My question to you is would that necessarily relate to you? I can understand it could be depressing if you were working in an organisation that perhaps regarded you as ‘just another cog in the wheel’. But what if you were an entrepreneur or business owner? Or what if you really loved your work? Would that be so depressing?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this…

It’s really simple and VERY beneficial. All you need is a wall…and a little time

Here’s what it looks like 

You’ll notice she is using lower back support which is great if you have it, but not everyone  uses it. I find 10 minutes is usually enough but if you have the time, another 5 minutes or so may suit you.

I mentioned it was beneficial – here’s how it can help you…

Benefits…

• Relieves   Anxiety/depression/ low mood/ headaches
• Improves adrenal function
• Insomnia- restores balance where overactivity has pushed one into this state.
• Increases energy, reduces fatigue and quietens the mind
• Increases breathing capacity – drains the upper respiratory tract
• Releases lower back and sacrum and reduces pain in overworked muscles
• Relaxes tired legs and feet. Reduces swelling
• Helps in the Relief of PMS/PMT, menopause and all hormonal imbalances
• Helps restore reproductive organs during menopause & menstruation
• Reduces Varicose Veins
• Improves Circulation and Accelerates the Cleansing of Blood and Lymph Fluids
• Enhances Oxygen Flow to the Brain and helps prevent auto-immune diseases
• Helps Reduce the Effects of Aging Caused by the Force of Gravity

The Sanskrit name is Viparita Karani, and a good time to use it is between 2.00pm and 4.00 pm, due to the tiredness or lack of motivation we can feel at this time caused by a low functioning adrenal system.

 Not sure how you’ll be able to do this at work but hey, you might start a trend!

PS My thanks to Tracy Whitton for introducing me to this pose in one of her wonderful Restorative Yoga classes on the Gold Coast.

You’ll discover …

        What makes 2012 so special?
        How to use your ‘core values ‘to power up your goals
        How Mind Maps can make planning so much easier …and fun

        Why ‘SMART’ goals are just the beginning
        The 8 Step Formula you need to ensure your goals are watertight
        Why you need to make ‘outrageous’ goals instead of ‘normal’ goals
        Where to get the support you need

Please feel free to ‘like’ the video, subscribe to my Channel, make comments and share it with others – thanks!

NB : there is a special time sensitive offer for early action takers! So grab yourself a cuppa, pen and paper and settle in for 40 + minutes of content.

Find a quiet space and give yourself about 30 minutes for this exercise. Get yourself pen
and paper or your favourite electronic gadget.

You want to develop 3 different lists:

1.    What you want to leave behind from 2011…

It could be painful experiences, loss, sadness, frustrations, constraints, lost opportunities, guilt, suffering etc. Either draw a Mind Map it or make bullet points. Pour it all out! You don’t have to share this with anyone so go for it.

2.    The gems from 2011…

Nothing is ever lost, no matter what the experience. What we can do is maximize the wisdom we collect on our path though life. Reflect on the insights, lessons learned from the past year, especially from the items in your first list.  Be deeply honest with yourself and let go of blaming others. Take full responsibility for your part in any situations and look at yourself through ‘eyes of compassion’. If life has handed you ‘lemons’ this is where you make lemonade!

3.    What you want in 2012…

If you haven’t recently evaluated your core values, then here’s an exercise you can do before this part of your list making. Once you have your list of 5 core values, think about the coming year and what you’d really like to create for yourself and your family. Take some time to ‘dream’ and put mental, emotional and spiritual thought into what you really want to focus on and achieve in 2012.

List all the areas of your life that are meaningful to you. It could cover love, health, wealth, family, social, financial, career, fitness, spiritual practices; whatever fits in your priorities and values.

Write a paragraph or two about how your life will be experienced. State it in the present tense and in first person. Reflect on it. Edit it if you need until you arrive at the ‘essence’ of what you are willing to achieve and experience.

Place it somewhere you can see it every day. Let it guide and inspire you.

Finally take the first list and burn it.

That was the past.

It’s time now to move into a New Year with a clean and wiser slate!

I’d love to hear what rituals and processes you like to do at this time of year!

1. Spend quality ‘time out’ with family and friends. While this holiday season may be potentially stressful, it’s really important to enjoy time with family and friends. Use it to regenerate yourself. Dis-connect from the pressure of work. Put it all on ‘pause’ for a few
days or weeks. Have fun with the kids and take time out for yourself.

2. Assess your nutritional, exercise and health needs over the Christmas break. This is the perfect time to work ‘on’ your life rather than getting caught up ‘in’ your life. Think about how to ‘recover’ your energy and vitality.

3. Plan family fun events into 2012. Time can pass so quickly some times and unless you plan holidays in advance, they may not happen at all. Talk to your family about what appeals to them and how they can help in budgeting and saving. Kids love being involved in this type of activity and it teaches them so many skills along the way.

4. Connect with your core values again. Remind yourself why you are here on the planet and what your part is. Think big picture and legacy.

5. Dream. We tend to spend so little time engaged in this most valuable of exercises. Take pen and paper (no, not computer or any electronic gadget), find a place of stillness and dream of how you’d love 2012 to be. Plant the seeds for your up-coming future.

If you would like a simple exercise to uncover your ‘core values’ check this out. It’s free!

They made simple mistakes when they were tired, which cost them time. Under more pressure, they worked even harder, getting little or no sleep to make up for the lost time due to their mistakes. It just got worse and worse as they battled on. I saw the ‘law of diminishing returns’ being played out in front of my eyes.

The message was clear and simple. Have more breaks if you want to achieve peak performance.

In the Harvard Business Review, Tony Schwartz, author of ‘Be Excellent at Anything’ states, ‘Stress isn’t the enemy in the workplace. Indeed, stress is the only means by which we can expand capacity. Just think about weightlifting. By stressing your muscles, and then recovering, you gradually build strength. Our real enemy is the absence of intermittent renewal.’

He cites a study by performance expert Anders Ericcson did of violinists at the Berlin Academy of Music. The best of the violinists practiced in sessions no longer than 90 minutes, and took a break in between each one. They almost never practiced more than 4 ½ hours over a day. The top violinists also got an average of more than 8 hours of sleep a night, and took a 20-30 minute nap every afternoon.

Here’s a quick tip…

Work for periods up to (but no longer) than 90 minutes, and then take a 15-20 minute break. Why? Because your brain will use up more glucose than any other bodily activity and after 90 minutes, most of that will be used up.

Recharge every 90 minutes by drinking water, enjoying healthy nutrients and getting some fresh air, and you’ll be good for another productive stretch.

This group comprised some of the best minds in their field, whether it be medicine, social sciences or physics.  You could guess that they would respond by remarking, ‘When I’m deeply involved in a project at work’ or ‘When I’m at the lab.’

But no.

Each responded that they got their best ideas when they were away from work, perhaps
during a walk or having a shower. In other words, when their minds were relaxed and focused on other, often mundane, activities.

You may have experienced something similar yourself. You immerse yourself fully into some project and your busy mind plays with ideas, concepts and theories. At some stage you take a break and bingo! The solution you had been searching hard to find, just pops into your mind. Simple, easy.

The takeaway from this story? Build regular breaks into your work cycle. Take time to smell the roses and you’ll come up trumps!

Let me know your favourite way to recharge your batteries.