This is the 4th installment in a guide to transformational change. In the first three parts we talked about: The proven power of intention to make seeds sprout faster. How to assess your readiness to change. Tapping into mental imagery to actualize your intention. In this final step we reflect on the experience of putting our intention into action. How did last week go for you? What went well? What will you do differently next week? You should be very proud of yourself for making it this far! I hope you remembered that: Transformational change is a journey filled with peaks, valleys, and detours. Perfection is an illusion. No one and no thing is perfect. Be kind to yourself. Whatever happened last week is behind you. What part of your transformation do you want to focus on in the week ahead? You can choose to repeat the same intention or you can choose to set a new one. It all depends on your desired outcome and how you have decided to chunk it into week-long intentions. The rest of the process is the same. Consider your why, when’s, and who’s. Decide what you will sacrifice to make time to practice. Mentally envision yourself successful. Imagine how you will feel at the end of the week. After practicing your intention for the week, reflect on what you learned. Then set your next intention. If you have any questions, email me at IntendWellLLC@gmail.com. Remember - I’m rooting for you! You got this!

This is the second installment in my guide to making transformational change in your life. In the first part we talked about the power of intention. In this section we will cover how you know when you are ready for change. Many a resolution is forgotten by February because excitement about the New Year is mistaken as readiness for change. Here are some ways that you know you are ready. Know your SACRIFICES Gym memberships typically soar in January. Buying a gym membership is simple. But then we need to create space in our routine to drive to the gym, change clothes, work out, and shower. If we decide to go to the gym before work, an earlier rising requires an earlier bedtime. Unless we give up our existing evening routine, the snooze button will be getting the workout instead of our body. You will need to create space in your schedule to plan, practice, and learn from the intention you drafted last week. Assuming you don’t have oodles of free time in your schedule (pretty safe assumption for most of us), you will need to sacrifice an existing activity. What are you willing to sacrifice to create space for change? How much time will that free up? Know your WHYS Change happens when the perceived pain of staying the same outweighs the perceived pain of change. Why are you considering change? Is it because someone else — like your doctor or a loved one— suggested it? Perhaps it is because you know some changes would be good for your health. Knowing that change is good for us may not be enough to sustain us when inevitable setbacks occur. Odds of success are highest when we have a burning heartfelt desire to change. What are your whys? Are they heavy enough to outweigh the pain of change? Are your whys realistic? Sometimes we make the mistake of assuming that a new job, a new body, a new whatever is going to infuse our lives with joy. Happiness is a choice that does not require anything to change except your perspective. Know your WHEN Timing is everything. Are you ready to start today? If not, do you know when you will be ready? What would need to change for you to feel ready? Know your WHOS The people in your life will be impacted by your change. For example, if you decide to stop playing video games you may spend less time with your gamer friends. If you want to eliminate a certain food from your diet, you may want family members’ support keeping that food out of the house. A friend or romantic partner may interfere out of fear worry you are growing away from them. Who can enable or hinder your change journey? How can you encourage their support? It’s ok if now is not a good time to commit to change…yet. Come back to this book when you are ready to take action. Anything we undertake with half-hearted whys will yield half-hearted results (and full-blown disappointment). For a limited time receive a free copy of my "Quick to Calm Guide" at IntendWell.US. Every Friday I will send you a link to my video of the week plus BONUS content available only to email subscribers.

This is the third installment in my guide to transformational change. In the first two sections we talked about the power of intention and assessing your readiness to change. This sections covers putting your intention into action. Before we dive in, let’s talk about the power of imagination. Studies have shown that we can improve our physical performance through mental imagery. Olympians and professional athletes use imagery to gain competitive edge. Take a moment to close your eyes and create a mental picture of yourself successfully achieving your intention. How do you feel? How are you celebrating your success? Make the image as vivid as you can. Where are you? What are you wearing? What time of day is it? What do you hear? Pause the video, set a time for 2 minutes, and picture the scene. Look at your intention. Is there anything you want to change? Is it specific enough? When will you practice your intention this week? Consider whether you can link the practice of your intention to an existing habit. For example, when I started a daily yoga practice I decided to roll out my mat after I finished in the bathroom and before I got dressed. When I decided to drink more water, I decided to drink a full mug of water before my first mug of coffee in the morning. Timing a new habit to coincide with an existing habit helps us to remember to do it. You could create a notification on your phone or post a reminder note where you will see it — like the bathroom mirror. Practice your intention for the week. Every time you take action, celebrate yourself. It could be a simple as saying “Nailed it!” With a little happy dance. Some things I want you to keep in mind this week — Transformational change is a journey filled with peaks, valleys, and detours. Perfection is an illusion. No one and no thing is perfect. Be kind to yourself. If you forget to practice, first - forgive yourself! Ask yourself what you can learn from the experience. If you have questions please leave me a comment or email me at IntendWell@gmail.com. For a limited time receive a free copy of my "Quick to Calm Guide" at IntendWell.US. Every Friday I will send you a link to my video of the week plus BONUS content available only to email subscribers. References Mental Imagery Skills in Competitive Young Athletes and Non-athletes Mental Rehearsal in Sport Does Mental Practice Enhance Performance Shaping Reality through Mental Rehearsal

This is the first in a series of videos about how to make transformational change in your life. In this video we will talk about how to clarify your desired outcome. Before we dive in, I want to tell you about a series of experiments conducted in 2007 and 2008. Researchers separated 160 barley seeds into 4 groups labeled A, B, C, and D. Each time the experiment was run, the seeds were in the lab at the University of Arizona. Volunteers in a remote location focused intention for growth on one of groups for 10 minutes. “My intention is for all the seeds in the target group to sprout at least 3 mm by the 4th day “ The location of the participants changed each time: audiences in Sydney, Australia (600 participants), Palm Springs, California (130), Rheinbeck, New York (100), Hilton Head, North Carolina (500) and Austin, Texas (120) plus people participating over the internet. The researchers in the lab did not know which group of seeds received intention. The seeds were harvested 5 days later and measured. Every time the group of seeds that were sent intention grew faster than the seeds in the other groups. So what do seeds have to do with your transformational journey? The first step is to set your intention, which requires being crystal clear in your mind about your desired outcome. What does success look like for you? Let’s revisit the wording of the intention used in the seed germination experiments. What do you notice about it? 1 - it’s very specifically focused on growth. There’s no mention of any other type of change. 2 - the intention states “what” not “how” 3 - the results are measurable — at least 3 mm 4 — the timeframe is limited to 4 days Think about whatever it is that you want to change. Usually, transformational change involves our health, finances, or relationships. Things like losing 20 pounds, buying a new car, or finding a romantic partner. These are all things that take time - they wont change overnight. But we can still set an intention for what we will do differently over the next week. What’s the first step for you? Write it down in the form of an intention. Here’s some examples to help you get started. Health I intend to walk for 20 minutes at least 3 days this week. I intend to eat at least 3 servings of fresh fruit or vegetables every day for the next 5 days. Finances I intend to deposit at least $20 in my savings account this week. I intend to upload my resume to at least 2 job search sites by Saturday. Relationships I intend to make new friends by participating in a meet-up event next weekend. I intend to list 10 things that I like about myself. Spend some time this week writing your first intention. If you need help, leave a comment below or email me at IntendWellLLC@gmail.com. See you next week when we will talk about how to know that you are ready for change. If you want to see the power of intention for yourself try the seed experiment at home. Visit IntendWell.US to receive a free copy of my Quick to Calm Guide filled with techniques to relieve stress and build resilience to anxiety. I promise not to flood your inbox and you may unsubscribe at any time. References Double-Blind Test of the Effects of Distant Intention on Water Crystal Formation [Evidence about the power of intention] Harvard Business Review “The Power of Intent” Seed Germination Experiment

Contrast, in the realm of art, involves skillfully blending opposing values, textures, or colors. This could be achieved by juxtaposing light and dark, smooth and rough, or even vibrant orange and soothing blue. The purpose of contrast is to infuse depth and captivate the viewer's visual senses. Artists utilize contrast as a tool to guide the observer's gaze across the various elements within a composition. Beyond the realm of art, contrast emerges as an intrinsic facet of life. It encompasses a stark divergence from our desired state. Imagine a world where everything unfailingly aligns with our preferences; it would inevitably lead to a monotonous existence. In the movie L.A. Story, the weather is a glorious sunny and 72 degrees every day. It's so predictable that the weather forecast is filmed in advance. But there is nothing like a few days of rain to make us really appreciate a sunny day. Instead of yearning for contrast to swiftly dissipate, we have the remarkable opportunity to harness its potential for personal development. Not getting what we want is good because we appreciate what we have. In this way, contrast magnifies the pleasure we experience in our lives. It revitalizes our ability to truly savor and appreciate the aspects of life that may have become mundane or overlooked. By highlighting the disparities, contrast prompts us to cultivate gratitude for the aspects we may have taken for granted.

If you have seen my video on The Biology of Stress, you know that the stress response affects our vision. When we are in Parasympathetic (or Rest, Digest, and Heal) mode, our eyes are relaxed and scanning the environment. When we are triggered, our attention zeroes in on the perceived threat. We develop tunnel vision. We stop noticing other aspects of our environment. Long slow breathing is my number 1 go-to remedy for stress but sometimes our autonomic nervous system need a little more TLC. If your stress response has been triggered and you just can’t seem to stop thinking about what happened, try this technique to reset your autonomic nervous system.

Do you ever have trouble falling or staying asleep? Before you reach for the pill bottle, try this simple energy technique to calm a busy brain and get a great night's sleep. It's free. It's easy. There are no side effects. In less than 7 minutes, I teach you how to use the Infinity Technique (aka the figure 8 technique) to quiet a chattering mind, heal injuries, prepare the brain for learning, and strengthen your energetic boundaries. Because it integrates the energy between the hemispheres, the Infinity Technique also prepares the brain for learning (like the Energy Pretzel technique). If this all sounds too woo-woo for you...try it anyway! This technique is rooted in ancient practices of Tai Chi and Qigong. There must be a good reason people still use it today.

If you could wish for any superpower, what would you choose? Sure, flying would be pretty cool. How about to be an Agent for Peace? Fear and animosity are rampant. These emotions make it difficult to think clearly. Feeling scared or angry impedes our brain's ability to problem solve, collaborate, and make decisions. When our brain goes on high alert, benign events can be misinterpreted as a threat to our safety. Our survival instinct can lead us to overreact - even lash out at others. You already have the superpower to spread peace. You just need to practice it. Our heart is always broadcasting magnetic waves -- like a little radio station. Studies have proven that a heart in coherence can bring the hearts of people nearby into coherence as well. Your mission (if you choose to accept it) is to practice heart coherence using a biofeedback device and radiate coherence to hearts nearby. This helps people around us relax, tap into their cognitive abilities and interpret non-threatening situations. When we learn how to use the power of our heart to foster social coherence, we can transform every difficult conversation --whether with your parents, your teenager, or your boss at work -- into a positive, heart-to-heart interaction. References Achieving Collective Coherence: Group Effects on Heart Rate Variability Coherence and Heart Rhythm Synchronization https://www.heartmath.org/assets/uploads/2015/01/achieving-collective-coherence.pdf New Frontiers in Heart rate Variability and social Coherence research: techniques, technologies, and implications for improving Group dynamics and outcomes https://www.heartmath.org/assets/uploads/2018/03/new-frontiers-in-hrv-and-social-coherence-research.pdf Long-Term Study of Heart Rate Variability Responses to Changes in the Solar and Geomagnetic Environment. https://www.heartmath.org/assets/uploads/2018/03/long-term-study-of-hrv-responses-to-changes-in-solar-geomagnetic-enviroment.pdf

How does it feel when the systems in our body are not working in coherence? Our gut can feel tied up in knots. Our heart is hammering in our chest. Our brain has a hard time concentrating and making decisions. Symphony orchestras have a conductor to keep the musicians in sync but who is the maestro keeping the systems in our body (circulatory, digestive, respiratory, nervous) working in harmony? Both the heart and the brain produce an electromagnetic field. The amplitude of the heart’s field is 60 times greater than the brain and is broadcast to every cell in the body. The magnetic component of the heart is 5,000 times stronger than the brain. Of all the neurological pathways between the brain and the heart, 10% carry signals from the brain to the heart and 90% carry signals from the heart to the brain. So the heart is doing most of the talking. Have you heard of Heart Rate Variability or HRV? You have probably seen the output from an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) that depicts the heart’s electrical signals. The heart beat rhythm is represented by a line of peaks and valleys showing contractions or beats. An average of the length of time between beats is your heart rate variability. You may be surprised to learn that the space of time between our heart beats is irregular. It VARIES. And the more the length of time between heartbeats varies, the more coherent your systems are and the more resilient you are to stress. That seemed counterintuitive to me the first time that I heard it. When we talk about the heart beating we would think that regularity would be important. So in relation to heart rate variability, it may help to think of variability as flexibility. The symphony of our bodies is composed in different time signatures and we need a conductor who can keep up with the tempo changes. A flexible heart is like a tree that bends in the wind so it doesn’t break. You can use an HRV biofeedback device to train your heart to be more flexible. There are several on the market. (I am not into product reviews so I recommend that you research your options before making a purchase. Look for a device that provides real-time HRV feedback with a breathing pacer.) Studies have shown that Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback training lowers anxiety, anger, and blood pressure. It improves mood, sleep, problem-solving capability, athletic and artistic performance. In this video, I demonstrate a biofeedback device that you can use build coherence between the systems in your body. Find out how our inner conductor can make us more resilient to stress. REFERENCES HeartMath approach to self-regulation and psychosocial well-being https://www.heartmath.org/assets/uploads/2020/08/heartmath-approach-to-self-regulation-and-psychosocial-well-being.pdf Following the Rhythm of the Heart: HeartMath Institute’s Path to HRV Biofeedback https://link.springer.com/epdf/10.1007/s10484-022-09554-2?sharing_token=iuIDz8ftiMkFcRsES1Nm1_e4RwlQNchNByi7wbcMAY7hdPw_Wnr_zxPeJkC3C5PJvBrF0syQ1K86Ac1IeunNX0eSfavYqVYAEncJX8TSA4-KZVglnwvDTR5yiSyLmK4oYaSixwnrtSqR2Bm1ua1BPCDlZdaKiQ_DsiyU7UyYWz8= Implementing Mobile HRV Biofeedback as Adjunctive Therapy During Inpatient Psychiatric Rehabilitation Facilitates Recovery of Depressive Symptoms and Enhances Autonomic Functioning Short-Term: A 1-Year Pre–Post-intervention Follow-Up Pilot Study https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2020.00738/full A meta-analysis on heart rate variability biofeedback and depressive symptoms https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-86149-7

Don't get me wrong - art on walls is wonderful. But for years I have yearned to see my high vibe art on STUFF. Stuff anyone can wear, carry, and use in daily life. My challenge was finding a supplier that offered quality merch at reasonable prices. My kids regularly shop at Redbubble so a few months ago I quietly set up my own online shop. Then I ordered some items to assess the quality for myself. Color me delighted - I will definitely be ordering more shirts! My original artwork is also available on hats, bags, and home goods. Visit my online store

When I meet someone new, the conversation goes like this: Them: And what do you do? Me: I'm a health coach and energy healer. Them: ummm ...so you sell vitamin supplements? The conversation would be smoother if I were a teacher, a lawyer, or a doctor -- a profession that people understand. I get some interesting reactions. There are multiple energy healing modalities. Most people have heard of Reiki, or Therapeutic Touch. I am trained in Healing Touch, which was developed in the 1980’s by a former Navy nurse named Janet Mentgen. Healing Touch is taught in nursing schools and offered by hospitals. Healing Touch has proven effective for relieving pain, improving sleep, calming people with dementia, and easing the side effects of chemo. In this video I explain in a what to expect in an intuitive energy healing session. If all this seems like a bleeping bunch of woo-woo, believe me -- I get it!! My introduction to energy work was through a parenting class that I took at a local hospital. The nurse teaching the class demonstrated how to soothe a child using (what I learned later was) a Healing Touch technique. It was such a profound firsthand experience that I set the intention to learn more and I am glad that I did. I love this video produced by the Veterans Administration. Check out these research studies: Pilot Study to Test the Effectiveness of Healing Touch on Agitation in People With Dementia Therapeutic Massage and Healing Touch Improve Symptoms in Cancer The Impact of Healing Touch on Pediatric Oncology Patients Effect of Healing Touch on Stress Perception and Biological Correlates

In the original Star Trek shows Captain Kirk says space is the final frontier. I wonder. It seems like we might know more about what goes on in space than inside our biology. We are still trying to figure out what makes a body store fat and how to convince the body to release stored fat. Back in 2001 I bought a Buick Rendezvous. It it was fantastic…for many years. But then it started making this horrible screeching noise when I turned the wheel. Not all the time but when it did, everyone would whirl around to see where the awful noise was coming from. I took my Rendezvous to the dealership. You know what happened…the car wouldn’t make the noise. And the dear, sweet, well-intentioned mechanic suggested that the problem was probably my driving. Perhaps I was taking corners too fast or torquing the wheel too hard. One day I am walking though a parking lot and I heard it. I heard The Noise. I whirled around and saw a different Rendezvous. Finally, I had proof that the problem was mechanical and not my driving. I took my car to a different mechanic who discovered that the transmission was disintegrating inside. All these little metal filings grating against each other was the source of the screeching. So what does this story have to do with weight loss? I believe that weight gain is our body’s way of telling us that something is wrong. My car’s screeching was its way of telling me that the transmission was failing but I was focused on making the noise stop. When we zero in on our weight, we are focused on the symptom not the root cause. Here's some of the reasons that bodies gain weight. Chronic Anxiety When our body is in Fight, Flight, or Freeze mode, energy that would be used for digestion is redirected to scanning for threats. As a result, the digestive system does not extract adequate nutrition from the foods that we eat. So malnourished cells prompt the brain to scream at us to eat more. To combat chronic anxiety I recommend a daily breath practice and HRV biofeedback training. Breathing Techniques Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0AmLcBiPBqDn6FaiKkaDstsPJZVuk0yE HRV Biofeedback Training: https://youtu.be/YeP1iZV6_5M Trauma Trauma can disrupt the flow of energy in our body. As with chronic anxiety, the digestive system does not extract adequate nutrition from the foods that we eat. If you suspect that your weight gain could be attributed to unresolved trauma, I recommend seeking professional support and practicing tapping. Simple Tapping technique: https://youtu.be/66VK5aRHnac Food Addiction. Food addiction can be as powerful as drug and alcohol addiction. I recently heard Dr. Susan Peirce Thompson speak at a conference. She has a PhD in Brain and Cognitive Science. Many people susceptible to food addiction have benefited from Dr. Thompson’s Bright Line Eating Program. Bright Line Eating: https://www.brightlineeating.com/research-publications Disorders Screening Tool from the National Eating Disorders Association: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/screening-tool Gut Microbiome Imbalance. The research is relatively new but studies are showing a link between obesity and the type of bacteria in the digestive tract. This from an article in Preventative Nutrition and Food Science: “Notably, when the germ-free mice were colonized with the conventional gut microbiota, they gained weight and showed increased levels (over 50%) of body fat. They also had higher levels of the hormone leptin (which directly correlates with the amount of fat in the body) as well as fasting glucose and insulin, all within 10–14 days of colonization.” If you suspect that your gut health could be contributing to your body’s weight gain, research this topic further and talk with your doctor. The Influence of Gut Microbiome on Obesity in Adults and the Role of Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Synbiotics for Weight Loss, Preventative Nutrition and Food Science: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7333005/ The microbiota’s guide to weight gain: https://www.nature.com/articles/d42859-019-00003-5 Highly Processed or Genetically Modified Foods. There’s a theory that some of the food we consume is so chemically removed from nature that our body does not know how to process it. Since we are built for survival, the body holds onto the energy from unfamiliar foods by storing it as fat. While research is ongoing consider substituting fresh fruits and vegetables for highly processed foods. Nutrition Research and Practice, Survey of American Food Trends and the Growing Obesity Epidemic: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3133759/ Medications If you are taking a medication, check whether weight gain is a known side effect. If it is, continue taking the medication until you can talk to your doctor about possibly taking an alternative medication of changing the dosage. Meal Timing It used to be that grazing was the thing. We were told that eating small amounts all day long would keep our metabolism humming along at a steady pace. Well, now some experts recommend limiting our eating to 2-3 meals allowing our stomachs to empty completely between meals. The rationale is that if we are ingesting a stead supply of energy, our body doesn’t switch over to fat burning mode. Another perspective is that frequent meals redirect energy needed for cellular growth and repair to digesting food. Meal timing has made a difference for some people but that doesn’t mean it is proper for everyone. Intermittent fasting and weight loss https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7021351/ In summation, I suggest that you ignore your weight. Our energy flows where our attention goes so stop directing energy toward how much your body weighs. Look past your body’s weight gain and consider what your body may be trying to tell you.