Some refer to the airport as the worst place on Earth. Airports are often associated with bad food, dirty facilities, rushed travelers, and awful customer service from TSA.

But if you cut through all of that, you’ll find love and positive energy all around you. I recently returned from a trip to Europe and here is what I saw:

1. Tears of sadness as a mother and father said farewell to their son and daughter in law. This is love in its purest form.

2. Tears of joy at the arrival gate as two young twin girls ran up to their dad (a returning soldier) and hugged him simultaneously. Again, pure love.

3. Two backpackers sparking up a passionate conversation about their travels. A trip to Madagascar, a yoga retreat in Thailand, a story about a bizarre market in Bangladesh. The travelers were sharing their love for meeting people and experiencing new cultures. That’s the essence of learning and loving.

This is the type of energy that the lucid practitioner can feed off of. In these three instances, I could feel the love. It almost brought me to tears.

We don’t need to be in the Himalayan Mountains in meditation to see that God, love, and positive energy are all around us.

When we put the iPhone/iPad/etc. down and begin to observe, the lucid practitioner can see beyond the negativity.  We then realize that love is all there is.

In the comments section, please share with us an unexpected place where you have been able to find peace, positive energy, and love.

~Paz

PS Here’s a May 31 2018 update to this post:
http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/23662715/packers-rb-aaron-jones-lauded-airport-act-kindness-photo-goes-viral
Good to see kindness & positive energy spreading at the airport 🙂

Positivity and Relationships

People often ask how they can bring positive energy into their lives.

The answer is that it begins with common interactions we all have on a daily basis.

Interacting & conversing with people without a conscious plan can lead to negative conversations that consist of complaints, insults, and overall negative energy.

So, how can we have positive interactions with people?

4 Ways to Have Positive Interactions with People:

1. Start with a positive greeting.

We use greetings during every interaction we have (sometimes subconsciously). Choose positive greetings over neutral & negative ones.

Examples:

Negative greetings: “This weather really sucks, huh?” Or “Hey what’s up, I don’t know about you but I feel like shit.” You’ve set the tone for the convo without even meaning to do so. Complete negativity will likely persist.

Neutral greetings: “What’s up?” “How are you?” I’m sure these greetings meant something at one point in time but now they’re overused. The “canned” greeting gets a “canned” response. “Not much, you?” Or “Good, you?”

Plus, the greeter has less control over the direction of the conversation which can allow for toxic negativity.

Positive greetings: “What’s the good word, my friend?” (This statement is likely more accessible to males.) Or Girls (and guys) can use: “What a beautiful day, we’re so blessed.”

Or you compliment the other person on a quality you admire about them. “Good to see you Brian, your smile always makes me feel at ease.” These greetings set the tone for the conversation & make it difficult for your counterpart to complain or bring negative energy to the interaction.

2. Set the tone by beginning the engagement with a genuine smile & hold the smile.

Make sure the other person sees that it’s not the customary phony smile — instead it’s a distinct smile — a differentiated smile — a smile that could only be generated by a lover of life.

As a result, your counterpart will most likely smile (since humans mirror each other) and the interaction will begin (and likely continue) in a positive light.

3. Don’t add negativity.

Refusing to say a negative word about anyone or any situation is like smothering a small candle w/ a gallon of water. This is passive resistance at it’s finest. This non action extinguishes the negativity immediately. for a more aggressive approach, try to change the subject to something positive.

Example:
Frank (negative energy): “I can’t stand Greg. He’s so selfish, boring, and ugly.”
Francois (positive energy): “Tell me about your night last night, it sounded like you and ______ were having such a great time at dinner.”

If Francois had continued to insult Greg, it would have been like throwing gasoline on a fire and nothing good would have come from the conversation. Instead he changed the subject to a positive topic.

4. Talk “Good” Behind Someone’s Back

We’ve all heard of “talking shit” behind someone’s back. One of my favorite practices (hopefully lucid) is flipping that around.

Scenario 1 (social norm, what usually happens):

Caroline: Emma is such a bitch. I can’t sand her

Steph: Yeah, you’re right. (Thinking to herself: Jeez I wonder what Caroline says about me behind my back.)

Scenario 2 (destroying the social norm, changing status quo of negativity/gossip):

Karolina: Emma is such a great friend. She’s so trustworthy & she’s always helping others. We’re all lucky to have her.

Steph: Yeah, you’re right. (Thinking to herself: It’s pretty cool that Karolina constantly uplifts everyone around her.)

Next time you have the opportunity to converse, how can you bring positive energy to the interaction?

~Paz

We can bring more positive energy and gratitude into our lives by eliminating the phrase, “I have to” from our vocabularies. If you’d like to take this a step further, you can replace “I have to” with “I get to.” Our “self+talk” sends signals to our subconscious & affects the way we perceive life. This perception shapes our happiness and interaction w/ the world.

Let’s examine the difference:

“I have to go to work today.” (implies: “This is unfortunate,” “I’d rather be elsewhere,” “I’m being forced against my will.”)

“I am going to work today.” (implies: neutral feelings toward the activity)

“I get to go to work today.” (implies: “I’m fortunate,” “I’m going to create a great day,” “I have an opportunity that others would be grateful for,” “I’m blessed.”)

The simplest change in “self+talk” can transform a chore into a fun activity, a yoga practice into a lucid yoga practice, or a hardship into an opportunity.

Remember this quote:

“Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habit.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.”

It all starts with our thoughts and words. Next time you hear yourself say, “I have to _____,” try omitting that phrase or try changing it to “I get to ________.” You will soon reap the benefits of positive energy and gratitude.

Stay lucid!

~TR

“The definition of genius is taking the infinitely complex and making it simple.”

~Albert Einstein

Overmedication in America

As a society, we’re severely overmedicated in America. Too often, we are willing to take the easy way out by swallowing a pill. We’re passing this ritual down to our kids.

Many of us anesthetize ourselves by plopping in front of the TV or using drugs to “zone out” and escape life. This too, is being passed down.

Overmedication in Schools

I recently read a mediocre yet alarming article on the overmedication of children who are diagnosed with ADD & ADHD. The article reads, “Walk into any American high school and nearly one in five boys in the hallways will have a diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.”

Our solution? Pills & iPads. If a kid is misbehaving, we are so willing to prescribe stimulants & amphetamines or place an iPad in his/her hand allowing them to “zone out” and thus stop “misbehaving.” We’re not saying ADD isn’t real but we are too quick to diagnose & treat unnaturally.

Natural Alternatives to Overmedication:

• Change in diet (eliminate processed food & add more fresh veggies & fruit) Has anyone seen the food in cafeterias of US public schools? I don’t like to be negative but it’s deplorable. You wouldn’t eat your 11 year old nephew’s cafeteria food the same way you would’t eat your dog’s food.
• Exercise/Sports/Outdoors (real sports, not video games) The amount of time allocated towards outdoor recess in US public schools has decreased dramatically in recent years. One of my best friends is a teacher at a public elementary school — he says that the kids have been so conditioned to technology that instead of going outside to play football or soccer, they’d rather sit inside & play computer games.
• Yoga (UCLA 2003 study scientifically proved that yoga helps kids relax, focus, & feel better about themselves) A natural alternative that requires a bit more discipline than popping a pill or toggling a touchscreen.
• Prayer/Meditation/Spirituality (not necessarily in school but in general) The sooner kids realize the importance of spirituality, the better. They will learn to connect w/ themselves, each other & the earth at large as opposed to “connecting” w/ a virtual cornstalk in Farmville.

Kale and Spinach Growing in an organic garden next to an elementary school

What are the short+term effects of chronically bathing young brains in stimulants and amphetamines & solving their “bad behavior” by handing them electronic devices?

For starters, it’s rare to see a teenager in America who can go 5 minutes without their smartphone.

Furthermore, it’s proven that those subjected to ADD pills are more likely to experiment w/ illicit drugs later on.

This is a new trend. The short+term effects are alarming but the long+term effects could be catastrophic.

We can reverse this trend. The four alternatives above are only the beginning.

Excerpt from WSJ article on overmedication::

“History has already taught us that overprescribing stimulants to millions of Americans leads to dependence, addiction and overdose. By medicating children for wiggling in their chairs, losing their homework and shouting out answers, we are not teaching them vital coping skills to manage their behavior. Instead, we are teaching them to take a pill. One day, we’ll look back and wonder: Why did we do this? Again.

Walk into any American high school and nearly one in five boys in the hallways will have a diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, 11% of all American children ages 4 to 17—over six million—have ADHD, a 16% increase since 2007. When you consider that in Britain roughly 3% of children have been similarly diagnosed, the figure is even more startling. Now comes worse news: In the U.S., being told that you have ADHD—and thus receiving some variety of amphetamine to treat it—has become more likely.”

Lucid Practice is rooted in positive energy so hopefully this post doesn’t come across as a negative. The Lucid Practice mission is to help people, hopefully this post serves as a helpful reminder that overmedication is a problem that needs our attention.

What’s your opinion?

What are some alternatives to help reverse the trend of overmedication in the US?

7 Physical & Mental Benefits of Cold Showers

What are the key benefits of cold showers? Cold showers are incredible. By taking cold showers, you can improve your physical and mental health listed below.

Updated 8/9/2015

1. Increased Tolerance to Stress

Exposure to cold water gives your body a higher tolerance to stress by purposely exposing it to stress. If you can withstand a cold shower, the rest of your day’s challenges will seem like a breeze.

2. Increase in Lucidity

A cold shower turns a mundane task into a lucid practice. You begin to feel the sensation of each water drop hitting your skin. You notice an increase in gratitude for the fact that your internal organs are able to rapidly pump blood to regulate your body temperature.

3. Increased Blood Circulation

Exposure to cold water causes your blood flow to be redirected to your vital organs, it forces your body to circulate your blood more efficiently & effectively.

4. Healthy Skin and Hair

Cold water helps close pores. This keeps your skin looking smooth & healthy while not drying your skin out as hot water showers can sometimes do.  The cold water will help keep your hair look shiny and keep your skin soft, rather than itchy, ashy and dried out. Just one of the many benefits of cold showers 😉

5. Immune System Supercharge

Cold water immersion has been shown to  increase metabolic rates due to shivering and activating the immune system.

In Siberia, in a ritual called Rodnichok or cold springs, parents dump a cold bucket of water over the heads of children. They do this year round for ages 2-6. Again, this is in Siberia. Those kids are tough. It’s shown that about 95% of the kids who participate are healthy through the flu season as opposed to 75% of the those children in groups that don’t participate.

6. Increased Testosterone

In a world where men are increasingly willing to pop prescription pills to solve low-testtosterone problems, the solution is actually in their own bathroom. A 1993 study done by the Thrombosis Research Institute in England showed cold baths to be correlated with high testosterone levels.

7. Anti-Depressant Properties

Due to the high density of cold receptors in the skin, a cold shower is expected to send an overwhelming amount of electrical impulses from peripheral nerve endings to the brain, which could result in an anti-depressive effect. Also, cold showers have been linked to an increase in , a protein that is helpful in regulating glucose levels and breaking down fatty acids.

Two bonus positive side effects:

1. Improved Lymphatic System Functioning

The lymphatic system takes waste away from your cells to help fight disease. It’s separate from your blood vessels, but is moved around by the contraction of your muscles. Cold showers cause your entire body to contract and forces the lymphatic system to push the lymph fluids throughout your body rather than pooling in one part of your body as it would if it were compromised or inefficient.

2. Better Sleep

Doctors recommend insomniacs take cold showers to help aid sleep. It might be because the feeling you get after the initial shock of the shower helps your body calm down & relax.

It may seem daunting at first…. I promise it gets easier each time so take the plunge!! It might just change your life. 😉

Some of the tips above can be contributed to: http://impossiblehq.com/cold-shower-health-benefits

Cheers to my friend @PhilFeelsGood who first introduced me to cold showers!

You don’t have to be a vegan to teach your children the magnificence of nature. When they are able to participate in the experience of seed to plant, they develop a different relationship to their food. Children are more likely to take ownership and are more likely to eat vegetables they have personally grown.

With farming lands so removed from urban dwellings many kids grow up with the belief that their food come from markets. There is a disconnect between the food, where it comes from and how it is grown.

Fresh, home-grown veggies are way better, tastier and healthier than mass produces store bought veggies anyway. The quality is unparalleled.

Thanks to @hayleyhobson for the article & @twnkletoez10 for the link 🙂

Outstanding pictorial & textual guide to beginning & advanced asana backbends:

http://www.mryoga.com/backbends

Benefits of backbends: Improves spinal flexibility and strength creating better posture, stimulates the central nervous system, abdominal organs and aids in digestion, tones the adrenal glands, kidney, pancreas and liver thyroid gland, abdominal organs and lungs, stretches the chest, lungs, upper and lower back, throat, shoulders, hip flexors, can relieve menstrual cramping and menopause for women, and calms the mind.

“If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” ~Steve Jobs

Asana is a Sanskrit word that loosely translates as “poses” or “postures” in English. Asana is one of the eight limbs of Ashtanga yoga. When the average Westerner thinks of yoga, they think of the asanas.

It’s great to see that so many Westerners are finding yoga but we also feel that as a result, yoga has become somewhat commercialized and diluted. For example, ask the average Westerner what comes to mind when they think of yoga and their answer might be, “The girl from Lulu Lemon’s advertising.” Or they might associate asana with other “classes” offered at their local gym such as Zumba or pilates.  However, at Lucid Practice, we adhere more to the Eastern approach when viewing asana.

Through the daily, consistent practice of asanas with proper breathing, the practitioner purifies body and mind. You begin to feel a new source of energy and become more aware of your surroundings and your own inner being. We grant ourselves the ability to truly concentrate. The ultimate purpose of asana is to prepare the body and mind for meditation.

Click to read more about our views on the other limbs of yoga specifically the yamas and niyamas.

What’s your definition of asana?