Ilana Donna Arazie: 5 Ways to Think Happy

We all know that life spent navigating the hectic pace of New York City can be overwhelming, even frustrating. I ran into a friend the other day, and when I asked how she was doing, I got a shrug and an "eh..." like she was some crotchety old grandpa about to tell me about her sciatica. Apparently the city had been wearing on her. But why let it be a buzzkill? Life is way too short to be kvetchy.

If you ask me, Groucho Marx had it right: "Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead; tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it."

Of course, we're only human; I, too, get into ruts, succumb to fits of rage and have my fair share of meltdowns. I am Jewish, after all, and I fight my neurotic, negative tendencies every day. I think Moses must have included these lovely traits with the Ten Commandments when he passed them down to my people.

Here are some techniques that keep me focused on happy, calming thoughts. And yes, unicorns, rainbows and cute little black dresses are included.

Focus on What You've Got
You can't afford your favorite sushi restaurant, the pressure of the holidays is getting to you and the last time you cuddled with someone you liked, Obama was still popular. Well, we all have our share of inconveniences. But what in your life is going right? When you put your energy toward dwelling on what's wrong, you get stuck there. Instead, focus on the good things you have going on. Soon you'll not only feel better, but you'll also draw more good things your way. Having trouble finding a few things to be grateful for? Hot showers and sugared cereal count!

Lose (the Illusion of) Control
Dharma Punx leader Josh Korda once explained to me why we get so down and out in the big city. He said we base our identity on things that are constantly changing: work, friends, our bodies... Everything in life is constantly in motion and out of our control. Korda's advice? Let it all roll around you, but base your true identity on your deeper self. Really, the only thing you can control is the way you react to the changes around you. So sit back, flow with the chaos around you and don't let it make you nuts.

Forget Your Goals
We put so much pressure on ourselves to be the best, the smartest and the fastest. When we fall short, boy do we get cranky. Not even Superman himself could be the perfect hero. Yoga principles teach us to be goalless, which might make any city-dweller go mad. But what if your goal every day were to feel joy or simply to be content? You might be surprised to find your greatest achievements grow from that peace.

Endorphin It Up
Sure, you can drink all night, but exercise and yoga give you the same or better effects naturally. Serotonin, the "feel-good" neurotransmitter, is released in your brain when working out. Yoga shifts life's energy around in your body so that you're in balance, which leaves you feeling happy and slightly stoned. Nothing wrong with that! Throw in a little meditation and green juice and you've got yourself a lovely, happy-go-lucky cocktail.

Be in the Now
You've heard it a million times on "Oprah" and from Eckhart Tolle, who writes, "Nothing ever happened in the past; it happened in the Now. Nothing will ever happen in the future; it will happen in the Now." We are only stressed when we are thinking about our future and past. If you concentrate on the present, you're golden! This moment creates the next, then that next moment creates the following one, and like a domino effect, you're on the right path.

Life's too short (or too long, for that matter) to feel miserable. Only you have the power to redirect yourself into the feel-good Now.

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Susan Smalley, Ph. d.: spirit body medicine: CAN you think and sites affect your physical health?

How you think and feel emotionally can contribute to your physical health and well-being - is simple. The list of scientific studies showing that point comes from various fields of study, including medicine, neuroscience, immunology, genetics, psychiatry and psychology.

Integrative medicine is becoming the examplar of approaches to health based on the importance of treating the whole person--mind, body and spirit, promoting health, prevention and treatment of disease .the ' spirit affects the body and the body affects the mind.

It is now well known that chronic stress is a significant contribution to the disease and the leading cause of death worldwide.Psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and depression are rising in adults and children, and they are estimated to affect such two adult length of vie.Science shows that stress affects a wide range of physiological body, particularly the immune response States, but also important on Ageing (such as the Telomere shortening) factors. A recent study conducted at UCLA illustrates the powerful role social anxiety this anxiety can affect the inflammatory reaction of the organism, and other research shows how diseases of bodies such as irritable disease associated with brain States.

Thus the spirit is a powerful vector to reduce the health of the body.But on the other hand, it can be a powerful vector and to improve.

Yet modern medicine offers very little prescription of a physician to treat our spirit indicates when the issues dealing with the santé.Nous can be told to relax or less stressed, but very often there is no recourse to (apart from serious enough momentary prescription meds release) .c ' is where the role of the spirit and practical body such as meditation, tai chi, yoga or other forms of exercises adapted for mental health is needed.

Search, although still limited, indicating that mindfulness practices (exercises aimed at educating the present moment) are highly beneficial for the health and well-being, affecting a wide range of physiological and subjective, States including:

• Stimulate the immune response in cancer and HIV patients.

• Reduction of pain in patients with chronic pain, including those suffering from arthritis, back pain and headache, among others.

• Improving the effectiveness of changing behaviour such as the reduction of smoking, weight loss programs and addiction.

• Improving cardiovascular health coupled with an integrator of health care.

• Reduce the risk of relapse into clinical depression in half compared to a standard treatment protocol.

• Reduce anxiety and stress in a wide range of physical and mental health disorders.

The mechanisms of how mindfulness alters brain physiology and body is under investigation by the laboratories around the world, but preliminary results indicate changes in brain function and structure, immune cytokines, stress hormones and patterns of gene expression, to name a few.

The means by which mindfulness affects the health and well-being will be a matter of science for the coming decades, but what is already suggested is that it changes our relationship with the thoughts and emotions so that there is a level of "eccentricity" which arises where our experiences are considered less attached RTI ' a way, there is a greater sense of the awareness that these experiences are part of human and less personal or attached to oneself condition when practicing mindfulness exercises (a series of practices is available in books, courses and free downloads) on a regular basis, we can learn to relate to life experiences (if it is a disease, pain or negative mental thinking) with greater ease and serenity.

Scientific evidence suggests that it could and that it improves our health, regardless of the circumstances which may hinder.

For more information, see "fully present: science, art and practice of the Mindfulness" (Smalley and Winston, 2010) .for get free mindfulness practices go to www.marc.ucla.edu and click on "Mindfulness meditations."

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