September 2007 Newsletter

An Inspirational Quote

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

How To Have More Energy
by Catherine Carrigan, catherine@totalfitness.net

"Most people just think and think and think. Scientists have discovered that when people spend a lot of time worrying, their upper (in the head) brain uses a lot of energy. They say that the upper brain can use up 80 percent of the body's energy, leaving only 20 percent for the organs." Mantak Chia, Taoist Cosmic Healing.

One of the most common complaints that we hear from new clients at Total Fitness is lack of energy.

"I want to work out but I am too tired," many people report.

James, Nina and I run scientific lab tests on adrenal gland function, and indeed, we find many clients in the advanced stages of stress. Much healing needs to take place in order to lose weight, feel happy or have the energy to exercise consistently.

Although there may be many reasons for this, including eating processed, microwaved junk food and not getting enough sleep, you may not have considered the role of your attitude. When we choose to heal our body or improve our body composition, attitude is equally important as exercise, rest and nutrition.

Just consider the body building equation: B=ExAxRxN. Your Body Equals Your Exercise Times Your Attitude Times Your Rest Times Your Nutrition.

If you remember from basic math, if you multiply any number times zero you get nothing - no result.

In other words, to be successful at improving your body, your program must include a balance of exercise, attitude, rest and nutrition. If you fail to address any of these areas, you will not succeed.

Knowing what works for your body and your metabolism is an art form in and of itself. Ask James, Nina or I to help you create a Total Fitness program that will address your specific needs in each area.

But let's get back to attitude.

All joy is a present-moment phenomenon.

The same thing holds true for energy. If you want to have more energy - or even just enough to follow through with a consistent exercise program - you have to pull your energy back into the present moment.

That is because energy is like water. It needs to flow. If water is blocked, it doesn't flow. If water is congested, the flow is sluggish. If water meets resistance, it can experience turbulence.

Ask yourself:

1. How much of my energy is tied up in the past? This is blocked energy, akin to all your money being tied up in past debts, so you can't use it. Or it's sluggish energy, filled with negative emotions that slow you down.
2. How much of my energy is available in the present? This is flowing energy, that you can use now.
3. How much of my energy am I projecting into the future? This is resistance, and you are creating turbulence for yourself rather than going with the flow and allowing.

Recently, I had a client whose energy picture looked like this:

Although this individual was eating organic food, taking the finest supplements, getting enough sleep and visiting Atlanta's most accomplished practitioners, she continued to experience huge energy problems. She was overstimulated and exhausted mentally and physically. My recommendation was to simply stop doing so much.

When our energy is tied up in the past, we are lost in grief, regret and guilt. To move forward, we have to realize it is essential to let go of all that no longer serves us to make the space for beneficial change.

When we project our energy into the future, we are bound up with FEAR, also known as False Evidence Appearing Real. We imagine everything that could possibly go wrong, rather than keeping our attention on making choices in the present (experiencing the beautiful day, going to bed on time, saying no to donuts) that would actually create the future we really want.

1. Realize that if you want more energy, you must pull your spirit back into the present moment. Assess what percent of the time you're actually in the NOW.
2. Work with a skilled practitioner on letting go. Congestion can occur physically (blocked arteries, a messy office), emotionally (sustained grief) or spiritually (inability to forgive oneself for past mistakes). Whether you require a secretary, therapist or priest, find someone who can help you release all you no longer need to create the space for change to enter.
3. Engage in practices that bring your energy into the present moment. These may include meditation, yoga, qi gong or any mind-body exercise that requires your present moment attention.
4. Ask yourself what your payoff is for remaining in fear. Most of the time, through deeper inquiry, you'll discover there is some part of you that is trying to stay safe. That is because the role of the ego is to keep you safe. Your soul, on the other hand, requires ecstatic experience of the great richness of life and wants to continue to evolve.
5. Train your mind. Yogis say an untrained mind is like a herd of wild horses. This is especially true of many highly intelligent people. Many of my smartest clients are ironically too mentally quick for their own mental health and end up driving themselves crazy. Realize that any experience can be an ecstatic experience - whether you are mopping the floor, stuck in traffic on the interstate or playing with your pet - you can choose to focus on the pleasant sensations of the present moment. Practice on focusing on what you are doing while you are doing it.
6. Observe your pet. Even though the life of your dog or cat is probably much less complex, it will be obvious to you that he or she may be experiencing far more joy. Learn to cope like a cat - take a nap when you get stressed.
7. Finally, call your spirit back. If you notice yourself replaying old pictures of the past or projecting worry about your future, command your spirit back to the NOW. Wiggle your fingers. Wiggle your toes. Breathe. Know that in this moment some part of you is already experiencing unconditional love, safety and the blessing of being in a body fully alive. Even as you are healing, even if your life is not yet perfect, it is possible for you to experience happiness.

A=Attitude. Best attitude includes present moment attention.

Making Change Permanent, Part 2
by James Williams, james@totalfitness.net

Ideally, if we could change with as little effort as possible, we'd set a goal in our heads, go to sleep and wake up the next morning ready to act it out.

But wait! Some people might want to start their new eating plan, exercise regime, or quit drinking or smoking on a Monday. Have you ever heard someone say "I'll start it on Monday?" Individuals subscribing to this mindset would wait until Sunday night to program their change into their heads so that they could continue to do what they want until then

But why wait until Monday to make a change you really want? If you want to make a change in your life start it now because the unconscious part of you that controls most of your behaviour lives in the now - not next Monday. So why are you waiting?

If you've heard yourself say "I'll wait until Monday", then write down the reasons why you want to wait until Monday. These will be initial indicators of your barriers to change. Then keep asking yourself "why" or "how" questions to each of these reasons to uncover some of the deeper underlying reasons that are causing you to procrastinate.

The answers you wrote down are related to beliefs that are restraining you from making a change now. We'll call them barrier beliefs.

Creating successful and lasting outer change in your life, i.e., eating healthily and being slimmer, necessitates inner change and revisions of your barrier beliefs. Writing down these beliefs contributes to helping you to change at the mental level of your being. However, beliefs are intimately entwined with your emotions.

Society has been so focused on the intellect for the past 400 years that we have ignored the importance of our emotions from a cultural and societal standpoint. To appear civilized, we have even encouraged their suppression in order to appear rational and level-headed. People are scared of emotions because they seem uncontrollable - like a monster penned in a cage. Well, if you keep an innocent monster behind a cage it may well feel pretty mad every once a while and might act in an uncontrollable way to try to break free. The same applies to your emotions. If you keep them inside and don't tactfully express how you feel when you first feel them, they tend to burst out uncontrollably at some future time and we may do or say things we later regret.

When we experience an event that has some emotional intensity, the emotion and our beliefs about the event are cemented into our personal unconscious if we don't resolve the conflict. If we're re-experiencing an emotionally intense event, existing beliefs and emotions are reaffirmed, which strengthens a habit - making it harder to change, but not impossible.

Because your unconscious functions only in the present moment, the beliefs and emotions associated with unresolved conflicts you experienced throughout your life are still running - like the windows of computer programs that have been minimized.

When people neglect resolving their relationship problems, as well as not making peace with themselves, they accumulate conflicts, pent-up emotions, and unhelpful beliefs during their lifetime. Holding on to more and more of these makes it difficult to keep them minimized and eventually you experience emotions very often because they pop-up like a Jack-in-the box. This is your unconscious trying to tell you that you need to resolve some issues. If we ignore the gentle reminders, they pop-up again and again.

When we fail to resolve our issues at a deep level, depression or anxiety may result. If you've got lots of conflicts running in your unconscious because of all the unresolved barrier beliefs and intense emotions you've experienced, your chances of lasting success are slim - unless you get the right kind of help. One tool we use at Total Fitness to resolve the conflicts that block successful change is kinesiology. Kinesiology can help you identify what's really holding you back on any level of your being - physical, energetic, emotional, mental or spiritual.

Another resource that we use here at Total Fitness is flower essences from all over the world. Flower essences help to bring subconscious patterns to the conscious level and transform old patterns that no longer serve you to more beneficial ways of thinking, feeling and acting.

However you've lived your life before, change is possible provided you integrate all four aspects of your being. Use your mind to set ongoing goals and understand what you're doing and why. Your emotional self provides the motivation through the power of feeling your emotions. Additionally, you have to put some physical effort into achieving your goal, which means acting out the behaviors to make your goal happen. Finally, we must remember our connection with our spirit or God. This is where we use the element of faith to let go and trust that our desired goal will happen, or we'll get an even better outcome instead!

If you would like to read the full version of part 2 of this article which contains lots more information, ask James for it by emailing him at: James@TotalFitness.net

Total Fitness Offers Cosmic Healing Qi Gong
by Catherine Carrigan, catherine@totalfitness.net

Total Fitness is pleased to offer Cosmic Healing Qi Gong, a series of simple postures and movements for absoring and discharging chi, the life force energy that permeates the universe.

Although I have been teaching qi gong for some time, I was eager to learn this form after having qi gong expert Lee Holden, author of Seven Minutes of Magic, on Total Fitness radio show.

Lee is a long-time student of Mantak Chia, author of Awaken the Healing Light of the Tao, and has ghost written or co-authored a number of his manuals.

Our qi gong class consists of:

• Stretching movements, to disperse stagnant chi
• Flowing movements, to regulate, balance and increase your energy
• Meditation, to help you store chi and relax

In qi gong, a "form" is a term that describes a series of prescribed movements. Just as there are specific movement patterns that make up the dance forms of a waltz or a tango, and there are thousands of different kinds of dances, there are literally thousands of forms of qi gong.

Some of these forms are more vigorous and are used for martial arts. Other forms are gentler and are used for healing or spiritual growth.

Cosmic Healing Qi Gong can help you with:

• Psychic protection, so you don't absorb negativity from others
• Self healing, for a variety of mental and physical ailments
• Increased energy and relaxation for all those who suffer from stress and exhaustion
• Increased healing abilities for those who wish to be of service to others
• Long life and good health

Most of the forms of qi gong I have taught in our class have felt like traditional exercise. Cosmic Healing Qi Gong is a quieter internal art that we practice as a standing meditation at the end of class.

If you are new to qi gong and want to learn more about it, know that our practice focuses on five principles:

1. Relaxation, which balances the Water element in your body.
2. Resiliency, building a balance of strength and flexibility. Resiliency is an important concept to consider for all those who want to achieve Total Fitness. If you become too strong, such as from excessive weight training, you may become inflexible. If you become too loose, as from excessive stretching, you may lose strength. In qi gong, we strive for this balance of strength and flexibility, which we call resiliency. Resiliency balances the Wood element in your body.
3. Enjoyment, which balances the Fire element. It's important to have fun no matter what form of exercise you choose because not liking what you do creates stagnant chi. Learn to play as you live life and exercise and you'll never have to "work" in your workout ever again.
4. Center, which balances the Earth element. We move from the core to develop physical, emotional and spiritual balance.
5. Energy, which balances the Air element. We exercise in ways that give us even more energy than when we started. Does YOUR workout leave you feeling energized?

Join us every Wednesday from 5:30-7 p.m. as we practice outside in the garden at 1951 Northside Drive, weather permitting. If you are unable to join our class, ask me about private instruction.

Make Money Selling Total Fitness Radio Shows

Fitness and Wellness Professionals, Web Managers, Alert: Make Money Selling Total Fitness Radio Shows.

If you are a fitness or health and wellness professional or manage a website, ask us how you can profit from selling copies of Total Fitness radio show to your clients and customers. Just email James@totalfitness.net. This is a win-win collaboration - you get to share the latest in fitness, nutrition and natural healing to people who need this information while making money for your business.

10 Top Reasons Total Fitness Radio Shows Are A MUST Have!

1. Better understand your body and your health - and you can put it on your iPod or Mp3 player
2. Receive practical health and fitness tips which you can use in everyday life
3. Save time. Listen to a 45-minute review of the topic, rather than read several books that give you the same information!
4. Save money. No need to purchase several books - you can have the information you need for just $5.99 per show
5. Mp3 files take up no room, unlike books on a shelf
6. Make your own compilations and choose what you want to listen to
7. Convenient Mp3 files go wherever you go - just bring along your Mp3 player
8. No commercial breaks
9. Save the environment - no paper no deforestation
10. Improve your life. The information in our shows will help you to decide what you need to do next to achieve your health and fitness goals

Upcoming Guests, Total Fitness Radio Show

Tune in every Friday at 7 a.m. PST/10 a.m. EST for the latest edition of Total Fitness. Have your fitness, nutrition and healing questions answered for FREE by Catherine and James and our guest experts by calling toll-free, 1-866-472-5792, during the LIVE broadcast.

Afterwards, listen to the archives for FREE, 24/7, by visiting this link: http://www.totalfitness.net/radio_show_past_shows.htm

Sept. 28: Dr. Loren Cordain -, author of The Paleo Diet - "How To Eat Like A Caveman and Lose Weight"
Oct. 5 Bernie Siegel M.D., author of Love, Medicine, and Miracles - "Emotions and Cancer."
Oct. 12: Dr. Nat Tindel, author, I've got Your Back: The Truth About Spine Surgery Straight From A Surgeon - "Why You Should Avoid Back Surgery"
Oct. 19: Catherine Carrigan and James Williams - "The Total Fitness Approach To Exercise"
Oct. 26: Tosca Reno, author of The Butt Book - "How To Shape A Better Rear End"

Remember, you can listen to the archives of our previous shows for FREE, 24/7. Or, purchase copies to listen to on your iPod or MP3 player while you exercise or driving in your car from our webstore.

Yoga and Qi Gong Classes in Atlanta

Yoga Classes: Every Tuesday and Thursday, 7:30 p.m.
Holy Spirit Catholic Church
4465 Northside Drive, Atlanta, GA.
$15 per class or $65 per calendar month.

Qi Gong Class: Every Wednesday, 5:30 p.m.
1951 Northside Drive, Atlanta, GA. $15 per class.

Booking appointments with Total Fitness

To schedule an appointment to find out about a personalized fitness, nutrition or healing program that will help you get results, please contact us:

In Atlanta

Catherine Carrigan catherine@totalfitness.net

James Williams james@totalfitness.net

In California

Nina Lynn nina@totalfitness.net

You can also visit us on the web at www.totalfitness.net