Healing From The Inside Out

September 2009- Issue #12

Welcome to Mind Over Matter -- bringing you inspiration, hope and practical tools for your return to well-being. Whether seeking recovery from depression, anxiety, or stress, or looking for a greater peace, happiness and personal satisfaction with life, we can offer some light in the dark.

More than just ideas to help you during times of crisis and trouble, Mind Over Matter has something for everyone - to help you on your journey towards becoming more conscious, empowered, successful, and joyful.


In Todays Newsletter:

  • The Gifts of a Broken Heart.
  • Learn more about Meridian Tapping and EFT.
  • EFT and Energy Coaching by Phone.
  • Discounts on the original EFT Training DVD Series.
  • Free Guided Meditation download - only available in this newsletter!
  • September Special Offer: Custom-made, professional Guided Meditations made to your specifications plus Mindfulness Meditation and my latest Healing Sound Meditation included as bonuses. Learn more about how to special order your unique guided self-hypnosis CD and program your sub-conscious to open to new possibilities!
  • Still more Yogic Breathing Techniques (Pranayama) for rapid relief of stress, anxiety and depression.
  • Video: "Try it on Everything"
  • Bipolar Corner – Tips for riding the waves



"The seeker is he who is in search of himself.

Give up all questions except one: ‘Who am I?’ After all, the only fact you are sure of is that you are. The ‘I am’ is certain. The ‘I am this’ is not. Struggle to find out what you are in reality. To know what you are, you must first investigate and know what you are not.

Discover all that you are not -- body, feelings thoughts, time, space, this or that -- nothing, concrete or abstract, which you perceive can be you. The very act of perceiving shows that you are not what you perceive.

The clearer you understand on the level of mind you can be described in negative terms only, the quicker will you come to the end of your search and realise that you are the limitless being.

Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
--I Am That


The Gifts of a Broken Heart

What's the difference between grief and depression?

Grief is a universal experience. A human experience of loss. Last night I found out that a dear friend – a deeply compassionate mother and devout yogini, was killed in an auto accident. When I heard the news of my friend's passing, and thought of her husband – my teacher and friend – in his grief – my tears began to flow. Even in such deep sadness, empathy, and grief for this loss, there has been a feeling of peace. These are cleansing tears. Painful emotions of grief and sadness are not negative, bad or dangerous if we have the right attitude of acceptance.

This world is full of loss in every moment of every day. To live fully – to be awake and in the flow of life – we must keep our heart open. There is a spiritual heart within each of us. This spiritual heart is our link to one another – our connection to all humanity and to life itself. We know this intuitively, emotionally, through our own experience. It is also understood as a part of the ancient science of Yoga. An open heart can liberate us, heal ourselves, and heal the world. And a heart closed in fear and despair can blind us to our own magnificence, and the abundant beauty in the world.

We cannot experience true happiness without an open heart. Happiness is but the beginning of deeper states of ecstasy or bliss. But to make our hearts available to these states of Being, we must accept pain. An open heart that does not shrink in fear when pain and grief is felt, will lead to higher states of peace and joy and love for others. But when we contract and close the heart to try to protect ourselves from pain, we also lose our ability to feel real happiness.

When grief becomes unbearable, diminishes the quality of life, causes us to become numb, hopeless, and isolated, this is another matter. A broken heart can lead to loss of appetite, and feelings of shock, disbelief, sadness, anger, loss of faith. But when those normal feelings continue for weeks or months, it may be time for some extra help. If you find that you cannot maintain your physical health, reconnect with others, sleep, function at work – this may be a sign of depression or “complicated grief.” Some of the most common reasons for this are feelings of guilt or feelings of losing a part of oneself that results in a loss of identity or sense of self.

A therapist or coach, skilled in Meridian Tapping or EFT, can be exceptionally helpful in quickly alleviating these debilitating symptoms of complicated or prolonged grief and turn things around before it becomes a state of deep depression.


Personalized Guided Meditation/ Custom-Made Self-Hypnosis CD's Available by Special Order Now!

Special 3 for the price of 1 MP3 Offer for September Only.

For the month of September, all orders for my custom-made guided meditations will include 2 bonus audios - my full Guided Mindfulness Meditation and my soon-to-be-released Sound Healing Meditation.

What is a Personalized Guided Meditation?:

This new service offers you a highly personalized, made-to-order, professional Guided Meditation/Self-Hypnosis CD, with soothing background music and voice recording. Based on your answers to an extensive (confidential) list of questions, I will customize your own unique guided meditation for your personal use. Like having your own coach or therapist with you where ever you go!

This is a powerful tool for changing your sub-conscious tapes - and replacing your negative, self-limiting, self-defeating thoughts and beliefs with positive, life-affirming, optimistic thoughts and beliefs.

By listening to your personalized guided meditation on a regular basis - preferably just before you go to sleep - every night, or at least several times a week - you will begin to see deep and lasting changes in your life.

(The music and voice are similar to the meditation audio above, except I will be talking directly to you and addressing your specific needs, issues, and goals).

Complete your confidential personal profile/qustionnaire, and order your Customized Meditation.

Learn more about the documentary Try It On Everything




Energy Psychology and Meridian Tapping (EFT)

"This may be the biggest breakthrough in Medicine and Psychology in the last century."

Dr. Dawson Church - Author of Genie in your Genes

Variously called "Energy Tapping," "Meridian Tapping Technique," and Emotional Freedom Techniques® or “EFT” - tapping is an amazing Energy Psychology technique that can be easily learned and self-applied for an enormous array of problems. It is excellent for depression, as well as virtually any emotional disturbance, phobia, fear, traumatic memory, negative thought, and even for many physical problems (including some chronic problems that may have been unsuccessfully treated for years using all sort of conventional and alternative methods).

By tapping on these electrochemical activation points, the nervous system is balanced, and the emotional center of the brain (the amygdala) ceases it's reactivity to the disturbing negative thought, image, memory, or whatever the case may be. Studies now show that tapping quickly reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol...

Learn more about Meridian Tapping and EFT

GET THE ORIGINAL EFT TRAINING DVD'S FOR A 50% DISCOUNT


EFT (Meridian Tapping) for Chronic Fatigue due to a blood disorder

If you suffer from chronic fatigue and traditional methods have not helped, try Meridian Tapping. (Please consult your medical doctor first when treating a physical illness).

Call for more information: 707-326-5566.


EFT and Energy-Coaching by Phone

Energy Tapping (Meridian Tapping), also commonly called EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) can be done both face to face with a coach or therapist, as well as by phone. Once you learn the 8 major points to tap on yourself, you can follow the coaches verbal cues and get wonderful results. In fact, sometimes it minimizes distractions and facilitates a deeper connection.

Now, with Skype and a web cam - you can even have a "face-to-face" session, just as you would if you came to my office, (and without long-distance charges).

Call today for a Free Phone (or Skype) Consultation. Results Guaranteed.

707/326-5566 or Email: BSchwarcz@sbcglobal.net

EFT-by-Phone: Energy Coaching Sessions


Learn to Meditate: You are the Key to your own hidden treasure

"What you see is nothing but your self. Call it what you like, it does not change the fact. Through the film of destiny your own light depicts pictures on the screen. You are the viewer, the light, the picture and the screen. Even the film of destiny (prarabdha) is self-selected and self-imposed. The spirit is a sport and enjoys to overcome obstacles. The harder the task the deeper and wider his self-realisation."

- Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj - Indian Saint

You always have the ability to go within and to surrender to your own Higher Self - your eternal and ever present Consciousness. Here is the source of your true happiness, bliss and contentment. That which you seek in the world is already here, within you Now.

Try my free guided meditation here and now. Just make yourself comfortable, stop what you're doing and take a 15 minute break to feed your soul:

This guided meditation audio, along with an additional segment is now available for sale on my website. You can listen to part one (the first 15 minute meditation) for free directly on the site, or by clicking the player below. The second link below will allow you to download the 15 minute meditation - yours to keep - only available for free through this newsletter.




Complete your confidential personal profile/qustionnaire, and order your Customized Meditation.


More Yogic Breathing Techniques to Supercharge and Balance You

Pranayama: Shifting Consciousness through Breath

Pranayama – literally “life-force control” – are powerful techniques for shifting your consciousness, purifying mind and body, and raising your energy. Pranayama is a core part of traditional Yoga practices. Advanced practices should only be done with a qualified teacher. Some Pranayama techniques are fairly simple to learn, and the following technique can be done as part of your daily routine, when stressed, or before sitting to meditate.

Caution: If you are diagnosed (or suspect) Bipolar Disorder, avoid intensive pranayama, and do so only with mindfulness and moderation, or with a teacher’s guidance. Do not retain (hold in) the breath for long periods of time. If you feel your energy rising too much, or your mind becomes too active, stop immediately and seek consultation. Forceful abdominal breathing should also not be done if you have high blood pressure, heart disease, hernia or gastric ulcers, without expert guidance.

Bhastrika – “Bellows Breath”

Relaxing, seated with closed eyes and straight spine, prepare first by taking a few forceful, deep breaths of equal length, both in and out, through both nostrils together. Pump the breath from the belly (diaphragm), expanding the belly out as you inhale, and snapping it back towards the spine as you exhale.

Now with the right hand, close the right nostril with the thumb. Breathe in and out forcefully but without strain, through the left nostril 10 times, using only the diaphragm. (Chest and shoulders are still). After 10 breaths, inhale slowly and deeply through the left again, this time expanding up into the chest, and hold the breath in, holding both nostrils closed. Retain the breath for a few seconds, and then exhale through the left nostril.

Repeat this for the right nostril – 10 breaths, and then inhale and hold for a few seconds, and exhale through the right.

Now with both nostrils open, breathe in and out forcefully with both sides for 10 breaths. Inhale slowly and deeply through both, hold a few seconds while closing both nostrils, and then exhale through both. This is one round. Do this for up to five rounds to start. Start with slow breaths. As you advance, breaths can become faster. Do not strain, or create excessive discomfort or pressure. Be gentle.

{If any Pranayama exercises cause you to feel faint, perspire excessively, or feel nauseated afterwards, discontinue and seek the guidance of a yoga teacher}.

More Pranayama techniques to come!

Each weekly newsletter will provide a new Pranayama or other Yogic technique to relieve stress, anxiety and depression, and transform your consciousness from darkness and heaviness, to light, peace and your natural state of joy.

Learn more Pranayama techniques - Kapalabhati, Nadi Shodhana, Surya Bheda and more


Learn more about yoga and meditation for health, happiness and vitality.




Bipolar Corner: Tip for the Day


1. Find a Support Group

A Bipolar Support Group can make a tremendous difference in the quality of you life. Even if you already have a good support system, a therapist and psychiatrist, having a group of supportive friends who really understand what it is like to live with this, can bring great peace and self-acceptance.

Good sources of groups, if you can't find one privately run in your area, is DBSA or your local NAMI chapter. If at all possible, find a group that is open to alternative approaches and not just holding to one narrow medical-model viewpoint of Bipolar treatment.

If you can't find any decent groups in your area - then consider starting your own. One possibility is to start a "meetup group." You can learn more at MeetUp.com

2. Write out a Safety Plan, listing your triggers, and you early warning signs and symptoms of mania and/or depression. It should list your support people, who you want to be involved if you have a crisis, where you want to go for help if you can't be alone, and so on.

It is important to develop a well-defined safety plan before the next episode of depression or mania. Statistics show that each time an episode occurs, it will be a shorter period until the next one, and they usually increase in intensity. Therefor prevention is critical.

When you are already depressed or manic, you will not be thinking clearly and rationally, and it may be too late to come up with a sensible bipolar safety plan at that point. So complete this at a time that you are doing fairly well. You will find it comforting to have a plan in place, and so will your loved ones.

Try this detailed Bipolar Safety Plan Worksheet.




EFT for Eliminating Depression

"Healing The Apparent Self Of The Ignorance Of The True Self Is The Ultimate Essence Of All Healing"

- Yogiraj Siddhanath -

EFT and Meridian Tapping EFT or Meridian Tapping for Depression is a broad subject, because depression means so many things for so many people. Hidden within the state of depression may be unresolved grief, unexpressed rage, toxic shame, old traumas, negative self-images, feelings of worthlessness or failure, guilt, resentment and so on.

So using Meridian Tapping to resolve Depression almost always requires some inner exploration of what is underneath it. It's ok to guess, or to do some exploratory rounds of Tapping. This often yields wonderful results - often quite unexpected. If you trust the process - just start tapping about the general state of depression:

Even though I feel so low, so fatigued, and so hopeless, I accept these feelings for the moment."

Even though I feel so helpless, I accept myself with all my imperfections."

Even though I don't know what is causing me to feel this way, I choose to accept myself anyway."

Then, just tap on each of the major points, while basically talking to yourself - naming symptoms as you become aware of them in the moment...

"I feel so shut down" "I don't know why I feel so low." "It all seems hopeless." "I don't even believe this will help." "How can this help me feel better?" "I don't know what to do with myself." "I feel sad and empty." "nothing means anything..."

Just keep going - you may need to do numerous rounds like this, naming more symptoms - more feelings and sensations as you become aware of them. Just say whatever comes to mind without filtering anything - even if it sounds like nonsense.

After at least 5 rounds, or when you feel a shift, pause, take a deep breath and notice your feelings in your body. Think about the issue that you were focusing on, and see if it looks, feels, or seems different in anyway.

It is important to understand that often, especially with exploratory tapping, when you hit on a core feeling or issue, you may unexpectedly feel an upswell of stronger emotion. You may find this to be a release, or you may find it unpleasant. Just take it as a great sign that you're on the right track. Keep on tapping until the intensity subsides. Usually just a few more rounds of tapping will bring it back down, and probably drop it to zero. Stay tuned for more EFT tips in future issues!




Don't Give Up

Every life challenge is an opportunity to awaken. There is no situation that is hopeless. Something positive, healing and transformative is possible in all circumstances, even when we can't recognize it at the time. Sometimes we forge ourselves out of the fire of suffering and loss, and it isn't until the end that we realize what a beautiful work of art has emerged within. The glory of waking up can't be experienced if you don't first accept that you are asleep.


May we all find peace. May we all know joy. May we all be liberated from fear, and released from illusions. May we all return to the Truth of our inner Light.




I value your opinions and your feedback. Please let me know if this newsletter was helpful and feel free to ask questions. I update my website regularly, so check the site for new information, and if you like what you see, let others know about it.

Wishing you health and great joy!

Ben Schwarcz


Benjamin Schwarcz, MFT is licensed psychotherapist (#mfc35606), meditation teacher, and energy coach with a private practice at 509 7th Street, Santa Rosa, CA, 95401. He can be reached at 707-326-5566.





Disclaimer:

This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. As with any drug, not all supplements are safe for all individuals and there may be risks and contraindications for people with certain conditions. Always consult a professional health care provider before before trying to treat a serious condition on your own.







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