Chapter 13

Chapter 13

MINDFUL CHOICE 9

Developing Your Mindful Choices Toolkit

“Habit is habit, and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time.”

Mark Twain

“A habit is only a habit until you can observe it. And then it’s a choice.”

Unknown

Tell me, what is it you plan to do, with your one wild and precious life?

The final lines of Mary Oliver’s poem “The Summer Day”

What is a Mindful Choices Toolkit? Quite simply, it’s a reminder that there are many choices for enriching your life, feeding your spirit, and giving you energy and zest for living. We’re talking about activities and pastimes that help you connect to your life in a satisfying way, activities and revitalize you and help you be fully present in the now. These are things you do needing no other reason for doing them that enjoyment and a sense of connection to something that feel special. It’s rather hard to explain these tools in a logical way. For example, someone might feel a spiritual connection to nature while birdwatching. Someone else might engage in gardening and experience the phenomenon of “flow,” where time seems to stand still.

This has been an ambitious book, and this is perhaps the most challenging chapter within that book – because there are so many great choices. In this chapter we will suggest several practices that might be included in your Mindful Choices Toolkit, practices that enrich your life and add to your well-being. However, this chapter is not intended to be encyclopedic, as it would be impossible to cover all of the positive mindfulness enhancing strategies that are available. Instead, this chapter is a brief outline of four strategies for your consideration; mindfulness, yoga, tai chi and qigong. We will go into greater depth with two practices that we find especially interesting and useful: ecotherapy and journaling. Covering other practices is beyond the scope of this book. As usual, we will suggest additional resources.

First, let’s revisit Chris and Sarah and their experience in developing their toolkit:

Chris and Sarah are believers. In fact, Chris will often be heard voicing a phrase he’s learned from Bill: “It’s all about choices!”

The couple had originally come for marriage counseling, thinking their marriage was in trouble. They were irritable and impatient with each other and both were more than a little depressed. Being a couple just wasn’t fun anymore. They wanted more, but didn’t know how to find it.

Bill helped them reframe their situation. They loved each other – that wasn’t the problem. They had good communication skills and were committed to the marriage.

The real problem was about lifestyle and choices.

Chris and Sarah were stress casualties, working long hours in high stress jobs left them feeling tired, overwhelmed, and depleted. Often exhausted, at the end of the day they simply had nothing left to give one another.

Bill had suggested new priorities, specifically making self-care central to their lives, individually and as a couple. This meant entirely different choices. However, there was one caveat that apply to both – whatever they chose had to be life enriching and naturally sustainable area it could be one more thing on their “to do” list, one more thing to drain their energy and add to their stress.

Chris and Sarah responded enthusiastically, and a plan was created.

It was transformative. Their health and fitness improved markedly. They worked out individually and as a couple. They pay more attention to nutrition, and eagerly explored a variety of tools for managing stress and finding balance. Their new lifestyle made sense. They felt empowered and optimistic – and once again they were happy.

Sarah has become passionate about yoga, going to her class faithfully each week. Her enthusiasm is contagious and Chris has promised to join her and check it out.

Meanwhile, Chris has discovered Qigong. He’s fascinated by the ancient Chinese practice that combines martial arts, medicine, and philosophy, a practice that emphasizes aligning breath, movement, and awareness for exercise, healing, and meditation. Sarah meanwhile is eager to try tai chi, a graceful and gentle form of exercise used for stress reduction and often described as meditation in motion.

Both meditate and Chris now considers daily meditation essential to his well-being. Meanwhile, rather than mindfulness meditation, Sarah has been developing mindfulness skills utilizing breath work, meditating only twice a week.

Both have read several books on positive psychology and well-being. One book they particularly liked was by Martin Seligman. In his book “Flourish,” Seligman presents the acronym “PERMA,” which stands for Positive emotion, Engagement, good Relationships, Meaningfulness, and a sense of Accomplishment. Chris and Sarah are excited about the possibilities. Yes, you can actually choose happiness.

Totally committed to investing their energies in well-being rather than their previous scramble for career success, they enjoy talking about the tools they are learning about, and tools they would like to try such as journaling, biofeedback, or group therapy.

The transformation is about new values. As a couple they embrace quality of life, realizing that a life out of balance isn’t much of a life. Their new shared value is about choosing harmony. All that is needed is choice, commitment, and finding the right tools. They are actively exploring new tools – and having fun!

We want to introduce you to a wide variety of tools. We are not suggesting that you try all of them, only that you investigate those that seem worthwhile. The following is a partial list of tools that can enrich your life:

• Breathwork
• Contemplative prayer and spirituality
• Mindfulness meditation
• Training in mindfulness skills
• Individual or group therapy
• Yoga
• Tai Chi Ch’uan
• Qigong
• Mental imagery and visualization
• Journal writing
• Expressive arts therapy
• Music therapy
• Humor therapy
• Massage therapy
• Bibliotherapy
• Progressive muscle relaxation
• Autogenic training
• Biofeedback
• Physical fitness
• Mindful movement
• Nutrition for health and stress management
• Time and money management
• Developing hobbies and interests
• Building a support group
• Values clarification
• volunteerism

This is only a very brief list. There is virtually no limit to practices that enrich your life and help you fully experience and enjoy being in the now. Of course, the benefits require practice to the point of habit. The Buddhists have a proverb: "To know and not to do is not yet to know" Confucius said something similar: "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand" We like the Nike slogan: “Just do it!” Choosing followed by action is where it’s at.

So, the important thing is having tools and using tools that work for you. What works for someone else may not necessarily be helpful to you. Do your own exploration. Try new things. Have fun in your journey. Let’s take a look at where you’re at right now.

Developing and Using Your Mindful Choices Toolkit Self-Assessment

DIRECTIONS: Under each description, choose the number that best represents agreement with your thinking, beliefs, or behavior for the past week and record that number on the following table.

Mndful	a	b	c	d	e	Total Divided
Eating	f	g	h	i	j	by 2= ______

0= not true at all, 1= mostly not true, 2= partially true, 3= largely true, 4=totally true

Each of the ten statements can be thought of as an affirmation, or as a desired state you want to achieve. Rating a statement with a “4” on your Choice 8 self-assessment is an indication you are at an optimal level of functioning for a vital component of Choice 8. The pre-test will be followed by an explanation of the thinking that went into the construction of each statement.

a. I’m Retraining My Breath through Diaphragmatic Breathing. I regularly engage in diaphragmatic breathing, or "belly breathing," perhaps the easiest method of relaxation. While in my normal state of consciousness, the average number of breaths is 12 to 16 breaths per minute. While breathing diaphragmatically, in a relaxed state, my normal rate of breathing is substantially reduced. My diaphragmatic breathing requires only a comfortable position, focused concentration, and the intention to make my breath as easy, effortless, gentle, and quiet as possible. My breathing is not pressured or forced.

Select 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 and record your score in the Choice 9 table above.

b. I Practice Meditation. Recognizing that every relaxation technique involves an aspect of meditation, I practice some form of meditation, most simply stated as focused concentration and increased awareness of my being.

Select 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 and record your score in the Choice 9 table above.

c. I Cultivate Inner Calm through Meditation in Motion. I cultivate inner calmness through incorporating techniques from yoga, qigong , or tai chi in my daily stress management routine. Such techniques utilize the art of breathing, the art of conscious stretching, and the art of balance in increasing flexibility, improving muscle tone, improving self-esteem, and reducing stress and frustration.

Select 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 and record your score in the Choice 9 table above.

d. I’m Using My Imagination to Promote Inner Calm. I practice mental imagery or visualization as part of my stress reduction regimen. For example, I am able to focus on a peaceful natural scene, imagining myself in a natural environment, visualizing making effective behavioral changes, or imagining myself engaging in health-conscious behaviors. Most

importantly, while practicing diaphragmatic breathing I am able to shift my thinking to satisfying peaceful images, perhaps accompanied by calm inner dialogue.

Select 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 and record your score in the Choice 9 table above.

e. I Draw from a Variety of Stress Reduction Tools. I utilize one or more of the following coping strategies or stress reduction practices:

• Breath awareness and breath retraining.
• Listening to or creating music for a soothing effect.
• Massage, involving someone else to produce a full relaxation effect.
• Creating a relaxation response through progressive muscle relaxation, reducing muscle tension by systematically tensing and relaxing the body's musculature, from the feet to the head.
• Autogenic training involving focused attention on peripheral parts of the body with the suggestion that those areas are becoming "warm and heavy."
• Biofeedback
• Physical exercise
• Dance
• Art
• Friends and social support groups
• Hobbies
• Listening to or creating music for a soothing effect.
• Massage, involving someone else to produce a full relaxation effect.
• Friends and social support groups
• Nature
• Humor
• Journaling
• Meditation
• Yoga
• Tai Chi
• Qigong
• Biofeedback
• Faith and Prayer
• Physical fitness
• Movement that is not goal oriented, competitive, or with a focus on performance.
• A hobby or pastime that is calming and produces a sense of harmony or “flow.”
• Other practices for centering, self-calming, finding balance, and achieving mindfulness.

Select 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 and record your score in the Choice 9 table above.

f. I Punctuate My Day with Mini-Relaxations. I take advantage of opportunities throughout my day to do “mini relaxations,” taking a moment here and there to take three deep breaths, calm and center myself, and achieve greater clarity in the moment.

Select 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 and record your score in the Choice 9 table above.

g. I Check in with Mind-Body Scans. I regularly conduct a “mind-body scan,” checking in with myself and observing bodily sensations, breathing, and thoughts.

Select 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 and record your score in the Choice 9 table above.

h. I Utilize Focused Tension Reduction.. I am aware of tension in my body, and I take the time to specifically attend to and relax tense areas.

Select 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 and record your score in the Choice 9 table above.

i. I Have a Mindful Awareness of My Anxiety or Stress. I am frequently aware of my anxiety or stress level, assigning a number of 1 – 10 with 10 equaling the highest level I have known and 1 equaling the lowest level I have known. I’m able to accurately label my discomfort as “anxiety” or “stress.”

Select 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 and record your score in the Choice 9 table above.

j. Stress Management is a Top Priority.. Throughout my day I am aware of my overall stress level and accept stress management as a top priority, recognizing the damaging effects of stress to all aspects of my life, both short-term and long-term.

Select 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 and record your score in the Choice 9 table above.

The following is an example of the table squares a-J filled in with 10 scores, each square representing the 0-4 score on that particular statement. The scores are then totaled in the last square, for a total of 32 that is then divided by 2 for a final score of 16.

Mndful	a 3	b 2	c 2	d 4	e 3	Total Divided
Eating	f 3	g 3	h 4	i 4	j 4	by 2= ___16___

The score of 16 is then located on the grid below. This means that for the past week DEVELOPING AND USING YOUR MINDFUL CHOICES TOOLKIT performance was in the “Optimal” category. Overall, this means that the person taking this pretest was doing very well with Developing and Using A Mindful Choices Toolkit.

Okay, now it's time to enter your score on the grid below.

How did you do? Remember, no matter how well you have done on this self-assessment, there is no limit to how masterful you can become in DEVELOPING AND USING YOUR MINDFUL CHOICES TOOLKIT.

Let’s first take a deeper look at the rationale behind the 10 statements in our pretest,

The thoughts behind the Mindful Choice 9 assessment statements

a. I’m Retraining My Breath through Diaphragmatic Breathing. I regularly engage in diaphragmatic breathing, or "belly breathing," perhaps the easiest method of relaxation. While in my normal state of consciousness, the average number of breaths is 12 to 16 breaths per minute. While breathing diaphragmatically, in a relaxed state, my normal rate of breathing is substantially reduced. My diaphragmatic breathing requires only a comfortable position, focused concentration, and the intention to make my breath as easy, effortless, gentle, and quiet as possible. My breathing is not pressured or forced.

Throughout this book, we’ve emphasized the importance of breath awareness and breath retraining. It’s a most basic choice and a foundation for all other choices. Focusing on your breath helps you slow down and become more aware, more conscious and intentional rather than reactive. It helps you make better decisions and avoid those hasty, impulsive emotion-based decisions you later regret. It helps you get out of fight or flight mode and become more aware of your best choices. In fact, we’ve often stated that you should never try to do anything while you are in fight or flight mode, unless of course your life actually depends upon it. Making choices based upon your perceived need to fight or get away usually results in poor choices. This is particularly true in relationships and we push our clients in couples therapy to develop a strong habit of self-management through a focus on breathing for mind and body self-calming. This is the basis for consciously choosing to show up in an interaction with your partner as the person you most want to be in the encounter. Breath work is the foundation.

See the Life Choice 1 Action Planning Guide for more information on breath awareness and retraining.

b. I Practice Meditation. Recognizing that every relaxation technique involves an aspect of meditation, I practice some form of meditation, most simply stated as focused concentration and increased awareness of my being.

We maintain that any time you purposely calm down, slow down, relax and focus your full attention, with non-judging acceptance of what is and what’s happening in the here and now, you are meditating. Of course, you will receive even more benefit if you set aside time for a formal relaxation or meditation practice. It doesn’t have to be a substantial amount of time as even a few minutes will be beneficial.

Later in this chapter we will present a list of the benefits of regularly practicing mindfulness meditation, but it doesn’t necessarily involve lengthy periods of time. You can achieve a meditative state for frequent brief periods of meditation and mindfulness throughout your day. With practice, you will find yourself working relaxed, and maintaining a calm peaceful quality, even in the face of stressful events, pressures, and difficult people.

c. I Cultivate Inner Calm through Meditation in Motion. I cultivate inner calmness through incorporating techniques from yoga, qigong , or tai chi in my daily stress management routine. Such techniques utilize the art of breathing, the art of conscious stretching, and the art of balance in increasing flexibility, improving muscle tone, improving self-esteem, and reducing stress and frustration.

If you haven’t done so yet, check it out! Millions experience stress relief and other psychological benefits, along with improved physical health. Once looked upon by many as a new age fad, practices such as yoga now have decades of solid research demonstrating efficacy for promoting mental, physical and spiritual health.

d. I’m Using My Imagination to Promote Inner Calm. I practice mental imagery or visualization as part of my stress reduction regimen. For example, I am able to focus on a peaceful natural scene, imagining myself in a natural environment, visualizing making effective behavioral changes, or imagining myself engaging in health-conscious behaviors.

Most importantly, while practicing diaphragmatic breathing I am able to shift my thinking to satisfying peaceful images, perhaps accompanied by calm inner dialogue.

We all have imagination and it can be a powerful and uniquely human tool for being creative, making full use of your potential, staying on track, or managing stress, anxiety and depression. Our highly stressed or anxious clients also use imagination — but in the wrong way. They conjure up scenarios of all the things that could possibly go wrong. They engage in “what if?” thinking, and catastrophize or awfulize to the point where there is little peace and little satisfaction. They conjure up distressing images of past events, and they make themselves anxious by anticipating unpleasant things that might happen. Because bad things might happen, they start believing they will happen, or are happening right now. Almost all of us disturb ourselves to some degree. It’s part of the qualities that helped us survive as a species. We tend to imagine and visualize the worst-case scenarios and respond as though they’re a reality We tend to make mountains out of mole hills.

Do you use your power of imagination and visualization constructively? Have you considered that if your imagination has been tormenting you, you might use your imagination to go in a different direction? Imagination, imagery and visualization can be used on purpose to promote calm and a deep sense of well-being. When utilized in this manner mental imagery and visualization involve several key aspects of meditation such as increased concentration and awareness, and a greater ability to deal with real challenges, realistically.

e. I Draw from a Variety of Stress Reduction Tools. I utilize one or more of the following coping strategies or stress reduction practices:

• Breath awareness and breath retraining.
• Listening to or creating music for a soothing effect.
• Massage, involving someone else to produce a full relaxation effect.
• Creating a relaxation response through progressive muscle relaxation, reducing muscle tension by systematically tensing and relaxing the body's musculature, from the feet to the head.
• Autogenic training involving focused attention on peripheral parts of the body with the suggestion that those areas are becoming "warm and heavy."
• Biofeedback
• Physical exercise
• Dance
• Art
• Friends and social support groups
• Hobbies
• Listening to or creating music for a soothing effect.

• Massage, involving someone else to produce a full relaxation effect.
• Friends and social support groups
• Nature
• Humor
• Journaling
• Meditation
• Yoga
• Tai Chi
• Qigong
• Biofeedback
• Faith and Prayer
• Physical fitness
• Movement that is not goal oriented, competitive, or with a focus on performance.
• A hobby or pastime that is calming and produces a sense of harmony or “flow.”
• Other practices for centering, self-calming, finding balance, and achieving mindfulness.

We’ve provided only a partial list of practices helpful in centering, self calming, finding balance, and achieving mindfulness. There are many other possibilities. One of our clients reports craving the peaceful, meditative, revitalizing and soul-enriching qualities she experiences with hours spent working in her garden. The possibilities are endless. What enriches your life? What values-. driven choices are you making that bring you to a place of peace and calm, with full awareness of what is really important in your life. If you can’t think of anything, begin the search. Explore and enjoy the journey. There are literally thousands of possibilities for enriching your life.

f. I Punctuate My Day with Mini-Relaxations. I take advantage of opportunities throughout my day to do “mini relaxations,” taking a moment here and there to take three deep breaths, calm and center myself, and achieve greater clarity in the moment.

If you frequently find yourself feeling stressed or anxious, tense, on edge, or “uptight” there is a simple antidote that can be used any time and in any situation without interfering with what you are doing. Furthermore, frequently practicing this simple solution will have a profound effect on every aspect of your life.

In his excellent book Three Deep Breaths, Thomas Crum tells the story of Angus as he learns to use the Three Deep Breaths to break out of negative stress producing habits and turn negative energy to calmness, clarity and purpose.

Anxiety is cumulative and tends to build throughout the day. The average person is in fight or flight mode approximately 50 times a day. Anxious people are in fight or flight mode several times that amount, and it’s exhausting and damaging to health and well-being. You have the power to frequently do a brief “mini relaxation,” taking three deep breaths and dramatically slowing things down. You can quickly take your anxiety and stress to a significantly lower level, just by a focus on your breath. If necessary, you could perform this simple act hundreds of times a day without missing a beat in taking care of all that you have to accomplish. The result will be a profound lessening of your overall stress, and you might even find yourself enjoying an otherwise stressful day.

g. I Check in with Mind-Body Scans. I regularly conduct a “mind-body scan,” checking in with myself and observing bodily sensations, breathing, and thoughts.

This presupposes that you have become comfortable with breath work and meditation. Throughout your day you can prevent stress from building up to uncomfortable levels, as well as purposefully and regularly turning it down. A mind-body scan means pausing briefly and checking in with yourself, observing the state of your mind and the state of your body.

Become aware of what’s happening in your mind, as well as observing your thoughts and feelings. What’s happening in your self-talk? Observe your breathing,. Is there a relationship between what you’re telling yourself and your level of stress? Where do you carry tension in your body? Many people carry tension in their neck and shoulders. Some feel it in their stomach or their back. Become aware of how you carry your stress.

h. I Utilize Focused Tension Reduction. I am aware of tension anywhere in my body, and I take the time to specifically attend to and relax tense areas.

You simply take a few moments to pause and mentally scan your body, noticing areas of tension and take the time to specifically attend to and relax tense areas.

i. I Have a Mindful Awareness of My Anxiety or Stress. I am frequently aware of my anxiety or stress level, assigning a number of 1 – 10 with 10 equaling the highest level I have known and 1 equaling the lowest level I have known. I’m able to accurately label my discomfort as “anxiety” or “stress.”

Learn to be mindful of your level of stress and anxiety. Rather than avoiding anxiety, pay attention to it. Learn how to be an observer of your stress and anxiety, rather than a victim. Quantify your stress and anxiety by assigning a number from 1 – 10, with 10 representing the highest amount of anxiety you ever experience, and 1 representing the least amount. Use your awareness of your stress and anxiety level as a cue to choose tools that will help achieve a sense of calm and satisfaction.

j. Stress Management is a Top Priority.. Throughout my day I am aware of my overall stress level and accept stress management as a top priority, recognizing the damaging effects of stress to all aspects of my life, both short-term and long-term.

Unfortunately, the impact of stress on our lives isn’t often apparent until we are experiencing major emotional distress, or serious illness. Make management of your stress and anxiety a top priority. The tools are available. All you have to do is use them. Believe that you can transform a life of stress, anxiety and depression to a life of purpose, meaning deep satisfaction and well-being.

Mindful Choices Toolkit Discussion.

So, what should go in your toolkit? The list is limitless. It can include virtually anything that gives you zest for living, helps you renew your energy, or makes life feel meaningful and purposeful. Mindful Choices Tools include all those things that improve the quality of your life and give you life satisfaction, increase your sense of inner abundance, and increase the amount of time that you experience as “quality time.” Tools include all the things you look forward to, and wish you had more time for.

We will only present six tools, but we encourage you to explore from the list above as there are a great many other possibilities. We will begin with a short discussion of meditation, followed by a discussion of what we see as movement meditation; the contemplative practices of yoga, tai chi and Qigong. Finally, we will discuss ecotherapy and journaling.

Meditation

Over 25 million Americans now practice meditation and the number seems to be rapidly increasing.

We suggest our clients start with 5 minutes and work up to spending at least 20 minutes meditating, three or more times a week. The evidence is clear – meditation leads to more efficient brain functioning, less anxiety, more creativity, and contributes to health and well-being in numerous ways

There are essentially two major categories of meditation, mindfulness meditation and concentration meditation. Both involve sitting quietly and minimizing distractions. Concentration meditation involves focusing on something specific, such as your breathing, a flame, or a particular word or mantra. Also known as focused-attention meditation, the purpose is training your mind for concentration and awareness of the present moment. This form of meditation is a good place to start your meditation practice.

Mindfulness meditation, instead of focusing your attention on something to the exclusion of everything else, has as its aim becoming fully aware of yourself and your surroundings. In mindfulness meditation, you’re not thinking about anything in particular. You are just focusing on your present experience. When your mind wanders, you simply notice where your mind has gone and gently bring your attention back to the here and now. Breath can be used as an anchor, or something to focus on, in shifting your attention back to present experience.

Mindfulness meditation, also known as open monitoring meditation, has as its purpose simply observing thoughts, emotions and sensory experiences without reactivity or judgment. It’s about noticing your thoughts with increased awareness without getting hooked by the thoughts, or “fusing” with the thoughts as in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

A third form of meditation is compassion or loving-kindness meditation. The aim of this meditation is the development of deep compassion for all beings. You begin with compassion for self, followed by compassion for friends, family members, and then people you have difficulty with. Finally your compassion practice extends to all beings.

The major meditation tool we emphasize in our practice is mindfulness meditation, but we also frequently include loving-kindness meditation. In chapter 8 we presented a long list of scientific evidence-based reasons for learning mindfulness skills and practicing mindfulness meditation.

We practice mindfulness meditation, for ourselves and we make it a top recommendation for our clients. The benefits previously listed are not an exhaustive list and more studies appear almost weekly touting the benefits of meditation.

We don’t advocate a “one-size-fits-all” approach. Although we strongly believe that everyone should consider mindfulness meditation, it can be challenging at first, and it takes time for many to be able to see solid results. The results will definitely be there, but it takes faith and practice – a lot of practice. We also recognize that most people will not meditate, or meditate regularly.

Even if you are a serious meditator, other tools might provide additional benefits. Fortunately, you have quite a menu to choose from. There are a number of things which will help you have a life more in balance, and help you manage your stress, anxiety and depression significantly better. The important thing is to find tools that work well for you and to practice using those tools consistently until they are part of your daily routine.

Yoga

Yoga is a spiritual tradition from India that dates back thousands of years. What we advocate however is the practice of yoga as it has evolved in the West where yoga is taught as part of healthy living, separate from religion. As such, rather than finding enlightenment and ending all human suffering, in the West yoga is taught as a way to lessen day-to-day distress while improving health and well-being.The evidence is clear, yoga practice definitely helps you have a healthier body and healthier mind.

Not all yoga is the same. While there are various forms of yoga, most yoga taught in the United States includes various forms of Hatha yoga.

Hatha yoga has three principal components:

1. Pranayama is about breath exercises. Many yoga classes begin and end with pranayama exercises where you bring your awareness to your breath and manipulate your breathing.

2. Asanas are physical postures or body positions where the object is to achieve a very specific posture and maintain that posture. Most yoga classes focus on mastering particular asanas which can be simple setting postures or extreme postures that take years to master.

3. Dhyana is meditation, or developing the discipline of awareness and attention.

Much of this book is about mindful awareness and practicing yoga seems to not only help you become more aware of habits, but is effective in mindfully changing habits. The Sanskrit word “samskara” indicates physical, mental, and/or emotional habits. Consistent with our modern behavioral view of schemas and habits, repeating samscaras reinforces them and makes them more likely to be repeated.

Also consistent with the main theme of this book, the most basic physical habit to consider changing in yoga, is the way you breathe. You may be breathing in a way that increases your stress, or breathing in a way that contributes to your well-being. Learning breath awareness and retraining your breath may be the most healthful thing you do. I

It’s important to know when you are in fight or flight mode and the easiest way to have this knowledge is to be aware of your breath. Shallow clavicular breathing (upper chest) increases your anxiety and symptoms of stress worsen, including the activation of fight or flight mode. We tell our clients that proceeding with any task when you’re in fight or flight mode is an exercise in futility. There is nothing important, other than an actual life or death situation, that you won’t make worse by proceeding while in fight or flight mode. Recognize where you’re at and take the time to get yourself out of fight or flight mode and into a state of relaxed breathing and self soothing inner dialogue.

And stress is not just a matter of how you breathe. There are also other stress maintaining bodily habits. For example, with an emphasis on posture, yoga focuses your attention on the way you habitually hold tension within your body, often resulting in chronic back, neck, and shoulder pain.

You also have mental and emotional habits. Yoga helps with everything we discussed in Choice 5, Self-Reflection and Dealing with Negative Self-Talk. Our clients enthusiastically tell us about the benefits they experience with yoga and helping them manage their “dis-ease.” Stress, anxiety and depression are often about a life out of balance, and such a life is often about bad habits. Yoga helps with regaining the balance and building positive healthful habits.

There is substantial physiological evidence. Practicing yoga clearly has a calming effect, physiologically and mentally. A central nervous system neurotransmitter, GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), slows the firing of neurons in your brain, producing a state of calm. Also, the evidence indicates that the longer you practice yoga, the more beneficial calming effect you experience. Additionally, yoga practice has been shown to reduce the stress hormone cortisol, lower your heart rate and blood pressure, and reduce inflammation and pain.

In short, yoga improves your quality of life and your well-being. We constantly refer clients to yoga studios, and they virtually always come back feeling better. If you can’t make it to a studio, or are limited financially, there are great yoga resources on YouTube. Perhaps the best yoga instructor we’ve ever seen can be found on YouTube at Yoga with Adriene. If you’ve never tried yoga before, you can try yoga with Adriene in the comfort of your own home with her “Yoga for Beginners” video.

Tai Chi and Qigong

The meaning of Tai chi is “harmony,” which is the ultimate goal of tai chi along with balance and inner peace. This practice is particularly appealing to those of our clients who easily get “antsy,” and have difficulty sitting still for meditation. tai chi is meditation in motion, but also includes a philosophy of well-being along with martial arts movements.

The practice of tai chi involves both studying the “Tai Chi Classics,” a collection of the writings and teachings of past tai chi masters, and practicing the postures and movements of tai chi. The basic principles of alignment and misalignment involve balancing body and mind.

Qigong (pronounced “chee-gung”), like tai chi, gives you a different way to think about yourself. According to Master Kam Chuen Lam, author of The Qigong Workbook for Anxiety: The energy of your whole being is what is studied and strengthened. Qigong is based on the truth that each person is unique and to be respected. Your feelings, attitudes, and behaviors – including their deepest psychological patterns – are part of your total energy field. Fearful and difficult feelings are not regarded as enemies but as part of the whole. Working with your complete field of energy, rather than splitting it up, is at the heart of the system of well-being.”

Please don’t be put off by the talk about energy. There is actually much new research in the area of atomic physics that is causing us to rethink much of what we have previously believed. In any event, much of the philosophy of each practice is highly consistent with everything else we have abdicated in this book. Moreover, our clients have reported great benefits in dealing with stress, anxiety and depression, and in achieving a greater sense of well-being.

Both tai chi and qigong are ancient Chinese “energetic arts,” referred to as energetic because both practices emphasize the life energy or life force known as qi, pronounced “chee.” Tai chi chuan is in the Western world, the most widely practiced of the two. The two practices are very similar and share basic principles, although each has its own set of exercises. Both combine mindful fitness with physical fitness and both involve slow and purposeful movement coordinated with breathing exercises. Both improve balance and stability, develop lung capacity, improve posture, and both promote a balance of opposing forces (yin and yang) and a healthy flow of qi. Both have had positive reviews indicating significant health benefits by prestigious organizations such as Harvard Medical School and the Mayo Clinic

Our presentation of these practices has been purposely brief as there is significant learning and practice involved. You will find resources readily available and we believe you will substantially benefit from exploring these practices further.

We will only present two other practices that we consider to be major mindfulness practices, Ecotherapy and Journaling, and these practices we will explore in greater depth. Of course, there are many other practices that aid in the development of mindfulness and well-being. Reading the descriptions of the practices of ecotherapy and journaling should give you a good idea of the kind of benefit you should obtain from tools in your toolkit.

ECOTHERAPY

“It is not so much for its beauty that the forest makes a claim upon men’s hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of air, that emanation from old trees, that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

Ecotherapy refers to relatively inexpensive nature centered healing approaches supported by a growing body of research. As a new form of psychotherapy, ecotherapy maintains that people are designed to be intimately connected with nature and can greatly benefit from nature-reconnection practices. Mainstream therapy on the other hand, largely ignores the fact that the way we are living may be making us sick. Most of us live in a fast-paced, highly stressful artificial world feeling disconnected from our surroundings., Many of us fail to bond deeply with others, and we feel disconnected from the animal world, plants, and the planet. According to Linda Buzzell and Craig Chalquist, editors of Ecotherapy: Healing with Nature in Mind:

“We can survive without this bonding, but we often feel a great emptiness, which we attempt to fill in a variety of unhealthy ways. Like caged zoo animals, we become anxious, nervous and depressed in restrictive, artificial habitats. It should come as no surprise that rates of mental illness, substance addiction, and destructive behaviors soar in such circumstances.”

Depression and anxiety stem largely from being hyper-focused on your own worries, along with totally and uncritically embracing self-critical and overly negative thoughts. A basic ingredient is compulsively ruminating on your own worries. The antidote for this inner turmoil, or rumination, is a sense of “awe.” Stated very simply, it’s getting outside of yourself and encountering something beyond your own situation that creates a sense of awe and wonder. Inner turmoil tends to dissipate when you experience something far larger than yourself. It’s hard to hold onto your personal worries when gazing upward at a towering redwood that’s been around for more than 1000 years. It turns out that being “awestruck” is good for you.

Bill has always intuitively embraced the healing power of nature. Here Bill recounts the origins of his lifelong love affair with the natural world:

Long before I knew it had a name, ecotherapy, or therapeutic contact with nature, was getting me through some very rough times.

I grew up in New Jersey and my home life was unrelentingly contentious and unstable, often terrifying. My father was an alcoholic and prone to drunken rages almost nightly. Much of his anger was directed toward me, perhaps because he had never recovered from the loss of my oldest brother, a casualty of war. Although I didn’t understand clearly what was going on, my extreme distress was manifested by years of poor or failing grades, aggressive behavior, poor impulse control, and a propensity to almost always be in trouble. I was on autopilot, acting out my distress in a self-destructive manner, largely unconscious and totally lacking in insight.

What saved me was a large expanse of woods by my home, and beyond the woods there was a beach that was cold, windswept and deserted for most of the year. The natural world was a magnet. It was my most important classroom, and I became a passionate student. I awakened to something far bigger than the jumble of fear and rage propelling me to endlessly create and amplify my own difficulties.

Somehow I got my hands on used biology books which I virtually memorized, feeding my fascination for plants and animals. I studied birds, and I cultivated exotic plants like algae and lichens. It was a strange time of feeling alienated from virtually everything and everyone – except for a profound sense of connectedness to nature.

I would leave my home angry and upset, go walking aimlessly through the woods and reach a point where a deep sense of well-being would overtake me. I would lose myself amongst trees, fields, brooks, or cold and blustery beaches. Animals of all kind, birds, mammals, reptiles, insects, fish and other sea creatures fascinated me. I felt overwhelmed by awe and wonder. I craved these times as a small child craves his mother. It was a strange sense of coming home to myself. The inner storm was calmed. The incessant rage and confused self- talk gave way to a stillness and an awakening.

Of course, sooner or later I had to go home, and the madness would be rekindled. However, I always knew I could go to nature and recover my balance, again finding an inner peace. Once again I could awaken to myself and a deep sense of well-being. It was healing and nurturing. For perhaps the first time in my life, I felt connected rather than alone and alienated. It was transformational. I truly believe it saved me.

Years later I would spend days at a time backpacking in the mountains, rediscovering the feelings I had growing up, the love of nature, and the sense that this was what I needed, what I had to have, what I could never be without. My favorite pastimes reflect this heartfelt connection. Birdwatching, wildlife art and wildlife photography provide me with endless joy, and yes, I still experience awe and wonder.

When I became a therapist, I frequently took a number of troubled 10 and 11-year-olds off camping in the mountains. Group therapy in the wild! It was a natural. The kids loved it and I loved combining my work with my love of nature.

These days I’m working with trauma victims such as military veterans with PTSD. Again, immersion in nature is immensely therapeutic, and it’s not surprising. For all of human history, until recently, we humans have been part of nature. It’s only in our recent past that we’ve been separated, spending almost all of our time shut off from our natural surroundings. Lately however, we seem to be rediscovering the power of natural spaces to give us a sense of safety and belonging, a sense of comfort not easily found in man-made spaces accompanied by a myriad of electronic devices. The way we live is often in itself stressful and we therapists often find ourselves trying to promote healing within the context of lifestyles that are disconnected from the natural world and therefore out of balance. As therapists we might better serve our clients by getting them to go outside, and to go outside again and again.

Throughout history and across all cultures, poets and philosophers have promoted communion with nature. Now science is weighing in on the questions of how much contact with nature is essential to well-being, and to what extent does disconnection from the natural world work against us. Authors Eva M. Selhub, M.D. and Alan C Logan, N.D., in their excellent book Your Brain on Nature: The Science of Nature’s Influence on Your Health, Happiness and Vitality state:

“As neuroscience develops at a rapid pace, researchers are uncovering functional aspects of the intricate anatomy and physiology of the human brain, allowing them to have a clearer picture of the true depths to which environmental factors influence cognitive and mental health. So far, the results suggest that we have completely underestimated the way in which the human brain is influenced by its physical environment and, in particular, by the elements of the natural world of water, vegetation, and animals.”

There are many ways to reconnect with nature such as walking through a forest or park, gardening or keeping container plants in your office, outdoor exercise, pets, excursions to wild places, and mindfully eating a whole food, plant-based diet. The research showing highly beneficial emotional, cognitive, and physiological benefits is overwhelming, as is the evidence showing the detrimental effects of nature deprivation on mental health, stress, emotions, cognition and the immune system.

Out of touch with nature? Need an antidote for negative thinking? Getting outside might be more beneficial to your health and well-being than either indoor therapy or psychotropic meds. How about giving yourself a regular prescription of feeling awe, seeing beauty, experiencing wonder, having a sense of interconnectedness with your environment, and losing yourself while gaining perspective on your connection to your world?

JOURNALING

Introducing a formidable coping strategy for dealing with stress, anxiety and depression, and reshaping your future. This is a process for getting to know yourself at a profound level, opening the door to clarity, self learning, and self-transformation.

Journal writing is a primary self-awareness tool, a way of being an active, conscious and intentional participant in your own life, rather than being so overwhelmed and over-stimulated by life’s pressures and difficulties that you are mindlessly living your life on autopilot.

Throughout this book, we’ve regularly checked in with Matt on his journey from being a stress casualty to well-being and enthusiasm about his life. Let’s again look in on Matt as he discovers the value of journaling for healing and self-reinvention.

At last he was home. It had been a rough commute, the usual bumper-to-bumper slow-moving evening traffic on more than one occasion grinding to a seemingly interminable halt.

Finally, it was evening. The lights in the street came on as Matt turned into the driveway. Matt told himself that tonight he’d get some rest. Only one more day until the weekend!

Still, he was holding up rather well, much better than before. He was even looking forward to connecting with Bev and the kids in what was left of the evening. What had changed? Work was still stressful. He was still exhausted after a long day of work and a long hard commute, but he knew spending some time with family and a night of rest was all he needed to recharge and face another day. Progress!

Gazing at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, Matt reflected on his journey. Three months ago, a very different character had looked back at him, a joyless shadow of his present self, someone merely going through the motions of life without enthusiasm or satisfaction – just one day after another of unrelenting stress and mind-numbing fatigue. What a difference three months can make!

Had it been only three months? So many changes, and all of them good. Matt thought back to his first therapy session with Robin, the session where he started learning about taking charge of his stress, anxiety and depression. Hard to believe that he had been in such bad shape, but he was, and his journey began with that session.

Matt had learned about Mindful Choices, such as breath awareness and breath retraining, mindful eating, cultivating mindfulness, connecting with his values, taking care of his physical self, and intentionally and mindfully building relationships. He’d learned many tools that support Mindful Choices and practiced some of them with Beverly, such as yoga and mindfulness meditation.

One tool in particular, he found surprisingly helpful –-journaling! Robin maintained that there were a host of benefits, benefits that would impact almost every area of his life.

Matt’s initial reaction to Robin’s suggestion was less than enthusiastic: “So, you’re saying that writing a few sentences daily will keep me healthier, but so will eating my spinach. Why should I bother journaling when my plate is already full?”

Robin responded: The evidence is growing. For example, University of Texas at Austin psychologist and researcher James Pennebaker claims regular journaling strengthens immune cells known as T-lymphocytes. Pennebaker and his colleagues also found that individuals who wrote about their frustrations and difficult experiences had significantly less physical ailments such as headaches, cramps, and colds. Other researchers are finding that journaling relieves symptoms of asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. Pennebaker claims that writing about difficult events is a key to coming to terms with those events, thereby lessening the physical impact.”

Robin went on: “– and there are many other unexpected and surprising benefits. It seems that the physical act of writing accesses your left brain, the part of your brain that is analytical, and logical. While your left brain is working, your right brain is freed up for intuition, creativity, and emotional expression. In short, mental barriers are removed, freeing you up to use all of your brainpower for self-awareness, compassion for self and others, and greater understanding of your world and your relationship to it. Just give it a try. What have you got to lose?

Matt was satisfied. “Okay, I’ll give it a try, but I’m trying not to get overloaded again. That was a big part of my problem in the first place.” Robin replied: “I understand, and I wouldn’t be suggesting this if I didn’t think it would produce big benefits. Also, It’s surprisingly simple and uncomplicated.”

“Just give yourself 15 to 20 minutes of private uninterrupted time three or more times a week. Don’t worry about spelling and punctuation. Put your thoughts down quickly to bypass judgment or other barriers to effective journaling. You might pick a theme, such as ‘My mindfulness journey,’ or ’Intentional relating.’ Other than that, there are no rules. Your journal is a non-judging, totally accepting friend, and might even replace your therapist. It’s certainly cheaper.”

Matt decided to give it a try, at least for a few days. Now, three months later, he’s hooked, and journaling daily. The journal provides clarity of thought and feelings, greater self-awareness, major stress reduction, problem resolution, and much more effective relating to others. Matt now sees journaling almost as essential to his well-being and growth as physical activity or breathing practice. He sees journaling as one of the greatest and most liberating experiences of his life, taking time daily to actually slow down and observe what’s happening in the here and now, and his participation in his own life.

Matt sometimes reads through past journal entries now that he’s accumulated three months worth. He thought he knew himself before, but now that he’s done some serious introspection, he’s discovered that was only who he thought he was or should be. Now he sees journaling as not only life-changing, but the key to self-awareness, self-acceptance and self compassion. Reading past entries is also a reminder of the changes he’s made, and most importantly, it’s helping him continue to make changes that are more in line with his value system. Someone has said: “Success is living your values,” and Matt is definitely feeling successful.

Brian Luke Seaward in his book, Managing Stress; a Creative Journal, states: “to open up, sharing and disclosing feelings, perceptions, opinions, and memories has always been found to be therapeutic. Confessions of the mind can lighten the burden of the soul. Many religions have adapted this concept for spiritual healing. This also is a cornerstone upon which modern psychotherapy is based. Although conversation is the most common method of disclosure, writing down thoughts that occupy the mind is extremely therapeutic as well.”

The following are some of the major benefits of journaling:

1. Clarity of thoughts and feelings. What’s your interior landscape like? Is it confusing? Taking just a few minutes to journal can move you into mindful awareness of your internal world. Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way recommends something she calls “Morning Pages,” a stream of consciousness writing the first thing each morning. She maintains that three pages of writing (about 750 words) clears your mind for a day of higher-level thinking and creativity.

2. Stress reduction. Stuffing down, anger, sadness, grief, and other difficult emotions merely adds to the problem. Writing about your feelings is cathartic, lessening your distress and facilitating a calm ability to be fully present in the here and now.

3. Self-awareness. Do you know how you disturb yourself? Do you know what makes you happy, satisfied, confident? Do you know what’s toxic to you, what drains you of your energy and increases your stress, anxiety and depression? Self-awareness is central to emotional well-being and journaling can be as effective as face-to-face therapy in getting to know yourself.

4. Problem-solving. Typically, a left brain, analytical activity, problem-solving is greatly enhanced by turning to right brain emotional awareness, creativity and intuition. Journaling often leads to fresh insights and the ability to apply novel solutions to problems that had seemed beyond solution.

5. Relationships. Being masterful in relationships is basically about self-awareness and self-management. Journaling helps you gain clarity about your own point of view as well as the thoughts and feelings of others. It helps you to see your actions more objectively and see how those actions fit your values. It helps you make values-based choices, and follow-through with empathy, compassion, a desire to understand, and conscious and intentional relationship building behavior.

6. A defusion tool. Much of your distress probably comes from fusing with your disturbing thoughts, feelings and images. This means accepting, or buying into whatever your mind tells you. It means seeing your thoughts as literally true, rather than stepping back and merely observing what comes up and then deciding whether or not you want to go with it, whether or not it’s useful to you. This actually gives you the freedom to choose a direction more consistent with your values. Journaling is a superb tool for observing your inner self and detaching from thoughts, feelings and images that may only deepen your distress.

7. Living your life on purpose. Journaling helps you see clearly where you’ve been, learn from your mistakes, remember what you’ve learned, and celebrate your accomplishments. It helps you gain a sense of achievement. It helps you consider all the rich possibilities life offers. It helps you turn dreams into goals and visualize a clear pathway of action steps. It helps you be committed. It also helps you be fully conscious of how you create the life you want to have.

8. Beyond managing symptoms. Journaling helps you move beyond symptomatic relief, such as relaxation training, to dealing with the root causes of chronic problems. Strategies for dealing with your stress, anxiety and depression may be ineffective without clear awareness of deeper causes often obscured by the busy-ness of life. Journaling opens the door to self reflection and self-learning and the ability to understand dysfunctional patterns that are changeable with awareness and commitment.

Journaling can seem difficult and tedious, especially when you are not in the habit of consciously dealing with your innermost feelings. However as you become better at it, you will discover the benefits and be encouraged to keep going.

You may start with a specific theme to launch you on your journey. However, you’ll probably find you need no other prompting than: “What’s going on in my life today?” Start with a particular theme or simply write about whatever you feel is important. Don’t worry about grammar or spelling. Editing isn’t important. This is simply for you and you alone. Just be open and honest with yourself and the rewards will follow.

You might find a time that is most convenient for you, as long as it’s uninterrupted private time. There should be continuity from one entry to another, and you might find it useful to start with at least three entries per week. Also, remember that you are not limited to writing about stressful events or difficult emotions. Write about the good times too. It’s particularly important to write about gratitude.

The ancient Greek maxim: “Know thyself” is about the power of seeing yourself accurately. John D Mayer, creator of the concept of Personal Intelligence and author of The Power of Personality and How It Shapes Our Lives, writes: “We may focus on personal flaws so much that we lose perspective on the broader contours of life. It’s easy to turn away at times, and we all do. Yet if we work over time to learn a bit more about ourselves, we may become more accurate at self- understanding, and this, in turn, can help us change for the better. Because although many aspects of personality persist over time, there is also opportunity for change.”

Additionally, here is another journaling idea that we have found to be very helpful. At the end of each day, write down:

1. Three things that went well today (you can pick a specific area that you are working on).
2. Why did they go well?
3. Why is each of the three things important?
4. How could I get more of this into my life?

This is powerful. Research has demonstrated that keeping such a journal with a daily focus on things that are going well has a powerful effect on developing strong positive behaviors.

Connect what went well in any aspect of your Mindful Choices with your own specific actions in producing positive results. Also, know why these things are important to you in your overall Mindful Choices plan, and the role of these things in getting more of what you want. Give it a try. It’s transformational!

So, consider journaling. We’re betting you’ll experience enormous benefit.

Quick Start: things I can start doing today

In getting started, here are some questions you might ask yourself:

1. What do I do for fun? Do I have fun?

2. What am I looking forward to?

3. What gives me energy, zest for living?

4. Do I have activities in line life that induce a state of “flow,” where I am so much into what I am doing that I am unaware of time passing?

5. Is much of my time spent on autopilot?

6. Do I have trouble living in the now, rather than focusing on the past or the future?

7. Do I feel your life has meaning? Do I have a sense of purpose?

8. Do I have a spiritual dimension in my life, or believe I need one?

9. Can I choose to engage what I’m doing, no matter what I’m doing, with my full presence?

10. Do I feel full aliveness, fully present in the here and now?

11. Is there too much stress, anxiety, worry and/or fear in my life?

12. Is there too much sadness, low energy, and/or depression in my life?

13. Do I have difficulty with self-compassion?

14. Do I have difficulty with compassion for others?

These questions should give you some clues. If you’re not pleased with the answers,

begin looking for better answers. Throughout this book, you’ve been introduced to tools that can dramatically help in improving the quality of your life. Everything on the above list can be improved upon with the right tools. Be aware however, nothing changes without awareness and effort, practice and time.

Think deeply about the quality of your life. Whatever you would like to change,

Mindfulness skills will help – and there are wide variety of practices that can enhance mindfulness.

Consider the following list. Are there things you would like to try? Everything on the list and be explored via the Internet, and our reading list provides additional resources.

• Breath awareness and breath retraining.
• Listening to or creating music for a soothing effect.
• Massage, involving someone else to produce a full relaxation effect.
• Creating a relaxation response through progressive muscle relaxation, reducing muscle tension by systematically tensing and relaxing the body's musculature, from the feet to the head.
• Autogenic training involving focused attention on peripheral parts of the body with the suggestion that those areas are becoming "warm and heavy."
• Biofeedback
• Physical exercise
• Dance
• Art
• Friends and social support groups
• Hobbies
• Listening to or creating music for a soothing effect.
• Massage, involving someone else to produce a full relaxation effect.
• Friends and social support groups
• Nature
• Humor
• Journaling
• Meditation
• Yoga
• Tai Chi
• Qigong
• Biofeedback
• Faith and Prayer
• Physical fitness
• Movement that is not goal oriented, competitive, or with a focus on performance.
• A hobby or pastime that is calming and produces a sense of harmony or “flow.”
• Other practices for centering, self-calming, finding balance, and achieving mindfulness.

If you find yourself running into difficulty, you might try answering the following questions:

My Choice 9 Personal Development Worksheet

1. In regard to Developing a Mindful Choices Toolkit, what is the behavior or situation I want to change?

1. How would I describe my present Choice 9 performance?

1. What are the specific cognitive, behavioral, emotional changes that I would like to make in regard to Choice 9?

1. What are specific ideas and actions for meeting my Choice 9 goals?

1. What are the barriers such as negative self-talk or lack of time that might prevent me from reaching my goals?

1. What are the specific steps that I am going to take to bring about change? When?

1. Who will be helpful or supportive in my change efforts?

1. How will I be rewarded when I am accomplishing the changes I desire?

1. I am committing to:

Further Reading

Bussing, Michalsen, Khalsa, Telles, & Sherman. Effects of Yoga on Mental and Physical Health. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.Volume 2012 (2012)

Buzzell, L. & Chalquist, C. (2009). Ecotherapy: Healing with Nature in Mind. San Francisco, CA: Sierra Club Books.

Cameron, J. (2002). The Artist ‘s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity. New York, NY: TeacherPerigee.

Davis, B. (2004).The Taijiquan Classics. Berkley, CA: Blue Snake Books.

Lam, K. (2014). The Qigong Workbook for Anxiety. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

Mishler, A., Yoga with Adriene, yogawithadriene.com.

Pennebaker, J., & Smyth, J. (2016). Opening up by Writing It down: How Expressive Writing Improves Health and Eases Emotional Pain. New York, NY: The Guilford Press

Roach, G. & McNally, L. (2005). The Essential Yoga Sutra. Harmony.

Selhub, E., & Logan, A. (2012). Your Brain on Nature: The Science of Nature’s Influence on Your Health, Happiness and Vitality. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

Seligman, M. (2012). Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-Being. New York, NY: Atria Books.

Seaward, B. (2011). Managing Stress: A Creative Journal. Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning.

Seaward, B. (2012). Managing Stress: Principles and Strategies for Health and Well-Being. Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning.

Singleton, M. (2010). Yoga Body: the Origins of Modern Posture Practice. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

Stearns, R. & Stearns, R. (2010). Yoga for Anxiety: Meditations and Practices for Combing the Body and Mind. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.