Now more than ever, we know about the mechanisms of how life in the 21st century reduces energy levels, restricts health and inhibits thinking. The ‘I’m SO Busy Syndrome” and unconscious, continuous stress, anxiety and worry effects our bodies and minds, we accommodate stress as a normal state of being, not realizing how serious the consequences are.

Stress, simply explained, is the body and mind’s response to any pressure that disrupts our normal balance when we perceive demands to be greater than our resources, triggering your personal PAIN Map which holds all the beliefs, emotions and mental states you have ever experienced.

Current statistics show almost 1 in 5 people and 30% of women experience anxiety and depression alone. According to the World Health Organization depression will be the second largest killer after heart disease by 2020, and studies show depression is a contributory factor to many illnesses.

Every time you feel stress whether conscious or not your body and brain change on all levels - physical, chemical, emotional, functional and you become incongruent within yourself. Transforming your stress response is a matter of choice, choosing to become the Master of your Mind, Your Physiological and Emotional responses allowing you to be more... yourself!

Your body is at its highest Potential when it has lots of rest and just enough stress and tension to keep it responding alertly and effectively. Its unequivocal that a decrease in stress; lowers your bodies response to aging, increases our presence, focus and creativity, boosts our immune system and confidence, decreases cravings, increases your I.Q. and brings feelings of love, laid back joy and euphoria!

7 Responses to Mastering Your Potential

1. Become Aware:- Notice when you are in or going into a stress response, take note of the triggers the drivers and your bodies reaction to stress. When we move a reaction from the unconscious to the conscious mind the problem is already partially resolved.
2. Occupy Your Body, Occupy Your Life:- Take 3 to 30 minutes when you hop into bed at night breath into your feet, your ankles, your knees and slowly all the way through body, your organs, your bones to the top of your scalp. Notice where feel contracted, where feels stressed and tired, spend extra time simply breathing into these areas. This helps builds the immune system, brings you back into your body and into the present and lowers your frequency for a better quality of sleep and can be repeated anytime during the day when presence is needed.
3. The Choice Gap:- The moment in time you realize you are in stress or having a stress reaction, choose to break the habit. Stop, breath down into your pelvis, gently squeeze and flex the pelvic floor muscles and choose to implement a stress minimilisng technique.
4. Breathe - Stress usually draws your focus and energy up into your shoulders, neck, face, head and mind. Creating movement pathways down into the lower extremities of the body allows stress to be alleviated and blocked, congested energy to be released. Focused breathing long slow breaths, draws you attention back into the body, slows the frequency bringing you back into the present and increasing brain function.
5. Pelvic Tilts - Centering, Focus, Clearing the Mind, Stimulates Power Centre
   Technique: Stand with feet flat on the floor, hip width apart and parallel. Softly bend the knees and place hands on the hips. Inhale first, then initiate the pelvic tilt movement as you exhale. When you release the breath, your abdomen should come toward your back. Continue the tilting movement to drop tension away from the neck, head and open the lower vertebrae. Try to pull the pelvis from the abdominals, rather than pushing the from the butt.
6. Flexion, Extension Toes and Fingers: Drops Tension, Improves Circulation, Moves Lymphatic Technique - Slowly curl your toes firmly down into the ground or your shoes, and then relax them and pull all the way up. Slowly bend and flex fingers joint by joint. Repeat for 15 to 30 seconds. Moving your toes improves circulation of blood, lymphatic fluid and energy. As your energy increases in you extremities, stress levels drop and you become more grounded with the earth.
7. Negative Irons stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which controls relaxation, digestion and sleep. Oils that Ionize negatively when diffused are: Bergamot, Cedar Wood, Lavender, Lemon, Lemongrass and Sandalwood

Michelle Richmond is an innovator of holistic health, wellbeing and personal change management. In her previous role as CEO of the Asher Institute of Integrative Medicine Foundation, she has mentored 1000’s of people seeking a deeper understanding of an integrative approach to wellness. She combines research into Human Behaviour, Business Intuition, The New Sciences Quantum Physics, Energy Medicine and Emotional and Spiritual Intelligence. As a teacher and presenter Michelle is a natural; her presentations utilise a well tested understanding of what inspires people to make change in their lives. Michelle is a published writer, she consults in a private practice to individuals and is a Director of; ‘energy at work – Corporate Wellness Strategies’. ‘WR business Enlightenment’ and maxAwareness.com an on line educational membership, Founding Trustee for the Children’s Neuro Development Research Foundation and an advocate for the Quest for Life Foundation.