Good Ki - and welcome to November's Ki Moments!

In this month of Thanksgiving, take one Ki Moment now to think about what you're thankful for in your life ...

What comes to mind?

• A person?
• A place?
• Good health?
• Home and family?
• Work?
• Friends?
• Peace of mind?
• Life itself?

As you create your list, notice how your mood lightens. Are you smiling? More centered than you were a moment ago? The capacity to find the positive in life is a blessing, especially in life's challenging moments.

Count Your Blessings, and then let someone know they're on your list!

I'm showing my gratitude this month and renewing my annual November Thank You! Sale. I'm offering my book, Unlikely Teachers, and my new CD, Simple Gifts: Making the Most of Life's Ki Moments, at 33% savings. Plus, free shipping!

This is a special Ki Moments sale, which you're free to share with friends and family. The sale ends Dec. 1. Give yourself or your loved ones a gift of positive ki. Check out the sale here ...

Then learn a simple strategy for finding more happiness in life from my friend Tom Crum in this month's article, "Three Deep Breaths: Retraining Our Neural Pathways."

Happy Thanksgiving!
Judy Ringer
 

Three Deep Breaths: Retraining Our Neural Pathways

The past two months, Ki Moments has focused on The Centered State , what it is and how to make it more automatic when conflict arises.

In his "Centering Hints" newsletter, friend and colleague Thomas Crum writes that while most of us think our personality traits are hard-wired, findings published in Learned Optimism (Dr. Martin Seligman) prove that we can learn to be more optimistic. Practices like centering, meditation, visualization, and focused awareness re-pattern how we interact with the world. With intention, we change little by little into calmer, happier people.

According to Tom, a significant hindrance to this retraining practice is finding the time. We feel too busy to add anything more to our daily schedule, even if it's good for us.

In his book, Three Deep Breaths, he suggests some ways to retrain without adding time.

Tom writes:
You can practice ... anywhere: sitting at a red light, waiting for a meeting, standing in line, rebooting your computer. It doesn't take time. It takes intention. Basically, the Three Deep Breaths practice combines deep diaphragmatic breathing with cognitively changing your thoughts.

1. The Centering Breath

Align your body, whether you are sitting or standing, into a tall, balanced, and symmetric posture, allowing gravity to flow through you rather than upon you, releasing tension.
Consciously and deeply breathe from your diaphragm (as you might in Yoga or the martial arts). You may notice that your breath naturally tends to get slower, deeper, quieter, and more regular.
Draw your attention to the present moment; witness internal and external sensations, emotions, and thoughts as if you were watching the weather outside. You're attentive, but not plugged in.

2. The Possibility Breath

Breathe in your best self, your highest choice or purpose. Using images, feelings, or words, invoke the "best me I can be" given the current situation. On the way to work it might be, "I'm a team player, giving my job 100% focus." Or, if you're entering your home, "I am a loving, joyful parent" or "I am a compassionate and considerate spouse."

3. The Discovery Breath

Breathe in the mystery, the magic of life, being fully appreciative of whatever shows up; let go of the judgments that constrain your choices and cause knee-jerk reactions towards others. Breathe in the beauty and spaciousness of life from this perspective.

The great body of work in recent years by many researchers such as Davidson, Seligman, and Crum/Langer all point to an astonishing finding. We can consider things such as happiness, optimism - and our reaction to change and uncertainty - as learned skills, just like playing the piano or learning to ski. The more we choose and practice our mindsets, the better we get at them, and the brain reshapes itself to emphasize these qualities even more. We can consciously create happiness. Why not begin now?
**********

This month of Thanksgiving, I'm ever grateful to friends like Tom for teaching and practicing with me, both on and off the mat!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Download Your Own Centering Bell

In my workshops, I use a small chime or bell to help participants practice the Centered State. The sound of the bell is centering and reinforces that it only takes intention to turn this moment into a Ki Moment.

I've added an mp3 file of the centering bell sound to the Products page on my Website (judyringer.com). You can listen to the bell anytime and let it help you make centering automatic.

Take a moment now to listen to the bell! Let me know if it was helpful.

Appreciative Inquiry Workshop

Organizational change consultant Lisa Hirsh is offering a three-day workshop on Appreciative Inquiry in Boston, MA, December 1-3.

The program features Jane Magruder Watkins, one of the pioneers in the field of Appreciative Inquiry and co-author of Appreciative Inquiry: Change at the Speed of Imagination.

Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is the cooperative search for the best in people, their organizations, and the world around them. This is a rare opportunity to learn from two of the real experts in this field.

Learn more and register at Lisa's website.

The Magic of Skiing

Start your year off sliding and flowing gracefully through life!!

Tom Crum offers his unique program of skiing, snowboarding, learning, living and loving life in the winter wonderlands of Aspen and Snowmass, Colorado. Two opportunities:

January 16-23, 2010
February 6-13, 2010

Learn more!

Contact Information
Judy Ringer
Power & Presence Training
76 Park Street
Portsmouth, NH 03801
voice: 603.431.8560
website: www.judyringer.com

Judy Ringer is Founder of Power & Presence Training, a Portsmouth, NH company specializing in unique workshops to help you and your organization manage conflict, communicate effectively, and co-create a more positive work environment.

E-mail Judy at judy@judyringer.com for a free initial meeting to discuss your training needs. Ki (from Ai-ki-do) is Japanese for life energy. Ki Moments is a complimentary monthly "e-zine" with tips and how-to articles to help you manage the key moments in your life.

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