Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT): Current Status

NEUROSCIENCE OF NEGATIVE THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION
Nothing is completely bad or good. The mind makes it so.

 (W. Shakespeare in Hamlet)

MODEL-2

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Do events always generate our emotions?

Most people believe that emotions are the direct result of the events that we experience contrary to what Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet.

According to Neuroscience of thoughts as shown in the model-1above.

Every situation or event generates automatic emotions.

Information processing: Interpretation or inferring of information

However, according to modern Neuropsychology, this model-1 is only partially correct. So although an event may generate an automatic emotion, the biggest effect comes from our own interpretation or inference of the event (-regarding the thoughts, beliefs and perceptions associated with it) that we retrieve or infer in our minds about the situation.

Research has shown that we experience about 60,000 negative thoughts a day. About 80% of this (roughly 48,000) are negative thoughts. This is a huge stumbling block which is not going to help you to accomplish your goal. Hence, you need to minimize this or get rid of them altogether. This is where Yoga and other therapies are necessary.

 On balance, if you are constantly experiencing anxiety, depression, grief, stress or anger this is definitely affecting the quality of your lifestyle today. Chronic negative thinking can inevitably lead to all sorts of illness -mental, emotional, physical and spiritual. You definitely need to learn how to manage negative thoughts in your everyday life. THE BIG QUESTION IS, HOW?

HAVE A HAPPY YOGA DAY!

Resources used: The following sites are some of the pages used to research this paper

-Yoga appears to be most beneficial when combined with other treatment methods, according to MayoClinic.com. - Himalayan Institute of Yoga Philosophy and Science -WebMD – The Health Benefits of Yoga -The American Osteopathic Association – The Benefits of Yoga -Psych Central – Scientific Basis for Yoga Benefits -Yoga Health Foundation – Benefits of Yoga Explained INSPIRING CRITICAL THINKING  AND COGNITIVE GROWTH HECTOR LAWRANCE KUOFIE

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Therapeutic benefits of meditation-2. The heart

	QUADRANT-1 Is there any scientific basis to support the therapeutic benefits of meditation?
	The therapeutic benefits of meditation became evident when Doctor Herbert Benson (cardiologist) published his book: The Relaxation Response in 1975. In his research, he tested many kinds of meditation and saw that they all created this unique physiological state where respiration and heart rate are slower than when you are sleeping. He wrote about the many benefits of this yoga practice.

	QUADRANT-2 Can meditation help prevent a heart attack?
	Doctor Herbert Benson is currently at Mind/Body Medical Institute and an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Doctor Benson claims that meditation can help you prevent high blood pressure, the hardening of arteries, heart attack and stroke.

Quadrant-1 Better immune system: helps fight diseases	Quadrant-2 Better working memory system
Quadrant-4 Better anti-inflammatory system: Help fights all aged-related diseases	Quadrant-3 Better emotional balance: Helps in problem-solving

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PHYSICAL BODY VISUALIZATION AND MEDITATION PART-1

1-PHYSICAL BODY VISUALIZATION	2-THOUGHT VISUALIZATION
4-LOCATION VISUALIZATION	3-EMOTION VISUALIZATION

PHYSICAL BODY EXPLORATION

These physical body scan questions are designed to help you on your path to better visualization and meditation

Since each person has a unique chemical and physical body make up the frequency of physical discomfort and anxiety symptoms logically vary from person to person.

For the next couple of minutes sit in a comfortable position. Next, try to visualize your body and observe your physical comfort or discomfort so that you can report it. The following questions will help you become familiar with your body.

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1- Are you comfortable in your clothes now?

Can you hear your exhalations?

Do you have any back pain, stiffness or tension?

Do you have any physical disability?

2-Do you have neck, shoulder pain or tightness in the neck now?

Do you sometimes feel like choking or suffocating?

Do you have any chest pain or chest tightness at the moment?

Do you usually experience fatigue, exhaustion, or worn out?

3-Do you have problems with coordination or feel clumsy at times?

Do you have soreness, spasms or immobility in any of your muscles?

Do you at times feel any burning skin sensation on the face, neck, scalp, or shoulders?

Do you sometimes feel your skin is itchy, crawly or prickly?

4-Do you normally experience numbness on any part of your skin?

Do you at times experience body tremor or body shake?

Do you sometimes have excess energy, feel restless, can’t relax or even become hyperactive?

Do you sometimes feel like you are going to pass out or faint?

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 PHYSICAL BODY VISUALIZATION AND MEDITATION PART-2

1-PHYSICAL BODY VISUALIZATION	2-THOUGHT VISUALIZATION
4-LOCATION VISUALIZATION	3-EMOTION VISUALIZATION

PHYSICAL BODY EXPLORATION

5-Do you often experience a falling sensation, feel like you are falling or dropping even though you aren't?

Physically, do you sometimes feel different, foreign, odd, or strange?

Do you feel that your body temperature is not properly regulated?

Do you sometimes have difficulty with speaking or coordination problems with the tongue?

6-Do you sometimes feel dizzy or light-headed?

Do you sometimes have heart palpitations or racing heart?

Do you sometimes feel you have an increased or decreased sex drive?

Do you sometimes experience mouth or throat clicking or grating noise?

7-Do you sometimes have muscle twitching?

Do you occasionally experience nausea or feel like vomiting?

Do you sometimes have electric jolt or zap feeling in your body?

8-Are you responding to any allergy at the moment?

Do you have difficulties with breathing?

Do you have problems with any of your senses?

Are you relaxed?

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Neuro-Cognitive Benefits of Yoga and Motivation Coaching

How can understanding yoga and motivation help you 

to improve your abilities to achieve your goals?
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The Quadrant System of Yoga

Yoga is actually an activity that focuses on connecting four factors: 
your mind, your body, your emotions and your spirit. 

The practice of yoga will gradually guide you through: specific poses, stretches, breathing, and meditation in lotus position or even while trekking or taking a leisure walk.

I wish you will all ultimately derive great benefits from the day to day practise of yoga. 
Below are some of the benefits of practising yoga. I will provide more benefits in the next Blogs
Have a happy practice!

	Can yoga enhance your physical and mental abilities. How?
	There are many different kinds of yoga: From the more gentle yoga (Hatha yoga) to the more strenuous one like power yoga. By the way, the word yoga means UNION and it is a Sanskrit word from India.

  

	What does the union refer to in yoga practice?
	Union here refers to a balanced unification of mind and body. This perfect union between the two will come about as an inevitable result of consistent yoga practice. The exercise itself involves using posture (adopting fixed body positions) or stretches and breathing techniques to induce relaxation and improve physical strength and mental stamina.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF YOGA AND MOTIVATION COACHING
How can we achieve our goals with the aid of Yoga and motivation coaching?

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YOGA: PHYSICAL BENEFITS

1	Yoga is an effective way to improve your physical state.
	-It improves flexibility -It improves joint mobility -It tones and strengthens the muscle -It helps correct wrong body posture: for example related to occupational hazards -It forces you to follow a healthier diet -It improves digestion and elimination -It strengthens the spine -It helps correct chronic back pain -And it obviously increases strength and stamina

MASTER OF OUR THOUGHTS BUT
SLAVES OF OUR EMOTIONS.

WE NEED YOGA TO BRING ABOUT A 
BALANCE BETWEEN THESE TWO

Can yoga be practised like a therapy?

Yoga is not a therapy in the traditional sense of the word. However, practitioners of yoga believe it’s a kind of physiotherapy blended with other type of healing therapies- giving it more a holistic approach. Yoga is a sort of healing method which keeps your body flexible and strong, as it involves mobilising all the muscles in your body during each session. The various yoga postures strengthen your feet, legs, hands, abdominals, lower back, legs, and shoulders. Gentle yoga can relieve chronic back and neck pain, since the poses and postures gently stretch and strengthen your back and neck muscles at the same time. Even if you practice yoga while taking a leisure walk, you can gain these benefits over a certain period of time. Believe me it works, because this my favourite mode of practice.

  

QUADRANT YOGA PRACTICE- BREATHING YOGA

What is yoga breathing- (or Pranayama)?

In yoga, Pranayama means breath control technique which is used to energize the entire system. Pranayama comes from two Sanskrit words: Prana (life energy) and + ayama (control). Metaphorically, this is a strategy to supply your body with all the gasoline energy you need in order to travel the required distance of the day. It actually boosts or revitalizes your quadrant system to face the challenges of the day. How?

How can we revitalize our system at the beginning of the day?

MINDSET QUADRANT 1- Sit in a comfortable position with the spine straight, or lie down on your back on a mat or on a floor carpet. 2- You can also take a leisure walk along the local park for your mindset. INHALATION QUADRANT 3- Take four deep breaths, feel the lungs bulge out. Feel the air occupy all the chambers of your lungs. Now observe the following: You will notice at the abdominal level that the lower belly expands, right? And at the thoracic level- the lower ribcage expands as well. Notice that, at the shoulder level you should feel the upper chest and shoulders expand too. EXHALATION QUADRANT Reverse the above process and exhale slowly and steadily, pushing out all the air from the lungs- from top to bottom. You can make the exhalation complete by pressing the belly button into the spine to squeeze all the remaining air out. Avoid distractions; focus on the feel good sensation your breath is creating on your mind. TIMING QUADRANT Do this for at least 30 minutes until you feel comfortable and relaxed. RESULT QUADRANT Benefits: This breathing workout will revitalize the entire system. This is achieved through relaxing the body, mind and spirit. It also strengthens the abdomen, the diaphragm and the chest muscles as well as heart and lungs.  It aids digestion, elimination and ultimately prepares you for meditation, Counter-indications: It is not advisable to practise this on a full stomach.

Neuro-Cognitive Benefits of Yoga and Motivation Coaching

How can understanding yoga and motivation help you 

to improve your abilities to achieve your goals?
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EMOTIONAL MANAGEMENT RESOURCES

3

YOGA AND EMOTIONAL BENEFITS

Do you know how to manage your emotions? ---------------------------------------------------- Positive and negative emotions- the two sides of the same BRAIN During our daily walks or trekking, we con combine the physical exercises of walking with breathing in and exhaling gently all along the way. We could also examine our negative emotions and cleanse and liberate them. It is obvious that strong negative emotions … Affect our sense of humour, patience, and concentration. The good thing is, as we surrender and let go of anxiety, crippling fear,  recurrent frustrations and worry, we begin to feel and express positive emotions. Cluster of negative emotions to get rid of are: -Anxiety -Crippling fear -Sadness -Depression -Worry Uncontrollable anger Possessed by hatred Need for vengeance OCD Impatience Irritability

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YOGA AND EMOTIONAL BENEFITS

Do you know how to manage your emotions properly? ---------------------------------------------------- Positive and negative emotions- the two sides of the same COIN As I have said elsewhere, our breathing and foot steps can strongly influence our emotional states. For example, basically because of the constant inhalation and opening of the chest during breathing workout this can subsequently lead to the correction of a low mood. Benefits of trekking: Intensive exhaling while walking along a foot path tends to calm an agitated and confused mind. In any yoga trekking, both inhale and exhale breathing workout are carried out in order to create equilibrium or balance in the body and to gain emotional harmony.  A sense of happiness depends on our emotional harmony.

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NEUROCOGNITIVE BENEFITS OF YOGA -YOUR  FEARS AND ANXIETIES

THOUGHT CONTROL IS THE MOST POWEFUL TOOL THAT WE HAVE TO OVERCOME OUR FEARS AND ANXIETIES. SO WE NEED TO LEARN HOW TO MANAGE BOTH OUR THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS TO ACHIEVE OUR GOALS

QUADRANT-1 How does yoga help to curb anxiety?

Anxiety As we have seen before, yoga is the combination of slow physical movements or postures, meditation and relaxation through gentle, deep breathing exercises. These three combined activities ultimately help in lowering muscle tension. Besides, the excess intake of oxygen relaxes the nervous system and lowers your heart rate. As a result of this, the level of anxiety drops significantly and is usually accompanied by a sense of relief and well-being.

	QUADRANT-2 Are there any other emotional benefits that we can derive from practising yoga?
	Other emotional benefits apart from anxiety -It guides you to manifest less self-doubts as well as less fear -It enables you to express your feelings appropriately -It helps you to develop feelings of empathy & love -It increases your self-confidence -It Increases your enjoyment and management of your emotions as a whole in a wide range of situations. HAVE A HAPPY YOGA DAY!

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 THE IMPORTANCE OF YOGA, MEDITATION AND MOTIVATION COACHING

NEUROCOGNITIVE BENEFITS OF YOGA: YOGA AND YOUR HEART 

QUADRANT-1 Can people suffering from cardiovascular disorders benefit from yoga?

Some cardiologists who understand yoga strongly believe that yoga can have far reaching health benefits for heart patients. We know that the gentle forms of yoga can lower your blood pressure because it keeps blood flowing evenly throughout your body during breathing workout. We also know that people who suffer from hypertension can benefit from gentle yoga as it can lower your heart rate and blood pressure. According to research, some yoga practitioners claim that they have managed to lower their cholesterol level over a period of yoga practice, which is good for their heart. Power yoga or strenuous yoga is an excellent form of cardio conditioning. This type of yoga workout can strengthen your core muscles at the same time as it supplies blood and oxygen to all parts of your body. In short, every form of yoga can improve your heart and your overall health- whether you practice it to relax or meditate. It can provide you with numerous health benefits. HAVE A HAPPY YOGA DAY! HAVE A MEDITATION A DAY!

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NEUROCOGNITIVE BENEFITS OF YOGA PROGRAMMES 
(AS APPLIED TO COMBAT MILITARY PERSONAL)

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MENTAL BENEFITS Yoga and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Several studies have recently shown how yoga can help manage certain mental disorders: To confirm the study of clinical psychologist Richard Miller  the Department of Defence in the USA applied the yoga programme  on American soldiers returning from recent war zones who had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) The soldiers reported reduced insomnia, depression, fear and anxiety after the yoga programme. They also experienced feelings of peace and a sense of control over their lives.

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	CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS AND YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR EMOTIONS INSTANTLY

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WHY IS YOGA PRACTICE IMPORTANT TO CONQUER HAPPINESS?

1

What is the primary objective of yoga practice?

Yoga practice is important to understand the balance between pain and pleasure. The two co-exist in every individual’s life. Hence, we need to really understand how to cope with both. The objective of yoga practice The founders of yoga practice actually designed it to lead you to higher awareness (to see the big picture) and happiness. Happiness is the primary goal of every individual’s life. It's the goal of everything I do each day in order to be productive and adapt to the environment. (In other words, to survive according to Darwin).

2

Is there a future without pain?

Every thought and feeling we experience is the result of trying to avoid pain and attract pleasure. (This is the pain-pleasure principle according to Freud) Academic or professional work, leisure activities, marrying, bringing up children or taking part in social activities- ultimately our main goal is to attain happiness and avoid pain. That’s why happiness is our utmost goal in life. Note: We don’t buy happiness, we construct it.

3

Why are there many people financially secured but still unhappy?

Ethical values and happiness Our ethical values (-of what is right and wrong) are also shaped by this concept of achievement, reward and happiness. If there were no ethical values guiding our search for achievement, reward and happiness, we could obtain our goals and rewards by any means. From a social contract point of view, this would be a disaster. (Theory of social contract: Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 1712-1778,)) NOTE: We don’t buy happiness, we construct it

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WISDOM AND DECISION MAKING

All our Good Behaviours (GBs) are designed to bring us pleasure and avoid pain. The question is, a certain amount of pain is inevitable in our daily life experiences to bring about the right level of adaptation. If there is no pain, there is no future according to a popular saying. Wisdom is the key to a balanced decision making. Tag words: Yoga means: plans, achievement, rewards, pain, pleasure, feelings, happiness, social contract, adaptation and survival NOTE: We don’t buy happiness, we construct it Tag words: Construction of happiness, freedom and effective choices,  automatic negative thoughts (ANTS), core components of happiness. HAVE A HAPPY YOGA DAY!

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NEUROCOGNITIVE BENEFITS OF YOGA

 AND MOTIVATION COACHING

EMOTIONAL BLISS AFTER A LEISURE WALK OR TREKKING COMBINED WITH BREATHING WORKOUT

1

EMOTIONAL BENEFITS-1

Did you know that yoga practice can have a tremendous positive impact on your emotions? Under positive emotions your: -Mood improves -So you tend to laugh more -You smile more -You express your feelings appropriately -You are more serene -Your well-being increases -You look relaxed and happier  -Your self-acceptance increases -Your social skills increase So you interact much better in your inter-personal relationships

	Cognitive Quadrants: Emotional Benefits-2
	Energized Neuro-psychologists have found that yoga breathing exercises can restore energy better than relaxation therapy. Like any workout, it thoroughly stimulates your blood circulation. They have noticed that during prolonged breathing workout, your muscles become heated and endorphins are released which in turn gives you a sensation of well-being and of being energized.

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 NEUROSCIENCE OF NEGATIVE THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION( LEISURE ACTIVITIES) 

WHAT ARE THE CORE COMPONENTS OF HAPPINESS?

1	What are the components of our happiness?
	The following are some of the core components of our happiness: More smiles, more laughter and high level of self-satisfaction with some of  our basic needs covered: health, financial, cognitive or education, shelter, bodily needs, entertainments, emotional balance…

2

What can you do to accomplish happiness? The following might help:

1. Respect the four noble truths of yoga. 2. Practise regular breathing exercises 3. Practise visualization and meditation on daily basis 4. Practise yoga postures and stretches on daily basis 5.  Socialize more, become more active 6.  Lower your expectations and aspirations. Put it in a realistic context 7.  Become more optimistic and positive 8. Minimize your automatic negative thoughts (ANTS) and unnecessary worrying 9. Get better organized, make plans and manage your time better 10. Live in the present as much as you can 11. Quantify and measure your satisfaction level on a daily basis Finally, don’t forget we don’t buy happiness, we construct it As I’ve explained elsewhere: 1. Your happiness depends on the experience of pleasure                 2. Conversely, it also depends on your discomfort, experience of displeasure or pain 3. It depends on your satisfaction with your achievements and rewards  such as:  Shelter, work, marriage, money, health, educational level, etc.

3

Why are there many people financially secured but still unhappy?

FREDOM AND CHOICES Although all these elements contribute to our happiness; logically, it is different for each individual. As free individuals our choices might be rational or irrational depending on numerous factors. That’s why our choices also play a crucial role in determining our level of happiness. Another reason for our unhappiness despite our financial success is because many people don't really understand happiness. As a result, They seek it in a very ineffective way- making wrong choices all the time without being aware of the cause and effect link. NOTE: We don’t buy happiness, we construct it

4

Can we increase our happiness state by practising yoga?

Yoga practise is designed purposely to increase your perception of the BIG PICTURE which would lead to wisdom, self-satisfaction and subsequently happiness. Some psychologists believe we can increase our happiness state regularly via coaching. For example: Barry Kaufman is a Happiness Coach and - gives weekend courses on how to increase your happiness. Website: NOTE: We don’t buy happiness, we construct it Tag words: Construction of happiness, freedom and effective choices,  automatic negative thoughts (ANTS), core components of happiness. HAVE A HAPPY YOGA DAY!

  

Neuropsychology of negative thoughts-1

Do events or situations cause our emotions?

According to Shakespeare, the way we think affects the way we feel, act or react to events.

This is chiefly because our thought is nourished by our life experiences. These thoughts determine how we make sense or interpret these experiences.

Consequently, there are many ways to understand the things we experience or perceive. Some of these thoughts might drive you back in life. We refer to these as negative thoughts.

Negative thoughts- is another term for cognitive distortions which is commonly used in Neuropsychology as we saw in the previous Blog.

The goal of Neuropsychology and yoga practice: is to guide you to pay particular attention to thoughts that automatically lead to feelings of: fear, grief, guilt, shame, anger, hopelessness, stress and a cluster of other negative thoughts.

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YOGA- NEUROSCIENCE OF NEGATIVE THOUGHTS

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TOCD: Thoughts of Cognitive Distortions

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What is a cognitive distortion?

DARWINIAN ARGUMENT

According to the author Russ Harris (In his book- The Happiness Trap) 80% of everyone's thoughts contain some sort of negative content.

It's part of our survival instincts. So it is perfectly normal to have negative thoughts.

Human behaviour unfolds largely as a result of the environmental factors. So we are always scanning our environment (unknowingly generating negative thoughts) in order to resolve problems related to adaptation.

The problem comes when we take our negative thoughts to be true hence distorting our perception of reality.

We don't usually scrutinize the value of these negative thoughts such as:

Is this thought true or false?	Is this thought important in my reasoning?
Is there any proof to sustain it?	Is this thought helpful in this context?

“Negative thoughts” is another name for cognitive distortions which is commonly used in Neurocognitive Science. The theory of cognitive distortions was first proposed by Aaron Beck and developed by David Burns.

In short, cognitive distortions are ways that our mind argues in favour of a situation which isn’t really true. Making the irrational thoughts become rational to soothe our mind

TYPES OF COGNITIVE DISTORTIONS

GROUP-1 (BOAC)

1 Blaming thoughts	2 Overgeneralization
4 Catastrophizing thoughts	3 Always right thoughts

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1. Blaming thoughts.

We hold other people responsible for our pain and suffering. Conversely, we can blame ourselves for every problem that we encounter.

For example, “My English teacher is too demanding.” Obviously, if you are making the right efforts then the teacher can never be too demanding. Only you have control over your own emotions and behaviour.

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2. Overgeneralization.

We tend to reach a general conclusion based on a single incident or piece of evidence.

You may come across an unpleasant event (My friend is late…) as part of an endless pattern of defeat. So if something bad happens only once, we expect it to happen over and over again. That’s our logical prediction for the next occasion.

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3-Always right thoughts

For you being wrong is unthinkable and you will go to any length to prove you are right.

Being right is more important than anyone else-

including your loved ones. It is a win-win situation for you always.

 4. Catastrophizing thoughts

(Magnifying or minimizing a situation)

For example, a person might exaggerate the importance of insignificant events (their mistake, or other’s achievement).

They may deliberately under-value the magnitude of significant events to ridicule it

(-a person’s own good quality or other’s imperfections).

You made a mistake at work today, but that doesn't mean your job performance is very bad. Assuming you encounter a new task stressful today, that doesn't mean they will always be stressful in the future.

Most negative thoughts can cause intense stress and unhappiness, and can severely undermine your self-confidence. That’s when yoga and meditation comes in handy. I shall deal with this in the next Blogs.

HAVE A HAPPY YOGA DAY!



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THOUGHT EXPLORATION AND MEDITATION

PART-1 

1-PHYSICAL VISUALIZATION	2-THOUGHT EXPLORATION
4-LOCATION VISUALIZATION	3-EMOTION VISUALIZATION

Sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes...

Listen to your exhalations and try to concentrate on the flow of your thoughts

For the next couple of minutes, try to observe your thoughts as they intrude on you one after the other so that you can report it. The following questions should help you focus on your thoughts in the mode of practice.

Imagine a yoga instructor sitting opposite you.

Answer his questions…just by yes or no

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1- Do you sometimes feel like you've experienced something before? (YES/NO)

Do you have difficulty concentrating on one task at a time?

Do you have difficulty forming thoughts in a conversation?

Do you often have day dreams?

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2- Do you have problems with your working memory ability?

Do you have problems articulating your thoughts?

Are you an absent-minded person?

Do you have problems with following conversations?

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3- Do you often experience intrusive thoughts while you are talking about something else?

Do you often entertain fears of going crazy?

Does your imagination sometimes startle you?

Are you sometimes horrified about your thoughts?

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4- Do you frequently feel like being overwhelmed?

Do you have fear of impending doom?

Do you have fear of losing control?

Do you often experience nightmares or bad dreams?

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	Visualization as a tool for concentration
	Visualization is like a journey where you try to suppress all your thoughts except one. Because the unfettered mind can go in thousands of directions.

THOUGHT EXPLORATION AND MEDITATION

PART-2 

1-PHYSICAL VISUALIZATION	2-THOUGHT EXPLORATION
4-LOCATION VISUALIZATION	3-EMOTION VISUALIZATION

1-Do you have vivid imagination?

Do you often feel like having too much to handle or overcrowded?

Do you sometimes feel disoriented?

Do you sometimes feel helpless or just like giving up everything?

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2- Are you a forgetful person?

Do you have obsessions about getting better or worse?

Do you think you are suffering from short-term memory impairment?

Do you have hard time learning new information?

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3- Do you sometimes feel de-motivated?

Can you remember what you did a few days ago?

Do you feel you are being persecuted?

Do you often experience stuck thoughts in your mind which replay over and over again?

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4- Do your thoughts sometimes frighten you?

Do you feel you are carrying the world on your shoulders?

Do you feel you are being repressed? 

Visualization as a tool for concentration

Visualization is like a key which can open doors for you

Resources used: The following sites are some of the pages used to research this paper

-Yoga appears to be most beneficial when combined with other treatment methods, according to MayoClinic.com. - Himalayan Institute of Yoga Philosophy and Science -WebMD – The Health Benefits of Yoga -The American Osteopathic Association – The Benefits of Yoga -Psych Central – Scientific Basis for Yoga Benefits -Yoga Health Foundation – Benefits of Yoga Explained INSPIRING CRITICAL THINKING  AND COGNITIVE GROWTH HECTOR LAWRANCE KUOFIE

MOTIVATION DRIVE AND ACHIEVEMENT
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There are 4 types of achievers
-Pre-achievers
-Under-achievers
-Achievers
-Over-achievers
Where are you at the moment?
















YOGA AND LEVELS OF CONSCIOUSNESS: LINKS
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YOGA POSITIONS TOP
http://www.yogatic.com/sitemap/yoga-poses/?sbb

YOGA PRACTICE: GRILLEY TOP
http://www.paulgrilley.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47&Itemid=43


YOGA STRETCHES
http://www.5min.com/Video/Yoga-Exercise-Routine-34876746

YOGA POSITIONS TOP
http://www.emzr.com/

YOGA POSES
http://www.yogabodynaturals.com/


SPIRITUAL PRACTICE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_practice

TAICHI INSTRUCTIONS
http://www.understandingtaichi.com/

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INSPIRING CRITICAL THINKING

AND COGNITIVE GROWTH

HECTOR LAWRANCE KUOFIE

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NEUROCOGNITIVE BENEFITS OF YOGA 
AND MOTIVATION COACHING

	Emotional Benefits-3
	Depression Neuro-psychologists have confirmed that people doing yoga regularly for three months showed significant reduction in anxiety, depression and neurotic symptoms. Depression Brain scans of yogists have consistently showed an increase in the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric (GABA). We know that low GABA is linked to anxiety and depression.

  
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NEURO-COGNITVE BENEFITS OF YOGA 
AND MOTIVATION COACHING

2	-Some further areas of physical benefits for those who practise yoga are the following:
	-Yoga increases blood circulation -So it improves heart conditions -It also improves breathing disorders -It boosts the immune system -It relieves symptoms connected to premature aging -It stimulates the endocrine system -It improves balance and coordination -It decreases glucose and cholesterol levels -Finally it might help you to choose the right diet and lose weight if you pracctise regularly

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NEUROCOGNITIVE BENEFITS OF YOGA 
AND MOTIVATION COACHING
Self-driven motivation is art. It guides you to achieve what you strongly desire
It is always connected to your core beliefs
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MENTAL BENEFITS-1

1

Yoga is an effective way to improve your mental state. Some of the mental benefits are the following:

-Neuro-circuits and connections are improved -It increases body awareness- especially perception -It relieves stress -It relieves muscle strain -It decreases mental tension -It sharpens concentration -It reduces distractions -It improves cognitive functions -It decreases hostility -It reduces cognitive dysfunctions - It increases all aspects of behaviour abilities -It increases intrinsic motivation -It helps boost your attitude to life

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MOTIVATION DRIVE AND ACHIEVEMENT
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You should not allow your present circumstances
to limit you or restrict what you can achieve today
Success depends largely on self-driven motivation

MENTAL BENEFITS-2

2

Practice makes one perfect. Hence, regular yoga practice will eventually quiet your mind and improve performance and achievement. Yoga is proven effective to help both the body and mind to function better together. We can also observe significant improvements in the following aspects: -It enhances your concentration or attention -It improves both working memory and long term memory -It improves your ability to focus on a task -As a result your learning efficiency or performance competence improves as well Neuro-cognitive psychologists have also shown that yoga can be instrumental in soothing symptoms connected to the following disorders:

-Arthritis -Arteriosclerosis -Chronic fatigue -Chronic back pain -Diabetes -Asthma -Dementia -And even certain addictions such as smoking

INFORMATION PROCESSING AND MOTIVATION COACHING
BALANCED AND UNBALANCED ENERGY GOVERNS THE UNIVERSE
IT IS ONLY A QUESTION OF CRITICAL MASS

YOGA THERAPY
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YOGA DANCE THERAPY 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtnuqUox5PY

YOGA DANCE-2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dM0skvCrLYc&feature=related

DANCE THERAPY: WORKOUT AND GYM DANCE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4TlOfIXrk4&feature=channel

DANCE MOVEMENT THERAPY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buzYvNH-Jf8&feature=related
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INSPIRING CRITICAL THINKING AND COGNITIVE GROWTH
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Disclaimer information

Most of the images on these teaching Blogs have inscriptions of their owners clearly stated on them.

If not, then they are borrowed from the inspiration websites. Therefore, I claim no credit for those images unless otherwise stated. In other words, some of the images on these teaching Blogs have copyrights. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and you do not want it to appear on any of my sites, please e-mail me or notify me at either Google+ or Face book with a link to the that particular image and it will be quickly removed. Thanks.

HECTOR LAWRANCE KUOFIE
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