Today's DailyOM Offerings...
December 13, 2011
High Focus: Activate Lucid Thinking
Kelly Howell
2003
Brain Sync founder Kelly Howell is the personification of the “Teacher, heal thyself” principal. This pioneer in healing and mind expansion discovered the power of meditation through a freak accident. At 22, Howell was hit with a plethora of devastating occurrences: her marriage and health failed, and she lost her mother to cancer. To combat what would seem like imminent negativity, she recorded meditations and would play them to herself before bed. Aside from lulling her to sleep, the positive effects were seen very quickly. She ambitiously embarked on a quest to develop her own auditory healing tools, through voracious research and countless tapes made for family and friends. Her 1986 release Slim Forever remains a success today, and since then Howell has consulted with everyone from musicians, therapists, and neuroscientists to create the perfect sonic-healing mechanism. To date, her Brainwave Therapy is used to treat and cure depression, insomnia, obesity, and a! ddiction in a wealth of hospitals and by therapists nationwide.
Each one of her over 60 releases has a different meditative focus. Her 2003 release High Focus is meant to help focus and quicken the mind, allowing the listener to perform any task faster and with more alertness. Howell incorporates the belief of the Nobel Prize-winning scientist Sir Francis Crick that the brain responds best to a 40hz brainwave frequency. The resulting sounds aid the listener in arduous tasks, work, and preparing for high stress, high concentration events like athletic competitions. The record is comprised of two approximately half-hour segments. The first one is “Ambience & Beta Brain Wave Therapy,” which uses a deep, slow, subtly varying tone (the sonic base for the whole record), adding just enough texture to keep the mind from wandering off. Vibrations within the tone, as well as distant sounds of waves and the familiar sound of crickets, all add elements of comfort and delicate layers that permeate the subconscious.
The second segment is “Music & Beta Brain Wave Therapy.” It uses a similar concept of a single tone but builds on it to embrace musicality and its healing effects. The variations in the tone are slightly less subtle than in the first segment but by no means intrusive. At times, it seems like two tones blending seamlessly together and alternating fluidly. The cricket noises are still present, as is a cloud of synthesizers, which help release catecholamines, which in turn boost memory and increase concentration, all done with an incredibly light and gentle hand.
December 13, 2011
Grounded in Certainty
Sagittarius Daily Horoscope
A feeling of quiet confidence may come over you today. As you spend time with people, you may find that you feel good whenever you express your thoughts and opinions. Because your self-worth feels solid, you may be more assertive and outgoing than usual when interacting with others. This might be a good time to approach your boss to ask for additional responsibility or go out on the town to meet new friends. Your extroverted attitude and willingness to be yourself could help you stay true to your values when discussing challenging topics with others or striking up conversations with individuals whom you normally find intimidating. If you've been meaning to initiate a difficult conversation with someone, today may be a favorable day to do so.
When you feel sure of yourself, it's easy to feel confident, calm, and grounded when interacting with others. Many of us get flustered when speaking to people because we desire approval so strongly, or we fear that our thoughts and opinions will be misconstrued. When you get your approval from yourself, you don't need to seek it from others, and you can be free to be authentic in your interactions. You'll also believe in the validity of your ideas. You'll never be tempted to compare yourself to others, and you will have little difficulty spending time around people whose opinions differ from your own. The self-assurance you feel today will help you enjoy yourself and connect with people of all kinds.
December 13, 2011
Constructive Connections
Sharing with Your Neighbors
If you are craving community look to your own neighbors to forge new relationships and build something new together.
Many of our relationships can be fleeting or do not deepen past a superficial level, yet these connections, as trivial as they can seem, often have the potential to grow into something much more essential. When we crave community, we should focus our attention on these casual acquaintances. To forge a bond with neighbors, we need to work together with them so that we have a context from which to begin a more mature relationship. Sharing tasks that are part of living can be a wonderful way to become a part of a larger community, make new friends, and lighten the workloads of everyone involved.
Creating a network of neighbors who agree to pool certain resources and share daily duties can be as easy as taking the initiative. If you are willing to take the first step by reaching out to the individuals and families who share your building or your street, you will likely find that others are receptive to the notion. Starting small, with just a few people, can help you orchestrate a smoothly running system. Together, you will need to decide what chores you want to do communally and what resources can be shared. Ideas for community sharing are child care, errands, housework, keeping a joint garden, cooking for the group, and carpooling. For instance, if you cook large meals for four neighbors once a week, you take off four nights after that. As you grow to trust one another, you can begin adding new members to your evolving network or introducing new tasks to your shared roster of duties.
Actions speak louder than words, so working closely with neighbors to ensure the well-being of the group can be a wonderful way to build a sense of community in your locale. Not everyone you approach will be open to the idea of becoming a part of a network of sharing. As you connect with those who do appreciate the merits of such a system, you will discover that others are just as eager as you are to create interpersonal connections that are defined by substance.
High Focus: Activate Lucid Thinking
Kelly Howell
2003
Brain Sync founder Kelly Howell is the personification of the “Teacher, heal thyself” principal. This pioneer in healing and mind expansion discovered the power of meditation through a freak accident. At 22, Howell was hit with a plethora of devastating occurrences: her marriage and health failed, and she lost her mother to cancer. To combat what would seem like imminent negativity, she recorded meditations and would play them to herself before bed. Aside from lulling her to sleep, the positive effects were seen very quickly. She ambitiously embarked on a quest to develop her own auditory healing tools, through voracious research and countless tapes made for family and friends. Her 1986 release Slim Forever remains a success today, and since then Howell has consulted with everyone from musicians, therapists, and neuroscientists to create the perfect sonic-healing mechanism. To date, her Brainwave Therapy is used to treat and cure depression, insomnia, obesity, and a! ddiction in a wealth of hospitals and by therapists nationwide.
Each one of her over 60 releases has a different meditative focus. Her 2003 release High Focus is meant to help focus and quicken the mind, allowing the listener to perform any task faster and with more alertness. Howell incorporates the belief of the Nobel Prize-winning scientist Sir Francis Crick that the brain responds best to a 40hz brainwave frequency. The resulting sounds aid the listener in arduous tasks, work, and preparing for high stress, high concentration events like athletic competitions. The record is comprised of two approximately half-hour segments. The first one is “Ambience & Beta Brain Wave Therapy,” which uses a deep, slow, subtly varying tone (the sonic base for the whole record), adding just enough texture to keep the mind from wandering off. Vibrations within the tone, as well as distant sounds of waves and the familiar sound of crickets, all add elements of comfort and delicate layers that permeate the subconscious.
The second segment is “Music & Beta Brain Wave Therapy.” It uses a similar concept of a single tone but builds on it to embrace musicality and its healing effects. The variations in the tone are slightly less subtle than in the first segment but by no means intrusive. At times, it seems like two tones blending seamlessly together and alternating fluidly. The cricket noises are still present, as is a cloud of synthesizers, which help release catecholamines, which in turn boost memory and increase concentration, all done with an incredibly light and gentle hand.
December 13, 2011
Grounded in Certainty
Sagittarius Daily Horoscope
A feeling of quiet confidence may come over you today. As you spend time with people, you may find that you feel good whenever you express your thoughts and opinions. Because your self-worth feels solid, you may be more assertive and outgoing than usual when interacting with others. This might be a good time to approach your boss to ask for additional responsibility or go out on the town to meet new friends. Your extroverted attitude and willingness to be yourself could help you stay true to your values when discussing challenging topics with others or striking up conversations with individuals whom you normally find intimidating. If you've been meaning to initiate a difficult conversation with someone, today may be a favorable day to do so.
When you feel sure of yourself, it's easy to feel confident, calm, and grounded when interacting with others. Many of us get flustered when speaking to people because we desire approval so strongly, or we fear that our thoughts and opinions will be misconstrued. When you get your approval from yourself, you don't need to seek it from others, and you can be free to be authentic in your interactions. You'll also believe in the validity of your ideas. You'll never be tempted to compare yourself to others, and you will have little difficulty spending time around people whose opinions differ from your own. The self-assurance you feel today will help you enjoy yourself and connect with people of all kinds.
December 13, 2011
Constructive Connections
Sharing with Your Neighbors
If you are craving community look to your own neighbors to forge new relationships and build something new together.
Many of our relationships can be fleeting or do not deepen past a superficial level, yet these connections, as trivial as they can seem, often have the potential to grow into something much more essential. When we crave community, we should focus our attention on these casual acquaintances. To forge a bond with neighbors, we need to work together with them so that we have a context from which to begin a more mature relationship. Sharing tasks that are part of living can be a wonderful way to become a part of a larger community, make new friends, and lighten the workloads of everyone involved.
Creating a network of neighbors who agree to pool certain resources and share daily duties can be as easy as taking the initiative. If you are willing to take the first step by reaching out to the individuals and families who share your building or your street, you will likely find that others are receptive to the notion. Starting small, with just a few people, can help you orchestrate a smoothly running system. Together, you will need to decide what chores you want to do communally and what resources can be shared. Ideas for community sharing are child care, errands, housework, keeping a joint garden, cooking for the group, and carpooling. For instance, if you cook large meals for four neighbors once a week, you take off four nights after that. As you grow to trust one another, you can begin adding new members to your evolving network or introducing new tasks to your shared roster of duties.
Actions speak louder than words, so working closely with neighbors to ensure the well-being of the group can be a wonderful way to build a sense of community in your locale. Not everyone you approach will be open to the idea of becoming a part of a network of sharing. As you connect with those who do appreciate the merits of such a system, you will discover that others are just as eager as you are to create interpersonal connections that are defined by substance.