My intention is to omit the word “busy” from my vocabulary. I have gotten much better but I still find myself using that word on occasion due to habit. This is a common word that most people use quite regularly. In my study and practice of clinical hypnosis, I have learned how powerful the words we use are. When I say that I am busy, I have to remember that my mind listens to everything I tell myself. So this can end up making me stressed and tense, instead of enjoying the things that I am doing.

Also, I have realized that if someone is trying to connect with me and asks me how I’ve been, and I respond with “busy”, I could be giving the impression that I have been too busy for that person. Or not recognizing that pretty much everyone is busy nowadays!

So how can I stop myself from using this word after decades? It is a practice in mindfulness to use our words intentionally. What I have been doing instead is telling myself that I have time, plenty of time to get through the things that really matter. Because busy is really a state of mind.

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Gratitude is so powerful! It has picked me up when I’ve been down and instantaneously flipped my perspective. It has opened my heart up. It is not just an intellectual concept though, it’s something that you feel. It is so easy to lose sight of gratitude and shift to negativity and lack. Therefore, it is an active practice the requires cultivation.

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“Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power”. -Lao Tzu

It is always me vs. myself. Period.

In a way, society has set us up to focus on being better than others. We are taught “may the best man (or woman) win”.  But what does that even mean in regards to life? What do we win exactly? Often we see others as winning but behind the scenes they are struggling. We get lost in comparing ourselves to the image or storyline that others put out to the world, and this may not even be anywhere close to the truth. It just sets us up to feel inferior and inadequate, which then propels us to show off and beat others in this game of life.

So, I have decided not to play this game anymore. It doesn’t mean I don’t get tempted to compare or compete but then I redirect myself back to myself. I am only focusing on analyzing myself and being better than I was yesterday.

My goal is to master MYSELF.

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I agree that “the eyes are a window to the soul”.  I have actually participated in a few workshops where I have had to stare into strangers eyes for a few minutes, without talking.

Wow, it was intense every time!  It actually brought tears to my eyes and gave me a deep sense of connection to the person I was looking at, beyond the outer facade and into who they were.  I saw myself in that person, the sense of sameness between us that often gets dimmed with talking and distractions.

How often do we really look at each other, into people’s eyes? Not in a creepy way but to really see them.  In this day and age, it’s easy to get pulled away by the beep of our phone and all of our running around when we are interacting with people.

One thing this ends up doing is diminishing our sense of empathy, something that is greatly needed in the world. As Henry David Thoreau asked: “Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eyes in an instant”?

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“Being alone has a power that very few people can handle.” -Steven Aitchison

The concept of being alone is something that I have reflected on a lot during different situations in my life, including the quarantine. I used to think that I had to be surrounded by people all the time. The more popular and the more friends, the better! But upon meditating and reflecting, I realized that:

• it’s possible to feel alone even when you are surrounded by people
• in order to recharge, I need time alone
• if I want clarity on my vision for myself, it requires time by myself
• my creative process centers on alone time to let my mind wander
• when I take a break from the world, I show up better in the world
• it’s ok to be alone

Some of the greatest people that I admire spend much of their time alone to recharge and reflect. This is how they are able to put themselves out there in such an impactful way to uplift the world. So shifting the way that we think about alone time can really make a difference.

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If there is only ONE thing I could emphasize to you, it would be this:  your mind and body are connected. This means that stress, fear, anger, sadness, frustration, anxiety, etc. affects your body too. Maybe you feel this as tightness in certain areas, such as your belly, neck, jaw. Maybe you are not even aware of where in your body you feel and carry stress, but it can affect many areas and systems of the body. It frequently plays a part in physical issues, such as chronic pain and chronic GI issues. This especially important to understand during this time of th pandemic as stress and negative emotions weaken the immune system.

With my background as a Physical Therapist, Yoga and Meditation Teacher, Nutrition Consultant, and Clinical Hypnotherapist, I find that this mind and body connection is often overlooked and underestimated. However, it is an important part of any effective wellness plan. Supporting the mind body connection is really easy to implement in your day, even a few minutes help.

Try this free 3 minute guided meditation and see for yourself how you feel. I would love to know!

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Hello! I wanted to take a moment to check in with you, and see how you are doing. It has been a long time since my last post and so much has happened since then, including an unexpected pandemic!

We have all gone through hard times with COVID. There have been a variety of challenges and changes across the entire planet, so we are not alone in this. I feel it is vital to allow time to reflect and process everything. It is crucial to be aware of the fear, stress, and anxiety we may be experiencing. And then, with this increased self-awareness, redefine our priorities and vision for ourselves. If we want a new normal that is better than the one we left, it has to be cultivated with INTENTION. Everything we thought we knew was turned upside down and shaken, and it is important to be mindful of what direction we want to go from where we are now.

Personally, this time of quarantine and restrictions has been challenging for me as well, in terms of navigating my family, work, and community. It has actually strengthened my passion for empowering others and spreading peace and positivity. I had a lot of time to reflect on what is important to me and how I want to show up in the world. It really opened my eyes to all of the ways there are to connect with people. I was able to shift to working virtually with individuals and groups, especially in the field of meditation and clinical hypnosis. I am still doing so and feel that these tools for peace and stress management are important now more than ever. As I continue to reflect and connect, I am very clear that I want to be a source of upliftment and will find creative ways to do so, despite whatever is happening around us.

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Happy New Year to my fellow health warriors! I hope you had a joyous holiday and wish you abundance, happiness, peace, and health for the coming year ahead.  I am a firm believer in regularly setting goals throughout the year, but there definitely is something inspiring about the passage of yet another year to get us motivated for change.  If upgrading your health and wellness is something that interests you in the start of 2019, I am rooting for you! Here are some top tips that I share with my clients as an Integrative Health Coach:  Break up your long-term goal into smaller, manageable goals. This way you don’t get discouraged or overwhelmed. It is all about the micro-wins! For example, if you are currently not working out at all but your goal is to work out everyday for an hour, then start with a goal of a few days a week for 30 min.  Find an accountability partner.  This could be a friend, family member, co-worker who has a similar goal. You can inspire each other to make changes and stay on track, or even accomplish your goal with them. For instance, working out with a co-worker during lunch regularly.  Who you hang out with matters in your health.  Jim Roth states “you are a combination of the 5 people you hang out with the most”.  I have found this to be quite true. The people you spend the most time with can influence you, positively or negatively, in all aspects of your life. Even if you can’t change the people you are with for the majority of the day, there are a plethora of free talks, podcasts, and books from inspiring people that you can use to help shape your mind. I usually listen to talks when I drive, and it definitely is a huge influence on how I think.  Hope these tips help you maintain your goals for 2019. If I can be of service to you in the realm of nutrition, exercise, or stress management, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I am currently offering an “Upgrade Your Health” package for nutrition, please see the flyer below.  Sharmila Acharya, PT, CYT, CNC www.thewellnesstransformation.com info@thewellnesstransformation.com (925) 338-9297 For bookings and more information visit: www.thewellnesstransformation.com Copyright © 2019, The Wellness Transformation, All rights reserved.

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(PDF version)  These are my go to pancakes for my particular (aka picky) kids.

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