	much	of	an	emotional	build	up;	therefore,	no	matter	how	hard
you	try	to	think	positively,	it	will	not	happen	and	you	will	be	even	more
unhappy. It	wasn’t	enough	that	you	felt	unhappy	in	the	first	place,	you	now
feel	unhappy	because	you	are	unhappy. If	you	are	feeling	down,	don’t	make	an	effort	to	think	positively. Instead,	wait
for	the	emotional	build-up	to	dissolve. Accept	that,	at	this	time,	you	are
moody,	feeling	down,	unhappy	and	emotional. Feeling	this	way	is	okay. Everybody	has	a	day	or	two	when	things	are	just	not
right. If	you	have	being	feeling	down	for	years,	then	make	a	conscious
intention	to	bring	as	much	attention	to	your	inner	body	as	often	as	you	can
throughout	the	day. Go	for	a	walk,	feel	your	inner	body	and	reduce	your
breathing. Do	
Many	Small	Breath	Holds	
throughout	the	day	when	you	are
sitting. Take	attention	out	of	your	mind	and	aim	to	increase	your	Control
Pause	over	time. When	you	accept	that	this	is	how	it	is,	pressure	has	lifted	from	you. Of
course,	it	will	take	some	time	for	the	emotional	charge	to	dissolve,	but	the
more	you	stay	in	the	now	and	follow	your	breath	or	feel	your	inner	body,	the
quicker	this	will	pass. Happiness	cannot	be	bought
W
ithout	a	peaceful	mind,	your	life	is	nothing. If	it	is	agitated	with
thousands	of	thoughts	and	incessant	worry,	then	it	does	not	matter	what	cars,
partner,	money,	house,	job	or	title	you	have. You	fear	for	your	financial	future. You	worry	about	it. Will	I	get	by? Will	I
survive? You	decide	to	do	something,	so	you	spend	thirty	years	of	your	life	in
stress	to	reach	financial	security. Finally,	you	have	arrived. Yet,	your	mind
continues. You	continue	to	worry. You	worry	about	your	health. You	worry
about	the	neighbours	and	what	they	think. You	worry	about	your	children. You	worry	about	the	unknown. You	worry	when	you	are	unsecure. You	worry	when	you	are	secure. Security	does	not	bring	about	a	peaceful	mind. Only	a	peaceful	mind	brings	about	a	peaceful	mind. Your	mind	is	priority. Only	with	a	peaceful	and	quiet	mind	will	you	enjoy	life. If	you	work	in	a	highly	paid	but	stressful	job,	you	might	achieve	certain
material	wealth,	but	is	this	at	the	expense	of	a	quiet	mind? You	have	achieved
success	but	at	what	price? Material	wealth	and	titles	are	helpful,	but	all	have	limitations. Wealthy	people
are	in	and	out	of	rehab,	suffer	from	depression	and	fear	of	the	future	that	at
some	point	all	of	their	achievements	will	disappear. An	attractive	person	who
depends	on	their	looks	will	be	some	day	unattractive. What	happens	to	the
wealthy	person	when	the	stock	market	crashes? Everything	is	subject	to
change. There	is	nothing	that	we	can	achieve	in	object	form	that	will	satisfy
us	permanently. I’m	not	saying	that	you	should	not	attempt	to	improve	your
lot. I	am	saying	that	you	should	know	thyself	by	observing	what	is	taking	place
in	your	mind	and	how	it	affects	both	you	and	others	around	you. Find
yourself. Material	wealth	is	out	of	reach	of	most	people	living	in	the	Eastern
world. And	yet,	these	people	are	lighter	and	happier	that	their	Western
counterparts. What	is	their	secret? The	secret	is	the	importance	that	the	Eastern	world	places	on	the	cultivation
of	a	still	mind. A	quiet	mind	translates	into	lightness	and	happiness. A	noisy
mind	translates	into	heaviness	and	unhappiness. Achieve	the	nice	car	and	house. Work	in	a	top	job. Yes,	these	are	nice	and
make	our	lifestyle	a	little	easier. However,	they	are	secondary. What	isprimary	is	the	extent	to	which	you	live	outside	of	thought. You	are	entirely
responsible	for	this	and	have	a	great	deal	of	control	over	it. Your	true	self	is	the	only	aspect	that	is	constant. It	is	does	not	change	and
remains	the	same	regardless	of	what	happens	in	the	external	environment. Tap
into	the	real	you	by	dropping	the	thought	and	living	your	life	free	from	the
filters	of	conditioning. Take	off	your	sunglasses	and	see	the	light. Feel	the	inner	body. Reduce	your	breathing!Are	you	generating	peace	or	misery	within	yourself? W
e	need	to	have	peace	within	ourselves	before	we	can	be	at	peace	with
others. How	can	you	have	peace	with	others	when	you	are	not	at	peace	with
yourself? Know	thyself,	not	just	at	an	intellectual	level	but	at	an	experiential
level. Observe	yourself. Are	you	generating	peace	or	misery	within	yourself? When	you	generate	negativity	in	your	mind,	you	are	bound	to	suffer. When
your	mind	is	peaceful	and	pure,	you	enjoy	the	kingdom	of	heaven	within
yourself. Recognize	how	your	mind	affects	the	body	and	how	emotions	of	the	body
affect	the	mind. If	you	are	angry	with	an	enemy,	you	are	the	first	victim. If	you	are	jealous	of	someone	else,	you	are	the	first	victim. If	you	hate	someone	else,	you	are	the	first	victim. If	you	seek	revenge	from	someone	else,	you	are	the	first	victim. These	are	the	fundamental	laws	of	life. If	your	mind	is	still,	pure	and	free
from	tension,	anger,	animosity	and	jealousy,	then	life	rewards	you. A	prisoner	convicted	for	many	years	can	spend	a	lot	of	time	thinking	about
getting	revenge	on	the	police	officer	who	arrested	him,	the	witness	who
testified	against	him,	and	the	judge	who	convicted	him. But	during	that	time,
he	is	making	his	life	a	misery. The	more	you	think	about	revenge	or	hating	your	enemy,	the	more	your	body
gets	tense	and	the	more	your	stomach	gets	tied	in	a	knot. You	cannot	have
negative	thoughts	about	someone	else	without	these	same	thoughts	having	a
negative	effect	on	yourself. You	will	be	very	surprised	to	see	how	situations
sort	themselves	out	when	you	are	present	with	time. You	will	know	what	to
do	and	can	act	without	looking	through	thought. Problems	do	not	sort
themselves	out	by	constant	thinking	and	struggling. I	am	not	saying	that	you	should	do	nothing	and	allow	someone	to	walk	all
over	you. If	you	need	to	challenge	somebody,	wait	until	the	time	is	right.Don’t	challenge	them	when	you	are	full	of	anger,	because	whatever	you	say
in	anger	you	will	regret	afterwards. Challenge	them	if	necessary	when	you	are
still	and	present. When	the	time	is	right,	meet	with	the	other	person. Drop	all	prior	thoughts	of
them	and	speak	the	facts. Explain	the	situation. By	dropping	all	thought,	you
will	remain	calm	and	still. This	is	very	powerful. Finally,	when	you	are	present	with	time	and	connected	with	the	greater
intelligence	of	life,	negative	situations	do	not	occur	to	the	same	extent. Life
gets	softer. “I	am	the	only	person	in	the	world	I	should	like	to	know
thoroughly.”
—
	Oscar	WildeChapter	12
	Going	Forward
	
Everything	happens	in	the	present. Nothing	happens	outside	the	present. The
present	is	the	only	thing	that	matters. When	you	pay	good	attention	to	your
breath,	to	your	inner	body	and	to	your	five	senses	of	the	exclusion	thought,
you	are	present. Whenever	your	attention	is	in	your	mind,	you	are	out	of
presenceChoose	life	or	choose	thought
W
e	really	need	to	choose	life	on	a	moment	to	moment	basis. Keep	asking
yourself	over	and	over	again:	are	you	wrapped	up	in	thoughts	or	are	you
connecting	with	the	reality	of	what	is	going	on	around	you? It	is	that	simple. Relationships	and	thought	are	a	good	example. When	we	first	meet	our
partners,	life	is	a	laugh,	full	of	joy	and	fun. Over	time	we	begin	to	better	get
to	know	our	partners. We	can	often	lose	sight	of	their	good	points	and	start	to
dwell	on	their	bad	points. We	focus	on	the	habits	of	the	other	person	that	annoy	us:	clothes	are	not	put
away,	he/she	spends	too	much	money,	is	too	tight	with	money,	wastes
electricity,	is	obsessed	about	wasting	electricity,	likes	to	party	too	much,
won’t	go	out	at	all,	watches	TV	too	much,	buys	too	much	junk	food,	won’t	let
himself	go,	has	no	interest	in	others,	have	little	in	common. We	start	to
analyze	and	dwell	on	the	differences	and	we	run	them	over	and	over	in	our
mind. We	forget	about	our	partner’s	good	points	as	the	bad	points	take	over. Then,	we	meet	our	partners	and	see	him	or	her	through	this	collection	of
thought. We	begin	to	argue	and	tension	arises. Emotions	run	high	and	we	get
upset	with	each	other. This	is	a	reflection	of	the	mind. Little	habits	that	before	were	endearing	are
now	the	cause	of	marital	and	relationship	issues. If	your	relationship	has
issues,	then	the	next	time	you	see	that	person,	see	him	or	her	as	if	for	the	very
first	time. If	you	were	not	looking	through	the	past,	things	would	be	different. People	running	on	a	train	of	thought	think	negatively	about	their	relationships
all	the	time. Then,	when	they	see	the	person,	they	look	through	what	they
have	been	thinking	about. How	could	you	have	a	good	relationship	by	looking
through	so	much	junk? If	you	are	not	happy,	you	are	spending	too	much	time	thinking. If	you	don’t	get	on	with	members	of	the	opposite	sex,	you	are	spending	too
much	time	thinking. If	you	hate	your	job,	you	are	spending	too	much	time
thinking. If	you	feel	unattractive,	you	are	spending	too	much	time	thinking. If
you	think	you	are	God’s	gift	to	women,	you	are	spending	too	much	time
thinking. You	are	creating	problems	from	your	thoughts. If	you	just	let	your
thoughts	subside,	you	would	have	far	fewer	problems. The	answer	is	to	not	analyze	the	other	person. Don’t	look	through	your
collection	of	thoughts. Don’t	have	a	preconceived	idea	of	him	or	her. See	and
really	see. Hear	and	really	listen. Feel	and	really	feel. You	will	sense	freedom
when	you	get	in	touch	with	life,	as	life	is	the	prime	substance	behind
everything. The	real	world	is	life	itself,	not	a	collection	of	thoughts. Some	people	never	put	down	their	thoughts,	even	for	just	a	short	while. These
people	completely	miss	out	on	life. If	you	don’t	like	your	job,	do	it	without	thought. Don’t	let	your	mind	into
analyze	it	and	turn	your	workplace	into	a	living	hell. I	spent	a	couple	of	years
hating	a	job. I	thought	about	it	incessantly. All	this	does	is	get	you	down	and
keeps	you	trapped	in	the	job. The	more	you	think	about	how	much	you	don’t
like	your	job,	the	less	room	you	have	for	a	solution	to	enter. Very	few	thoughts	will	bother	you	if	you	are	there	step	by	step. Don’t	run	on	a
collection	of	thoughts	that	you	think	it	is. Following	time	step	by	step
involves	no	thought. As	time	passes,	go	with	time. Don’t	think	of	the	future	or
worry	about	the	past. The	past	is	exactly	where	it	is	–	in	the	past. There	is
little	you	can	do	to	change	it. Thoughts	are	imagined	as	if	they	are	real,	but	they	are	not	real	at	all. Thoughts
are	stale. They	are	based	on	past	conditioning	and	programs. But	life	is	fluid
and	ever	changing. You	cannot	get	answers	for	something	that	is	fluid	by
delving	into	old	thoughts. Feel	your	inner	body. Reduce	your	breathing! I	cannot	stop	thinking
Y
ou	might	say	that	this	all	makes	sense	but	it	is	impossible	to	stop	thinking
when	things	go	wrong. Yes,	I	agree	that	doing	it	is	more	difficult. But	at	the
same	time,	it	is	a	lot	easier	than	allowing	the	mind	to	run	off	on	a	worrying
stream	of	thought. Of	any	24	hour	day,	negative	events	generally	account	for
a	very	small	amount	of	time. It	is	our	thinkaholic	nature	which	prolongs	the
situation	in	our	mind. It	is	easier	to	build	up	your	awareness	by	stilling	the	mind	when	things	are
GOING	RIGHT	FOR	YOU. When	life	is	running	smoothly,	make	it	a
continued	practice	to	observe	your	thoughts	and	bring	COMPLETE	attentionto	the	present	moment,	or	feel	your	inner	body	or	follow	your	breath. The
more	you	do	this,	the	easier	it	is	when	things	are	not	running	so	smoothly.Old	tensions	dissolve
P
ast	events	and	old	thoughts	that	are	buried	well	beneath	the	surface	of	the
conscious	mind	will	begin	to	appear	as	you	calm	your	mind. By	living	in
presence,	watching	your	breath,	feeling	your	inner	body,	the	mind	clears	and
past	memories	arise. Both	good	and	not	so	good	memories	arise. From	thirty
years	ago,	you	might	remember	a	schoolteacher,	childhood	friends,	an
experience	that	happened	while	you	were	on	holiday,	or	something	somebody
said	to	you. Deeply	rooted	traumas	might	surface. As	the	old	memories	arise,	just
acknowledge	them	and	let	them	pass,	even	stuff	that	has	caused	a	lot	of	pain,
such	as	emotional,	physical	or	sexual	abuse. Just	view	these	past	traumas	as	thoughts. Observe	them	without	attachment
and	let	them	pass. A	mood	change,	emotional	charge	and	short-term
depression	can	be	part	of	the	process. If	you	feel	down,	accept	it	as	part	of	the
healing	process. Feeling	down	is	okay,	as	it	is	for	the	short	term	and	will	soon
pass. Bringing	acceptance	to	this	helps	speed	the	process. Deal	with	the	past
by	living	in	the	present. Doing	this	enables	the	old	thought	patterns	that	have
shaped	your	life	to	dissolve. The	good	news	is	that	you	don’t	have	to	analyze	the	past	to	address	the	past. You	don’t	even	need	to	understand	it. Just	live	in	the	now	and	allow	the	past
to	surface	and	dilute.We	all	need	help	from	life
N
o	matter	how	intelligent	we	are,	we	depend	on	life	to	help	us	along	the
way. We	cannot	do	it	alone,	nor	should	we. All	species	with	the	exception	of
most	humans	allow	life	to	assist	them,	care	for	them	and	provide	for	them. Birds,	tigers,	elephants,	snakes,	cats,	dogs,	seals,	dolphins	and	whales	are	not
worried	about	tomorrow,	nor	are	they	dwelling	in	the	past. They	have	little
fear	except	for	brief	moments	when	confronted	by	an	animal	of	prey. Why	are
humans	the	exception? Why	would	life	let	humans	down	and	look	after	every
other	living	being? You	are	not	one	with	life	if	all	of	your	attention	is	in	your	head. You	are
missing	out	on	life	and	all	that	it	is	has	to	offer. Look	at	the	state	of	the	people
around	you. You	will	see	how	caught	up	they	are	in	their	heads	thinking	about
the	past	or	future	and	seldom	having	their	attention	in	the	now. Life	is	not	a	collection	of	thoughts. Life	has	an	immense	intelligence	that	we
seldom	consider. Allow	life	to	help	you	through	life. Don’t	be	constantly
worried	and	afraid	of	whatever	situation	or	event	may	unfold. Have	trust	in
life	and	life	will	look	after	you. Your	job	is	to	let	life	live	through	you. You	enable	this	when	you	merge	with
your	inner	body	or	follow	your	breath. Your	job	is	to	live	life,	not	to	live	in	a
collection	of	thoughts	in	your	head. Living	in	your	thoughts	is	living	a	life
divorced	from	life.Let	go	of	the	wheel	of	life
I
n	a	sense,	when	we	first	let	go	of	thought,	we	feel	as	if	we	are	abandoning
control. Society,	education	and	other	factors	have	conditioned	us	into
believing	that	we	always	need	to	be	thinking. The	belief	is	that	if	we	stop
thinking,	everything	that	we	have	ever	accumulated	or	strived	for	will	come
tumbling	down	around	us. The	belief	is	that	our	relationships	will	fall	apart,
our	kids	will	go	wild,	our	finances	will	dwindle. Deep	down,	we	believe	that	we	must	be	thinking	all	the	time. If	this	wasn’t
the	case,	why	would	we	continue	to	do	it? Here,	I	am	asking	you	to	take	a
chance	on	life	and	see	how	life	looks	after	you. Forget	about	thought	and	join
with	life. Let	go	of	constant	control	and	see	what	life	brings	you. It	is	the	understanding
that	you	literally	have	to	do	nothing	and	let	life	do	it	for	you. You	are	in	this	world	to	discover	life. Have	fun	with	it. Test	it	out. See	if	life
is	real. See	if	it	is	true. But	you	have	to	be	willing	to	test	it. Make	the	decision
to	change. You	might	have	to	start	with	very	small	areas. If	you	are	bored	in	your	job,	can	you	view	it	differently? Can	you	approach	it
without	feeling	that	it	is	boring? Can	you	look	at	your	wife	or	husband
without	seeing	the	negativity	that	you	have	run	through	your	mind	over	the
past	few	months? Gently	take	back	control	of	your	mind. Watch	your	breath,	feel	your	inner
body,	reduce	your	breathing. Do	this	for	pockets	of	a	few	minutes	many	times
throughout	the	day. Especially	do	it	while	you	are	watching	TV,	driving	your	car,	waiting	in	line
at	the	post	office,	walking	down	the	street,	exercising,	in	bed	at	night. The
more	often	you	incorporate	it	into	your	life,	the	more	you	will	continue	with
it. It	is	you	that	stops	yourself. See	what	life	really	provides	you,	as	this	will	be
far	better	than	what	is	developed	through	a	collection	of	thought. If	you	made
a	decision	to	choose	life,	then	you	would	not	choose	thought. How	will	you	know	if	it	is	working? Quite	simply,	you	will	know	by	how	youfeel. You	will	feel	alive	and	feel	no	tension. Your	life	will	be	softer	and	will
unfold	a	lot	easier.Chapter	14
	The	resultNo	more	anger? F
irst,	you	watch	your	thoughts	and	emotions. You	observe	the	interplay
between	your	mind	and	emotions	and	how	one	influences	the	other. You	begin	to	realize	the	effect	of	your	thinking. You	bring	your	thoughts	to
the	forefront	of	your	mind	as	opposed	to	allowing	them	carry	on	unnoticed	in
the	background. From	this,	you	automatically	exert	more	control	over	your
thought	processes. Just	as	you	would	immediately	drop	a	hot	item	from	your
hand,	the	realization	that	your	mind	determines	your	happiness	is	total	and
unquestionable. This	is	awareness. You	begin	to	understand	your	mind	as	a	tool	that	you	can	use	and,	at	the	same
time,	that	you	gain	more	control	over. While	doing	anything	and	between
thinking	for	practical	purposes,	bring	attention	into	your	body	and	reduce
your	breathing. You	follow	each	breath	and	feel	the	air	shortage. You	breathe
through	your	nose	at	all	times:	during	exercise,	while	sleeping	and	when
engaged	in	any	other	activity. You	feel	your	inner	body	throughout	the	day. If	you	have	a	problem,	you	think	for	a	while	and	then	drop	the	thinking	and
merge	with	the	inner	body. You	think	for	a	few	minutes	and	then	stop
thinking. Does	this	mean	that	you	never	experience	anger	or	emotions,	or
hostility	or	agitation? No. You	will	have	emotions	and	you	will	get	angry,	but	less	frequently. External
circumstances	and	events	will	not	affect	you	as	before. The	more	stillness	you
bring	into	your	life,	the	less	you	react	and	the	quicker	you	overcome
situations.If	someone	cuts	you	off	while	driving,	you	might	honk	your	horn	but	you	will
return	to	stillness	a	lot	quicker. If	your	mind	is	heavy,	it	is	probable	that	you
honk	your	horn	and	keep	it	pressed	for	a	long	time. If	you	are	well	immersed
in	stillness,	you	might	have	no	need	to	honk. You	let	it	go. You	don’t
automatically	react. By	feeling	the	inner	body,	you	can	sense	how	active	the	mind	is. If	the	mind
is	stressed,	your	tummy	will	be	tense	and	hard	as	a	rock. You	know	the	effect
that	anger	has	on	your	body	and	with	this	realization;	you	don’t	reinforce	it
with	continuous	thinking. Instinctively,	you	are	aware	that	to	do	so	is	harmful. After	a	while,	the	issue	fades	away. You	understand	the	insanity	of	the	human
mind	and	do	not	identify	with	each	thought	as	being	real. When	one	is	aware
of	the	effects	of	the	mind	and	how	it	causes	anger,	hatred,	tension	and	turmoil,
you	are	able	to	automatically	drop	an	issue	a	lot	sooner.Take	responsibility	for	your	own	life
D
epressed	and	anxious	people	also	need	to	be	accountable. After	all,	the
problem	and	solution	are	both	in	the	same	place	–	your	head. It	is	too	easy	to
run	to	the	doctor,	throw	money	at	him	and	allow	him	to	push	legal	drugs	on
you	without	attempting	to	address	the	cause	of	the	problem	in	the	first	place. Not	all	doctors	are	like	this,	but	too	many	are. A	person	on	continuous
medication	is	great	news	for	the	Western	health	model. He	or	she	is	then	a
constant	customer	of	pharmaceutical	conglomerates	and	will	use	their
products	for	the	next	few	decades. Some	people	tell	me	that	they	have	tried	breathing	exercises	and	that	they	did
not	work. The	simple	answer	to	this	is	that	they	did	not	make	a	commitment
to	give	it	a	good	shot. They	tried	for	a	few	brief	moments	or	maybe	a	day	or
two,	and	then	gave	up. They	lacked	discipline. Well,	I’m	sorry	to	tell	you	that
sometimes	we	need	to	put	in	effort	to	get	somewhere. Watching	your	breath
should	not	even	be	considered	a	task. Reconnecting	with	your	body	is	a
wonderful	thing	to	do. It	has	taken	many	years	for	you	of	adding	thought	after
thought	to	get	you	to	the	point	where	you	are	today. It	will	also	take	a	little
time	to	reverse	this	habit. Like	all	habits,	the	mind	wants	to	retain	the	status
quo	and,	for	a	while,	will	be	resistant	to	change. It	is	up	to	you	and	no	one
else	to	make	this	change. For	many	people,	Western	society	is	a	cop	out. We	have	graduated	into	instant
gratification,	looking	for	the	quick	fix	and	not	wanting	to	take	responsibility
for	our	own	lives. If	you	don’t	give	this	a	good	shot,	then	I’m	sorry	to	say	that
you	have	not	suffered	enough. People	often	tell	me	that	they	do	not	have	the	time	to	watch	their	breathing	or
feel	the	inner	body. Again,	this	is	a	cop	out. Breathing	or	feeling	the	inner
body	can	be	applied	during	any	activity	or	event. I	can	honestly	say	that	if	you	reduce	your	breathing	and	feel	your	inner	body
as	often	as	possible	for	three	weeks,	you	will	be	a	changed	person	at	the	end
of	it. You	will	have	clarity	of	mind	that	you	probably	have	not	experienced
since	when	you	were	a	child. Remember,	you	once	had	clarity	of	mind. You
once	lived	totally	free	from	repetitive	and	incessant	thinking. You	once	lived
in	a	state	of	bliss. This	has	all	been	covered	up	by	layers	of	conditioning	and
thought. Go	back	to	your	original	state. Go	back	to	how	your	life	was	during
the	first	few	years. See	thought	as	something	that	you	can	choose	to	use	for	apractical	situation. At	other	times,	connect	with	the	Now,	your	inner	body	and
your	breath,	and	the	layers	of	thought	activity	and	conditioning	will	dissolve
as	you	no	longer	place	attention	on	them. It	is	not	difficult	to	watch	your	breath	and	still	your	mind. This	is	the	natural
order	of	things,	all	we	are	doing	is	going	home. What	is	difficult	is	living	in
the	incessant	noise	in	the	head	and	accepting	that	whatever	our	mind	throws
up	at	us	to	be	true. I	don’t	know	how	people	live	like	this. I	lived	this	way	for
many	years	and	I	suffered,	was	stressed	and	felt	fear	and	anxiety. It	is	insane.Chapter	15
	What	to	do
	
The	number	of	times	you	take	attention	out	of	your	mind	and	put
onto	your	breath,	your	inner	body	or	your	senses	is	far	more
important	than	the	length	of	time	occupied	there	.Be	aware	many
time	throughout	the	day.A	foolproof	way	to	quieten	the	mind
	
	
If	you	find	it	difficult	to	still	the	mind	by	applying	one	of	the	practices,
then	apply	two	at	the	same	time. While	reducing	your	breathing,	place	attention	on	your	inner	body. While	feeling	your	inner	body,	put	your	senses	on	what	is	taking	place
around	you. See,	listen	and	feel. While	you	do	what	you	love	to	do,	apply	it	with	your	full	senses	to	stay
present	with	time. It’s	about	reducing	your	recurrent	and	repetitive	thought	activity.Incorporating	reduced	breathing	and	stillness	into	your	way	of	life	will
depend	on	how	you	are	feeling. Using	the	Control	Pause,	state	of	health	and
age	as	a	guide,	the	following	approach	will	provide	some	insight. Gentle	approach:	Not	well,	elderly	or	have	a	CP	of	less	than	10	seconds
Nasal	breathes	at	all	times	including	at	night;
Gently	use	the	nose	unblocking	exercise	if	necessary;
Watch	your	thoughts;	know	what	is	going	through	your	mind	and
determine	how	your	thoughts	create	your	mood	and	how	your	mood
creates	your	thoughts;
Feel	your	inner	body	during	many	five-minute	pockets	throughout	the
day;
As	you	sit	in	nature	or	pet	an	animal	such	as	a	dog	or	cat,	feel	your	inner
body;
Relax	your	inner	body. If	your	tummy	is	tense,	encourage	it	to	relax
through	mental	commentary;
Keep	your	breathing	calm	at	all	times;	reduce	your	breathing	by	relaxing
your	tummy	and	chest;
Avoid	excessive	talking	or	other	activities	that	increase	breathing;
Eat	food	in	small	quantities;
Never	push	yourself	during	physical	exercise	beyond	the	point	where
you	lose	control	of	your	breathing;
Practice	the	
Many	Small	Breath	Holds	
exercise	throughout	the	day	and
ensure	gentle	reduced	breathing	with	light	to	medium	air	shortage. For
example,	practice	two	thousand	small	breath	holds	and	reduced
breathing	for	blocks	of	five	minutes	many	times	throughout	the	day. (You	don’t	have	to	count	each	breath	hold;	instead,	do	as	many	as
possible.) The	more	severe	your	symptoms,	the	greater	the	number	of
breath	holds	and	gentle	reduced	breathing	you	should	undertake. Gentle	walking	each	day	with	mouth	closed. Teenager	approach
Use	the	nose	unblocking	exercise	if	your	nose	gets	blocked;
Keep	your	mouth	closed	at	all	times,	including	during	sleep;
Observe	the	antics	of	your	mind	and	be	aware	of	repetitive	thought
activity;	step	outside	of	thought. Feel	your	inner	body	for	pockets	of	five	minutes	many	times	throughoutthe	day. In	school,	put	70%	of	your	attention	on	listening	to	your	teacher
and	the	remaining	30%	on	your	inner	body	or	reduced	breathing;
Use	
Many	Small	Breath	Holds	
when	you	feel	stressed;
When	you	have	no	symptoms,	walk	with	breath	holds	on	the	out	breath
for	half	an	hour	each	day. For	example,	hold	your	breath	while	walking,
on	a	trampoline,	running,	riding	a	horse	or	whatever	physical	exercise
you	like. While	exercising,	hold	your	breath	for	as	long	as	possible
without	being	stressed. At	the	end	of	the	breath	hold,	calm	your
breathing	as	soon	as	possible. Be	aware	of	the	concept	of	reduced	breathing	and	ensure	that	your
breathing	is	quiet	24/7. It	is	not	necessary	to	formally	practice	reduced
breathing,	but	incorporate	it	into	every	activity	you	do. Remember	that
when	you	reduce	your	breathing,	you	are	improving	blood	flow	and
oxygenation	of	the	brain. You	are	also	stepping	out	of	thought	during
this	time. Ensure	that	you	relax	your	tummy	and	chest. Keep	your	chest	still	as	you
breathe! An	adult	with	a	very	busy	lifestyle
Reduce	your	breathing	from	the	moment	you	wake	up	in	the	morning. For	example,	while	lying	in	bed	for	a	few	minutes,	reduce	your	breathing
and	create	a	need	for	air;
Feel	your	inner	body	as	often	as	you	can	throughout	the	day;
Hold	your	breath	and	reduce	your	breathing. For	example,	while	you	are
in	the	shower	or	washing	your	hair,	hold	your	breath	on	the	out	breath
and	build	up	a	good	need	for	air;
Reduce	your	breathing	by	relaxing	your	chest	and	tummy	while	you
drive	to	work;	ensure	that	your	chest	remains	still;
While	you	walk	from	your	car	to	work,	perform	breath	holds;
Go	for	a	20-minute	walk	during	your	lunch	break	and	do	many	breath
holds	throughout	the	walk;
When	you	return	from	work,	reduce	your	breathing	in	your	car,	while
watching	TV	or	reading	a	book,	etc. ;
When	faced	with	confrontation,	bring	attention	immediately	to	your
inner	body. Start	off	first	with	small	situations. In	time,	you	will	be
calmer	regardless	of	what	is	taking	place	around	you. If	you	need	to	challenge	somebody,	wait	until	your	anger	has	passed	and
approach	the	individual	while	keeping	most	of	your	attention	on	yourinner	body
Watch	out	for	repetitive	thought	processes,	especially	the	recurrent
thoughts	that	take	so	much	of	your	time,	reach	no	conclusion,	create
anger	and	tension	and	drain	you	of	energy. Ideally,	spend	a	cumulative	90	minutes	per	day	divided	among	reducing	your
breathing,	exercising	with	your	mouth	closed	and	feeling	the	inner	body. The
best	time	to	reduce	your	breathing	is	first	thing	after	waking,	during	the	day
and	as	the	last	thing	at	night. In	addition,	bring	plenty	of	attention	to	your
inner	body. This	will	reward	you	many-fold. Pay	enough	attention	to	your	breathing	to	increase	your	CP	by	an	extra	4
seconds	each	week. If	your	CP	is	not	increasing	from	week	to	week,	then	pay
more	attention	to	your	breathing	or	do	the	exercises	formally	by	allocating
sufficient	time	to	them	each	day.YOU	HAVE	TWO	OPTIONS
	
Have	a	high	CP	and	observe	your	mind
OR
	
Fight	your	symptoms	for	the	rest	of	your	life. Ignore	it	at	your	peril! A
fter	a	number	of	weeks	practicing	the	exercises	and	with	a	CP	of	perhaps
20	seconds,	you	may	reach	a	plateau	where	you	seem	to	be	making	no
improvement	in	your	condition	and	your	CP. This	can	happen	regardless	of
the	amount	of	time	you	spend	at	reduced	breathing	exercises. The	best	way	to
increase	your	CP	from	20	to	40	seconds	is	to	partake	in	physical	exercise. If
your	Control	Pause	is	stubborn,	reduce	your	consumption	of	food	as	well	to
increase	your	CP	more	quickly. In	achieving	a	CP	of	40	seconds,	your	mind	will	be	considerably	quieter. The
attention	you	gave	to	your	breathing	while	reducing	it	will	also	play	a	vital
role. Western	society	competes	for	our	attention	through	advertising,	media	and
noise. Give	yourself	some	attention	for	a	change. Your	body	is	not	just	a	head. It	starts	from	your	toes	and	continues	right	to	the	top	of	your	head. Disperse
your	energy	throughout	and	take	back	what	is	rightfully	yours	–	your	ability
to	be	master	over	your	mind! My	direct	experience
W
hen	your	mind	is	still	and	you	give	up	trying,	everything	falls	into	place. This	is	common	reading	in	many	self-help	books. It	was	something	that	I
came	across	time	and	time	again. However,	for	many	years	I	did	not	give	it
much	heed	as	it	flew	in	the	face	of	everything	that	I	had	been	taught	over	the
years:	that	anything	in	life	worthwhile	is	achieved	through	struggle,	sweat	and
hard	work. When	I	look	back	at	my	life	in	the	1990s,	it	was	an	absolute	mess. Today,	I
feel	as	if	it	is	a	past	life. I	was	a	chronic	mouth	breather,	culminating	with
heavy	breathing	and	regular	sighing. I	was	a	worrier	and	constant	thinker. Iwould	think	and	think	and	think. I	was	sure	that	what	I	was	doing	was
beneficial	and	that	it	would	propel	me	forward	to	get	results,	to	achieve	and	to
do	well	in	life. In	1992,	I	secured	a	place	to	attend	Trinity	College	Dublin. Things	were	fine
until	I	reached	my	third	and	fourth	years. I	was	aware	of	the	importance	of
such	years	and	my	ultimate	goal	was	to	get	through	each	year	without	fail	and
to	graduate. As	a	result,	I	spent	every	waking	moment	of	the	final	two	years
thinking	about	getting	through	the	exams,	receiving	my	results,	graduation
day,	my	job	after	university	and	so	forth. God	only	knows	how	many	times	I
ran	the	same	thoughts	through	my	head	–	it	must	have	been	millions	of	times,
and	very	possibly	was. I	reduced	my	third	and	fourth	years	to	a	constant
struggle	to	finish	and	reach	the	end. I	was	stressed	and	anxious,	and	it	was	all
self-induced. Nobody	else	had	put	any	pressure	on	me. I	did	it	all	to	myself	in
the	belief	that	it	kept	me	on	track	to	achieve. In	many	instances,	I	completely
missed	two	years	of	my	life	as	I	reduced	every	moment	to	a	means	to	achieve
my	goal. I	intensively	studied	for	exams	and	spent	lots	of	unproductive	time	in	the
library. I	worked	hard	but	not	smartly. My	retention	levels	decreased
significantly	given	my	already	excessive	thinking. It	is	difficult	to	make	room
for	new	information	when	the	mind	is	already	overactive. Few	gaps	existed	in
my	stream	of	thought	to	allow	new	information	to	enter. My	first	job	was	working	in	middle	management	in	a	USA	car	rental
company. We	were	indoctrinated	into	the	entire	philosophy	of	the	company. I
was	in	my	early	twenties	and	an	ideal	candidate	for	being	molded	and	shaped
to	become	a	successful	employee. After	a	few	months	of	work,	I	began	to
hate	the	job. I	hated	the	fact	that	systems	and	computers	dictated	and
controlled	everything	that	we	did. I	hated	the	constant	pressure	to	achieve
targets	and	to	constantly	better	our	results. I	hated	waking	up	on	a	Monday
morning	knowing	that	I	had	a	full	week’s	work	ahead	of	me. I	ran	this	through	my	head	all	day. I	found	like-minded	employees	and	we
talked	about	what	a	crappy	company	we	worked	for. From	the	age	of	17	to	26	years,	I	made	my	life	a	living	hell	by	constantly
running	thoughts	through	my	head	about	the	future,	college,	work,	needing	to
buy	a	house. For	some	reason,	I	had	an	underlying	belief	that	all	of	this
thinking	was	beneficial. In	fact,	it	was	a	form	of	torture	that	I	subjectedmyself	to	on	a	continual	basis. Two	factors	changed	my	life. The	first	was	discovering	the	work	of	Dr
Buteyko. I	switched	from	mouth	to	nasal	breathing	and	learned	to	bring	my
breathing	volume	to	more	normal	levels. I	did	have	some	ups	and	downs	but
this	is	a	normal	part	of	the	process. Applying	the	Buteyko	Breathing
technique	made	an	enormous	difference	in	my	anxiety	level. In	addition,	my
brain	fog	lifted,	my	asthma	reversed,	my	snoring	stopped	and	my	energy
levels	improved	dramatically. In	fact	my	first	night’s	sleep	with	my	mouth
taped	was	the	best	sleep	I	had	had	in	about	fifteen	years. The	second	was	attending	a	workshop	that	included	ideas	about	stilling	the
mind	and	living	life. When	I	left,	I	walked	down	Grafton	St,	one	of	Dublin’s
main	streets,	with	utmost	clarity. Everything	was	so	clear	and	alive. The
sights	and	sounds	had	a	sharpness	and	brightness	that	were	completely	new	to
me. It	was	as	if	my	perception	had	improved	many	times. I	felt	at	ease,
relaxed	and	still. I	knew	that	I	had	stumbled	upon	something	but	had	no	idea
what	it	was. The	next	morning	I	awoke	and	I	was	back	to	my	usual	self,	with	the
continuous	chatter	of	my	mind. I	had	a	day’s	work	to	do	and	targets	to
achieve. Whatever	happened	the	previous	night	was	just	a	glimpse,	but	it	was
enough	to	change	my	life. A	seed	had	been	planted. I	decided	to	go	on	a	two-week	course	presented	by	a
tutor	immersed	in	stillness. After	the	two	weeks,	my	mind	was	emptied	of	the
self-torture	that	I	had	endured	for	so	many	years. Nothing	new	was	added. Instead,	I	allowed	layers	of	conditioning	and	thoughts	that	I	had	to	dissolve. I	had	far	more	peace	than	I	had	ever	experienced	before. As	the	days	passed,
the	feeling	of	stillness	and	inner	body	energy	intensified. When	I	returned	home	after	the	two	weeks,	a	massive	weight	had	been	lifted
from	me. For	the	first	time,	I	realized	that	the	nightmare	I	was	living	was	as	a
result	of	my	own	thoughts. After	a	number	of	months,	the	intensity	decreased
but	the	stillness	remained. I	continued	along	my	path	of	watching	my	mind,
following	my	breath	and	keeping	my	mind	still. I	made	a	point	of	taking	a
short	drive	from	my	house	to	Phoenix	Park	in	Dublin,	where	I	could	sit	in
stillness	with	nature	for	an	hour	or	so	every	couple	of	days. After	experiencing	life-changing	health	benefits	from	Buteyko	Breathing,	I
decided	to	train	in	the	method. By	March	2002,	I	was	a	certified	practitioner
and	accredited	by	the	founder	of	the	method,	Professor	Buteyko. I
commenced	Buteyko	courses	in	Ireland	and	within	two	years	received
considerable	media	coverage	and	attention. Now,	eight	years	later,	my	work
takes	me	around	the	world. I	have	written	four	books,	which	have	become
very	popular	sellers,	and	have	reached	out	to	tens	of	thousands	of	people. In	2005,	I	married	my	sweetheart,	Sinead,	and	we	bought	a	stone	cottage	in	a
most	secluded	and	beautiful	part	of	Connemara,	Co	Galway. The	house	is	in
the	midst	of	stillness. I	have	no	immediate	neighbor’s	and	experience	absolute
quietness. I	have	not	achieved	very	much	in	the	area	of	wealth	or	finance,	but	at	the
same	time	have	no	worries	over	money. What	I	have	achieved	is	an	excellent
quality	of	life. I	live	in	a	beautiful	setting	with	a	beautiful	person,	and	I	love
my	work. Even	if	I	win	the	lotto	tomorrow,	I	would	continue	doing	what	I	do. I	left	the	rat	race	and	am	in	charge	of	my	own	destiny. I	am	stress-free	and
honestly	believe	that	no	amount	of	money	is	worth	a	stressful	life. Of	course,	in	life	things	are	subject	to	change. I	experienced	a	little	stress
while	dealing	with	local	rogue	builders	when	we	renovated	the	cottage. I	lost
my	father	rather	unexpectedly	in	2005	and	nearly	lost	my	brother	a	few	years
earlier. However,	all	of	these	things	were	a	lot	softer	and	easier	to	cope	with. In	fact,	I	could	not	imagine	getting	through	any	of	them	if	I	had	been	living
my	old	way. My	point	in	writing	the	above	is	to	explain	to	you	that,	in	the	last	decade,	my
life	has	flowed	so	much	easier	and	with	far	more	joy	than	ever	before. Furthermore,	the	only	thing	I	did	differently	was	to	correct	my	breathing,
reduce	my	thought	activity	and	connect	with	life	itself. Instead	of	struggling,
and	striving	to	achieve	and	succeed,	life	has	come	to	help	me. This	might
sound	cosmic	or	strange	to	many	readers,	and	I	have	no	idea	what	is
happening. It	does	not	make	logical	sense	and	so	much	of	our	world	is	based
on	logic. However,	I’m	not	too	concerned	about	that. All	I	know	is	that	when
my	thought	activity	reduced,	my	life	unfolded	beautifully	around	me. Helpful
things	happened. The	right	people	came	along. Ideas	came	to	mind. When	I
allowed	life	to	happen	and	did	not	constantly	try	to	control	it	with	excessive
thoughts,	ideas	came	and
I	seemed	to	know	what	to	do. You	can	too!Most	people	go	through	life	asleep. Every	moment,	their	attention	is	spent	in	their	head. When	attention	is	in	their	head,	it	is	not	possible	to	fully	relate
to	life. They	are	on	autopilot,	running	their	lives	according	to	the
nonsense	originating	in	their	minds,	according	to	the	thoughts
and	opinions	of	others. As	long	as	your	attention	is	on	observing	your	breath,	or	on
feeling	your	inner	body,	or	is	completely	on	your	senses,	you	are
set	free. It	is	that	simple. No	longer	are	you	reinforcing	the	insanity. Step	out	of	thought	and	live	life.Appendix	oneA	history	of	Buteyko	in	North	America
	
For	a	list	of	practitioners	worldwide,	please	visit	
www.ButeykoClinic.com
	
The	Buteyko	Breathing	Educators	Association	(BBEA)	consists	of	dedicated
and	fully	trained	Buteyko	practitioners	who	provide	courses	and	assistance
throughout	the	USA	and	Canada. Member	practitioners	of	the	BBEA	have
rich	and	varied	experiences. Patent	of	the	Buteyko	Method
At	the	time	of	this	writing,	no	patent	exists	on	the	Buteyko	Method	in	the
USA	or	Canada. The	Buteyko	Method	has	been	in	existence	in	the	Western
world	for	the	past	20	years. Furthermore,	it	is	not	possible	to	claim	rights	to	or
to	patent	the	Buteyko	Method. To	do	so	is	untrue	and	misleading	to	the
general	public. Buteyko	Origins
Buteyko	was	first	brought	from	Russia	to	the	Western	world	by	Russian
practitioner	Alexander	Stalmatski. Stalmatski	arrived	in	Sydney,	Australia	in
1990	and	first	began	teaching	friends	in	a	small	apartment. For	many	years,
Dr	Buteyko	and	Alexander	kept	in	touch	with	each	other	during	the	early
dissemination	of	the	Buteyko	method	throughout	the	Western	world. In	the	early	1990s,	Stalmatski	made	a	number	of	trips	to	the	UK	and	USA	to
train	groups	of	patients	and	practitioners. Stalmatski	also	wrote	the	first	books
on	the	Buteyko	Method	in	the	Western	world,	including	Freedom	from
Asthma	and	Freedom	from	Insomnia. Buteyko	Pioneers	in	North	America
The	Buteyko	pioneers	in	North	America	are	Susan	Neves,	Bud	Weiss	and	Liv
Browning. Susan	Neves. She	first	began	teaching	the	Buteyko	Breathing	Method	in
1998	after	she	trained	as	a	educator	through	the	BIBH,	an	Australian	Buteyko
Organization. She	established	Buteyko	Asthma	Education	USA	in	late	1998
and	began	teaching	throughout	the	Midwestern,	Southern	and	Eastern	states. She	and	her	company	have	been	featured	in	newspaper	articles	and	television
shows	in	Atlanta,	Raleigh-Durham,	Lexington,	Detroit	and	Indianapolis	since
that	time. In	December	of	2000,	Susan	underwent	further	training	under	the
tutelage	of	the	late	Dr	Buteyko. Susan	currently	teaches	classes	in	the	UnitedStates	and	is	based	in	Indianapolis,	Indiana. Bud	Weiss	
is	a	retired	high	school	social	worker	who	trained	under	Jennifer
Stark. Since	1995,	he	has	consistently	promoted	the	Buteyko	technique	in
New	York. Over	the	past	fifteen	years,	Bud	has	worked	tirelessly	by
organizing	workshops	and	participating	in	regular	radio	shows	to	create	more
awareness	around	the	importance	of	correct	breathing	using	the	Buteyko
Method. Liv	Browning. She	originally	learned	the	Buteyko	Method	as	a	solution	for
her	own	chronic	asthma. She	later	trained	in	1999	under	Jennifer	Stark. She
has	been	asthma	free	since	that	time	and	no	longer	uses	medication. In
December	2000,	she	trained	with	and	earned	additional	certification	from	the
founder	of	the	method,	Dr.	Konstantin	Buteyko. First	Clinical	Trials	of	Buteyko	in	North	America
The	Buteyko	Method	has	produced	tremendous	results	for	a	variety	of
conditions,	most	notably	asthma	and	rhinitis. Several	years	ago,	one	million
dollars	was	donated	by	a	wealthy	family	to	fund	research	after	one	of	its
members	made	an	excellent	recovery	from	asthma. Jennifer	Stark	and	Chris
Bauman	were	involved	with	these	trials,	which	took	place	at	the	Foothills
Hospital	in	Calgary,	Alberta. Results	at	six	months	follow-up	included	a	41%
reduction	in	the	need	for	inhaled	steroids,	with	asthma	control	improving
from	40%	to	79%. Dr	Robert	Cowie,	Chief	Respirologist	at	the	Foothills
Hospital	in	Calgary	stated	the	following:
	
“I’ve	been	astonished	and	also	very	pleased	with	the	excellent	result. There	is
no	disruption	of	their	life	at	all	by	their	disease:	normal	activities;	not	waking
at	night;	not	needing	to	use	any	reliever	medications. It’s	just	great...75%
control	is	about	as	good	as	anyone	has	got	in	any	study	of	asthma. The	neat
thing	about	it	is	that	it	has	no	side	effects. It’s	very	safe. The	Buteyko
technique	certainly	has	been	shown	to	be	an	important	adjunct	to
treatment.”.....
	
Publications	by	Members	of	BBEA
Members	of	the	BBEA	have	produced	the	most	detailed	and	popular
publications	on	the	Buteyko	Method. Dr	Artour	Rakhimov	has	written	two
books,	including	Normal	Breathing;	the	key	to	vital	health. This	book	is
without	doubt	the	most	detailed	and	best	researched	publication	on	the
Buteyko	Method. His	other	works	include	a	translation	of	Dr	Buteyko’slectures	at	Moscow	State	University,	and	Oxygenate	yourself:	Breathe	less. His	DVD
lectures	are	entitled	“Breathing	patterns	and	tissue	oxygenation”. Patrick	McKeown
	has	written	a	number	of	books,	including	the	best-seller
Asthma	Free	Naturally	(Conari	Press	2008),	Close	Your	Mouth,	Anxiety	Free:
Stop	Worrying	and	still	Your	Mind,	and	ABC	to	be	Asthma	Free. Other	works
include	a	Buteyko	DVD	and	CD. Buteyko	training	in	the	USA	and	Canada
Each	year,	a	number	of	Buteyko	practitioner	training	courses	are	held
throughout	the	USA	and	Canada. Practitioner	trainers	include	Chris	Bauman
and	Patrick	McKeown. Chris	was	the	first	Buteyko	practitioner	in	Canada	and
trained	under	Jennifer	Stark	in	2000. Patrick	trained	in	Moscow	in	2002	and
is	accredited	by	the	late	Dr	Buteyko. Patrick	has	been	teaching	practitioners
since	2005	and	has	to	date	trained	practitioners	from	11	different	countries.Appendix	TwoWebsites	to	visit
	
www.ButeykoClinic.com
Worldwide	list	of	practitioners	including	Europe,	North	America,	and	Asia,
practitioner	training,	videos	of	Dr.	Buteyko. www.ButeykoDVD.com
Authors	Buteyko	DVD,	books,	online	courses	and	free	video	segments. www.Buteyko.co.uk
Buteyko	practitioners	in	UK. www.TomHerronExperience.com
Buteyko	Northern	Ireland
	
www.CorrectBreathing.com
Carol	Baglia,	USA	Buteyko	practitioner
	
www.AsthmaCare.us
Eugenia	Malyshev,	USA	Buteyko	practitioner
	
www.ButeykoDVD.com
Online	courses,	books,	information	regarding	the	negative	effects	of	mouth
breathing. www.ButeykoEducators.org
Members	of	non-profit	organisation	Buteyko	Breathing	Educators.Appendix	threeReferences
	
Chapter	two—The	Buteyko	Method
1)	
The	American	Journal	of	Medicine
;	December	1986;	Volume	81;	p989. Hyperventilation	Syndrome	and	Asthma. (Demeter,	Cordasco.) 2)	Cited	in	Multidisciplinary	approaches	to	breathing	disorders	by	Leon
Chaitow,	Dinah	Bradley	and	Christopher	Gilbert. 3)	Gibbs	DM	1992	Hyperventilation	induced	cerebral	ischemia	in	panic
disorder	and	effects	of	nimodipine. American	journal	of	Psychiatry	
149:
1589-1591
4)	Ball,	Shekhar	A	1997	Basilar	artery	response	to	hyperventilation	in
panic	disorder. American	journal	of	psychiatry	
154	(11):	1603-1604
5)	Balestrino	M,	Somjen	GG,	Concentration	of	carbon	dioxide,	interstitial
pH	and	synaptic	transmission	in	hippocampal	formation	of	the	rat,	
J
Physiol	
1988,	396:	247-266. 6)	Huttunen	J,	Tolvanen	H,	Heinonen	E,	Voipio	J,	Wikstrom	H,	Ilmoniemi
RJ,	Hari	R,	Kaila	K,	Effects	of	voluntary	hyperventilation	on	cortical
sensory	 responses. Electroencephalographic	 and
magnetoencephalographic	studies,	E
xp	Brain	Res	
1999,	125(3):	248-254. 7)	
Artour	Rakhimov	Ph.D,	
Normal	Breathing-	The	key	to	vital	health
8)	
The	Hyperventilation	Syndrome
,	Robert	Fried
9)	Hyperventilation:	the	tip	and	the	iceberg	by	L.C. Lum	
Journal	of
Psychosomatic	Research
,	Vol. 19,	pp. 375	to	383. Pergamon	Press,	1975. Printed	in	Great	BritainAppendix	fourAcknowledgements
	
A	number	of	people	were	instrumental	in	the	creation	of	this	little	book. To	Karen	Kolb,	Joseph	Lawlor,	Valerie	Kerr,	Eileen	O	Connor	and	Kevin
Kelly	for	their	feedback	and	input. A	special	thanks	to	Louise	George	for	her
detailed	analysis	and	suggestions. I	am	deeply	indebted	to	Aurora	Pérez
Machío	for	her	work	in	creating	a	wonderful	cover	and	to	Tracy	for	her	work
in	editing	and	proofing	the	text. Thank	you,	Timm	from	TimmJoyStudios.org.uk,	for	drawing	the	illustrations. I	would	also	like	to	thank	everybody	who	has	attended	my	courses	over	the
past	eight	years. To	fellow	practitioners	Tom	Herron,
	
Linda	Meads,	Peter	Kolb,	Alex	Spence,	Artour	Rakhimov,	Chris	Bauman	and
more	–	thank	you	for	your	contribution	to	Buteyko	in	the	Western	world. Finally,	thank	you	Sinead	for	your	smile.
_OceanofPDF.com_Anxiety_Free__Stop_worrying_and_quieten_yo_-_McKeown_Patrick.txt
Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        Poor	concentration	is	when	one’s
mind	can	hold	its	attention	for	just	a	few	seconds. The	more	thoughts	you	have	running	through	your	head,	the	lessconcentration	you	have. The	less	concentration	you	have,	the	poorer	your
ability	to	hold	your	attention	on	something	for	a	certain	period. Improve	your
concentration	by	taking	back	control	of	your	mind	by	reducing	your
breathing,	following	your	breath	or	keeping	your	attention	on	your	inner
body. Chapter	11
	You	know	all	of	this. Accept	it	as	if	you	had	chosen	it	so
	
When	something	in	life	does	not	go	according	to	our	expectations,	we	feel
aggrieved. It	might	be	a	loss	of	money,	children	going	astray,	a	partner
deciding	to	leave	you,	losing	your	job	or	any	other	dilemma. When	confronted	with	this,	we	have	two	choices. We	can	either	accept	the
dilemma	or	refuse	to	accept	it. By	refusing	to	accept	it,	the	mind	creates	mental	turmoil. The	situation	has
happened. It	is	as	it	is	and,	in	many	situations,	there	is	little	we	can	do	to
change	it. What	is	within	our	complete	control	is	our	perception	of	the
situation. Shakespeare’s	famous	line,	“nothing	is	good	or	bad,	but	thinking
makes	it	so,”	rings	so	true. It	is	not	the	event	itself	that	is	the	problem. It	is
our	reaction	to	the	event	that	determines	our	happiness. If	we	choose	not	to
accept	a	situation,	we	generate	conflict	between	what	has	happened	and	what
we	believe	should	have	happened. Depending	on	the	intensity	to	which	we	refuse	to	accept,	the	mind	may	be
energized	for	days,	weeks	or	years	to	come. Life	is	often	put	on	hold	until	the
event	sorts	itself	out. Ultimately,	if	we	do	not	accept	what	has	happened,	we
simply	generate	misery	within	ourselves. Understanding	the	above	is	simple. It	makes	sense. But	is	the	acceptance	just
through	words	or	is	the	acceptance	actual	and	outright. “My	partner	has	left	me. Ok,	I	will	accept	that. I	don’t	need	the	stupid	idiot	in
my	life	anymore. I’m	going	to	screw	him	for	every	penny	he	has	and	I	hope
the	bitch	that	he	ran	off	with	also	suffers. Yes,	I	will	accept	that	he	has	left. He
has	left	me	stranded. ”
	
The	above	is	a	story. It	is	acceptance	only	in	words. It	is	not	peaceful
acceptance. There	is	peace	of	the	mind	only	when	acceptance	is	outright,	with
no	negativity	for	what	has	taken	place. William	James	expressed	it	with	the
following:	“Be	willing	to	have	it	so,	because	acceptance	of	what	has
happened	is	the	first	step	in	overcoming	the	consequences	of	any	misfortune. ”
	
Feel	your	inner	body. Reduce	your	breathing. Shut	the	door	to	the	past	and	move	on. M
aking	mistakes	is	a	significant	human	trait. The	greatest	people	on	earth
have	all	had	numerous	setbacks	and	have	made	mistakes. If	you	make	a
mistake,	analyze	the	past	for	just	a	short	time. When	you	fail,	it’s	okay	to	get
upset	or	to	feel	down	for	a	while. Don’t	make	the	mistake	something	that	you	continuously	live	from. If	you
constantly	think	about	a	past	mistake,	you	will	develop	it	into	something	so
big	that	it	will	wash	over	and	affect	every	aspect	of	your	life,	and	will	only
serve	to	increase	your	thought	activity	and	create	an	agitated	and	distracted
mind. A	distracted	mind	will	divide	your	attention	every	minute,	every	hour,
every	day. At	some	point	in	the	past,	if	you	carried	out	an	action	that	greatly	hurt	other
people,	understand	that	such	action	was	based	on	the	conditioning	and	beliefs
of	your	mind	at	that	time. Make	amends	if	you	can. Ask	for	forgiveness	if
possible. Your	pain	is	there	to	give	away. Thirty	years	ago,	it	was	customary	in	Ireland	to	have	a	few	pints	of	alcohol
and	drive	a	car. Two	local	men	from	Dun	Boyne	went	to	a	football	match	in
Trim. After	the	match,	they	had	a	few	drinks. On	the	way	home,	they	crashed
their	car	and	the	passenger	was	killed. The	driver,	who	was	35	years	of	age	at
the	time,	escaped	with	injuries. For	the	next	thirty	years	until	his	death,	the
driver	frequently	thought	about	the	accident. In	his	later	years,	he	became
depressed	as	a	result	of	these	thoughts. Yes,	the	man	made	a	mistake	and	did
an	unintentional	act. But	the	human	mind	turned	this	into	thirty	years	of
anguish. The	driver	was	my	father. A	child	grows	up	in	a	housing	estate	where	drugs	are	openly	sold	as	the	main
form	of	income. From	a	young	age,	the	childis	immersed	in	this	culture. The	police	are	enemies	and	other	people	are	a
means	to	make	money. When	the	child	grows	older,	he	peddles	drugs. The	pusher	sells	a	bad	batch. A	quiet	22-year-old	buys	drugs,	develops
permanent	brain	damage	and	is	placed	in	life-long	care. The	22-year-old	is
my	brother. Do	you	think	the	pusher	sold	the	drugs	with	a	free	mind. Do	you	think	a
conscious	choice	was	made. The	pusher’s	actions	were	based	on	the
conditioning	of	his	mind	at	that	time. You	might	have	done	bad	things	in	the	past. You	might	have	made	terrible
mistakes. But	don’t	allow	the	past	to	totally	consume	your	life. If	you	do,	you
will	shut	yourself	off	from	life. Your	mind	is	kept	alive	when	it	is	allowed	to
dwell	in	the	past	or	future. You	can	only	think	of	either	the	past	or	the	future. There	is	no	room	to	think	when	your	attention	is	absorbed	in	the	present. See
your	mind	as	a	moving	right	arm. “What’s	done	can’t	be	undone. ”
—
William	ShakespeareStop	stirring	the	problem
Y
ou	have	a	bucket	of	muddy	water	and	you	would	like	the	water	to	be	clear. Therefore,	you	get	a	stick	to	stir	the	water	in	an	effort	to	see	the	bottom. However,	the	more	you	stir	the	water,	the	more	the	sediment	is	agitated,
further	muddying	the	water. This	is	the	human	mind. The	water	is	muddy,	which	is	akin	to	having	a
problem. Instead	of	stirring	the	water,	we	run	the	problem	through	our	mind
over	and	over	in	an	effort	to	reach	a	solution. If	we	allow	the	water	to	settle,
the	sediment	would	fall	to	the	bottom	of	the	bucket	and	the	water	would
become	clear. If	we	allow	the	mind	to	become	quiet,	it	becomes	clear	and	a
solution	can	enter. There	is	no	room	for	a	solution	to	enter	an	agitated	mind. We	tend	to	dwell	on	problems	with	thought	after	thought	after	thought. We	go
for	a	drive	and	think	about	the	problem. We	go	for	a	walk	and	think	about	the
problem. We	lie	wrapped	up	in	our	cozy	beds	at	night	and	think	about	the
problem. We	talk	with	our	friends	and	family	and	think	about	the	problem. Our	decision-making	process	becomes	clouded	by	the	intensity	of	worry,	fear
and	anxiety. The	more	we	think	about	the	problem,	the	larger	it	grows	within
our	heads	and	the	less	likely	the	possibility	becomes	of	finding	an	outcome. Upon	identifying	the	problem,	connect	with	the	problem	instead	of	running
away	from	it. See	it	as	something	that	needs	to	be	attended	to. I’m	not	saying
avoid	the	problem	or	ignore	it	and	hope	that	it	sorts	itself	out. What	I	am
saying	is	make	an	attempt	to	solve	the	problem	but	without	the	mental
commentary. See	it	head	on	for	what	it	really	is:	something	to	be	addressed. Think	about	finding	a	solution	for	a	few	minutes,	then	drop	the	problem	and
enter	stillness	for	a	period	until	your	mind	settles. Alternate	between	thinking	and	stillness. When	the	time	is	right,	a	creative
solution	will	enter	your	mind. You	will	know	it	to	be	right. You	will	have	a
good	feeling	about	it. A	creative	solution	does	not	arise	from	constant
thought. It	arises	from	a	gap	in	thought,	from	a	cessation	of	thinking. Drop	the
belief	that	constant	thinking	will	solve	your	problem,	as	it	won’t. If	you	don’t	have	a	solution	to	your	problem,	put	a	request	out	there	and	feel
that	a	solution	is	coming. Have	faith	that	it	will	be	sorted	out	at	the	right	time. But	whatever	you	do,	don’t	keep	running	the	problem	through	your	head. Feel
your	inner	body.
The mind creates mental turmoil, and the situation has already happened.
What happens to the mind when you refuse to accept a situation?
It is not possible to achieve through constant thinking, but rather by accepting what has happened and letting go of negative thoughts.
What is the key to a peaceful mind, according to the text?
The author suggests taking a few minutes to think about the problem, then dropping the thought and focusing on the present moment.
What is the author's advice for dealing with a difficult situation?
The author believes that a peaceful mind is essential for happiness, and that it is not possible to achieve through material wealth or external factors.
What is the author's opinion on the concept of a peaceful mind?
The author advises acknowledging the past trauma without attachment and allowing it to pass, and then moving forward with the present moment.
What is the author's approach to dealing with past traumas?