Many people in my life have given me feedback that I put out a very positive and happy vibe.  I would say that I am typically a glass half full kind of person and I always try and make lemonade out of lemons, but this is a choice.  I choose to see the good and take in the good as much as I can and this tends to make my life and my experiences happier.

Rick Hanson, author of the “Buddha’s Brain” states that the brain is like Velcro for negative experiences, but Teflon for positive ones.  Therefore, until we train the mind, it might actually be more natural to NOT see the good.  Keep reading to find out what 3 tools he recommends and a personal experience of my own with seeing the good.

In your own mind, what do you usually think about at the end of the day? The fifty things that went right, or the one that went wrong? Like the guy who cut you off in traffic, what you wish you had said differently to a co-worker, or the one thing on your To Do list that didn’t get done . . .

How would you like to start seeing and taking more of the good in NOW?

1.  Look for good facts, and turn them into good experiences.

Good facts include positive events – like the taste of good coffee or getting an unexpected compliment – and positive aspects of the world and yourself. When you notice something good, let yourself feel good about it.

Try to do this at least a half dozen times a day. There are lots of opportunities to notice good events, and you can always recognize good things about the world and yourself. Each time takes just 30 seconds or so. It’s private; no one needs to know you are taking in the good. You can do it on the fly in daily life, or at special times of reflection, like just before falling asleep (when the brain is especially receptive to new learning).

2.  Really enjoy the experience.

Most of the time, a good experience is pretty mild, and that’s fine. But try to stay with it for 20 or 30 seconds in a row – instead of getting distracted by something else.

3. Intend and sense that the good experience is sinking into you.

People do this in different ways. Some feel it in their body like a warm glow spreading through their chest like the warmth of a cup of hot cocoa on a cold wintry day. Others visualize things like a golden syrup sinking down inside, bringing good feelings and soothing old places of hurt, filling in old holes of loss or yearning.  And some might simply know conceptually, that while this good experience is held in awareness, its neurons are firing busily away, and gradually wiring together.

My own story of seeing the good….

In the last few years, I have made a commitment to spend a few weeks a year in silence.  I find this a wonderful practice to gain more insight into my mind and heart.  As I teach mindfulness to many people, I also find it helps me to become a better teacher and deepens my own practice more and more.
This July I spent a week of retreat at Spirit Rock, which is located in Woodacre, CA.  Spirit Rock is unique as a meditation center because you can’t be there and not be surrounded by nature, mountains, and the many creatures that inhabit the grounds.  At the base of Spirit Rock there is a horse stable, with 4 enlightened horses .

It is always a highlight during a walking meditation period or after a meal to visit the horses. If I am lucky, the horses will usually come over and let me pet them and we have a mindful moment together of connection.

I decided this particular morning of the retreat to come to visit the horses bringing an apple with me from my recent breakfast.  Both horses came over to me not having seen my apple yet, and it was a treat to be able to get to vist with each of them.  It was a definite boost to my day.  Unfortunately, I only had one apple.
On my way back up to the meditation center from the horses, I saw the turkey vultures, which are infamous visitors at Spirit Rock.  I stopped and watched a small gathering of 3 vultures away from me.  I decided to mimmick the pace of the vultures and walk with them.  I slowed my pace to theirs and all 4 of us were walking along very mindful and very slowly.  I teach walking meditation, but had never done it this way (the turkey way).

It was such a delightful morning and it made me think that I had the intention of bringing an apple to the horses and just by having the intention to give or be friendly, a whole world of gifts came back to me.
It is just another reminder that if we incline our minds toward the good and kind we may even have more awareness of what is good and kind.
Oh what a morning!

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Let’s get ready for summer! Many people always ask me, how they can keep up their exercise and healthy routines even while on vacation.  Well, I am going to teach you how.  I have just returned from one week in Costa Rica and thought I would share with you what I did to keep up my health and exercise routines.

Here are 8 tips to help you stay successful while on vacation.

1. Stay active.  Bring your workout clothes and running or walking shoes and find and plan ways to be active.  For me, I woke up and  practiced yoga every morning, found a nearby beach to walk and ran  or hiked most days. For strength training, I did push ups, dips, crunches, squats and lunges a few days during the week.

2. Eat smaller meals throughout the day and don’t skip breakfast.

3. Eat more fruits and vegetables. When I was in Costa Rica, I was able to try a lot of fresh fruit such as mango, papaya, pineapple, and get salads.  I tried to stay away from too much juice and fruit punch since it has more sugar and calories. However, fresh fruit is a great choice.

4. Eat healthy snacks. Start before you even get on the plane, by  bringing some healthy snacks for the plane ride.  You can also bring healthy snacks for your trip  or pick up healthy snacks once you get to your local destination.  When I got to Costa Rica, we frequented the local supermarket and bought some light yogurts, dried fruit, almonds, and apples as staples for the week.  The 5-7 servings a day rule is always a good goal to aim for.

5. Eat when you’re hungry. A good guideline whether you are on vacation or not is to match your food intake with your activity expenditure,.  You will find that you will usually be hungrier if you do more activity and less hungry if you do less activity.  You might ask yourself, “Am I really hungry?”

6. Exercise portion and indulgence control. Just because you are in a place that offers exquisite desserts, special cuisines, or alcohol doesn’t mean you have to partake in it all everyday.  You are on vacation, but you are still exercising good decisions around your health and meals.  A great practice might be too choose a few days that you will indulge a little more and really enjoy it and then eat healthily the rest of the days.

7. Rest and Relaxation. Sometimes when we go on vacation we can often feel like we need a vacation from our vacation. One way to schedule some R&R is to book a massage during your trip.  A way that I did this was to book my massage the last night before my trip home.  It was such a wonderful way to end the trip and made sure my muscles would be well rested before the long plane ride home.

8. Gratitude. Often our vacations can feel like they are going by so fast.  One way to prolong our enjoyment is to practice gratitude.  For me, my practice was waking up every morning and taking time to relish my natural surroundings.  For the last 10 years, I have begun my day with a short yoga practice.  While in Costa Rica, I brought my attention in this practice to the beauty around me, I was thankful for the quiet and spaciousness, and appreciative of the new adventures that I would get to experience that day.

To help get yourself in shape for summer and your next healthy vacation, check out IW’s outdoor fitness classes, starting up again this April.  For more information click here: http://www.intuitivelywell.com/body.html#outdoor

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