Yoga: Postura Del Arado

Técnica

Extendido en el suelo, sobre la espalda, con las piernas juntas y los brazos a ambos lados del cuerpo.

Con los brazos rectos y presionando las palmas de las manos contra el suelo, vaya elevando en el aire las piernas y todo el tronco, conduciendo los pies al suelo por encima de la cabeza y, en lo posible, manteniendo las piernas estiradas, como se ilustra en el dibujo correspondiente. Sitúe las manos debajo de la nuca y regule la respiración. Mantenida la postura el tiempo indicado, conduzca los brazos a la posición inicial y deshágala lentamente.

Tiempo

Cuarenta y cinco segundos y se efectúa dos veces.

 

Beneficios

. Todos los músculos de la espalda son poderosamente estirados y tonificados, mejorándose el riego sanguíneo a los mismos. También se estimulan vigorosamente todos los pares de nervios espinales, que son sobre abastecidos de sangre.

. Dota de flexibilidad a la espina dorsal y la mantiene joven.

. La vigorosa presión que el mentón ejerce sobre la garganta favorece la glándula tiroides, regula su funcionamiento y perfecciona asimismo el funcionamiento del metabolismo

y regula la tensión arterial.

. La contracción que se origina sobre la cavidad abdominal ejerce un saludable masaje sobre todos los órganos abdominales, reactivando su funcionamiento.

. Regula el sistema simpático.

. Produce una beneficiosa afluencia de sangre fresca a la espalda y la espina dorsal, que origina también un aporte extra de sangre al cuello y la cabeza, lo que representa una inyección de vitalidad para el cerebro.

. En las mujeres, regula el funcionamiento de los ovarios, y, en los hombres, influye muy positivamente sobre la próstata.

. Previene contra la congestión de diversos órganos abdominales, la diabetes, la constipación, la artritis, la dispepsia, la descalcificación, la aerofagia y determinadas mialgias.

. Combate el estreñimiento y diversas lesiones de la espina dorsal, el desequilibrio nervioso y la melancolía.

. Descansa profundamente las piernas, previniendo las varices.

. Mitiga dolores lumbares y dota de elasticidad a la articulación del hombro.

. Favorece la interiorización y la concentración.

Fuente: "El Gran Libro del Yoga", Ramiro Calle

Yoga: Tres Posturas Básicas

 

1. Postura del árbol

 

 

La postura del árbol facilita el equilibrio interior y el balance de los chakras.

Párate con los pies juntos y lleva las manos unidas al pecho. Esta es una de las posturas básicas del yoga: la postura de la montaña. Lleva la mirada a un punto fijo a la altura de tus ojos. Eso te ayudará a mantener el equilibrio. Con la atención en el balance, lleva la planta del pie derecho a la parte interna de tu muslo izquierdo, o si te es más cómodo, apóyala en tu pantorrilla; lo importante es que sea por encima o por debajo de la rodilla, pero nunca sobre ésta. Mantén la rodilla girada hacia fuera y la cadera cuadrada hacia el frente.

Eleva los brazos al cielo, manteniendo las palmas juntas y la concentración. Mantén treinta segundos. Para salir de la postura, baja nuevamente los brazos, las manos a la altura del pecho, y regresa el pie al suelo. Repite la postura del árbol con la pierna contraria.

Si estás al aire libre, inspirarte en los árboles que te rodean te da equilibrio y firmeza para crecer muy arriba y te conecta con la tierra.

2. La vela - parada de hombros

La parada de hombros trabaja el sistema endocrino.

Acuéstate boca arriba, con los pies juntos y las manos apoyadas a los lados del cuerpo con las palmas hacia abajo.

Levanta las piernas noventa grados. Ayúdate con las manos a levantar la cadera del suelo y desliza las manos hacia arriba de tus caderas, manteniendo las piernas estiradas, hasta llegar a la parte alta de tu espalda. Las manos deben ofrecer un apoyo firme.

Intenta juntar los omóplatos lo más que puedas, los brazos muy juntos a tu cuerpo y elevar los pies tan alto como te sea posible. Junta la barbilla al pecho. Mantén la postura 30 segundos y llevando la atención a la respiración; respira profundamente y tranquilamente. Ten cuidado de no girar ni lastimar el cuello. Para salir de esta postura, la parada de hombros(su versión avanzada es la postura de la vela), lleva las piernas unos centímetros hacia atrás, y apoya las manos en el suelo. Utilízalas manos a manera de freno para regresar al piso, muy lentamente, vértebra por vértebra.

3. Torsión dorsal

La torsión hace un masaje en los órganos internos y mantiene la salud de la columna.

Arrodíllate, sentado sobre las piernas y con la espalda recta, para iniciar esta postura. Debes quedar bien sentado, con ambos isquiones (los huesos en los que nos sentamos) apoyados en el suelo. No te sientes sobre el pie izquierdo.

Apoya el brazo izquierdo en el suelo y plántalo junto a tu columna, firme y estirado, con la palma hacia afuera. Estira el derecho bien arriba, cerca a tu oreja derecha.

Gira tus hombros hacia tu izquierda. Utiliza el brazo derecho para profundizar la postura; puedes dejarlo haciendo presión contra la pierna, o si puedes, estíralo y agarra tu pie izquierdo. Mira por encima del hombro derecho. Respira profundamente y con conciencia del ejercicio y de cada parte que estás estirando. Sostén 30 segundos, y repite hacia el lado contrario para balancear los dos lados en esta torsión dorsal.


Las torsiones sirven para tener una columna vertebral saludable, a masajear los órganos internos y ayuda a la apertura de las caderas. Respira profundamente y dirige la atención a cada parte que estás estirando.

Fuente:  http://elyoga.about.com/od/Tecnicas/ss/Tres-posturas-basicas.htm

Therapeutic Benefits of Laughter

Dr. Lee Berk and fellow researcher Dr. Stanley Tan of Loma Linda University in California have been studying the effects of laughter on the immune system. To date their published studies have shown that laughing lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones, increases muscle flexion, and boosts immune function by raising levels of infection-fighting T-cells, disease-fighting proteins called Gamma-interferon and B-cells, which produce disease-destroying antibodies. Laughter also triggers the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers, and produces a general sense of well-being. 

Following is a summary of his research, taken from an interview published in the September/October 1996 issue of the Humor and Health Journal.

Laughter Activates the Immune System

In Berk's study, the physiological response produced by belly laughter was opposite of what is seen in classical stress, supporting the conclusion that mirthful laughter is a eustress state -- a state that produces healthy or positive emotions.

Research results indicate that, after exposure to humor, there is a general increase in activity within the immune system, including: 

	An increase in the number and activity level of natural killer cells that attack viral infected cells and some types of cancer and tumor cells.
	An increase in activated T cells (T lymphocytes). There are many T cells that await activation. Laughter appears to tell the immune system to "turn it up a notch."
	An increase in the antibody IgA (immunoglobulin A), which fights upper respiratory tract insults and infections.
	An increase in gamma interferon, which tells various components of the immune system to "turn on."
	An increase in IgB, the immunoglobulin produced in the greatest quantity in body, as well as an increase in Complement 3, which helps antibodies to pierce dysfunctional or infected cells. The increase in both substances was not only present while subjects watched a humor video; there also was a lingering effect that continued to show increased levels the next day.

Laughter Decreases "Stress" Hormones

The results of the study also supported research indicating a general decrease in stress hormones that constrict blood vessels and suppress immune activity. These were shown to decrease in the study group exposed to humor.

For example, levels of epinephrine were lower in the group both in anticipation of humor and after exposure to humor. Epinephrine levels remained down throughout the experiment.

In addition, dopamine levels (as measured by dopac) were also decreased. Dopamine is involved in the "fight or flight response" and is associated with elevated blood pressure.
Laughing is aerobic, providing a workout for the diaphragm and increasing the body's ability to use oxygen.

Laughter brings in positive emotions that can enhance – not replace -- conventional treatments. Hence it is another tool available to help fight the disease.

Experts believe that, when used as an adjunct to conventional care, laughter can reduce pain and aid the healing process. For one thing, laughter offers a powerful distraction from pain.

In a study published in the Journal of Holistic Nursing, patients were told one-liners after surgery and before painful medication was administered. Those exposed to humor perceived less pain when compared to patients who didn't get a dose of humor as part of their therapy.

Perhaps, the biggest benefit of laughter is that it is free and has no known negative side effects.

So, here is a summary of how humor contributes to physical health.  More details can be found in the article, Humor and Health contributed by Paul McGhee

Muscle Relaxation - Belly laugh results in muscle relaxation. While you laugh, the muscles that do not participate in the belly laugh, relaxes. After you finish laughing those muscles involved in the laughter start to relax. So, the action takes place in two stages.

Reduction of Stress Hormones - Laughter reduces at least four of neuroendocrine hormones associated with stress response. These are epinephrine, cortisol, dopac, and growth hormone.

Immune System Enhancement - Clinical studies have shown that humor strengthens the immune system.

Pain Reduction - Humor allows a person to "forget" about pains such as aches, arthritis, etc.

Cardiac Exercise - A belly laugh is equivalent to "an internal jogging." Laughter can provide good cardiac conditioning especially for those who are unable to perform physical exercises.

Blood Pressure - Women seem to benefit more than men in preventing hypertension.

Respiration - Frequent belly laughter empties your lungs of more air than it takes in resulting in a cleansing effect - similar to deep breathing. Especially beneficial for patient's who are suffering from emphysema and other respiratory ailments.

Source:  http://www.holisticonline.com/Humor_Therapy/humor_therapy_benefits.htm

The Ten Habits of Highly Effective Brains

Let’s review some good lifestyle options we can fol­low to main­tain, and improve, our vibrant brains.

1. Learn what is the “It” in “Use It or Lose It”. A basic under­stand­ing will serve you well to appre­ci­ate your brain’s beauty as a liv­ing and constantly-developing dense for­est with bil­lions of neu­rons and synapses.
2. Take care of your nutri­tion. Did you know that the brain only weighs 2% of body mass but con­sumes over 20% of the oxy­gen and nutri­ents we intake? As a gen­eral rule, you don’t need expen­sive ultra-sophisticated nutri­tional sup­ple­ments, just make sure you don’t stuff your­self with the “bad stuff”.
3. Remem­ber that the brain is part of the body. Things that exer­cise your body can also help sharpen your brain: phys­i­cal exer­cise enhances neurogenesis.
4. Prac­tice pos­i­tive, future-oriented thoughts until they become your default mind­set and you look for­ward to every new day in a con­struc­tive way. Stress and anx­i­ety, no mat­ter whether induced by exter­nal events or by your own thoughts, actu­ally kills neu­rons and pre­vent the cre­ation of new ones. You can think of chronic stress as the oppo­site of exer­cise: it pre­vents the cre­ation of new neurons.
5. Thrive on Learn­ing and Men­tal Chal­lenges. The point of hav­ing a brain is pre­cisely to learn and to adapt to chal­leng­ing new envi­ron­ments. Once new neu­rons appear in your brain, where they stay in your brain and how long they sur­vive depends on how you use them. “Use It or Lose It” does not mean “do cross­word puz­zle num­ber 1,234,567″. It means, “chal­lenge your brain often with fun­da­men­tally new activities”.
6. We are (as far as we know) the only self-directed organ­isms in this planet. Aim high. Once you grad­u­ate from col­lege, keep learn­ing. The brain keeps devel­op­ing, no mat­ter your age, and it reflects what you do with it.
7. Explore, travel. Adapt­ing to new loca­tions forces you to pay more atten­tion to your envi­ron­ment. Make new deci­sions, use your brain.
8. Don’t Out­source Your Brain. Not to media per­son­al­i­ties, not to politi­cians, not to your smart neigh­bour… Make your own deci­sions, and mis­takes. And learn from them. That way, you are train­ing your brain, not your neighbour’s.
9. Develop and main­tain stim­u­lat­ing friend­ships. We are “social ani­mals”, and need social inter­ac­tion. Which, by the way, is why ‘Baby Ein­stein’ has been shown not to be the panacea for chil­dren development.
10. Laugh. Often. Espe­cially to cog­ni­tively com­plex humor, full of twists and sur­prises. Bet­ter, try to become the next Jon Stewart

Now, remem­ber that what counts is not read­ing this article-or any other-, but prac­tic­ing a bit every day until small steps snow­ball into unstop­pable, inter­nal­ized habits…so, pick your next bat­tle and try to start improv­ing at least one of these 10 habits today. Revisit the habit above that really grabbed your atten­tion, click on the link to learn more, and make a deci­sion to try some­thing dif­fer­ent today!

Source: http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2007/08/22/10-habits-of-highly-effective-brains/

How can I improve concentration and memory?

Atten­tion (or con­cen­tra­tion), and mem­ory are two men­tal skills directly related. In fact, many mem­ory com­plaints have noth­ing to do with the actual abil­ity to remem­ber things. They come from a fail­ure to focus prop­erly on the task at hand.

Take the exam­ple of not remem­ber­ing where you parked your car after shop­ping at the mall… It is likely that you did not pay much atten­tion to where you parked the car in the first place, thus leav­ing your brain with few oppor­tu­ni­ties to reg­is­ter any infor­ma­tion that could be recalled later to help you find your car. The same rea­son­ing goes for not remem­ber­ing where we put our glasses!

Many of our actions are per­formed auto­mat­i­cally. By oppo­si­tion, focus­ing atten­tion is effort­ful. As you know, with age the brain needs more time to process infor­ma­tion.  Along with speed of pro­cess­ing, other brain func­tions decline. A cru­cial one is the abil­ity to focus and ignore distraction.

As we age it thus get harder and harder to pay atten­tion. But focus­ing our atten­tion on the task at hand is key for bet­ter mem­ory per­for­mance. What can we do then to improve con­cen­tra­tion and memory?

One gen­eral solu­tion is to keep the brain healthy. This can be done by adher­ing to the main pil­lars of brain health and main­te­nance: bal­anced diet, phys­i­cal exer­cise, cog­ni­tive stim­u­la­tion, stress man­age­ment, and social engage­ment.

How to improve concentration

• Focus on the task at hand: If talk­ing with some­one: ask ques­tions; if read­ing a book or a report: ask your­self how you would sum­ma­rize what you just read to a friend or to your boss.

• In gen­eral, avoid and/or elim­i­nate dis­trac­tions. Tune out every­thing else. The harder the task, the more impor­tant it is to tune out distractions.

• Do not try to double-task, this will increase your errors and divide your atten­tion. Atten­tion is lim­ited. When you try to do sev­eral things at once, you nec­es­sar­ily have to divide your atten­tion and thus con­cen­trate less on each indi­vid­ual tasks.

• Use med­i­ta­tion. Sev­eral stud­ies have shown that med­i­ta­tion can be a good brain train­ing tool that affects espe­cially atten­tional / con­cen­tra­tion skills.

How to improve memory

• Pay atten­tion and con­cen­trate! (see above)

• Relate to the infor­ma­tion you are learn­ing. The more per­sonal the infor­ma­tion becomes, the eas­ier it is to remem­ber it. Ask your­self how it makes you feel. Ask your­self where else you have heard this. Ask your­self whether there is some­thing in your per­sonal life related to this piece of information.

• Repeat the infor­ma­tion: Come back to it more than one time. This has been found in tons of stud­ies: repeated infor­ma­tion is eas­ier to recall. Spaced retrieval (a method with which a per­son is cued to recall a piece of infor­ma­tion at dif­fer­ent inter­vals) is one of the rare meth­ods that show some results with Alzheimer’s patients.

• Elab­o­rate on the infor­ma­tion: think about it. Things that are con­crete and have a clear mean­ing are eas­ier to remem­ber than abstract and vague ones. Try­ing to attach mean­ing to the infor­ma­tion you are try­ing to mem­o­rize will make it eas­ier to recall later. Your brain will have more cues to look for. For instance, try to pic­ture the infor­ma­tion in your head. Pic­tures are much eas­ier to mem­o­rize than words. To remem­ber fig­ures and per­cent­ages it is much eas­ier to pic­ture these in a graph for instance. Relate the infor­ma­tion to some­thing you know already.

Let’s put it all together: Remem­ber­ing names

We often for­get names in the few sec­ond after we have heard them. Most of the time this phe­nom­e­non can be related to a lack of atten­tion or con­cen­tra­tion. It is also caused by the fact that names have no spe­cific mean­ing and are thus hard to mem­o­rize. Say you are intro­duced to Kim today:

1. Pay atten­tion to the name: Ask Kim to repeat her name if you have not heard it very well. Make a con­scious effort of try­ing to mem­o­rize the name: Focus on it (“Her name is Kim. I want to remem­ber it.”)

2. Relate to the name: What does this per­son make you feel like? Do you know some­one else named like this? Think about this other per­son. (“She seems quite ner­vous, I won­der why. She makes me feel a bit uneasy. Not at all like the other Kim I know from the gym.”)

3. Repeat the name: Use the name sev­eral times in the con­ver­sa­tion. (“What do you think of this, Kim?”) If applic­a­ble, use the person’s busi­ness card later on to read her name over and over.

4. Elab­o­rate on the name: Relate the name to pre­vi­ous infor­ma­tion (“Kim, as in Kim Wilde I used to lis­ten to when I was a kid. Well, she sure doesn’t look like Kim Wilde!”). Pic­ture her face later on in the day as you repeat her name.

Hope this helps!

Source:  http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2007/03/01/how-can-i-improve-my-concentration-and-my-memory/

Atención y Conciencia es Salud (laguia2000.com)

Hipócrates decía que dentro de nosotros hay un poder curativo natural que es la mayor fuerza que existe para curarse.

Todo lo que atrae nuestra atención crece, de manera que si prestamos atención a situaciones o emociones negativas, éstas ocuparán más lugar en nuestra conciencia.

Estos fragmentos de negatividad que se van acumulando en la conciencia son los que nos enferman y los que producen estados de ansiedad y depresión que parecen no tener ningún motivo.

Esta inquietud interior nos hace sentir desamparados y no nos permite utilizar las energías en forma más adecuada.

Sólo cuando la atención logra enfocarse en algo que tenga significado para nosotros, es cuando favorecemos la creación de salud.

Son los objetivos personales los que motivan a las personas a vivir, tener una familia, ejercer con vocación una profesión o tener proyectos. Esa es la manera de vivir que el cuerpo necesita para responder con vitalidad; y si cambiamos los contenidos negativos de nuestra conciencia volvemos a recuperar la energía perdida.

Es común que la gente que tiene proyectos, cualquiera que sean, se levante a la mañana con ánimo, dispuesta a llevarlos a cabo; en cambio, personas que se empeñan en sentir que han fracasado, o que han perdido a un ser querido, o que están a punto de jubilarse y que han estado siempre aferrados a su trabajo, se enfermen o caigan en una depresión.

Una meta a largo plazo, como una misma ocupación toda la vida, puede poner a una persona en una situación muy vulnerable, porque su conciencia es estrecha y parece no tener lugar para otra cosa. Sin embargo, la vida es como un río caudaloso y muy ancho y el estado óptimo de atención es mucho más grande que cualquier objetivo único.

Estos estados de atención plena, abiertos a todas las posibilidades, no son afectados por ninguna circunstancia ni los agitan las crisis, porque crean serenidad y tranquilidad interna.

Cuando prestamos atención tanto al descanso reparador como a la actividad, la conciencia se equilibra y permanece íntegra y vital.

Las personas que gozan de este equilibrio tienen un aspecto diferente, son comprensivas y profundamente tranquilas y poniendo su atención sobre alguien logran relajarlo, porque irradian una calma cercana a la sabiduría.

Esto es lo que se necesita para crear salud y se denomina conciencia de si mismo.

El que haya logrado en alguna oportunidad ese estado, aunque sea por breve tiempo, o que haya experimentado la cercanía de alguien que lo haya experimentado, sabe que es algo que no se puede comparar con nada ni tiene precio.

Todos los valores mundanos, como el dinero o el físico, dejan de tener importancia, porque el autoconocimiento sólo da lugar a cosas positivas sin ningún esfuerzo, sin luchar, sólo dejando que la vida las haga posibles.

Otra forma de prestar atención a nuestros pensamientos negativos es tratando de resistirnos en oponernos a ellos, porque es inútil pelear con ellos.

Krishnamurti nos dice que el hecho de ser conscientes de nuestra torpeza nos libera de ella, porque nos obliga a prestar atención, a estar alerta y dejar de ser torpes; en cambio si uno se resiste, cada día será peor.

Ser inteligente no es ser erudito, ni astuto ni muy listo, sólo se es inteligente cuando se ven las cosas como son sin crear conflictos al percibirlos (me gusta no me gusta, lo acepto no lo acepto).

La atención más poderosa es la pura e inocente, esta atención permite que la vida fluya y crea salud.

Estamos a acostumbrados a funcionar mecánicamente, atados a planes fijos y nuestra verdadera inteligencia no puede operar.

Esta forma de vivir nos hace estar desatentos y nuestra verdadera naturaleza no nos puede ayudar.

Una atención tranquila no puede coexistir con emociones negativas, como la ira, el miedo, la preocupación, la ambición, la culpa, la ansiedad, la intolerancia o la depresión.

Es inútil enfrentar y pelear contra la negatividad, sólo hay que dejar de prestarle atención y desaparecerá como por encanto.

Fuente:”Cómo crear salud”, Deepak Chopra.

Fuente:  http://psicologia.laguia2000.com/psicologia-cuerpo-mente/atencion-y-conciencia-es-salud

La Atención (laguia2000.com)

La atención es la capacidad de concentración espontánea o voluntaria de la conciencia en un objeto externo o interno, que la mente percibe porque motiva o interesa.

Tanto desde el punto de vista espontáneo y automático como en el sensorio motor, representa un aspecto del funcionamiento de la conciencia más que una actividad particular.

Una vez que la tensión psicológica va introduciendo más orden y va logrando diferenciar los fenómenos, la atención ya no se puede separar del afecto que la anima, o sea que se verá estimulada, estrictamente, por la motivación y el interés.

La conciencia de los fenómenos se sostiene por fuerzas afectivas que pueden asegurar o comprometer el orden y la claridad.

Los trastornos de la atención y de la concentración representan la dispersión de la atención espontánea, o bien, la falta de eficacia de la atención voluntaria, porque le resulta imposible mantener el pensamiento en el ámbito central del campo de integración y elaboración mental, que es donde se realiza la operación de diferenciar analíticamente todos los elementos de un fenómeno.

En ciertos casos, este trastorno perturba la posibilidad de cambio, de variación y el flujo de la ideación.

Para evaluar estos problemas de atención, habitualmente se utiliza una batería de tests, y además se realizan otras pruebas y la observación clínica.

Estos métodos se deben combinar para descubrir esta discapacidad, que suele ser frecuente en estados de confusión mental y en las demencias y para orientar y confirmar el resultado del diagnóstico de las lesiones orgánicas.

La atención se puede mejorar realizando tareas que exijan concentración y que además resulten placenteras para el sujeto.

Las investigaciones sobre este tema indican que en circunstancias normales, no se puede fijar la atención más de veinte minutos, además, del hecho de que de todo lo que se percibe y experimenta, sólo se puede recordar conscientemente alrededor de un veinte por ciento.

En algunas situaciones, mantener la atención requiere un esfuerzo significativo, por ejemplo, en conferencias que resultan tediosas y monótonas, en clases universitarias y también del secundario que no logran, por distintos motivos, despertar el interés de los oyentes y de los alumnos.

Existen algunas técnicas para que tanto los profesores o los oradores, puedan obtener una mejor atención de los alumnos o del público:

- Respetar los descansos y no prolongar las exposiciones más del tiempo prudente recomendado.

- Matizar las clases con ejemplos relacionados con la actualidad;

- Incentivar a los alumnos u oyentes a realizar preguntas o hacerles preguntas relacionadas con lo que están enseñando;

- Incluir diseños, gráficos o bien imágenes, diapositivas o videos, ya que la percepción gráfica ayuda a prestar atención y a registrar en la memoria mucho más que un extenso y aburrido monólogo;

- Hablar con matices y no en forma monótona, repitiendo y poniendo énfasis en lo que es esencial.

- Aprender a ser elocuente, que significa adquirir la capacidad de mantener el interés del público mediante una forma de hablar que deleite, convenza, impresione y conmueva y que además logre despertar la curiosidad del que escucha.

También existen técnicas para que el oyente pueda prestar más atención, cuando la disertación se convierte en algo monótono que hace que la mente divague:

- Tomar apuntes de los conceptos esenciales, ya que esta tarea exige realizar una operación más compleja que la atención, como es la abstracción. De esta manera la persona puede mantenerse alerta, favorecer el registro de los contenidos o evitar ser invadida por sus propios pensamientos.

- Participar haciendo preguntas sobre lo que no se entiende y además sirve para aclarar las dudas.

- Involucrarse en los temas que se están tratando y tomar una posición, adoptando una actitud crítica e intentando ver otros aspectos que no se han tenido en cuenta, o que se ignoran, para poder sostener determinadas formas de pensar.

-Comprometiéndose, porque si no hay compromiso, disminuye el interés, la motivación y es imposible prestar atención.

Fuente: “Tratado de Psiquiatría”, Henry Ey, P. Bernard y Ch. Brisset.

Fuente: http://psicologia.laguia2000.com/psicologia-clinica/la-atencion

Study Questions with Answers Part 2 - The Master Key System

11. What are the two modes of mental activity?

Conscious and subconscious.

12. Upon what do ease and perfection depend?

Ease and perfection depend entirely upon the degree in which we cease to depend upon the conscious mind.

13. What is the value of the subconscious?

It is enormous; it guides us, warns us, it controls the vital processes and is the seat of memory.

14. What are some of the functions of the conscious mind?

It has the faculty of discrimination; it has the power of reasoning; it is the seat of the will and may impress the subconscious.

15. How has the distinction between the conscious and subconscious been expressed?

"Conscious mind is reasoning will. Subconscious mind is instinctive desire, the result of past reasoning will."

16. What method is necessary in order to impress the subconscious?

Mentally state what is wanted.

17. What will be the result?

If the desire is in harmony with the forward movement of the great Whole, forces will be set in motion which will bring about the result.

18. What is the result of the operation of this law?

Our environment reflects conditions corresponding to the predominant mental attitude which we entertain.

19. What name has been given to this law?

The Law of Attraction.

20. How is the law stated?

Thought is a creative energy, and will automatically correlate with its object and bring it into manifestation.

Fuente:  http://www.psitek.net/pages/PsiTekTMKS6.html

The Master Key System - Part Two

Our difficulties are largely due to confused ideas and ignorance of our true interests. The great task is to discover the laws of nature to which we are to adjust ourselves. Clear thinking and moral insight are, therefore, of incalculable value. All processes, even those of thought, rest on solid foundations.

The keener the sensibilities, the more acute the judgment, the more delicate the taste, the more refined the moral feelings, the more subtle the intelligence, the loftier the aspiration -- the purer and more intense are the gratifications which existence yields. Hence it is that the study of the best that has been thought in the world gives supreme pleasure.

The powers, uses and possibilities of the mind under the new interpretations are incomparably more wonderful that the most extravagant accomplishment, or even dreams of material progress.

Thought is energy. Active thought is active energy; concentrated thought is a concentrated energy. Thought concentrated on a definite purpose becomes power. This is the power which is being used by those who do not believe in the virtue of poverty, or the beauty of self-denial. They perceive that this is the talk of weaklings.

The ability to receive and manifest this power depends upon the ability to recognize the Infinite Energy ever dwelling in man, constantly creating and recreating his body and mind, and ready at any moment to manifest through him in any needful manner. In exact proportion to the recognition of this truth will be the manifestation in the outer life of the individual.

Part Two explains the method by which this is accomplished.

 

PART TWO

1. The operations of the mind are produced by two parallel modes of activity, the one conscious, and the other subconscious. Professor Davidson says: "He who thinks to illuminate the whole range of mental action by the light of his own consciousness is not unlike the one who should go about to illuminate the universe with a rushlight."

2. The subconscious’ logical processes are carried on with a certainty and regularity which would be impossible if there existed the possibility of error. Our mind is so designed that it prepares for us the most important foundations of cognition, whilst we have not the slightest apprehension of the modus operandi.

3. The subconscious soul, like a benevolent stranger, works and makes provision for our benefit, pouring only the mature fruit into our lap; thus ultimate analysis of thought processes shows that the subconscious is the theatre of the most important mental phenomena.

4. It is through the subconscious that Shakespeare must have perceived, without effort, great truths which are hidden from the conscious mind of the student; that Phidias fashioned marble and bronze; that Raphael painted Madonnas and Beethoven composed symphonies. 

5. Ease and perfection depend entirely upon the degree in which we cease to depend upon the consciousness; playing the piano, skating, operating the typewriter, the skilled trades, depend for their perfect execution on the process of the sub-conscious mind. The marvel of playing a brilliant piece on the piano, while at the same time conducting a vigorous conversation, shows the greatness of our subconscious powers.

6. We are all aware how dependent we are upon the subconscious, and the greater, the nobler, the more brilliant our thoughts are, the more it is obvious to ourselves that the origin lies beyond our ken. We find ourselves endowed with tact, instinct, sense of the beautiful in art, music, etc., or whose origin or dwelling place we are wholly unconscious.

7. The value of the subconscious is enormous; it inspires us; it warns us; it furnishes us with names, facts and scenes from the storehouse of memory. It directs our thoughts, tastes, and accomplishes tasks so intricate that no conscious mind, even if it had the power, has the capacity for. 

8. We can walk at will; we can raise the arm whenever we choose to do so; we can give our attention through eye or ear to any subject at pleasure. On the other hand, we cannot stop our heartbeats nor the circulation of the blood, nor the growth of stature, nor the formation of nerve and muscle tissue, nor the building of the bones, nor many other important vital processes.

9. If we compare these two sets of action, the one decreed by the will of the moment, and the other proceeding in majestic, rhythmic course, subject to no vascillation, but constant at every moment, we stand in awe of the latter, and ask to have the mystery explained. We see at once that these are the vital processes of our physical life, and we can not avoid the inference that these all-important functions are designedly withdrawn from the domain of our outward will with its variations and transitions, and placed under the direction of a permanent and dependable power within us.

10. Of these two powers, the outward and changeable has been termed the "Conscious Mind," or the "Objective Mind" (dealing with outward objects). The interior power is called the "Subconscious Mind," or the "Subjective Mind," and besides its work on the mental plane it controls the regular functions which make physical life possible. 

11. It is necessary to have a clear understanding of their respective functions on the mental plane, as well as of certain other basic principles. Perceiving and operating through the five physical senses, the conscious mind deals with the impressions and objects of the outward life.

12. It has the faculty of discrimination, carrying with it the responsibility of choice. It has the power of reasoning - whether inductive, deductive, analytical or syllogistic - and this power may be developed to a high degree. It is the seat of the will with all the energies that flow therefrom.

13. Not only can it impress other minds, but it can direct the subconscious mind. In this way the conscious mind becomes the responsible ruler and guardian of the subconscious mind. It is this high function which can completely reverse conditions in your life. 

14. It is often true that conditions of fear, worry, poverty, disease, inharmony and evils of all kinds dominate us by reason of false suggestions accepted by the unguarded subconscious mind. All this the trained conscious mind can entirely prevent by its vigilant protective action. It may properly be called "the watchman at the gate" of the great subconscious domain.

15. One writer has expressed the chief distinction between the two phases of mind thus: "Conscious mind is reasoning will. Subconscious mind is instinctive desire, the result of past reasoning will."

16. The subconscious mind draws just and accurate inferences from premises furnished from outside sources. Where the premise is true, the subconscious mind reaches a faultless conclusion, but, where the premise or suggestion is an error, the whole structure falls. The subconscious mind does not engage in the process of proving. It relies upon the conscious mind, "the watchman at the gate," to guard it from mistaken impressions. 

17. Receiving any suggestions as true, the subconscious mind at once proceeds to act thereon in the whole domain of its tremendous field of work. The conscious mind can suggest either truth or error. If the latter, it is at the cost of wide-reaching peril to the whole being.

18. The conscious mind ought to be on duty during every waking hour. When the "watchman" is "off guard," or when its calm judgment is suspended, under a variety of circumstances, then the subconscious mind is unguarded and left open to suggestion from all sources. During the wild excitement of panic, or during the height of anger, or the impulses of the irresponsible mob, or at any other time of unrestrained passion, the conditions are most dangerous. The subconscious mind is then open to the suggestion of fear, hatred, selfishness, greed, self-depreciation and other negative forces, derived from surrounding persons or circumstances. The result is usually unwholesome in the extreme, with effects that may endure to distress it for a long time. Hence, the great importance of guarding the subconscious mind from false impressions.

19. The subconscious mind perceives by intuition. Hence, its processes are rapid. It does not wait for the slow methods of conscious reasoning. In fact, it can not employ them. 

20. The subconscious mind never sleeps, never rests, any more than does your heart, or your blood. It has been found that by plainly stating to the subconscious mind certain specific things to be accomplished, forces are set in operation that lead to the result desired. Here, then, is a source of power which places us in touch with Omnipotence. Here in is a deep principle which is well worth our most earnest study.

21. The operation of this law is interesting. Those who put it into operation find that when they go out to meet the person with whom they anticipate a difficult interview, something has been there before them and dissolved the supposed differences; everything is changed; all is harmonious; they find that when some difficult business problem presents itself they can afford to make delay and something suggests the proper solution; everything is properly arranged; in fact, those who have learned to trust the subconscious find that they have infinite resources at their command.

22. The subconscious mind is the seat of our principles and our aspirations. It is the fount of our artistic and altruistic ideals. These instincts can only be overthrown by an elaborate and gradual process of undermining the innate principles. 

23. The subconscious mind cannot argue controversially. Hence, if it has accepted wrong suggestions, the sure method of overcoming them is by the use of a strong counter suggestion, frequently repeated, which the mind must accept, thus eventually forming new and healthy habits of thought and life, for the subconscious mind is the seat of Habit. That which we do over and over becomes mechanical; it is no longer an act of judgment, but has worn its deep grooves in the subconscious mind. This is favorable for us if the habit be wholesome and right. If it be harmful, and wrong, the remedy is to recognize the omnipotence of the subconscious mind and suggest present actual freedom. The subconscious being creative and one with our divine source will at once create the freedom suggested. 

24. To sum up: The normal functions of the subconscious on the physical side have to do with the regular and vital processes, with the preservation of life and the restoration of health; with the care of offspring, which includes an instinctive desire to preserve all life and improve conditions generally.

25. On the mental side, it is the storehouse of memory; it harbors the wonderful thought messengers, who work, unhampered by time or space; it is the fountain of the practical initiative and constructive forces of life: It is the seat of habit. 

26. On the spiritual side, it is the source of ideals, of aspiration, of the imagination, and is the channel through which we recognize our Divine Source, and in proportion as we recognize this divinity do we come into an understanding of the source of power.

27. Some one may ask: "How can the subconscious change conditions?" The reply is, because the subconscious is a part of the Universal Mind and a part must be the same in kind and quality as the whole; the only difference is one of degree. The whole, as we know, is creative, in fact, it is the only creator there is, consequently, we find that mind is creative, and as thought is the only activity which the mind possesses, thought must necessarily be creative also.

28. But we shall find that there is a vast difference between simply thinking, and directing our thought consciously, systematically and constructively; when we do this we place our mind in harmony with the Universal Mind, we come in tune with the Infinite, we set in operation the mightiest force in existence, the creative power of the Universal Mind. This, as everything else, is governed by natural law, and this law is the "Law of Attraction," which is that Mind is creative, and will automatically correlate with its object and bring it into manifestation. 

29. Last week I gave you an exercise for the purpose of securing control of the physical body; if you have accomplished this you are ready to advance. This time you will begin to control your thought. Always take the same room, the same chair, and the same position, if possible. In some cases it is not convenient to take the same room, in this case simply make the best use of such conditions as may be available. Now be perfectly still as before, but inhibit all thought; this will give you control over all thoughts of care, worry and fear, and will enable you to entertain only the kind of thoughts you desire. Continue this exercise until you gain complete mastery.

30. You will not be able to do this for more than a few moments at a time, but the exercise is valuable, because it will be a very practical demonstration of the great number of thoughts which are constantly trying to gain access to your mental world.

31. Next week you will receive instructions for an exercise which may be a little more interesting, but it is necessary that you master this one first. 

Cause and effect is as absolute and undeviating in the hidden realm of thought as in the world of visible and material things. Mind is the master weaver, both of the interior garment of character and the outer garment of circumstance

James Allen

Fuente: http://www.psitek.net/pages/PsiTekTMKS5.html