Ilchi Lee

All of this may seem too good to be true. The reason that you may not so easily believe in this method is simple: you don’t really believe in yourself. In order to convince you of this method, I must first convince you to believe fully in yourself. You may have a decent amount of self-confidence and a relatively high level of self-esteem, at least in the conventional psychological sense. But if you are like most people, you have no idea how much power you really possess.

At some point in humanity’s ancient past, it seems that we stopped believing in our own inherent power. Many of the world’s mythologies speak of a time during which all humanity lived in harmony with itself and the Earth. Disharmony came when people collectively agreed that power comes from some where outside themselves. They invented gods and kings and fought over which one should be given supremacy. All the power they needed already existed within them, but unfortunately they had forgotten this.

Children often lack the words needed to verbalize the stress they feel, and their physical and emotional symptoms may be very different from an adult’s, Physically, children manifest stomachaches and headaches in response to stress, or they may have trouble sleeping. Emotionally, they may be prone to outbursts about seemingly petty things, situations unrelated to the actual cause of stress. Also, you may find that they have become very suddenly shy or introverted.

As with so many human problems, communication offers many solutions for stress. Make it clear to your children that they can talk to you about any problem freely and openly. No matter how small a problem may seem to your adult ears, listen with openness and acceptance. A child may hide a problem if he or she feels it will disappoint you. So demonstrate to your child that your love is unconditional, and that you are honored to help your child in this way. Make it clear that no problem is too small or too embarrassing to be dealt with honestly and sincerely.

Adults sometimes mistakenly think that kids have no experience of stress and tension. This is far from the truth. Kids are under a lot of pressure to compete in school, to maintain a desirable status with their peers, and to live up to parental expectations. To top it off, family situations are often unstable, leaving them with little sense of foundation and centeredness. Doctors report that the incidence of serious anxiety disorders is on the rise, and that now as many as 10 percent of children suffer from these problems.

It is a mistake to wait until adulthood to begin teaching stress management. By this time, negative habits may be very deeply ingrained. As a parent, you might think of yourself as your child’s stress-management coach. Very naturally, your child will look to you for ways to cope with the many difficult issues that are part of life.

So, first become a good role model to your children. The ways you choose to handle stress in your own life are likely to be mimicked by your children. If you need to, change the ways you react to stress and find ways to release stress, such as breathing and meditation. If you ‘incorporate these things into your daily life, your children will consider them a nomad and natural part of life.

These simple drawing activities provide a couple of very valuable benefits. First, they increase hand-eye coordination, and second, they create a meditative rhythm that helps to soothe and calm the brain waves. Don’t forget to switch hands to develop the non-dominant side of the brain.

Infinity Drawing:

This exercise can be used as a calming meditation and to help children focus more clearly.

01. Illustrate to the child what a “lazy eight” infinity symbol looks like.

02. Draw the infinity symbol with a crayon. Preferably, use large paper so the child’s whole arm can move, not just the wrist. Keep tracing the symbol for several minutes until the movement is smooth and balanced.

03. Now, switch hands and keep tracing. If you like, switch crayon color. Continue until the movement is smooth and relaxed. Optionally, try drawing the infinity with eyes closed.

The following exercises help create better communication between left and right sides of the brain by using the left and right hands at the same time. These can be difficult at first, so be patient and practice regularly.

Tap and Sweep:

01. Tap your right fist on the right side of your chest while your left hand sweeps up and down on the left side.

02. Now switch sides, your right hand sweeping and your left fist tapping.

03. See how fast you can switch back and forth

Itsy Bitsy Brainy:

01. Put your thumbs and index fingers together, as in the game “Itsy Bitsy Spider.” Your right index finger should be on your left thumb, and your left index finger on your right thumb.

02. Now, separate the bottom thumb and finger and swing them up over the top thumb and finger, touching them together again. Repeat this action, continuing to “walk” up 5 times.

03. Switch direction and begin to walk the fingers down.

04. Now, begin to walk up again, but this time switch to the middle finger. Walk up and down 5 times, just as before.

05. Continue the same action, switching between fingers. When you reach the pinkie, reverse and work back to the index finger.

A truly flexible brain is one that is open and ready to learn and does not avoid the difficult or unusual. The activities in this lesson may be difficult and frustrating at first, but the process of mastering them will build brain” connections that facilitate learning and understanding in many areas of life.

As you probably already know, the brain consists of two sides, the left hemisphere and the right hemisphere. One side or the other tends to be dominant, which accounts for left-and right-handedness. In fact, we not only tend to have a dominant hand, out also nave a dominant eye and foot. (See The Dominance Factor by Carla Hannaford to help determine dominance for yourself or your children.) This is a normal and natural thing, but it can leave the non-dominant side undeveloped and truncate the ability of the left and right sides to communicate. In other words, the brain may be left imbalanced in its development. So try some of these exercises to create more interaction between both sides of your child’s brain.

Emotions are the primary reason we place limits on our brain. It is because of emotions that we tell ourselves, “I can’t try that. I will only embarrass myself.” Out of fear, we stop short of our dreams, and because of past hurts we close ourselves off to others. Fortunately, it is possible to relieve your mind of debilitating emotions, but you must first learn to let go of them.

Laughing exercise
You already know that laughing is powerful medicine. But unfortunately you can’t buy laughing pills at the pharmacy. You could go to a funny movie or meet with a funny friend, but why rely on them? You can laugh any time you want.
So try sitting down on the floor one day and laugh to your heart’s content. You may ask, “But how can I laugh if there is nothing to laugh about?” Just try it. Just laugh as hard as you can. At first, it will seem awkward, but keep going. Flail your arms and pound the floor, busting up with laughter. Soon, you will feel like a kid again.

From in full bloom by ilchi lee

Brain Refreshing is a holistic blend of breathing techniques, meditation, and energy balancing that is designed to give your brain an intense cleansing of negative memories and to encourage stronger emotional self-awareness. Deep breathing is renowned for its power to induce profound relaxation and help bring the mind into deeper and deeper states of meditation. Most of us breathe shallowly all day long, but deep, intentional breathing oxygenates the brain and enhances feeling of well-being.

Meditation, as we have already discussed, has been shown to offer many benefits to the brain. Research using modern imaging technology has shown that even novices who spent weeks in meditation training experienced a strong shift in their brain activity to the part of the brain associated with positive emotions, as well as a more robust immune-system response. While practiced as part of many Asian spiritual traditions, meditation is not strictly religious, but rather an ancient, proven method of relaxing the body, opening the mind, and deepening feelings of connectedness and peace. Learning the skills of meditation will enhance your life in many ways.

From In full bloom by Ilchi lee

This book would not be complete without a few words about the foods that are beneficial for your brain. The foods you eat, of course, have a direct effect on your health and wellness, and many Americans consume far too much sodium, saturated fat, and processed ingredients, which contribute to circulatory blockages that deny the brain its blood supply and cause high blood pressure and other conditions detrimental to brain health.

In general, a diet rich in fresh foods, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is as good for your brain as it is for the rest of your body. However, there are certain foods that pack more punch for the brain than others:

• Foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, and walnuts
• Foods rich in the B vitamin choline, such as eggs
• Sources of good fats, such as avocados, almonds, or extra virgin olive oil
• Green leafy vegetables, dried legumes, and lean meats, which provide vital amino acids
• Whole-grain breads, cereals, and crackers

From In Full Bloom by Ilchi lee

As you get older, it is as important that you have a dream for your life as it was when you were young. You may have a better chance of achieving it, now that the basics needs of life-Financial security, starting a career, raising a family, etc.-are no longer of primary importance to you. So, before you close this book up and put it back on the shelf, make sure that you have developed a vision for yourself. Make a plan for who you want to be one, five, or ten years from now. This does not have to mean starting a new career or ten years from now. This does not have to mean starting a new career or taking on some huge project (but that is okay, too). More importantly, it means becoming the kind of person you really want to be in terms of character and your interaction with the world around you. If you have ever thought to yourself, ” I want to leave the world a better place than I found it,” now is the time to act on that desire.

To find your vision, find what really fills you with a sense of joy and contentment. For most, this will probably involve contributing something of value to your community or the world. Don’t be afraid to set your goal high and to dream big.