Reduced	breathing	serves	two	purposes:	the	first	is	to	improve	oxygenation	of
the	brain	and	the	second	is	to	take	attention	away	from	the	head	and	to	the
body. Both	together	are	powerful	tools	for	reducing	thought	activity	and
anxiety.Bringing	reduced	breathing	into	your	way	of	life
I
	am	sitting	in	a	cafe	in	Spiddal,	Co	Galway	as	I	write	this. A	cup	of	coffee
sits	on	a	wooden	table. Music	is	playing	in	the	background—classical	music
instead	of	the	usual	traditional	Irish. People	chat	and	the	coffee	machine	is
percolating. The	sun	is	shining	outside. I	sense	my	breathing,	and	follow	my	breath	in	and	out. My	breath	is	quiet	and
slow. In	and	out,	in	and	out. I	feel	my	tummy	move	in	and	out,	very	slowly,
ever	slightly. A	gap	arises	between	breaths. A	natural	gap. Not	intentional. I
relax	my	body	and	feel	my	breath	quietening	even	further. Slowly	slowing,
slowing,	and	slowing. A	small	air	shortage	occurs. Only	a	gentle	shortage. My
tummy	is	a	little	tense. Not	sure	why. I	bring	my	attention	to	my	tummy. New
people	have	just	arrived	and	are	shown	a	seat. I	type	as	I	follow	my	breath. Watching	my	breath. Feeling	my	breath. My	mind	is	still,	quiet	and	relaxed. An	intense	alertness. Watching	my	breath. Hearing	the	gentle	noise	of	music,
of	chatter. Tourists	are	on	their	holidays. Somebody	talks	about	not	having	to
pay	tax	at	Shannon. Attention	is	back	to	my	breath;	tension	has	now	dissolved
in	my	tummy. Following	my	breath. No	movement	from	my	chest. My
tummy	gently	moves	in	and	out. Quiet,	slow,	relaxed,	even	breaths. A	slight
air	shortage. I	continue	to	feel	this	slight	air	shortage. A	new	customer	walks
in. The	girl	serving	must	know	him	as	she	predicts	what	he	is	going	to	drink. She	is	an	attractive	Irish	girl. I	take	a	drink	of	the	coffee	and	taste	a	slight
bitterness	mixed	with	the	brown	sugar. Back	to	breathing. Back	to	typing. My
mind	has	no	tension. No	anxiety. No	rushing	thoughts. My	breathing	is	quiet,
quiet.Chapter	4
	
	Physical	exercise	to	still	the	mindTo	produce	more	CO
2
,	move	your	muscles!I
n	my	experience,	persons	partaking	in	regular	physical	exercise	have	better
control	of	their	condition	than	those	who	don’t. This	section	is	about
exercising	safely	and	getting	the	maximum	benefits	from	it. The	importance	of	exercise
T
here	are	only	two	ways	to	increase	CO
2
	in	the	human	organism. The	first	is
to	reduce	breathing	volume	and	the	second	is	to	produce	more	CO
2
	by
engaging	in	physical	exercise. CO
2
	is	generated	through	inner	respiration
from	the	process	of	converting	food	and	oxygen	into	energy. An	exercising
muscle	generates	more	CO
2
,	thus	encouraging	the	release	of	oxygen	from
hemoglobin	to	that	muscle. Remember	that	the	presence	of	CO
2
	loosens	the
bond	between	oxygen	and	hemoglobin	within	red	blood	cells. Nasal	breathing
A
	low	CP	corresponds	to	greater	breathing	volume. As	a	result,	never
breathe	through	your	mouth	if	your	CP	is	lower	than	20	seconds,	as	your
breathing	will	be	greater	than	what	your	body	requires. You	can	open	your
mouth	during	sports	for	short	periods	when	your	CP	is	higher	than	20
seconds. All	of	your	breathing	should	be	through	your	nose. Initially,	this	might	feel
impossible	because	of	an	ingrained	habit	to	breathe	through	your	mouth. But	don’t	worry,	as	breathing	through	your	nose	is	easy	to	master. In	the
beginning,	you	might	find	that	you	are	unable	to	walk	as	quickly	as	you	can
with	your	mouth	open,	as	a	sense	of	breathlessness	will	be	more	intense. In	a
few	days,	this	will	pass	and	your	walking	will	steadily	improve. It	is	a	case	of
quality	over	quantity. Your	breathing	volume	will	increase	during	exercise. This	is	not	a	problem
when	there	is	a	reasonable	match	with	your	metabolic	requirements. However,	the	lower	your	CP,	the	poorer	the	match;	hence,	the	need	to	control
your	breathing. Feel	the	need	for	air	and	do	enough	exercise	to	create	a	sweat
T
o	get	the	most	benefit	from	physical	activity,	feel	a	need	for	air. In	other
words,	get	to	a	point	where	you	are	breathless. Ideally,	spend	enough	time
doing	physical	exercise	to	produce	a	sweat. Walking	at	a	good	pace	with	your
mouth	closed	for	a	half	an	hour	to	one	hour	is	great	exercise. When	your	CP
is	low,	it	is	very	easy	to	disrupt	your	breathing	so	be	careful. Go	gently	and
don’t	push	yourself	beyond	the	point	that	you	cannot	control	your	breathing. At	the	same	time,	feel	a	tolerable	need	for	air.Exercise	provides	three	ways	to
create	your	need	for	air:
1
. Go	faster	with	your	mouth	closed;
2
. Breathe	less	during	exercise;
3
. Practice	breath	holds	during	exercise	(explained	in	detail	further
on). If	your	need	for	air	is	so	great	that	you	need	to	open	your	mouth,	slow	down
and	calm	your	breathing. You	recover	faster	if	you	keep	your	mouth	closed. If
you	are	walking	for	exercise,	walk	alone	or	agree	with	your	walking	partner
to	not	talk. Talking	will	only	undo	the	benefits	of	exercise.Feel	relaxed	throughout
A
s	you	commence	your	physical	exercise,	alternate	your	attention	between
your	breathing	and	your	inner	body. Exercise	is	your	time,	so	don’t	spend	it
worrying	about	problems. For	the	half	hour,	make	a	commitment	to	yourself
to	bring	your	attention	to	your	breath	or	body	over	and	over	again. Each	day,	I	try	to	get	out	for	one	hour	of	exercise. I	thrive	on	it	and	if	I	cannot
do	it	because	of	rainy	weather,	I	feel	like	I	missed	something	from	my	day. As	I	walk,	I	bring	attention	to	my	breath. I	follow	my	breath	and	breathe
diaphragmatically. I	sense	the	area	around	my	tummy. If	it	is	tense,	I	bring
attention	to	it	and	encourage	it	to	relax. Any	tension	will	dissolve	with	a	little
imagination	and	mental	encouragement. I	bring	attention	to	my	breath. I
follow	my	breath. Is	it	quick? Is	it	easy? Is	it	fast? Is	it	hard? Is	there	a	need
for	air? Is	there	no	need	for	air? I	follow	my	breath. I	don’t	analyze	it. I	just
sense	it. At	first,	my	breath	is	relatively	quiet. I	walk	for	the	first	ten	minutes	to
accumulate	carbon	dioxide	before	I	increase	my	pace. This	helps	keep	my
breathing	calm	as	I	move	to	a	jog. During	my	jog,	I	just	follow	my	breath,
keep	my	attention	on	my	inner	body	and	feel	relaxed. It	is	wonderful	to	bring
attention	from	your	head	and	into	the	body. After	ten	minutes,	I	increase	my	pace	to	a	jog. I	keep	my	mouth	closed	for	the
entire	duration	of	my	jog. I	continue	to	watch	my	breath	and	feel	my	inner
body. I	can	feel	slight	vibrations	rising	through	my	body	as	I	take	each	step. At	the	same	time,	I	try	to	completely	relax	my	tummy. Sometimes,	thoughts
enter. I	keep	an	eye	out	for	them	and,	as	soon	as	they	enter,	I	bring	attention
back	to	my	breath. This	type	of	physical	exercise	is	a	form	of	meditation	and	is	a	great
opportunity	to	take	attention	from	my	mind	and	bring	it	to	the	inner	body. In
addition,	because	I	push	my	body	a	little,	my	mind	activity	stops. After	a	few
minutes,	I	can	feel	the	high	from	exercise. My	body	is	warm	and	sweating,
my	breathing	is	faster	and	my	head	is	clear. Because	I	keep	my	mouth	closed
throughout	my	jog,	my	breathing	recovers	quickly. No	matter	what	exercise	you	do,	watch	your	breath	and	feel	your	inner	body. Repeat	to	the	tension	around	your	tummy:	relax,	relax,	relax.How	to	determine	if	you	are	breathing	correctly	during	physical	exercise
	
Measure	your	CP	before	exercise;
	
Perform	physical	exercise;
	
Measure	your	CP	15–30	minutes	after	you	have	completed	your	exercise. Your	CP	measurement	15	minutes	after	exercise	should	be	greater	than	your
CP	measurement	before	exercise. Bear	in	mind	two	points:
1
. If	your	CP	is	measured	immediately	after	exercise,	it	will	probably	be
lower	than	you’re	starting	CP	because	of	the	existing	air	shortage. 2
. If	30	minutes	after	exercise	your	CP	is	still	lower	than	your	starting	CP,
you	were	breathing	excessively	during	exercise.People	who	exercise	are	more	relaxed
S
tress	reflects	changes	in	our	body	primarily	to	help	us. When	we	are
stressed,	the	fight	or	flight	response	has	been	activated	and	our	body	is
programmed	for	physical	activity. To	release	this	activation,	go	out	for	a	walk
or	a	jog	or	whatever	exercise	you	enjoy. If	you	are	unable	to	remove	yourself
from	your	environment,	control	your	breathing	and,	later	that	day,	ensure	to
get	physical	activity. Those	who	exercise	regularly	are	calmer	and	more	productive	than	their
colleagues. Exercise	enables	quicker	recovery	after	activation	of	the	fight	or
flight	response. Chemicals	that	are	released	are	removed	quicker	and	your
body’s	systems	can	return	to	their	normal	operating	rates. Exercise	also
releases	pent-up	negative	energy,	enhances	self-esteem	and	is	a	useful	tool	to
use	to	escape	from	work	and	other	commitments. The	following	is	a	summary	of	the	key	points	regarding	physical	exercise
. 1
. It	is	absolutely	essential	to	do	physical	exercise. 2
. Exercise	within	your	capabilities. 3
. Never	breathe	through	your	mouth	during	exercise	if	your	CP	is	less	than
20	seconds. 4
. The	lower	you’re	CP,	the	more	careful	you	should	be	while	performing
physical	exercise. 5
. Feel	the	need	for	air	during	physical	exercise. 6
. Perform	thirty	minutes	to	one	hour	of	physical	exercise	per	day. 7
. Make	sure	to	go	gently	with	your	mouth	closed	for	the	first	10	minutes. 8
. Make	sure	to	calm	your	breathing	immediately	following	exercise. 9
. Walk,	don’t	talk.Breath	hold	during	exercise
T
his	exercise	involves	holding	your	breath	on	the	out-breath	while	engaging
in	any	physical	activity. You	can	do	this	while	walking,	skipping,	using	a
trampoline,	cycling,	etc. This	is	a	very	effective	exercise	for	ensuring	that	your	breathing	is	reduced,
calm	and	gentle	during	the	day. The	length	of	time	of	your	breath	hold
depends	on	the	state	of	your	health	and	you’re	CP. While	walking	breathe	in,	breathe	out	and	hold	your	breath
Walk	5	to	20	paces	with	your	breath	held
Resume	breathing	and	continue	to	walk
After	30	seconds	to	1	minute	of	walking	with	normal	breathing,	repeat
breath	hold	as	above
Repeat	small	breath	hold	every	half	minute	to	one	minute
Ensure	that	your	inner	body	is	relaxed	throughout
If	there	is	tension	in	your	tummy	or	chest,	encourage	this	area	to	relaxMaintain	control	of	your	breathing	throughout
	
There	is	no	hard	and	fast	rule	as	to	how	many	times	you	do	this. The	more
often	you	perform	breath	holds	throughout	the	day,	the	better. The	objective
with	any	exercise	is	to	produce	a	sweat	and	feel	warmer. This	exercise	is	far
better	than	walking	alone,	as	it	creates	a	slightly	higher	air	shortage. If	you	do	experience	a	slight	headache	while	walking	with	breath	holds,
don’t	be	concerned. This	is	a	good	sign	and	indicates	increased	CO
2
levels. Your	headache	will	soon	dissipate	and	you	will	feel	better. Chapter	5
		
Further	stilling	the	mind
	
Meditation	is	the	simply	stilling
and	relaxing	the	mind
	
Focusing	on	the	breath,	feeling
the	inner	body	and	occupying
the	sense	is	meditation.Connect	with	the	inner	body
P
lacing	attention	on	the	inner	body	is	a	truly	wonderful	thing	to	do. Western
man	rarely	places	attention	on	the	inner	body	unless	he	is	in	pain. Seldom
does	he	have	his	attention	on	the	body	when	it	is	free	from	pain. Seldom	does
he	experience	the	vibration	of	energy	that	resonates	there. The	body	is	your
connection	with	life	itself. Your	body	is	life. If	you	have	never	placed	attention	on	your	body	before,	start	off	slowly. If
you	have	already	been	following	and	reducing	your	breath,	you	will	find	this
relatively	easy	to	do. Close	your	eyes	and	bring	attention	to	one	of	your	hands. Feel	your	hand	from
within. Stay	with	the	energy	field	of	your	hand	for	a	little	while. When	you
have	a	good	feeling	of	the	inner	energy	field	of	your	hand,	move	your
attention	to	include	your	arm. Now	feel	the	energy	field	of	your	hand	and	arm
together. Don’t	analyze	or	think	about	it,	just	feel	it. Next,	bring	attention	to	your	chest	and	feel	it	from	within	for	a	couple	of
minutes. Then	bring	attention	to	your	stomach. Feel	whether	there	is	any
tension	here. If	your	stomach	is	tense,	imagine	it	gradually	relaxing. Feel	the
area	around	your	tummy	relaxing	by	itself. Feel	the	tension	dissolving. The
more	active	your	mind,	the	greater	the	tendency	for	your	stomach	to	be	in	a
knot. Relax	this	area	using	your	imagination. Now	feel	the	energy	field	of	both	hands,	both	arms,	your	chest	and	your
tummy	at	the	same	time. Keep	your	attention	there. Your	body	will	rejoice	in
the	attention	that	you	are	giving	it. As	long	as	your	attention	is	on	your	body,
it	is	not	on	your	mind. The	incessant	thought	activity	of	your	mind	has
stopped.When	you	are	focusing	on	reducing
your	breathing,	you	are	out	of	your
mind. You	are	giving	your	chatter
a	rest. Wonderful! When	you	have	attention	on	your	inner
body,	you	are	out	of	your	mind. You	are	taking	back	ownership
of	your	mind. When	your	complete	attention	is	on
your	senses,	you	are	out	of	your	mind. You	did	this	naturally	as	a	child.You	cannot	have	complete	attention	on	your	inner	body	and	at	the	same	time
have	mental	noise. With	a	little	practise,	you	will	be	able	to	feel	your	entire
body	from	head	to	toe. During	the	day	as	you	do	go	about	your	daily	affairs,	bring	attention	to	your
breathing	and	your	inner	body. As	you	drive	your	car,	have	70%	of	your
attention	on	driving	and	30%	in	your	inner	body. As	you	walk,	feel	your	body
relax	throughout. As	you	watch	TV,	don’t	surrender	all	of	your	attention	to	the	TV,	but	immerse
yourself	in	your	inner	body. If	there	is	confrontation	on	TV,	bring	attention
immediately	to	your	inner	body. Don’t	become	absorbed	with	the	tension,
stress,	anger	and	fighting	that	takes	place	on	popular	soap	operas. Better	still,
don’t	watch	them	at	all. The	popularity	of	such	soaps	is	an	indication	of	our
mad	world. As	you	relate	to	your	children,	friends,	family	or	any	person,
listen	to	them	with	your	entire	body. Feel	your	body	as	you	listen. This	is	real
listening. As	you	brush	your	teeth,	feel	your	inner	body. As	you	sit	on	the	toilet,	feel
your	inner	body. As	you	queue	up	at	the	post	office,	feel	your	inner	body. If
you	are	stressed,	feel	your	inner	body. As	you	do	a	boring	job,	take	attention
into	your	body	and	don’t	just	think	about	how	much	you	hate	your	job. As
you	walk,	feel	your	inner	body. As	you	empty	the	dishwasher,	feel	your	inner
body. As	you	eat,	taste	the	food	and	feel	your	inner	body. Stay	in	your	body. As	you
lie	in	bed	at	night,	feel	your	inner	body. This	is	not	just	something	that	you	do
every	now	and	again. This	is	something	that	you	reside	in	permanently. Every
minute,	every	hour,	every	day,	take	attention	out	of	your	head	and	your	story
and	merge	yourself	with	the	body. You	still	have	use	of	your	mind	whenever	you	need	it	for	a	practical	situation. However,	you	will	have	reduced	the	meaningless	and	devastating	habit	of
repetitive	thinking. The	inner	body	has	and		intelligence	far	greater	than	just	a
collection	of	thoughts. Merge	with	that	intelligence. Don’t	avoid	it	all	the	time
by	living	in	your	head. As	long	as	attention	is	on	your	inner	body,	your	mind	is	calm. If	for	a	moment
you	forget	about	keeping	attention	on	your	inner	body,	then	you	are	back	in
your	mind. This	will	happen	quite	often	at	the	start. Don’t	start	giving	out	toyourself	if	you	find	it	difficult	to	place	your	attention	on	your	inner	body	for
more	than	a	few	minutes. This	is	your	mind’s	habit. To	change	this	habit,	keep
bringing	attention	to	your	inner	body. If	your	mind	wanders	again,	keep
bringing	it	back. The	more	you	practise	this,	the	better	and	easier	it	gets. Your	mind	activity	is	your	choice. Do	you	want	to	keep	repeating	the	insane
nonsense	running	through	your	head	or	do	you	want	to	connect	with	life? Bring	attention	home	to	your	body. As	you	become	proficient	with	awareness	of	your	inner	body,	incorporate
gentle,	reduced	breathing	through	relaxation. While	relaxed,	allow	your
breathing	to	calm	by	itself. Feel	a	tolerable	but	comfortable	need	for	air. Feel
your	inner	body. Feel	your	tummy	gently	move	with	each	breath.Are	you	connected	to	the	wonders	of	life? M
ost	of	us	are	blessed	with	the	traditional	five	senses	of	
sight,	hearing,
touch,	smell	and	taste
. A	sixth	sense	is	intuition,	which	is	to	sense	something
in	advance	or	to	know	what	course	of	action	to	take	based	on	a	feeling	or	a
hunch	instead	of	logical	processing. Our	five	senses	enable	us	to	directly	experience	life	on	earth. How	often	do
you	use	your	five	senses	with	an	undivided	mind? When	we	put	our	total	attention	on	our	five	senses,	we	are	out	of	our	mind
and	are	connecting	with	reality. When	you	look,	look. When	you	touch,	touch. When	you	taste,	taste. When	you	smell,	smell. While	using	your	senses,	have
nothing	else	running	through	your	mind. Just	be	there	with	your	full	attention. Set	aside	the	activity	of	your	mind	and	merge	with	your	surroundings. The	question	is	how	much	time	do	you	spend	using	your	five	senses	without
the	mental	commentary	running	in	the	background? Is	your	complete
attention	regularly	on	the	five	senses	or	is	some	of	it	on	your	senses,	with	the
remainder	in	your	head? When	you	look,	do	you	really	see	unhindered	by
thought? Are	you	seeing,	or	is	there	mental	commentary	perceiving,
analyzing	and	labeling	what	you	are	seeing? When	you	hear,	are	you	listening
with	all	of	your	attention? Or	is	there	part	listening	and	part	mental	noise? When	you	smell,	do	you	really	smell	with	all	of	your	attention,	or	is	your
attention	divided? When	you	taste,	do	you	really	taste? How	much	of	you	is
really	involved	with	the	tasting? Watch	how	children	relate	to	life. Their	heads	are	not	full	of	thoughts. See	the
clarity	and	transparency	of	the	eyes	of	a	child. You	can	literally	look	through
them. Be	like	a	child. Go	back	to	the	innocence	and	wonder	of	childhood
when	everything	was	fresh,	new	and	exhilarating.The	wonder	of	nature	disappears	when	an	adult	starts	to	teach	a	child:	this	is	a
tree,	this	is	a	flower	that	is	a	dog	that	is	a	cow,	there	is	a	horse	that	is	grass,
and	the	grass	is	green. No	longer	do	children	see	and	feel	the	aliveness	from
the	tree	or	the	horse,	or	grass	or	nature. Instead,	they	now	have	a	word	for
these	tangible	objects. It	is	a	tree. It	is	a	horse. It	is	a	dog. It	is	reduced	to	a
label,	a	name. The	sensitivity	of	what	is	behind	the	name	has	gone	forever. The	child	is	beginning	to	sleep. Let	the	child	know	the	name	of	the	horse. Also	help	the	child	sense	the
aliveness	of	what	is	behind	the	word. Life	is	dull	when	nature	is	nothing	more
than	a	few	names. Is	your	attention	in	your	head	all	the	time	or	are	you	connected	with	what	is
going	on	around	you? Make	it	a	habit	throughout	the	day	to	use	your	senses. As	you	go	for	a	walk	or	a	drive,	don’t	be	on	autopilot. Look	with	your	eyes,
hear	with	your	ears,	feel	with	your	inner	and	outer	body. Connect	with	life
and	take	your	attention	out	of	your	head. Do	this	many,	many	times
throughout	the	day. Your	job	on	earth	is	to	live	life. You	are	living	life	when	you	are	connecting
directly	to	it	and	not	living	in	a	collection	of	thoughts.Going	for	a	walk	but	missing	out	on	everything
Y
ou	take	a	walk	in	the	park. Vivid	colors	surround	you:	green	grass,	blue
sky,	brightly	coloured	flowers. The	sun	radiates	on	your	shoulders	and	neck. Children	are	chatting,	shouting	and	laughing	in	delight. A	dog	barks	in
excitement	in	the	distance. You	walk	through	the	park	and	running	through	your	head	is	what	you	are
going	to	have	for	dinner	tonight,	the	shopping	list	that	you	have	prepared,
whether	you	have	written	everything	down	or	maybe	you	have	forgot	an	item,
what	time	to	collect	Ciara	from	school,	you	hope	that	the	traffic	later	is	not
too	bad,	yesterday	the	traffic	was	dreadful	and	you	felt	stressed	when	you
collected	Ciara	as	you	thought	that	you	were	late	picking	her	up,	the	weather
did	not	help	yesterday,	it	was	cold	and	you	were	concerned	that	the	child	was
getting	cold,	but	today	the	weather	is	nice	and	that	won’t	be	a	problem,	what
will	I	have	for	dinner,	maybe	I	will	try	a	new	menu,	but	are	there	enough
potatoes	for	that	dish? Is	the	sauce	in	the	cupboard	or	did	I	write	it	on	the
shopping	list? Have	I	brought	my	card	to	pay	for	the	shopping? Oh,	the	cost
of	food	these	days,	it	was	never	like	before. Well,	at	least	I	am	doing	some
exercise. I	meant	to	exercise	more	but	it	is	difficult	to	find	the	time. What
time	is	it? Oh,	yes,	that’s	the	time. I’d	better	rush	to	collect	Ciara,	jump	into
the	car,	get	stuck	in	traffic. Why	is	the	traffic	like	this? Every	car	just	has	one
person	sitting	in	it. So	much	for	the	policymakers,	the	roads	cannot	hold	the
traffic. In	Ireland,	the	roads	are	just	too	narrow. Why	don’t	we	have	roads	like
in	they	have	in	the	USA? What	is	this	idiot	doing	in	front	of	me? Go	on,	will
you? Why	are	you	driving	slowly? Honk	honk. That	is	life	for	most	people. They	take	a	walk	and	miss	everything	around
them. Where	was	their	attention? More	importantly,	where	is	your	attention? Taking	ownership	of	the	mind
I
t	is	worth	spending	some	time	where	there	is	innate	stillness. Nature
provides	this	in	abundance. I	like	to	stare	into	open	space. I	am	fortunate	enough	to	have	miles	of
untouched	bog	land	in	the	front	of	where	I	live. I	have	been	looking	and
merging	with	this	for	a	number	of	years,	yet	each	time	feels	like	the	first. Because	I	set	aside	my	mind	and	put	my	entire	attention	on	it,	I	become	one
with	it. No	matter	how	many	times	a	day	I	look,	there	is	newness,	freshness	and
aliveness. I	am	not	looking	at	the	countryside	through	thoughts,	through
labels,	through	names. I	get	so	much	more	when	I	truly	look. Nature	is
constantly	changing,	dying	and	renewing. Therefore,	each	time	I	look	without
the	filter	of	my	mind,	the	landscape	has	changed	from	before. A	river	that
flows	is	not	the	same	river	five	minutes	later. Nor	is	it	the	same	river	five
minutes	before. The	water	is	different. One	pheasant	is	not	the	same	as	the
next. Humans	might	attach	the	same	label	by	calling	it	a	pheasant,	but	each	is
unique,	beautiful	and	individual. The	essence	of	nature	is	not	understood	through	thought. Truly	appreciating
nature	does	not	come	through	the	amount	of	information	or	the	names	you
attach	to	different	flowers,	birds	or	animals. You	are	not	going	into	nature	to
exercise	your	mind. Instead,	go	into	nature	to	give	your	mind	a	rest. Who
cares	about	the	name	of	the	tree	or	the	bird? Instead,	just	look	at	the	tree	or
bird	without	thought	and	sense	its	aliveness. This	is	far	more	important	than
knowing	a	mere	label. If	you	have	great	difficulty	doing	this	and	your	mind	continues	to	bombard
you	with	thought,	then	take	this	process	little	by	little. In	addition	to	stilling
your	mind	through	nature,	watch	your	breath	and	pay	attention	to	your	inner
body. Feel	your	body	from	the	inside. Be	connected	with	it. Feel	your	body	as
you	merge	with	the	life	around	you. Life	takes	care	of	the	flowers,	grass,	trees
and	birds. There	is	nothing	wanting	here. Nature	is	immersed	in	stillness	and
will	help	take	you	there,	too. You	have	nothing	to	do	but	to	stop	thinking. Simple	things	that	life	has	to	offer
	
Write	down	sixty	things	that	you	love	to	do. Write	down	things	that	totally
absorb	your	mind	to	the	point	of	excluding	all	else. List	anything,	with	the
exception	of	taking	alcohol	and	drugs	that	absorbs	your	attention	to	the	point
of	self-forgetfulness. At	first,	you	might	feel	that	drawing	up	such	a	list	is	impossible. But	upon
closer	examination,	you	will	be	very	surprised	at	how	many	items	you	can
write	down. What	would	you	do	to	be	totally	engrossed	to	the	point	that
nothing	else	comes	into	your	mind? Be	grateful	for	what	you	have. Appreciate	what	you	have. When	you	are
having	a	bad	day	and	you	find	it	a	little	trifling	to	still	your	mind,	choose	an
item	or	two	from	the	list	and	spend	time	doing	it. This	will	reduce	the	activity
in	your	mind	and	you	will	be	in	a	better	place	afterwards	to	deal	with	the
issue. You	will	also	realize	that	the	simple	things	in	life	are	provided	in
abundance	and	they	give	us	the	most	pleasure. These	are	things	like:
	
Sitting	in	a	nice	cafe	with	a	good	cup	of	coffee
Going	for	a	drive	in	the	country
Going	to	the	gym
Spending	time	in	Galway
Spending	time	with	Sinead
Meditating
Reading	self-help	books
Writing
Settling	down	my	thoughts
Focusing	on	my	breath
Going	for	a	snooze	under	a	warm	duvet
Sitting	in	the	sun
Walking	in	nature
Playing	with	the	kids
Watching	a	good	movie
Meeting	with	friends
Going	for	a	nice	meal
Stilling	the	mind	in	nature
Refer	to	your	list	and	do	a	couple	of	things	from	it	when	you	are	feelingdown.The	number	of	times	you
bring	attention	to	your
inner	body	throughout
the	day	is	more	important
than	the	length	of	time
that	you	hold	your
attention	during	one
sitting.Chapter	6
	How	to	have	a
grate	night’s	sleepFor	good	health,	NEVER	breathe	through	your	mouth	at	night.A
	lower	CP	reflecting	larger	breathing	volume	will	result	in	many	of	the
symptoms	below. How	many	do	you	experience? Snoring
Sleep	apnoea	(holding	your	breath	many	times	throughout	the	night)
Disrupted	sleep
Sweating
Racing	mind
Nightmares
Needing	to	use	the	bathroom	at	about	5	am	or	6	am
Children	wetting	the	bed	during	the	night
Fatigue	first	thing	in	morning
Brain	fog	upon	waking
Dry	mouth
Upper	or	lower	respiratory	complaints
Solution
:
Do	not	eat	anything	two	hours	before	going	to	bed	as	food	increases
breathing. A	cool	bedroom	is	best	(but	not	cold). It	is	better	to	have	no	central
heating	in	a	bedroom	and	to	ensure	that	your	duvet	or	bedclothes	are	not
excessively	warm. High	temperatures	increase	breathing. In	addition,	an
airy	bedroom	is	best. Don’t	sleep	on	your	back. Instead,	sleep	on	your	tummy	or	left	hand
side. Sleeping	on	your	back	is	by	far	the	worst	position	as	there	is	no
restriction	to	your	breathing. The	tummy	is	the	most	preferred	position,
as	the	weight	of	your	body	against	the	mattress	will	automatically	help
you	breathe	less. Ensure	that	your	mouth	is	closed	at	night.To	eliminate	insomnia,	reduce	your	breathing	by	relaxing	for	fifteen
minutes	before	bed. Sit	on	a	chair	or	in	a	meditation	position. Close	your
eyes	and	follow	your	breathing. Continuously	allow	your	breathing	to
quieten	and	relax. Feel	a	comfortable	and	tolerable	air	shortage. This	will
ensure	continued	sleep	without	disruptions. Closing	your	mouth	at	night
	
We	recommend	that	adults	wear	a	paper	tape	while	sleeping	to	gently	keep
their	lips	together. Paper	tape	can	be	bought	at	most	chemists. A	good	brand	is
3M	and	a	suitable	size	is	one	inch. Apply	it	horizontally	to	cover	your	mouth. If	you	are	unable	to	place	it	in	a	horizontal	position,	then	place	it	vertically. Before	applying,	fold	over	a	tab	at	either	end	of	the	tape	to	make	removal
easier	in	the	morning. Wearing	the	tape	at	night	is	imperative	to	a	good
night’s	sleep	and	will	significantly	improve	your	energy	levels	upon	waking. In	fact,	all	of	the	symptoms	listed	above	will	be	reduced	if	you	keep	your
mouth	closed	at	night. If	you	have	had	copious	amounts	of	alcohol,	are
epileptic	or	are	feeling	nauseas,	do	not	wear	the	tape
	
Some	people	may	possibly,	and	very	reasonably,	experience	panic	at	the
thought	of	having	their	mouth	taped. To	help	overcome	this,	put	the	tape	on
your	mouth	half	an	hour	before	going	to	bed. This	should	be	enough	time	to
allow	you	to	adjust	to	using	the	tape	and	to	overcome	any	nervousness. For
the	first	few	nights,	wearing	the	tape	will	feel	a	little	strange. It	may	come	off
during	the	night,	but	at	least	you	will	have	spent	some	hours	breathing
through	your	nose. Continue	to	wear	the	tape	until	you	have	managed	to	change	to	breathing
through	your	nose	at	night. How	long	this	takes	will	vary	with	the
individual. Breathing	through	your	nose	will	result	in	a	wet	mouth	when	you
wake	up. If	your	mouth	is	dry	upon	waking,	you	know	that	your	mouth	was
open	during	sleep.Chapter	7
	Know	thyselfHow	your	thoughts	determine	your	reality
E
ach	human	has	an	in-built	film	or	memory	that	stores	all	of	his	or	her	past
experiences,	events	and	thoughts. Over	thousands	of	years,	society,
propaganda,	religious	beliefs,	personal	opinions	and	experiences	all
contribute	to	this	program. For	most	humans,	their	entire	life	is	based	on	this
collection	of	stored	programs. Their	behavior,	beliefs,	actions,	thoughts	and
words	are	all	predetermined	by	the	influences	of	others. In	other	words,	they
don’t	get	to	live	their	own	lives. They	live	according	to	whatever	program	has
been	installed. Think	of	a	movie	projector	at	a	cinema. A	film	is	installed	into	the	projector
and	a	light	shines	through	the	film	to	project	the	picture	onto	the	big	screen. With	humans,	the	light	of	the	projector	is	our	true	self	and	we	look	through
our	film	of	past	experiences	and	our	life	unfolds	according	to	this	script. A	person	with	a	film	filled	with	racism	will	automatically	see	every	coloured
person	as	inferior	without	even	being	conscious	of	this	belief. In	areas	of	the
world	with	continuous	fighting	among	religious	groups,	individuals	in	each
group	fail	to	see	the	real	person	on	the	other	side. They	see	the	person	through
their	films	or	collection	of	thoughts. They	don’t	see	the	life	of	another	person,
as	they	have	reduced	the	person	to	a	label	or	a	word,	such	as	a	Hindu	or	a
Muslim	or	a	Christian. Someone	with	an	inferiority	complex	will	look	through	thoughts	of
inadequacy,	poor	self-esteem,	poor	confidence	and	self-criticism. Each	time
they	look	in	the	mirror,	they	won’t	like	what	they	see. Their	see	their	own	life
in	negative	ways	based	on	the	thoughts	that	they	have	saved	onto	their	film. The	more	they	run	the	same	thoughts	through	their	heads,	the	stronger,	and
sharper	and	more	real	is	the	image	that	they	have	of	themselves. Eventually,
they	may	come	to	hate	themselves,	and	all	as	a	result	of	their	own	imagination
and	thoughts. Whatever	is	stored	in	the	film	determines	our	outlook	on	life. Good	films	are
better	than	bad	films. However,	in	any	event,	any	film	that	we	look	through	is
divorced	from	life. As	long	as	we	continue	to	live	on	autopilot	and	through
stored	films	or	programs,	we	are	asleep. We	are	asleep	from	the	moment	our
analytical	mind	begins	to	function,	at	around	four	years	of	age,	to	the	moment
we	die. We	are	the	living	dead. As	long	as	our	attention	is	caught	up	in	our	mind,	it	is	divided. Part	of	our
attention	is	looking	through	our	film	of	thoughts	and	the	remainder	is	focused
on	life. The	objective	is	to	allow	our	true	self	to	connect	directly	with	life	and
not	through	our	past	thoughts. The	objective	is	to	leave	aside	the	film	and	focus	100%	of	our	attention	on
life. Past	thoughts	are	in	the	past;	they	are	stale. They	reflect	other	people’s
and	society’s	opinions. At	best,	they	are	figments	of	the	imagination. They	are
not	life. Have	you	ever	observed	your	thoughts? What	is	watching	your	thoughts? Who	is	the	real	you? Is	the	real	you	the	watcher	or	is	it	the	thoughts	running
through	your	head? There	cannot	be	two	of	you,	can	there? Who	is	the	observer? Is	the	observer
of	thoughts	the	real	you? Is	the	observer	the	light	in	the	projector? Or	is	the
real	you	a	collection	of	thoughts? I	would	like	you	to	seriously	consider	these	questions. “One	day	this	terrible	war	will	be	over. The	time	will	come	when	we	will
be	people	again	and	not	just	Jews.”
Anne	Frank	(April	11,	1944)
	Who	is	the	real	you? T
he	real	you	is	the	part	of	you	that	can	watch	your	thoughts. It	is	the
observer. It	is	your	awareness. It	remains	even	after	this	body	dies. The	real
you	is	constant;	it	does	not	change. It	is	the	only	part	of	you	that	is	real. It	is
sometimes	called	our	soul,	true	self	or	higher	being. The	real	you	is	your
consciousness. It	is	one	with	all	life. Suffering	does	not	take	place	in	the	real	you. Suffering	only	takes	place	in
your	mind,	but	your	mind	is	not	you. Your	arm	is	not	you. Your	leg	is	not	you. Your	hand	is	not	you. When	our	bodies	die,	our	arms,	legs	and	hands	cease	to
function. Life	has	expired	from	them. Life	will	also	have	expired	from	your
mind. Your	mind	ceases	at	death. You	cannot	think	when	you	are	dead. Your
mind	does	not	continue	to	function	as	you	lie	in	the	coffin. The	only	part	of
you	that	continues	to	function	after	this	body	dies	is	the	real	you. It	is
accessed	only	through	a	still	mind. This	is	the	door	to	freedom. It	is	your	mind	or	your	collection	of	thoughts	that	determines	your	suffering. Through	thought,	your	mind	creates	emotions	in	the	body. In	turn,	these
emotions	feed	your	mind. The	more	you	think	about	that	ass	of	a	boss,	or	that
idiot	of	a	neighbour,	or	that	lousy	wife,	or	that	clown	of	a	husband,	the	more
anger	builds	up	in	you. This	increased	anger	feeds	your	mind. Your	mind
feeds	your	emotions. If	you	were	not	thinking,	if	the	real	you	were	directly	in	contact	with	life,
would	there	be	anger? What	creates	anger? What	creates	tension? Our	thoughts	create	our	state	of	mental	health;	nothing	else	but	our	thoughts. Stay	present	and	connect	directly	with	life	instead	of	doing	so	through	a
collection	of	thoughts,	experiences	and	events. Drop	the	thoughts. Set	them
aside	not	through	force	but	through	the	realisation	that	thoughts	are	not	who
we	are. If	the	mind	is	not	us,	then	thoughts	originating	from	the	mind	are	not
us. This	is	liberating. We	understand	thought	to	be	just	a	thought	and	nothing
more. We	have	the	choice	to	follow	it	or	not. We	begin	to	see	though	NOT	as
truth	or	something	that	we	must	adhere	to	and	blindly	follow. We	understand
thought	as	a	collection	of	good	and	not	so	good	influences	that	we	have	stored
in	our	film. With	this	understanding,	you	see	the	film	for	what	it	is. The	light	of	your	true
self	can	then	shine	without	thought. Only	then	do	you	truly	live	in	your
natural	state. Once	you	realise	this,	your	life	will	positively	change	forever. If
this	is	your	first	introduction	to	this	concept,	stick	with	it. This	is	not
intellectual	debate. This	is	about	understanding	your	mind,	which	alone
determines	your	happiness	on	earth.You	are	not	your	mind
I
magine	your	right	arm	constantly	moving	up	and	down. It	moves	up	and
down	many	times	a	minute. Sometimes	the	movement	is	small	and	sometimes
the	movement	is	large. The	activity	of	your	right	arm	is	a	major	hindrance. At
the	same	time,	it	is	indispensible;	you	are	able	to	instruct	and	tell	it	what	to	do
and,	generally,	it	continues	to	perform	any	activity	that	your	left	arm	does. The	only	difference	is	that	in	between	use	and	while	at	rest,	your	right	arm
continues	to	move	up	and	down. Each	day,	your	right	arm	constantly	bumps
into	things. It	accidentally	knocks	things	over	and	hits	other	people. Every
now	and	again,	it	even	hits	you. You	are	not	as	focused	when	you	drive,	or	work,	rest,	meet	other	people	or
entertain. In	fact,	your	right	arm	always	needs	a	part	of	your	attention,	no
matter	what	you	do. Even	if	you	are	listening	to	somebody	talk,	the	moving
right	arm	is	a	distraction. Even	though	every	human	has	inherited	a	moving	right	arm,	they	still	become
annoyed	when	they	are	at	the	receiving	end	of	it. They	don’t	seem	to	realize
that	both	they	and	you	are	oblivious	that	the	right	arm	knocked	them	and	not
the	real	you. You	don’t	mean	to	knock	into	people. It	just	happens. Some	people	have	completely	lost	control	of	their	right	arm. They	spend
many	hours	in	a	pub	drinking	alcohol	in	an	effort	to	tranquilize	it. The	next
day,	when	the	alcohol	wears	off,	the	right	arm	moves	twice	as	fast	as	it	used
to. Others	run	to	a	doctor,	who	prescribes	drugs	to	calm	the	right	arm. A	few	other	unfortunates	feel	so	much	pain	from	the	right	arm	that	this	same
arm	eventually	becomes	the	instrument	that	takes	their	lives. These	poor
people	died	by	their	own	right	hand.Every	human	has	this	moving	right	arm,	with	the	exception	of	a	few	who
have	realized	that	it	is	a	tool	that	can	be	tamed,	and	that	with	attention	you
can	control	your	right	arm. You	have	inherited	this	right	arm	as	a	condition
from	humankind. Over	the	millennia,	the	right	arm	has	developed	a	bad	habit. It	is	slightly	flawed. It	simply	does	not	stop	moving. At	some	point,	you	realize	that	you	can	control	your	right	arm. You	realize
that	you	are	not	your	right	arm. Even	though	it	is	part	of	your	body	on	Earth,
it	is	not	you. The	real	you,	your	true	self,	can	observe	the	antics	of	the	right
arm. The	real	you	watch	your	right	arm	and	begin	to	observe	its	movement. The	more	frequently	that	the	real	you	watches	your	right	arm,	the	more	you
will	see	its	habits. You	begin	to	see	the	triggers	that	cause	it	to	move	quicker. You	begin	to	notice	that	the	more	the	arm	moves,	the	more	it	feeds	itself	and
continues	to	move. With	this	realization,	through	alertness	you	keep	your	right	arm	still. When
you	are	ready,	your	right	arm	becomes	more	under	your	control. You	are	able
to	connect	with	life	and	what	goes	on	around	you	without	your	right	arm
moving	incessantly. A	moving	right	arm	is	no	longer	a	distraction	that	took
your	attention	from	anything	that	you	tried	to	apply	yourself	to. There	is	little	difference	between	a	moving	right	arm	and	the	human	mind. The	main	difference	is	that	it	is	easy	to	identify	the	right	arm. The	arm	is
external,	visible	and	can	be	readily	noticed. The	human	mind	is	cleverly
located	to	avoid	detection. It	is	hidden	away	from	view	and	carries	on
unhindered	in	the	background. We	have	lost	our	ability	to	control	our	minds. Our	minds	move	incessantly	in
the	background. Recognize	your	mind	as	a	moving	right	arm.Watch	your	thoughts
W
hen	you	are	asleep	in	life,	thoughts	completely	take	you	over. You	fail	to
differentiate	between	who	you	really	are	and	the	thoughts	that	take	place	in
your	mind. You	accept	your	thoughts	as	totally	true	and	blindly	react	to	them. For	most	people,	their	thoughts	are	in	the	background. They	are	a	constant
drone	of	noise	that	they	are	completely	unaware	of. As	we	awake,	we	realise	the	distinction	between	the	thoughts	of	our	mind	and
who	we	truly	are. Our	true	self	is	peace,	happiness	and	pure	joy. It	is	the	out-
of-control	mind	that	creates	suffering,	agitation	and	misery. To	begin	this	process,	watch	your	thoughts. Be	a	good	gardener	of	your	mind. Be	attentive	to	what	is	growing	in	your	mind,	just	as	a	good	gardener	is	aware
of	the	weeds	that	are	trying	to	take	hold	while	at	the	same	time	nurturing	the
flowers. Turn	up	the	volume	of	your	thoughts. Bring	them	to	the	surface. Observe	them. I’m	not	talking	about	thoughts	that	we	need	to	deal	with	a	practical	situation. Instead,	I’m	taking	about	the	background	noise	in	your	head	as	you	perform
certain	activities	or	routines	throughout	the	day. Keep	an	eye	on	repetitive	thoughts. What	thoughts	do	you	repeat	over	and
over	again? How	long	have	you	been	running	these	thoughts	through	your
head? When	do	your	thoughts	arise	most	frequently? What	affect	do	these
thoughts	have	on	your	body? How	do	you	feel	when	you	think	these
thoughts? Do	you	reach	a	conclusion	from	these	thoughts? Do	they	help	you
in	any	way? How	much	time	do	these	thoughts	take	from	you? Don’t	analyse	your	thoughts,	as	I	don’t	wish	to	replace	one	form	of	thought
with	another. I	just	want	you	to	notice	your	thoughts,how	often	they	occur	and	how	you	feel	as	a	result	of	them. Do	you	feel	tense? Do	you	feel	happy? Do	they	distract	you? When	you	are	tense	does	this	affect
people	around	you? I	would	like	you	to	become	aware	of	this. By	watching	your	thoughts	without	reacting	to	them,	you	learn	about	the
nature	of	thought	and	become	less	of	a	prisoner	to	it. For	example,	when	you
are	talking	with	somebody,	do	you	have	a	lot	of	thoughts? When	you	are
reading	a	book	or	doing	a	task,	does	thought	after	thought	distract	you? When
you	go	for	a	walk	in	nature,	is	your	attention	in	your	head	or	are	you	really
seeing,	hearing	and	feeling	what	is	going	on	around	you? When	you	are
driving,	do	you	lose	track	of	the	journey	and	enter	the	stream	of	mind? When
you	are	brushing	your	teeth,	is	that	all	you	are	doing	or	where	is	your
attention? When	you	are	eating	a	meal,	are	you	enjoying	each	mouthful	or	did
your	mind	take	you	over	soon	after	the	first	bite? When	you	have	breakfast,
are	you	also	reading	the	newspaper,	the	writing	on	the	cereal	box	or	whatever
else	is	available? As	you	drink	a	cup	of	tea,	are	you	really	tasting	what	you
are	drinking,	sip	by	sip? When	you	go	to	the	toilet,	are	you	really	there	at	all
or	is	your	attention	elsewhere? Please	do	the	above	and,	in	every	situation	that	you	find	yourself	in,	watch
how	you	are	thinking. Are	you	really	living	life	or	are	you	solely	living	in
your	head? Are	you	missing	what	is	going	on	around	you	or	are	you	really
connected? Is	your	mind	causing	you	torture	and	draining	you	of	energy? Do
you	think	to	reach	a	conclusion	or	are	your	thoughts	a	merry-go-round	with
no	finality? Be	honest,	as	you	are	not	alone. Humans	have	lost	the	ability	to
control	their	minds. They	have	no	idea	of	what	is	taking	place	in	their	mind. They	are	asleep. Is	the	mind	the	absolute	truth? M
any	influences	shape	your	life:	events,	TV,	propaganda,	literature,
advertising,	family,	friends,	parents,	society,	education	and	religion. All	of
these	things	develop	and	condition	the	programmes	of	your	mind. In	turn,	this
influences	how	you	act,	react,	perceive	and	interpret. Ultimately,	no	attitude,
behaviour,	thought	or	opinion	is	truly	yours. One	child	grows	up	with	a	parent	who	constantly	fears	poverty. Year	in	and
year	out,	he	listens	to	his	father	talk	about	a	lack	of	money	and	all	of	his	bills,
and	wonder	aloud	about	what	money	is	coming	in	the	future	and	whether	he
will	have	work	in	a	few	months. His	father	is	afraid	to	spend	money	for	fear
of	the	future. The	child	listens	to	this	from	day	one	to	when	he	gains
independence	and	leaves	home. His	father	has	a	poverty	consciousness	and
chances	are	that	it	will	be	passed	onto	the	child. Later	in	life,	whenever	a
decision	is	made	relating	to	money,	the	child	who	grows	into	an	adult	will
look	through	his	poverty	consciousness. Every	time	he	receives	a	bill	in	the
post,	his	stomach	will	tense. Anytime	that	he	goes	to	the	bank	to	deal	with	a
small	issue,	he	will	worry	about	it	beforehand. If	someone	overcharges	him,
he	will	get	very	agitated. He	will	make	choices	solely	based	on	money. This
person	will	constantly	fear	and	worry	about	finances. A	loss	of	money	will	be
a	great	hardship	to	him. Another	child	lives	in	a	household	of	similar	means	but	with	a	father	who	has
a	comfortable	attitude	about	money. He	is	careful	and	does	not	overspend. He
does	his	work	and	earns	a	living,	even	though	sometimes	it	is	not	easy. Things
always	fall	into	place. This	father	does	not	constantly	complain	about	a	lack
of	finances. If	he	has	a	tight	few	months,	he	realizes	that	this	will	change. This	child	will	grow	up	to	be	an	adult	who	does	not	fear	for	a	lack	of	money. The	first	child	who	grows	into	an	adult	will	believe	his	viewpoint	to	be
absolutely	true. Tension,	anger	and	arguments	will	arise	if	his	partners’
behavior’s	differ	from	his. The	second	child	will	grow	into	an	adult	without
such	heavy	opinions	regarding	finance	and	money. Who	is	right? Who	is
wrong? Who	is	acting	out	of	free	will? Are	you	any	different? Our	mind	is	shaped	and	conditioned	by	many	factors	over	which	we	have	no
control. Many	of	our	thoughts	are	shaped	completely	by	our	past,	and	are
based	on	the	opinions,	habits,	events	and	actions	of	other	people. For	most	of
us,	we	are	living	a	life	imposed	by	someone	else. Do	you	think	you	are	livinga	life	free	from	the	influences	of	others? Don’t	accept	what	your	mind	throws	up	at	you	to	be	the	absolute	truth. We	all
form	opinions	about	people,	situations	and	events. But	are	these	completely
true	or	are	they	based	on	our	past	conditioning? How	many	times	have	you	worried	about	something	that	turned	out	fine? How	many	times	were	you	excited	about	something	that	turned	out	the
opposite	of	what	you	hoped	for? How	many	times	did	you	form	an	opinion
about	someone,	only	to	later	realize	that	it	was	inaccurate? Are	you	living
your	own	life	or	are	you	living	the	life	of	your	parents? You	think	you	have
independence. Well,	do	you? How	could	you	be	living	a	free	life	if	you	blindly	follow	your	mind? Your
mind	is	not	you. It	is	a	collection	of	the	opinions	of	others. How	on	earth	can
this	be	truth?Chapter	8
	Individual	madnessAre	you	always	seeking	the	future? W
hen	the	boy	is	small,	he	is	waiting	to	grow	up	to	be	a	big	boy. When	he	is
a	big	boy,	he	is	waiting	to	change	schools. When	he	is	in	primary	school,	he	is
waiting	to	attend	secondary	school. When	he	is	in	secondary	school,	he	is
waiting	to	get	a	job	or	attend	university. When	he	has	a	job,	he	is	waiting	to
get	married. When	he	is	married,	he	is	waiting	to	have	children. When	he	has
children,	he	is	waiting	for	the	children	to	get	older. When	his	children	are
older,	he	is	waiting	to	retire. When	he	is	retired,	he	has	little	future	left	so	he
starts	to	dwell	on	the	past. When	he	is	young,	he	is	anxious	and	thinks	about
the	future. When	he	is	old,	he	is	depressed	and	thinks	about	the	past. Life	has
passed	him	by,	and	by	the	time	he	realizes	this,	it	is	too	late. Don’t	wait	for
your	life	to	change. Live	it	now. Not	only	are	we	waiting	for	life	changes,	we	are	also	seeking	lifestyle
choices. “Oh,	life	will	be	so	much	better	when	I	achieve	this,	that	or	the	other. Oh,
how	wonderful	life	will	be	in	six	months. Oh,	how	happy	I	will	be	in	my	new
car. I	long	for	the	future. My	car	is	not	the	latest	model. My	house	is	not	as
nice	or	big	as	my	friends. I	was	happy	until	I	saw	my	friend’s	house,	but	now
I	am	not	happy. My	house	is	not	good	enough.”
	“I	made	a	mistake	six	months	ago. I	cannot	live	happily	with	my	problem. The	problem	is	so	big. I	am	putting	my	life	on	hold	until	the	problem	is
solved. I	will	be	so	unhappy	until	then. It	is	the	future	that	I	want. I	will	be
only	happy	in	the	future.”
	
When	I	get	a	new	house,	life	is	bliss	for	a	few	weeks. When	I	get	a	new	car,	I
am	so	happy	for	a	few	weeks. When	I	get	a	new	wife	or	husband,	I	don’t
know	how	I	will	ever	have	lived	without	this	person	–	for	a	few	weeks. When	my	problem	is	sorted	out,	it	will	not	be	long	before	another	surfaces. Achievement	of	goals	brings	momentary	happiness. As	soon	as	we	achieve,
the	mind	sets	another	goal. Like	the	boy	growing	up,	the	goalposts	keep
moving. We	can	never	catch	up	using	this	approach. Set	goals	but	keep	your	attention	in	the	present. Don’t	be	concerned	about	the
outcome. Set	the	outcome	aside	as	this	will	only	take	you	into	the	future. Inany	event,	having	your	full	attention	on	the	task	at	hand	will	generate	a	far
superior	quality	of	work. Work	on	your	goal	but	keep	your	attention	immersed	in	the	present	moment
and	move	with	it	step	by	step,	frame	by	frame. Move	simultaneously	with
time. You	cannot	live	in	the	future,	nor	can	you	live	in	the	past. The	present
moment	is	the	only	time	you	can	live	in. We	come	into	this	world	with	nothing. We	leave	this	world	with	nothing. In
India,	it	is	common	practice	for	parents	to	advise	their	children	to	remain	at	a
certain	economic	or	social	level	for	quite	some	time	before	moving	on	again. In	other	words,	they	are	told	not	to	get	caught	up	with	the	feeding	frenzy	of
consumerism	that	takes	place	in	the	West. Advice	like	this,	along	with	the	practice	of	inner	body	awareness	and
meditation,	has	resulted	in	very	low	depression	rates	in	India. Contrast	this
with	the	tension	of	man	in	the	so-called	developed	world. Is	this	his	life? L
iam	was	one	of	the	wealthiest	property	developers	in	Ireland	during	the
economic	boom. During	mid-2009,	an	Irish	bank	sought	to	put	him	into
bankruptcy. The	Pat	Kenny	morning	radio	show	mentioned	that	a	friend	told	Liam	that	it
was	“only	money,”	to	which	Liam	replied,	“it’s	not	only	money,	it’s	my	life.”
	
Is	his	perspective	true? Yes,	he	spent	years	building	his	empire	and	it	was
tumbling	around	him. That	is	difficult. But	how	is	it	his	life? For	years,	he	might	have	invested	a	lot	of	time	thinking	about	his	life	story. “Oh,	what	a	wonderful	man	I	am. How	wealthy	I	am. I	am	worth	so	much
money. I	have	big	cars	and	property. Oh,	people	must	think	I	am	great. I	am
so	clever. I	must	have	the	Midas	touch.”	He	reduced	his	life	to	a	story. Now,	circumstances	have	changed	and	he	can	no	longer	live	the	story	that	he
built	up	over	the	years. His	lifestyle	no	longer	coincides	with	his	story. This	is
a	rude	awakening	but	it	is	not	his	life. The	story	is	nothing	more	than	a
figment	of	his	imagination. Of	course,	build	up	your	business,	make	money,	have	a	nice	lifestyle. But
don’t	get	lost	in	it. Don’t	lose	sight	of	the	real	you. Things	come. Things	go. Everything	in	life	is	a	series	of	cycles. Life	is	not	about	more	money,	more	cars,	more	houses	and	more	business. This	is	the	human	mind	and	not	the	real	you. The	human	mind,	especially	the
mind	of	the	Western	male,	always	wants	more. More,	more,	more. Western
society	is	not	intelligent. It	is	stupid	and	reflects	the	collective	mind	of	an
idiot. What	is	your	story? O
ur	story	is	a	fairytale	of	how	we	perceive	ourselves. We	think	about	our
positive	qualities	and	we	think	about	our	negative	qualities. If	thoughts	about
our	positive	qualities	outweigh	thoughts	about	our	negative	qualities,	we	are
confident	about	ourselves. If	thoughts	about	our	negative	qualities	outweigh	our	positive	qualities,	we
lack	confidence. A	negative	story	can	be	made	up	of	constant	thoughts	about	being	fat	or	ugly
or	stupid,	or	not	attractive	to	the	opposite	sex. Someone	with	an	inferiority
complex	might	have	been	told	at	one	point	how	useless	he	is. He	continues	to
run	this	thought	over	and	over	through	his	head. After	a	certain	time,	he	acts
according	to	this	belief	system	that	has	been	established. Over	time,	these
thoughts	become	fixed	and	form	his	personality. A	positive	story	might	be	made	up	of	how	educated	I	am,	how	smart	I	am,
how	attractive	I	am,	how	large	my	muscles	are,	what	a	well	paid	person	I	am,
how	intelligent	I	am. Both	are	stories	and	both	are	thoughts	and	figments	of	your	mind. These
stories	are	created	through	the	repetition	and	reinforcement	of	thousands	of
the	same	thoughts. Your	story	is	not	real. Do	you	think	it	is	the	truth? What
happens	when	your	story	changes? What	happens	when	the	attractive	person	gets	old	and	wrinkled? What
happens	when	the	wealthy	person	goes	bankrupt? Why	waste	so	much	energy
creating	a	story	that	is	nothing	more	than	a	figment	of	the	imagination? When	you	create	a	story,	you	tend	to	act	from	that	story	instead	of	acting	from
free	will. Therefore,	your	story	restricts	your	freedom	to	act	spontaneously.Animals	and	nature	do	not	create	stories	about	themselves. A	dog	with	three
legs	gets	on	with	life. A	fat	horse	is	not	too	bothered	either. An	ugly	crow	has
no	problem	waking	up	on	a	Monday	morning. They	live	according	to	their
true	nature,	which	is	absent	of	thought. Living	your	life	according	to	the	story	that	you	have	created	about	yourself	is
not	living. Most	people	do	this	and	effectively	die	at	18	years	of	age	even
though	they	are	buried	at	age	80.Stop	complaining
W
atch	how	often	you	are	unhappy	with	what	is	going	on	in	your	life. Become	aware	of	how	little	things	upset	you. The	more	thoughts	that	you
have	running	through	your	head,	the	more	you	get	upset	and	frustrated	by
little	things. In	every	situation,	you	can	always	find	something	that	is	not	how	it	should	be. Children	might	be	running	around	while	you	eat	at	a	local	café. Your	partner
might	snore	at	night. The	toilet	seat	might	have	been	left	up	every	time	you
use	the	bathroom. The	coffee	pot	might	be	left	on	the	counter	every	morning
and	might	have	left	a	stain. The	weather	is	bad. The	economy	is	in	recession. You	are	stuck	in	traffic. Finances	might	be	a	little	low. The	shower	leaks. The
neighbor	is	an	ass. Are	you	constantly	complaining	about	one	thing	or	another? Complaining
keeps	you	in	a	constant	state	of	turmoil,	as	you	don’t	want	to	accept	the
reality	of	this	moment. You	wish	it	to	be	different. Complaining	is	when	you
are	not	prepared	to	accept	the	current	situation	and	you	want	something	else. You	are	rejecting	what	is. You	have	four	options. 1
. Accept	the	situation. 2
. Remove	yourself	from	the	situation. 3
. Change	the	situation. 4
. If	the	time	is	not	right	to	change	the	situation,	drop	the	story	and	wait	for
the	time	to	be	right. Everything	changes	and	this	will	change	too. It	is	as
it	is.Chapter	9
	Society	madnessProzac	me
A
	patient	visits	his	doctor. He	is	complaining	of	constant	noise	in	his	head. He	feels	very	down	in	the	dumps,	frequently	cries	and	has	constant	chatter
going	on	in	his	mind. He	thinks	that	he	is	going	mad. His	constant	thought
and	mind	activity	is	making	him	crazy. The	doctor	listens	for	ten	to	fifteen
minutes. Towards	the	end	of	the	consultation,	he	takes	out	his	prescription
pad	and	writes	a	prescription	for	Prozac	or	some	other	legal	drug	to	numb	the
person’s	mind. The	reality	is	that	doctors	don’t	know	what	causes	depression. The	medical
model	identifies	depression	as	caused	by	a	biochemical	brain	imbalance	from
a	genetic	defect. This	is	debateable. In	the	words	of	Dr	Terry	Lynch	in	his	superb	book	Beyond	Prozac	“Is	the
brain	chemical	imbalance	the	cause	of	the	depression	or	the	suicide,	or	is	the
imbalance	produced	by	the	long-standing	emotional	and	psychological
distress	that	person	has	endured	often	for	many	years?”
	
The	amount	of	prescribed	medication	for	depression,	stress	and	anxiety	has
now	reached	epidemic	proportions. Medication	has	one	purpose	and	that	is
only	to	treat	symptoms. Medication	has	a	purpose	only	if	the	person	is	in
danger	of	harming	himself. In	simple	terms,	the	mind	is	depressed	with	thought. Therefore,	instead	of
numbing	the	mind	with	toxic	medications,	should	we	not	attempt	to	give	this
person	control	over	his	thought	processes? Allow	the	person	to	develop
stillness	of	the	mind. Stillness	of	the	mind	is	achieved	by	watching	and
reducing	the	breath,	feeling	the	inner	body	and	keeping	the	attention	in	the
present	moment. If	drugs	are	not	an	option	and	stillness	of	the	mind	is	taught	in	every	school,
we	would	have	far	less	of	a	problem	with	mental	health. Millions	of	children	and	adults	would	be	spared	from	suffering	and	would
then	be	allowed	to	lead	normal	lives	without	been	numbed	by	powerful
medications	that	are	very	difficult	to	come	off	the	longer	one	takes	them. The
Western	health	model	is	to	create	consumers. Profit,	not	health,	is	the	first
priority	of	drug	companies. Watching	the	body	and	mind	is	a	challenge. Doing	this	takes	time	but	gets	to
the	root	of	the	disquiet. Although	meditation	and	medication	differ	by	one
letter	only,	they	are	miles	apart. Spiritualise	me
S
pirituality	can	be	defined	as	the	extent	to	which	we	stop	thinking	and
connect	with	life. It	is	a	widely	expressed	but	much	misunderstood	word. For	centuries,	people	in	Ireland	strongly	resorted	to	religion. Some	of	the
motives	were	political,	as	religion	was	a	way	to	differentiate	ourselves	from
our	colonizers. Other	motives	included	fear	of	the	Catholic	priest	with	his
threat	of	hell	and	damnation. A	future	in	hell	with	raging	fires	was	enough	to
drive	us	to	Sunday	mass. For	years,	we	left	our	substandard	homes	and	took
weekly	refuge	in	the	quietness	of	the	church. We	dressed	up	in	our	best
Sunday	suits. The	church,	with	its	stone	surroundings,	majestic	belfry,	high
ceilings,	solid	wooden	beams	and	marble	floor	was	awe-inspiring. The	mind
stilled	at	such	a	sight. Furthermore,	belief	in	a	higher	being	expressed	through	the	form	of	a	man-
made	institution	reduced	thought	activity,	just	as	a	caring	parent	tells	a	child
that	everything	will	be	okay	and	not	to	worry. “I	believe	in	the	Roman
apostolic	church.”
	
Finally,	the	act	of	prayer,	which	involves	repetitive	words	and	sounds,	further
stilled	the	mind	as	attention	was	diverted	to	prayer	instead	of	thought. People	left	the	church	happy. They	were	lighter. Their	thought	activity	was
considerably	reduced	for	an	hour	or	so. Oh,	how	wonderful. What	a	beautiful
sermon. The	priest	is	a	great	man. Newer	generations	in	Ireland	don’t	have	the	crutch	of	religion. With	improved
education	and	freedom	to	express	one’s	opinion,	most	people	have	lost	trust	in
traditional	institutions. Nor	is	there	a	fundamental	movement	towards
meditation. Some	youngsters	get	involved	with	sports,	during	which	time
their	minds	are	at	rest.When	one	pushes	the	body	in	physical	exercise,	the	mind	stops. However,	others	revert	to	alcohol	or	drugs. They	replace	the	spirit	from	the
church	with	the	spirit	from	the	top	shelf. Both,	by	the	way,	still	the	mind. However,	there	is	a	large	price	to	pay	by	stilling	the	mind	with	alcohol. Drink
is	a	downer	and	causes	depression	the	next	day. Alcohol	does	nothing	to
address	the	racing	mind	and	is	just	a	temporary	means	of	numbing	the
drinker. The	increased	uptake	of	alcohol	by	many	teenagers	is	not	solely	a	result	of
peer	pressure. They	too	have	fear	of	the	future	regarding	exams,	getting	a	job,
fitting	into	society	and	living	up	to	the	demands	of	looking	attractive	with
perfect	bodies. They	are	forced	into	the	rat	race	whether	they	like	it	or	not. This	creates	anxiety	and,	with	no	other	outlet,	alcohol	and	drugs	are	means	of
drowning	out	the	mental	commentary. From	speaking	with	alcoholics,	the	one	thing	they	have	in	common	is	a	racing
mind. Alcohol	is	a	means	to	escape	anxiety. If	no	anxiety	existed,	the	world
would	have	far	fewer	alcoholics. Deal	with	anxiety	by	abandoning	the	spirit
in	the	bottle	and	connect	with	true	spirituality. True	spirituality	is	the	degree	to	which	you	are	out	of	thought	and	connected
with	life. The	kingdom	of	heaven	is	within. God	is	stillness	of	the	mind,	an	inseparable	oneness	with	life. God	is	within. God	is	not	a	plastic	statue,	picture	frame,	belief	or	thought. God	is	no	thought. As	the	Bible	states:	“Be	still	and	know	that	I	am	God.”Educate	me
I
n	Western	civilization,	we	attach	importance	to	the	ability	to	think. From	an
early	age,	we	attend	school	to	learn	how	to	think,	to	decipher,	to	analyse,	to
examine	and	to	investigate. We	spend	fifteen	to	twenty	years	in	formal
education	developing	this	trait. Good	students	are	rewarded	and	poor	students
are	frowned	upon. The	idea	of	regurgitating	information	and	critical	analysis
is	the	order	of	the	day. An	intelligent	person	is	considered	as	one	who	has
stored	lots	of	information	in	her	head. In	comparison	with	our	ancestors,	we
have	a	tremendous	capacity	to	think. Being	able	to	think	is	a	wonderful	aid	to
solving	problems,	making	decisions	and	getting	a	job. However,	the	downside	to	this	is	that	we	have	lost	control	over	our	mind. This
is	the	case	with	the	vast	majority	of	people,	including	those	viewed	as	pillars
of	society,	schoolteachers,	university	professors,	priests	and	medical
professionals. For	the	most	part,	they	are	living	in	their	minds. The	vast
majority	of	them	are	asleep. Their	lives	are	lived	through	their	minds,	making
little	direct	connection	with	life. Schools	and	universities	develop	the	left	side	of	the	brain	and	abandon	the
right. Depression,	anxiety	and	mental	turmoil	are	all	products	of	left-brain
thinking. Meditation,	feeling	the	inner	body,	following	the	breath	and	stilling
the	mind	develops	the	right	side	of	the	brain. If	you	develop	the	left	side	of
your	brain	through	years	of	formal	education,	it	is	necessary	to	develop	your
right-hand	side	to	restore	the	balance. Formal	education	teaches	us	how	to
think,	but	it	does	not	teach	us	how	to	stop	thinking. Thought	after	thoughtafter	thought	is	enough	to	make	us	go	mad! Chapter	10	
Can	you	afford	not	to
have	a	still	mind?Creativity
T
he	discovery	of	a	novel	or	relatively	new	idea	or	approach	originates	only
from	a	still	and	quiet	mind. Thoughts	are	stale. All	thoughts	originate	from
past	information	and	events. Nothing	fresh	arises	from	stale	and	useless
thinking. When	a	person	is	asleep	in	thought,	there	is	a	very	limited	store	of
knowledge	to	glean	from. When	a	person	is	outside	of	thought	and	directly	in
contact	with	life,	he	has	universal	intelligence	at	his	disposal. Some	people	are	naturally	more	creative	than	others. Unknowingly,	they	have
discovered	the	power	of	stepping	outside	of	thought. Their	insights	and	ideas
are	bright,	unusual,	fresh,	different	and	shape	the	world	we	live	in. Schoolteachers	and	university	professors	have	devoted	their	life	to	learning
and	teaching,	yet	they	produce	very	few	original	or	creative	works. Universities	are	filled	with	thousands	of	students	writing	PhDs	and	masters
theses,	yet	nobody	reads	them. They	are	filed	away	and	occasionally	read	by
other	students	writing	a	PhD. They	are	a	waste	of	paper. Nobody	reads	them
because	they	are	stale. They	contain	regurgitated	information	from	the	past. The	original	works	of	Leonardo	da	Vinci,	Michelangelo,	Monet,	Van	Gogh,
Cezanne,	Yeats,	Joyce,	Beckett	and	others	were	not	produced	from	stale	and
repetitive	thinking	of	the	mind. Universities	and	schools	cannot	take	credit	for
their	works. These	masters	could	put	their	minds	aside	and	allow	their
consciousness	to	become	one	with	the	universe. By	tapping	into	this
intelligence,	their	works	were	born. Develop	your	creative	capacity	by	staying
out	of	thought. Allow	thought	to	drop	and	allow	stillness	to	enter. Watching	the	breath,	feeling	the	inner	body	and	connecting	to	life	opens	the
floodgates	for	creative	ideas. Original	ideas	are	no	longer	an	effort	but	result
from	a	beautiful	unfolding	and	tapping	into	the	ether. A	still	or	noisy	mind	in	the	workplace
	
During	my	university	years,	I	spent	one	summer	in	the	beautiful	town	of
Uppsala	Sweden	working	as	a	dishwasher. The	kitchen	was	a	busy	place	and
served	countless	meals. One	interesting	observation	was	the	state	of	minds	of
two	chefs. One	chef	would	arrive	and	within	minutes,	he	would	be	stressed. Meal	ticketswould	be	missed. Orders	would	be	late	and	food	would	return	cold. The	chef
would	be	working	extremely	hard	but	yet	all	of	this	happened. The	kitchen
was	a	mess. Another	chef	would	arrive	to	just	as	busy	a	shift. This	chef	remained	calm,
serving	the	same	number	of	dishes. Seldom	was	food	returned. The	waitresses
were	happy	as	food	was	served	on	time	and	their	tips	were	good. Both	chefs
received	the	same	training	and	had	about	the	same	number	of	years	of
experience. What	differentiated	one	chef	from	the	other	was	his	state	of	mind. The	first	chef’s	mind	was	overcrowded	with	thoughts,	resulting	in	divided
attention. A	small	percentage	of	his	attention	was	actually	on	preparing	the
food	while	the	remaining	90%	was	on	a	never-ending	train	of	thought. What
is	the	next	dish? Do	I	have	the	ingredients? What	the	hell	am	I	doing	here? Another	order	in,	how	will	I	cope? How	will	I	manage	another	order	in? A	waitress	returns	with	a	cold	sirloin	steak. Pick	it	up,	slap	it	on	the	floor	a
few	times,	scrape	it	off,	place	it	in	the	microwave	and	send	it	back	to	the
customer. To	hell	with	that	customer. Another	order	in,	when	is	my	shift	over? I	want	to	get	out	of	this	god-forsaken	place. Another	order	in? Well,	to	hell
with	this. The	second	chef	was	in	the	flow	with	a	mind	concentrated	on	preparing	food. His	mind	was	still	and	calm,	which	produced	good	concentration	for	the	task
at	hand.As	he	worked,	he	concentrated	on	whatever	dishes	he	was	making	at	that
time. This	allowed	him	to	devote	his	full	attention,	resulting	in	less	mistakes
and	higher	quality. Incidentally,	not	only	was	the	quality	superior,	it	was	also
more	efficient	than	the	rushed	and	chaotic	approach	of	the	first	chef. Some	people	naturally	have	a	still	mind. Everybody	has	the	capacity	to
develop	a	still	mind. A	still	mind	is	reflective	in	anything	you	do. Only	a	still
mind	produces	quality. You	develop	a	still	mind	through	meditation,	feeling
your	inner	body	or	following	your	breath.Concentration
	
Concentration	can	be	regarded	as	the	ability	to	hold	attention	on	an	object	or
subject	without	internal	distraction. Masters	of	any	discipline	have	excellent
concentration. The	late	George	Best	performed	his	game	in	the	flow	and
without	thought. Tiger	Woods	meditates	and	this	is	reflected	on	how	focused
he	is	during	a	game. Even	if	he	has	a	bad	shot,	he	has	the	capacity	to	control
his	mind	and	not	allow	this	to	affect	the	rest	of	his	game. Creative	people	have	the	capacity	to	concentrate	and	move,	by	choice,	from
periods	of	thought	to	no	thought. Poor	concentration	occurs	when	your	mind	is	bombarded	with	one	thought
after	another. For	example,	while	reading	a	thought	will	interrupt	your
capacity	to	follow	the	words	every	few	seconds. By	the	end	of	the	page,	you
will	have	forgotten	much	of	what	you	have	read. Worrying	destroys	your
concentration,	as	your	ability	to	focus	is	replaced	by	clouded	thought. A	child
labelled	with	attention	deficit	disorder	will	constantly	fidget	and	move	about
in	parallel	to	the	activity	of	her	mind. No	matter	what	you	do	in	life,	concentration	is	paramount. If	you	are	unable
to	hold	your	attention,	your	work	will	be	substandard	and	of	poor	quality. A	person	doing	a	task	with	an	active	mind	is	more	concerned	with	getting	to
the	end	of	the	job	and	finishing	it	than	on	paying	attention	to	the	job	itself. As
this	person	does	his	work,	90%	of	his	attention	is	on	getting	to	the	end	of	the
task	and	only	10%	is	on	focusing	on	the	job. As	he	does	his	job,	he	will	be
rushed	–	in	line	with	his	mental	commentary. He	will	miss	parts,	make
mistakes,	have	poor	attention	to	detail	and	complete	the	work	to	a	substandard
level. In	some	instances,	he	will	start	the	job	and	move	on	to	another	job
before	even	completing	the	first. Look	at	the	quality	of	work	from	people	with	an	active	mind. As	you	read	this	book,	watch	how	many	times	your	mind	wanders. Good
concentration	is	about	being	able	to	fix	one’s	attention	on	something	with
unwavering	thought	for	many	minutes.
_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:

        Reduced	breathing	serves	two	purposes:	the	first	is	to	improve	oxygenation	of
the	brain	and	the	second	is	to	take	attention	away	from	the	head	and	to	the
body. Both	together	are	powerful	tools	for	reducing	thought	activity	and
anxiety. Bringing	reduced	breathing	into	your	way	of	life
I
	am	sitting	in	a	cafe	in	Spiddal,	Co	Galway	as	I	write	this. A	cup	of	coffee
sits	on	a	wooden	table. Music	is	playing	in	the	background—classical	music
instead	of	the	usual	traditional	Irish. People	chat	and	the	coffee	machine	is
percolating. The	sun	is	shining	outside. I	sense	my	breathing,	and	follow	my	breath	in	and	out. My	breath	is	quiet	and
slow. In	and	out,	in	and	out. I	feel	my	tummy	move	in	and	out,	very	slowly,
ever	slightly. A	gap	arises	between	breaths. A	natural	gap. Not	intentional. I
relax	my	body	and	feel	my	breath	quietening	even	further. Slowly	slowing,
slowing,	and	slowing. A	small	air	shortage	occurs. Only	a	gentle	shortage. My
tummy	is	a	little	tense. Not	sure	why. I	bring	my	attention	to	my	tummy. New
people	have	just	arrived	and	are	shown	a	seat. I	type	as	I	follow	my	breath. Watching	my	breath. Feeling	my	breath. My	mind	is	still,	quiet	and	relaxed. An	intense	alertness.
To improve oxygenation of the brain and to take attention away from the head and to the body.
What are the two purposes of reduced breathing?
It can help reduce anxiety and promote a sense of calm.
What is the importance of physical exercise?
Keep your mouth closed and breathe diaphragmatically.
What is the recommended way to breathe during physical exercise?
Measure your CP before, during, and after exercise.
How can you determine if you are breathing correctly during exercise?
It is not about replacing one thought with another, but rather becoming aware of your thoughts and emotions, and allowing them to pass without judgment.
What is the key to a still mind?