In the busyness of the day, it’s amazing that we can consistently ignore our highest good. Under chronic stress, life becomes very complex. In the state of overwhelm, our brain’s rational thinking gets short circuited. Stress makes us stupid!
And yet life does not have to be so difficult. To turn things around, pay attention to your most basic needs. And then take action on those needs. Corrective action, however, can only come if we are AWARE of our needs.
As an example, how many of us have found ourselves pressing to finish tasks when we are very hungry? This is not healthy, we are building stress. When I’m really hungry, I can’t focus on the task at hand because my hunger is shouting for attention.
And how many of you keep pushing on in the face of anger? Anger clouds perception and judgment. Rather than ignoring or denying its presence, why not take a break, get some exercise, relax, meditate, or just take some mindful breaths.
Arguably, our most serious limiting issue is fatigue. There seems to be little understanding of how seriously fatigue is affecting our performance, enjoyment, and health. Rest is an enzyme of life as necessary as air. We need it to keep going and to heal. If you’re tired, get more sleep. If you are not sleeping well, learn how to quiet your mind. Regular meditation practice will work wonders to reduce fatigue and enhance the quality of your life.
The bottom line is that we need to set healthy boundaries for ourselves. When you cross the boundary, take corrective action. If we don’t, life will catch up with us. Accidents and illness are two examples of ways that nature gets our attention. While unplanned and unpleasant, these interruptions can provide us with an opportunity to take stock of our life and create a better future.
Let’s take a proactive approach and create a healthy lifestyle. Pay attention to your needs and take action on them. Let me know if I can help.
Greg Schweitzer, MBA, D.Ay., Director of Stress Reduction Resources and Effortless Meditation™ Instructor for more than 30 years





Who among us would start our day without making time for personal hygiene? At the minimum, we clean our teeth, wash our body, and brush our hair. Why do we take the time? We feel better, we’re healthier and we receive good feedback from those we personally contact!



After 35 years of teaching, it is very clear that people experience tremendous value from their meditation practice, and yet who hasn’t thought, I don’t have time to meditate today? It’s easy to lose focus on the things that are important to us when we’re running around responding to the relentless pressure of daily life.
I recently became friends with Elise who lives down the street from me. I had known of her for a couple years, but just waved and said “hello”. Recently we were formally introduced when she was hired at the same school I am now employed. It didn’t take long for us to become fast friends through yoga.
Life is filled with uncertainty, and there’s always something we can find to worry about. Worry is trying to control something, when we have no say in the matter. So, how do we accept the fact that the only thing we can count on is change? How do we ride the wave of not knowing? How do we live with an uncertain future? Can we change the self-talk that fuels fear?
The brochure says: Imagine your body feeling relaxed and peaceful yet poised with energy. Imagine having the ability to move with flexibility while enjoying maximum strength. Imagine using your body free of pain, stiffness or chronic stress. Well, I had heard of
About 6 months ago I had a patient come in complaining of severe neck pain with associated muscle spasm in the right side of her upper back. It began gradually, without injury and was getting worse. Her X-Rays revealed very bad arthritic degenerative changes in the vertebrae of her lower neck. I tried several “regular” hands-on Chiropractic adjustments, but the joints in her neck were so stiff, I wasn’t able to make much of a correction.
One of my regular clients at Twin Ponds integrative Health Center called for a massage today and requested a 90 minutes massage. He wanted to feel relaxed at a very deep level.
