TableofContentsTitlePage

Copyright

PREFACE

WHATISACOOLMIND?

WHENDOINEEDACOOLMIND?

WHENSHOULDIPRACTISEMEDITATION?

HOWDOIPRACTISEMEDITATION?

THETECHNIQUES

EXTRASTUFF

INDEX

BACKCOVERMATERIAL

‘ThebookCoolmindisfullofhandyhintsandin-depthlessonsonhowtostaycalm,relaxedandembracebothlifeandyourselftothefullestpotential...Thebookandall its lessonshavebeen invaluable tomeand Ioften findmyselfdoingtheexerciseswithoutevenrealisingit; theyarealmostsecondnature to me.Coolmind is written in such a beautifully simple yet highlyenjoyable and effectiveway that students are able to easily read it and putthecontentintopractice.’—Lara‘Stresswillbecomeanalienfeelingafterreadingthisbook!’—David‘PersonallyIfoundthatthemindworkwassomethingthat,oncelearnt,I

couldapply toall aspectsof life.Visualising themomentbeforehandmadeeverything that happened in races or even exams expected, even though inrealitythere’salwaysthatdegreeofuncertainty.AndI thinkit is thatsenseofcontrolovertheuncontrollablethathelpedmethemost.’—Laura‘It would have been pretty awesome to have something like thiswhen I

was finishingmy exams, not just formyself, but formates ofminewho Iknewwerestressedoutbutjustcouldn’tseemtoshakeit.Thumbsup!’—Mikey

PREFACEYour teacher is laying out the exam papers in front of you and you’re

starting to stress. You have only a few minutes to get yourself togetherbeforetheexambegins...howdoyoustaycalm?At a party, someone you’re keen on is walking your way. You always

seem to get nervous about dating so howdoyou stay cool andnotmake agooseofyourself?Competitorsinthefinallookprettydetermined.Theyarestaringyouout.

Howdoyoustayfocusedandriseaboveitall?Areyoufedupwithbeingnervousandfullofself-doubt?Doyouwonder

howyouwillevergettofeelconfidentandcomfortablewithyourself?Are you burstingwith energy to try something new ... but the same old

nervesanddoubtsfreezeyouup?If any of these situations seem familiar to you, then you have found the

rightlittlebook,becausethisbookisallabouttheartofrelaxing,theartofbecomingconsciouslycoolnowtoriseabovestress.Andthegoodnewsis...it’snothard!

WHATISACOOLMIND?This book is a crash course in getting cool ’n’ calm no matter what is

going on in your life. You’ll find it will take anywhere from just a fewminutestofifteenminutesofpracticeadaytogetacoolmind.

Thetitle‘coolmind’comesfromanoldsaying:‘Withacoolmindand a warm heart’, which means to act with a clear mind and apassionateheartaboutthewayyouwantyourlifetobe.Someonewithacoolmindisnostrangertohappiness.Theyarenotatthe

mercy of their moods, not pushing hard against the flow of life and notlettingflywithwildemotionaldisplays.Weareallbornwithacoolmindbutsomewherealongthebumpyroadof

childhood we begin to cover it over with worries, fears and concerns.Wecall this ‘conditioning’. Conditioning is what we try to protect ourselveswith,buttheseprotectivethoughtpatternsstickandthenasweclimboutoftheshortpantsofchildhoodintoadulthood,theyjustgetintheway.Infact,most of the time they just serve up anxiety and other miserable stuff thatkeepsusstuckinourdrama.Gettinga‘consciouslycoolmind’is,atleastintheory,oneofthesimplest

things in life to do because you don’t have to think. In fact, it’s all aboutpractising the art ofnot thinking—orat least nonegative thinking—ifonlyforafewminutesatatime.

Stress and anxiety mean that worry thoughts are going throughyourmind...acoolmindwillhelpyoureleasethesethoughtsandletgoofanyworries.Ifyouarewonderinghowitwilleverbepossibleto‘notthink’,haveyou

evernoticedthemomentarycalmwhenyousneeze?Sneezingstopsthoughtin its tracks, which gives you a glimpse of a quiet mind. It’s a calmingmoment.Coughingandyawningcanhaveasimilareffect.Sodoes thepre-sleepphase.

Therearetwomainwaystoreducestressandworryinyourlife...practise the habit of moving negative thinking to more logical,positive thoughts, which is not always easy, or practise the art of

relaxingyourmindwithmeditationtechniques.

Sohowcanrelaxationandmeditationhelpme?

Relaxation techniques are basically all about helping you to find your‘neutral’ feeling place. This is the place where there’s just you and yourbody, without stress, without the thinking. Your coolmind is a calm placeand,importantly,youcanfinditanytimeyouneedto!Toputitsimply,theartofrelaxingandgettingacoolmindliesinlearning

howto‘letgo’.Bylearninghowtoletgo,youaredroppingyour‘resistance’tothethingscausingyoustressinlife.Themoreyoufightordramatisethethingsinyourlife,thegreaterthestressyouwillfeel.

Coolmind isabout findingrelief inanysituation.Findingrelief istheessentialpreconditionofcalmandhappiness.

WHENDOINEEDACOOLMIND?Stress can come in many forms. Here are a few ways we bring it on

ourselves: thoughts of being inadequate, thoughts of being unworthy,thoughtsofbeingugly,thoughtsofbeingstupid,thoughtsofnotbeinggoodenough, thoughts that the world will end if I don’t get 95 per cent in thisexam,thoughtsthat‘theyhateme’.

Whenyoureduceyourthoughts,youinducerelaxation,andwhenyouinducerelaxation,youreduceyourresistance.When you let go of that sort of thinking, you momentarily drop your

resistance to life. That’swhat happenswhen you go to sleep; you ‘let go’,youdrop‘resistance’.Andthatiswhysleepfeelssogood,particularlywhenyouarestressed.Sostressfulfeelingsinthebodyarereallyalarmbellstellingyouthatyou

haveresistantthoughtstowhatishappeninginyourlife.Stresscanmanifestitselfinthebodyinmanydifferentways,suchasinheadaches,stomachanddigestive problems, back pain, frequent colds, tiredness, difficulty thinkingandtheinabilitytomakedecisions(the‘don’tknow’mind).Whenyouthinkathought,eithergoodorbad,yourbodyrespondswitha

chemical to let your body ‘feel’ the thought—it matches the thought to abodily sensation. If the thought was ‘This is a disaster!’ your chest mighttightenoryoumight feel sick. If it is ahappy thought,yourbodywill feellightandloose.Thinkapanicthoughtandyourbodywillcreatechemicalstomakeyoufeelpanicky.Thisisknownastheflightorfightresponsebecauseyourchemicalsystemismakingadrenalinetohelpyoueitherstayandfightortakeoff.Inthesameway,calmandhappythoughtswillmakeyourbodyproduce chemicals that enable you to feel calm and happy. Studies haveshown that angry thoughts create a bodily feeling that creates even moreanger.Angerliterallycreatesmoreanger.Youseelotsoflivedemonstrationsof

thisontheroads.Stressurgentlydivertstheenergyrequiredtokeepyourmindand

body healthy into flight or fight chemicals, which, over the long

term,runyoursystemdown.If anger is the appropriate emotion to help you express something or to

makeyouactwhensomethingisjustplainwrong,well,goforit.Butmovethrough it quickly before you end up staying in an angry space and doingangrythings.Butifangerisjusttheusualwayyourespondtostuffbecauseyoufeelthreatenedwhennothreatreallyexists,thenlearningtotakeadeepbreathandlettingtheangergomightturnyourlifearound.If you are often amesswith nerves or panic, or feel useless and full of

doubts,yourthinkinghasinonewayoranothertakenyoutothatstate.If,inthemiddle of those feelings, you try to say positive things to yourself thatyou don’t really believe, well, you just won’t believe yourself. What willhelp you though, is to become aware of your unhelpful thoughts throughmeditation.Bydoingso,youwillsoftentheseresistantthoughtsandreducetheirpower,sothatyoucangainclarity.

Talk to most adults in their thirties or forties who have beenthroughheavy stress andyou’ll discover theymostprobablydidn’tlearn relaxation and meditation techniques until they desperatelyneededthem!Inschoolandatuniversity, informationgoes intoyourheadalldaylong.

Youhavetodrawonsomanythoughtsasyoulearninclass,thenyouhaveto study and cram for exams. All the time you are learning, expanding,learning, expanding. It should be fun and interesting, but all too often itbuildsanxietyandpressurewithinyou.Sothelastthingyouneedtodoistostressabouthowtothinkwhenyouarestressed.Acoolmindistheopposite:there’snothingtothinkabout.Yousimplylearntoslowdownthought,relax,andlessenyourresistance.Justletlifeflow.Howcoolisthat!

Butwon’tpeoplewalkallovermeifIjustletgo?

Some people think that letting go, or dropping resistance, must meanlosingcontrol.Theythinkthatyou’llbecomeapushover,butthat’snottrue.Lettinggowhenyouneed to is thekey.Knowingwhenandhow to releaseresistancetoastressiswhatwillgiveyoucontrol.Lettinggoisaboutrealisingwhentoletgoof thethinkingandresponses

tolifethatarejustcausingyoutensionandworry,suchaswhenyou’refacedwith things you can’t really change. If it is an exam that you’re worried

about, letting go of the stress and then returning to your studies with aclearermindandadifferentoutlookwillempoweryou.Trying to find a positive thought onceworry has set in is often toohard

andrequiresjustmorethinking.Buttakingafewsecondstocoolyourselfinthefaceofstressgivesyouachancetostaycalmandontopofwhateverishappening. Someditation is not about dropping off effort or taking thingsless seriously, it’s about chilling out and then reinvesting your energy andeffortsinaclearer,happierway.Takethefinalyearexams,forexample.Ifyourheartissetonaparticular

path andyouneedcertainmarks togetyourself into auniversity course, ifthewayyouthinkaboutyourselforyourapproachtoexamsisnerve-rackingandmaking you sick, then you are knocking yourself aroundunnecessarilyand making it hard to perform well. You would benefit enormously bylettinggoofthethinkingthattripsyouup.

Lettinggodoesn’tmeanlosingcontrol;itmeansgainingfreedom!You could ... let go of any bodily and mental tension to improve your

concentration and circulation ... let go of the thoughts that tell you yourresult is going todefineyou as a success or a loser ... let go and trust thatyourunclutteredmindwillprovidetheintelligenceandcreativityyouwant,when you want ... let go and know that whatever happens you are allpowerful ... let go and allow your body to heal and be healthy and free oftension.

ButhowcanIbecalmwhenthere’ssomuchtoworryabout?

Worrying about something can give it a chance to get bigger. It keeps italiveandkeepsthehabitofworryalive.Sometimes creating a drama keeps your ‘plight’ alive and critical, but it

does not offer any relief to the situation. If your worry habit is alive andwell, you’ll also find therewill always be a newworry to replace any yousolve! Believe it or not, once you begin to practise the techniques in thisbook, you’ll find it is harder and takesmore energy to stay stressed aboutsomethingthanitdoestojustletgoofthethinking.

Putting relief in the space where stress was is the way to acoolmind.

WhyshouldIgetcalmwhenthereissomuchtodo,somuchIhavetoconquer?

Calm is thebirthplaceofhappiness, the fountainofcreativity, thekey toyourmental library, the cutting edge of invention, the access point to yourintuition, the source of joy and good health, and the launching pad ofinspiredaction.Youcan beatpeaceany timeyouwantandwhenyouare,you’llknowwhatmakesyoutick,whereyouwanttogoandwhatyouwantto do. You will act and it will feel just right. Once you can find yourcoolmind,youwillhavethetoolstokeepgoingbeyondyourpreviouslimits.Youarewhoyouare,andthesooneryouareatpeaceandexcitedbyit,thesoonerlifewillopenup.Itoftenseemsthatit’sthecoolkidswhotakealltherisksandhaveallthe

adventure.Wewatch the cool kids out there on the edgewhile our doubtsandfearsholdusback.Thesamethingcanhappenwithlearningandexams.When you walk into an exam, you take all the information that is rattlingaroundinsideyourheadandtryto‘bringitup’asyouanswerthequestions.But if you are anxious or panicky, those thoughts hijack your ability tolocatetherightinformation.Howoften are you then in the shower or jogging and, ‘bang’, you’re hit

with the answer?You dropped your resistancewithout realising it and theanswerpresenteditself.

Onemeditation teacherdescribed thenegativevoice inourheadsas a parrot perched on our shoulder squawking all day long, ‘Youcan’tdo that, loser!Squawk!You’rehopeless!Squawk!’Sowewillrefer to that negative voice that sucks the fun out of life as ourparrot.Yourparrotwillalwaysresistacoolmind.How much more fun and challenging would exams be if you could

approachthemwithmorecalmandpositiveexpectations?Onceyoubegintofeelathomewiththetechniquesinthisbook,youwill

begintohavemorechoicesandclarityinhowyoureacttowhat’sgoingonaround you. From clarity and calm spring intuition, creativity, confidenceandhappiness.Fromnegativeemotionsspringanxiety,fear,anger, jealousyandotherfeelingsofdoom.Bypractisingthetechniquesyou’llbeabletocutdown on those negative emotions, think about situations that used to bestressfulinamorepeacefulway,andnurtureyourself.You’llbeabletolook

atissuesfromahigherperspective—amorepowerfulplace.When your thinking keeps causing you hassles over things that haven’t

evenhappenedyet,youare‘futuringyourself’negatively.Futuringyourselfnegativelyscaresyourightoutofthepresentmoment.Comebackhere!It’stime to learn to ‘de-future’ yourself. Having a cooler mind will help ‘de-future’ you, or at least give you the chance to ‘future yourself’ morepositively. The more we know ourselves and our motivations, the morepowerandresolvewehavetorisethroughthedoubtsandachievewhateveritiswewantto.Regardlessofwhatisgoingonoutsideyou,ifyou’rehappyontheinside

you’re well ahead of the pack. Many people who don’t have internalhappiness need to go and get it from somewhere else, usually in amannerthatisn’tgood.Youseeitinbulliesorvandalsorinkidswhogethammeredon booze—they are trying to find happiness outside themselves, while therealityisthatthereisendlesshappinessonofferontheinside.Happiness increases your energy.Happy people radiate energy.You can

see it in theeyesandpostureofhappypeople.Negative statesofmind,ontheotherhand,contractyourbodyandpinchoffyourenergy.

Happinessandanxietycannotexistatthesametime.Being happy isn’t complicated. If you’ve ever been seriously happy or

content you know that feelingwhen you smile like an idiot for no reason.The cool thing to know is that happiness is never far away or somethingthat’salways‘over there’. It is righthere, rightnow ...andyoucanfind it.Realhappiness,astheDalaiLamasays,‘isbuiltonthefoundationofacalm,stablemind’.Meditationputsyouonthatpath.

Sowhatismeditationexactly?

There are countless descriptions of meditation but the easiest way todescribeitwouldbe‘focusingthemind’.Otherwaystodescribeitwouldbecontemplation,healing,andquietingthemind.Athletesandmusiciansenterastateofmeditationwhenperforming,whilearelaxedgardenertendingtoarosebushcouldbe said tobe inmeditation.So ifyouhavea relaxedmindandaresingularlyfocused,you’remeditating.Sciencehas shown thatduringmeditation theanalyticalbitofyourbrain

slows down while the creative bit actually speeds up. So if your head is

always fullofworriesorneedless thinking, someof these techniquescouldhelpyoufindsomedeeppeaceunderneathallthementalchatter.

WhatwillIfeelduringmeditation?

It will be totally different for everyone and the same person will havedifferentexperiencesonanygivenday,buthereareafewexamples:tinglingskin, itchiness, a deep feeling of peace, a softening of the muscles, anawarenessofslowdeepbreathing,movingorswaying.Youmaybemoreorless aware of any physical symptoms you have. You could begin to feelincredibly powerful, or vulnerable, or even slightly out of control. Theremightbeacalmstillnessinyourmindthatescapesassoonasyounoticeit.Theseareallnormalfeelings.

WHENSHOULDIPRACTISEMEDITATION?

Justasasportispractisedoralgebraislearnt,theartofcool,formostofus, takes a bit of practice. The good news is that you only have to find aminimumofthreeminutesadaytobeginwith.Youcanevenclockthemupaccumulatively if you must: say, one minute before you get up, one atlunchtimeandonebeforeyougotobed.Butyoudoneedtodoiteverydayand make it a habit to reap the full rewards. And after you have beenpractising for awhile, you’ll find it can takeonly seconds to reduceworryandbodilytension.

There’s a saying: ‘Trees can’t grow strong roots in a storm’. Soyouneedtopractisetheartofrelaxationwhentheweatherisgoodsoyoucanuseitwhentheweatherisbad!Threeminutesasession(ifit’scommittedenough!)isjustenoughtogive

youatasteoftheunlimitedbenefitsthatmeditationcanbring.Threeminutesofmental rest a day from your ‘parrot’ can be a huge relief for a nervousperson.Fifteenminutesadaywouldbeniceifyoucandedicatethetime,butthatmightbedifficult,sothreeminuteswillgetyouintothegame.Itmightbeenoughtointroduceyoutothe‘Aha!’factor.The‘Aha!’factoriswhenyouexperiencethatlittlemomentofrealisation

or calm, orwhen you realise you’re feeling good in a situation thatwouldpreviouslyhavestressedyouout.Littlemomentslikethesearepriceless.Inthisbookaremeditationstoimproveyourconcentration,onesthatwill

enable you to tune into your intuition, ones to help you heal, ones to giveyoupower,onestohelpyoujustappreciatelifemore,andonestohelpyoudreamand feel inspired.So if you’re ready andkeen to try, now is a goodtimetogetstarted.

Whatyoucangainfrommeditation:

Creativity

HealthHappinessBetterconcentration Increased decision-making ability I Improved

memoryMoreenergyFriendsPerformanceLoveConfidenceSleepPeaceEmpathy

Whatyoucanditchwithmeditation:

ExcessworryAnxietyBodilytightnessWhingingBoredomConfusionDramaSelf-doubtsNegativeself-talkSelf-obsession

HOWDOIPRACTISEMEDITATION?

There is a little bit of work to do on your part. You have to trust inyourself enough to let go, relax and just breathe for a minimum of a fewminutesaday.

There is no religion in this book nor anything spiritual that willhaveyouwearingrobesorburningincenseorpractisingwitchcraft.The techniques I’ve given are just practical ways to find yourcoolmind in seconds. Where you go from there is your journey todecideon!It’s important to note that, although they are all slightly different, the

techniques I give here all centre around two main things: letting go andbreathing!Someof the techniquesareanadaptationofmeditations thathaveserved

countlesspeopleover thousandsofyears,helping themquieten theirmindstowisdomandhappiness.Whatever techniqueyouultimatelydecide topursue,mindfulnesswillbe

at thecentreof it (wewill lookat this inmoredetail,"seesection titleTheTechniques").Whenyoufirstbegin,youmightnotevennoticethatyouhaveslippedintoadaydream,sowhenthathappensdon’tbeatuponyourself,justcomebacktoyourchosentechnique.Gettingfrustratedwithyourselfisoneof the little speed bumps youmight have to get past on yourway to cool.Gettingfrustratedwithyourselfisyouroldhabitslippinginthebackdoor!

Coolmind is not too heavy on the ‘micro’ theory of meditationbecause forone, there isenoughstudy inyour lifeas it is;andtwo,therearestreamsofpositiveresearchoutthereonmeditationifyouwant to study it! The best bit of study you could ever do on thebenefitsofmeditation,however,istopractiseitandlivethebenefits.Makeyourselftheresearch.

WhattechniqueshouldIdoandhowdoIknowwhichoneisbestforme?

Unlessyouaredrawntoonetechniqueinparticular,trytheminnumberedorder and give each one a go for a few days, to see how you are feeling.Some people feel immediate benefits from a particular style, while otherstakeyearstofeelanybenefit.Somemeditatorswhohavebeenatiteverydayfortwenty-fiveyearsstillfeellikebeginners,soanythingispossibleforyou.

Thegoldenrule:ifanytechniquedoesnotfeelrightforyou,stop,anddoonethatdoes.Aswearemainlyconcernedwithfeelinggood,simplyusethemethodthat

makesyoufeelthebest.Alwaysrememberthatit’snothowwellyoudoatitthat’s important, but just that you are taking time out to do it. There is nodoingwellordoingnotsowell,it’sjustdoing!

Aquickwordonposture!

As we are energetic beings, get into body positions that help yourconcentration and circulation. Slumped, lazy or sleepy postures pinch offyour energy and have no concentrative benefit. I often say, ‘Where yourmind goes your body goes’. It means that your thinking can affect yourhealth.Itworksinreversetoo.Goodpostureisamarkofrespecttoyourselfand it is a goodhabitwhenyou canbring the best of your posture to eachsession.Sositcomfortablywithyourspineuprightandinitsnaturalshape—it should have the shape of a long ‘S’. The neck and shoulders can relaxwithout strain and thiswill enable your ribs tomove freely, allowing yourbody to breathe as itwants.Any position that requires physical effortwillonlybringyoutension,sokeepitnatural.

Breathing

All meditation and relaxation programs work around your breath, so nomatter what technique you choose, you should start your focus on yourbreath.Butwhyisthis?Themainreasonisthatyourbreathisyourmostimmediateconnectionto

life:it iseasytolocateinahurry;youcanfeelit,hearit,drawittocertainparts of the body and even see it in winter. If you can’t find your breath,staying‘cool’istheleastofyourproblems!Your breathing rate also settles your heart rate. So if your heart rate is

settledyouwillbesettled.Deepbreathingalsokeepstheoxygencirculatinginyourbodyclean,soitcandispelcarbonsthataccumulateinyoursystem.Focused breathing settles your emotionswhich in turn reduces the stress

chemicals inyourbody,whichsettlesyouremotionsfurther,andon itgoes...Sowhileyoucouldsay that ‘breathingrelaxesmybody’,youcouldalsosay‘anabsenceofbreathcausesmetension’!Concentratingonyourbreathgivesyouaquicksnapshotofhowtightyour

bodyisandhowbusyyourheadis.Duringstressyourbreathingratemaybean erratic oneor twobreaths a secondor youmay just be holding it in. Indeepcalm,youmayonlytakeabreatheverytentotwentyseconds.

Howtoworkthebreath

Whenyoufirststartmeditating,yourbreath is the leader,notyourmind,soallyouneedtofocusonislettingyourbreathsettleintowhateverrhythmfeelsright.Giveyourselfthetimeandpermissiontorelaxintotherhythmofbreathing.Justwatchit;beaspectator.

You shouldn’t force the breath in any way; that only introducestension.Justfeelyourbodyriseandfallwithyourbreath.Thinkofitlikeyouhave

just hopped onto the lounge to relax and watch TV. You settle in, getcomfortable,andseewhatcomeson.Likeyourbody,yousettledown,takeabreath,andseewhatyourbodyandmindaredoingrightnow.Don’tgointoanythoughtsorfeelingsthatyoumayhave,justobserveandsettleintoyourbreathingrateasitis.As the breath settles, themind can then begin to ‘observe’ and focus on

yourchosentechnique.(You can try all the techniques in this book and see what comes most

easilytoyou.)Tryplacingyourtongueontheroofofyourmouthtorelaxyourneck,and

ifyourattentionwanders,thenextthingyou’llrealiseisthatyourtongueisonthefloorofyourmouth.Whendidthathappen?Tobreathemosteffectively,breatheinandoutthroughthenoseandwhen

youfeelsettled,you’rereadytobeginyourtechnique.

THETECHNIQUES1.Coolmindfulness

Bestfor:

ConcentrationMentalfocusCalmingyourmindQuietingyourthoughtsFollowingyourbreath

I’msureyouhaveheard itsaidmany times thatmindfulness is ‘living inthemoment’.Butwhilethatsoundscute,whatdoesitmeanexactly?Living in themomentmeans to be fully aware of right now.Your body

might be here but where are your thoughts? Most of the time we have

thoughts rattling around in our heads about Saturday night, or the examwe’re going to flunk—basically, the same sort of thinking that got usstressedinthefirstplace.AsIpointedoutearlier,alotofourstresscomesfrom‘futurethinking’—

thinking about things that haven’t happened yet—particularly when wefuture think negatively and see ourselves crashing and burning in advance.(Ifyouhappentofuturethinkpositively,thendon’tchangeathing!)Weneed to thinkaheadabout stuff, sure,buta lotofour future thinking

causesusworry,sotheideaistotrytoletgoofthinkingwhilewemeditate.Mindfulnesshelpsusbemoreawareofwhatwe’rethinkingrightnow.Ifyouareinthehabitoffuturingyourselfnegatively,thenyouareinthe

habit of rehearsing for things to go badly.But if you see things negativelyand theyhappennegatively, isn’t it possible that, if yougot in thehabit ofseeingthingspositively,thatpositiveoutcomescouldhappen?Sometimes,ratherthanfindingtherightthoughttothink,it’seasiertojust

go to the breath and notice that the negative thoughts are active. Noticingtheyare there is thebestway toneutralise them,asyoucaneither let themgoortryaslightlyimprovedthought.Try this:closeyoureyesand thinkaboutall theblue things in the room.

Thenthinkaboutall theredthings.Whatwerethey?Thatisbeingmindful.Ifyoucameinto theroomfeelingstressedIbetyoudidn’tnoticeanything.When you are stressing about something you often don’t notice the goodstuffallaroundyou.Mindfulness creates a tiny gap between what happens in life and your

responsetoit.Inthislittlegapisthefruitofself-improvement.Here’showtodoit.Sit cross-legged on the floor or sit tall in a chair. If you’re on the floor,

shoveacushionunderneathyoutotakethetensionoutofyourlegs.Letyourhandssitfreelyinyourlap,ormakealoosefistwitheachhand

andsitthemontopofyourknees.Keepyoureyesopenandgazeatthegroundabouttwofeetinfrontofyou

—your gaze should be soft, as if you are looking through the floor. If theeye-openmethod is difficult, then close your eyes but stay as alert to yourbreath as you can. If you go to sleep easily itmight be best to keep themopenforafewminutes.

Before you start, give yourself permission to relax yourmind and body.Youcanusephrasesonyouroutbreathlike,‘lettinggo...’or‘I’mlettinggoeasily’ or ‘releasing thoughts, relaxing the body’ or the shorter version,‘release, relax’.Asyoubreathe inyousay ‘release’andasyoubreatheoutyousay ‘relax’.Thesephrasesbringattentionand respect to themeditationandyourself.

Tip:Thewords are said silently to yourself, or said veryquietly.Thereisnoneedtovoicethemoutloud.As thoughts arise, just notice them, let them go and come back to your

breath. The thoughtsmay seem important but know you can come back tothemlater.For thenext fewminutesyouhavegivenyourselfpermission tomentallyrelax.Withthisstyleofmindfulnessmeditation,youjustconcentrateonthefeel

of thebreath, thedepthof it, theclearingof the lungsand the softeningofthe body. Become curious as to how breathing feels, as each breath isunique.Ifyouarehaving troublewithawanderingmind,youcould trycounting

yourbreath,whichwillgiveyouafocus.Breatheslowlyinthroughthenoseandcountyouroutbreaths:1...2...3

...4,thenbackto1.Youcountto4andreturnto1soyoudon’tgetlostinagametoseehowhighyoucancount—that’sjustanotherwaytogetbusy!Anotheroptionistosaytheword‘two’asyoubreathein,asitcansoften

thatemptyspacebetweentheinandoutbreath.Youcaneitherjustbreatheforaslongasyoufeelcomfortable—anywhere

fromafewminutesuptofifteen—oryoucouldsetyourselfthreetofivesetsoffourbreathswithalittlebreakinbetweeneachsetandbuildyourpracticeupthatway.Once you are relaxed and your breathing is settled, you can also

experiment with combining an out breath taking seven seconds with an inbreath of five seconds. That way you can set yourself to simply think ofnothingelseexceptthebreathcounts.

A quick word on breath counts: counting for some people canintroduce tension to their session, so if you feel that countingintroducestensionbymakingyoufeeluptight,forgetit,letitgoandtryanotherstyle!

Don’t force yourself to concentrate, as this brings tension. Just relax,enjoy the fact that your mind is cooling off and keep returning to yourbreath.

Notes

(Usethespacebelowtomakeyourownnotesonhowthismeditationfeltforyou.Forexample,didyouenjoyit?Didyoufinditdifficult?)[spaceleftintentionallyblankintheoriginalbook]

2.Coolrelaxing

Bestfor:

CalmingyourmindReleasingbodilytensionBreathingpracticeLettinggoRecoveringfromactivity

Ifyouhavephysicalstress inyourbody, this isagreat technique tohelpreleaseit.Youalsohavegravityonyoursideasabonus!Ifyourmindistoomuchofacircustoslowdown,workonrelaxingyour

bodyandthemindwilltagalong.Remember,wherethemindgoesthebodygoes.Here’showtodoit:Lieon thegroundwithyourkneesupand feeton the floor (or lie flat if

you can stay alert!). Place your hands on the sides of your rib cage in line

with the bottom rib and encourage your breath to wander down to whereyour hands are.You should feel your ribsmoving slightly sideways ratherthanupanddown.As you breathe, do a bodily scan and wherever you find tension just

imaginelettingitgo.Allowittomelt,butifitisn’tready,letitbe,relaxtherestofyourbodyandcheckinlater.Saytoyourself,‘Icanrelaxeasily,itcomesnaturally’.Gowith it. Let your nerves andmuscles unwind and sink into the floor.

Letgravitydoitsthing.Letyourmindjustobserveyourbodyrelaxing.Your spine will grow heavier as your nerves unravel and tension drains

likemeltingice.Youcanscanyourbodyandrelaxtensionwhereyoufindit,or you can begin at the feet andmove slowly up your body. Focus on thefeet,mentallyscaneachfootandimaginethetensionmeltingaway.Moveupthrough the calf muscles and thighs, make your way to your belly andimaginethestomachwallsgivingwaytocalm.Moveupthroughthehearttothe neck and isolate the mouth, jaw, eyes and forehead. This should takeanywhere from three to twenty minutes depending on your focus andavailabletime.Itoftenhelpstoflexthemuscleyouarefocusingonandsinkintothefeelingofitrelaxingagain.Oryoucantrythisversion:Withyoureyesopen,imaginepeeringthroughaspotontheceiling.(That

means you gaze at the spot softly like you are looking at something justbehindit.)Ifyoumustcloseyoureyes,keeptheconcentrationonthebreathuntilyougetcomfortable, thenwork throughthe tension-releasingstepswehavejustcovered.Thephrase‘lettinggo’isagoodthingtorepeatafewtimesasyoubegin,

but avoid saying ‘let go’ as that can sound likeyou’re barking anorder. Ifyou are having trouble relaxing, barking ‘LETGO!’will probably end thesessionrightthere.Yourbodywants to feelenergypumping through it,but itneeds to relax

and recover. The muscles and nerves in your body need to soften so thetensioninyourbodycandissolvebeforeitbuildsup.Beawarethough,thatit’s easy foryou todropoff to sleepor slip into adaydream ifyou stay inthismeditationfortoolong,sowatchoutforthat!

Notes

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3.Coolvisualisations

Bestfor:

RelaxingCreativityImaginationEmpoweringyourselfEnergisingyourbody

The power you can generate from deep visualisation is unlimited.Fortunately, visualising comes easily tomost of us aswe spend a stack ofourtimedaydreaming!Andifyoucandaydream,youcanvisualise...Youcancreateanythingyouwantduringvisualisationsoit’sawonderful

imagination tool, and it’s most effective when you create it as vividly aspossible.Livenitupwithallthesights,sounds,feelingsandsensationsthatyoucanimagineuntilitcomestolifewithinyou.Visualising is a great tool for anything ranging from relaxation to

empoweringyourself, tohealingorpreparingyourselffora toughsituation.Itcanbedonelyingdowninacomfortablepositionor,justaseasily,sittingatadesk.Softmusiccanhelptocreateagoodmoodforvisualising.When you’re ready, just close your eyes, give yourself permission to let

go, and see yourself in the perfect environment youwant to create. Go asdeep into your place of calm as you can and, here is themindful bit, feelevery bit of it—the temperature, thewater, the rain, the sun, themountainmist—andheareverysound:thebirds,thewaterfallsandthewaves.Theaimofthisstyleofmeditationistobringbackthosefeelingsofcalm

orpowertowhatyouaredoingnow.Walkawayfromeachofthesesessionswiththefeelingsofhowyoufeltduringyourvisualisation.Herearesomeexamplesthatwillhelpyoumakeyourownup.

Example1

You arewalking through a rainforest. The sun is splintering through thetreetopsand thebirdsarechirpingaway.Youcomeacrossa streamandsitonthebank.Themorningsunisbrightbutnottoohot,andthedewhasjustabout gone from the grass.As you sit, a fish jumps and splashes near youand thewater ringwidens across thewater.You look closely at thewater;whatotherfishareinthere?

Example2

You are the Almighty, the Creator. You sit on top of your mountain orunderyourwaterfallorfloatdownyourriverandbreatheinthepowerofit.Youareinsupremehealthandinperfectpositiveenergy.Yourejuvenateinyourkingdom.

Example3

Letatimecometomindwhensomeonepouredplentyofloveorcareintoyou.Go right into it and immerse yourself in the feelings that come up. Ifnothingcomesuporyoudon’thavethosememories,makeituporimagineyou are doing that for a baby. Imagine how that baby feels. Finish bydroppingthethoughtsandstayingwiththebodilyfeelings.

Example4

Youdiveintoastreamandthecurrentwantstotakeyouwithit.Youfeelsafesoit’snobigdeal.Youstarttorelaxandletittakeyou.Themoreyou

gowith it themore you relax and then you realise that the stream is onlytakingyoudeeper intoparadise.Youcompletely letgoand trust thestreamcompletely.Asinlife,youlearntostopstrugglingsomuch.

Example5

Youareonabeachat sunriseandnobody isabout.Youaredoinga fewstretchesorsomeyoga, listeningto thewavesandwatchingas theysparklein the sunlight.You start off on awalk and then build speed until it turnsinto a jog on the sand. You have never felt so light and strong. You arerunningeffortlesslyacrossthesand.Takeinthepower.

Notes

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4.Coolperformances

Bestfor:

AnyperformanceConcentrationFocusRehearsingConfidence

Thereismuchresearchtoshowthatthesubconsciousminddoesnotknowthedifferencebetweenwhatisvividlyimaginedandwhatisreal.Ifyoucan

imagineit,youcancreateit.Nervousandpanickythoughtsclampdownonournaturaltalents;theypinchusoffanddon’tallowustoshowourbest.Weendupgettinginthewayofourselves.Sothereisgreatadvantagetobehadinmentallyrehearsingeverybitofaperformanceyouhavecomingup.Whetheritisamusicalpiece,speech,gymnasticsperformanceorarowing

final, go through the entire performance in vivid detail, imagining exactlyhowyouwantittogo.Youwillbenefitbyrunningthroughthisvisualisationasoftenasyoucan,wellbeforetheperformance.Weeksbeforeeven.Bythetimeyouhitthestageyouwanttofeellikeyou’vedoneitathousandtimesalready.Youonlyhavetobecoolandletyourtalentsdotherest.So,here’showtogoaboutit:Getyourselfintoacomfortablepositionbyeithersittinguporlyingdown.

Breatheyourselfintorelaxationbeforeyoubegin.When your mind and body are calm, begin the perfect performance

visualisation from the very beginning. Imagine yourself getting ready thatmorning,confidentlyandexcitedly.Getyourbagstogether.Gettothetrackortheatre.Feeltheperfectlynormaltinglingupyourspineandyourenergyflowing. Come to the stage or starting line full of concentration anddetermination.Gothroughtheentireraceoractinrealtimejustasyouwishitwouldgo.

Make your performance feel good and always finish while it’sfeeling good. Don’t hang around in there! If anything other thangood things appear, don’t try too hard to correct them. Just startfresh.Anothergreatwaytoovercomeanynervesordoubtsistofullyunderstand

whyyouaredoingthethingyouwanttodo.Ifyouarefeelingnervousaboutsomething but know why you are going to do it, you can find greatdeterminationindrawingonthesereasons.

Doyouknowwhyyou’redoingthethingyoudo?Relax for a couple of minutes with some breathing exercises, then ask

yourselfwhyyoudothissportoractivity.Holdthequestionasaninterestedspectator and see what comes up. There may be nothing magical in theanswer other than that you’re trying to have fun, but to knowyour answercanbevery calming. If you come tounderstandwhyyouplaymusic, trainhard,debate,row,etc.,you’llalwaysbeabletofindmotivationandareason

toovercomeanydoubts.

Notes

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5.Coolpower

Bestfor:

EmpoweringyourselfEnergisingyourbodySportpreparationGettingphysicallywellConfidence

Thisisgreatstuffifyou’reintofeelingmorepowerfulandenergised.The technique is from theReiki tradition.Reiki is a Japanesewordwith

‘rei’ meaning spiritual and ‘ki’ meaning energy. It is used to enhance thespeedofyourinternalenergyforyourownsenseofwellbeingandavailableenergy.Begin by sitting comfortably, let your thoughts go and relax into the

breath.Lie down and place your hands across your stomach near the navel.

Imagine breathing in a colour, say red, and draw the colour down to yournavel where your hands are resting. Imagine the colour giving you muchneeded energy and strength.Withyourmind, follow the feelingsof energy

spreadingandfillingyourbody—inthroughthenose,downthroughtheneckand to your navel, breathing in with the energy and out with the tension.Followthecolouredbreathuntilyouarefeelingenergisedbutcalm.Usewhatevercolourcomesmosteasilytoyoubut,asageneralguide,reds

and oranges are the most energetic colours and white the purest andmostversatile. ("Seesection in titleWorkingwithcolours" formore informationonhowtousecolours.)

Notes

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6.Coolhealing

Bestfor:

HealingNurturingRejuvenatingRelaxing

Togethealthyandstayhealthyyourbodyneedscirculation.Sowhenwelooktohealsomethinginourselves,weneedtorelaxandletthebodydoitsthingwiththenaturalenergyweproduce.Yourbodywantstobehealthyandknowshowtobehealthyifyourelax,ashealthisitsnaturalstate.Therearemanywaystogetyourhealingprocessinfullswing.Start by either sitting inoneof themeditationposesor lying flat.Allow

thebodytorelaxandallowyourmindtoletgo.Placeonehandonyourbellyand the other on your chest so you feel self-supported but also so that youcan‘connect’totwoofthemainenergycentresofyourbody:thebellyandthe heart.As you relax, get a sense of thewarmth and energy building uparoundyourhandsandtorso.Youcanalsovisualisebreathinginan‘energy’ofsomesort to furtherenhanceyourhealingenergy.The‘energy’couldbethecolourredfromtheEarth’scentre,apowerfulenergyfromtheUniverseormakeupyourown.Youcansendthisenergytothepartofyourbodythatneeds healing by either giving it your mental attention or by putting yourhandsonthearea.Asyoubegin to relax,youcanalsousephrases like ‘mybody ishealing

perfectly’or‘mybodyknowshowtohealperfectly’.Ifyouwant touse avisualisation tohelpheal, it is best tovisualise that

partofyourbodyalreadyperfectlyhealed.Remember: circulation is thekey tohealing and thekey to circulation is

beingunrestricted in themindand in thebody.So relaxand trust thatyourbodyknowswhattodo!

Notes

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7.Coolwalking

Bestfor:

QuickmentalclearingUnwindingDe-stressingEnjoymentAppreciation

Notimetomeditate?Trythisout.Walking meditation puts your mind in a cool place pretty quickly, and

sometimesthisisallthetimeyou’regoingtogettoyourself.Here’sonejustmadeforwalkingthatcomesfromThichNhatHanh,aZen

monk. While simply walking without any urgency to get to a particularplace, deepen the breath and take seven mindful steps in appreciation orgratitudeforsomethinginyourlife.Take seven steps with full mindfulness and feeling for your ancestors,

grandparentsorsomeonerecentlydepartedsoastomakethemstillfeelpart

of you. Sevenmindful steps are easy to dedicate to someone or somethingmeaningful.Take seven steps for the air you breathe, your body, the trees, someone

who is ill, whatever. Take seven steps for yourself because you’re doingprettywellinlife.Breathewithtotalmindfulnessofhoweachfootstepfeels.Seriously,how

does it feel?Howfarupyour legdoes thepressureofeach footstepgo? Isthepressurethrougheachfootstepevenlyfelt?Followthenoiseofthattrainuntilitfadesout,listentothebirdsorwaves

andstaywiththem.Simplytakinginallyoursurroundingswillputyourmindatease.If you are walking between exams or walking tomeet a date, you have

doneallyoucando,sofindyourcoolplaceinyourfootstepsbyfocusingonyour technique. The more you can go into your technique, the less youranalyticalmindwilltripyouup.

Notes

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8.Coolreleasing

Bestfor:

RelaxingRelievingnervesandstressLooseningupClearingyourheadEnergisingyourbody

This is aquick-release technique fordumpingbodily tension rightwhereyoustand.(Youcanalsosit,ifyouprefer!)Ifyou’rejusthangingoutwhilewaitingforaperformanceorthestartgun,

if you’rewaiting outside the interview room or have nervously pushed thedoorbell to pick up your date, do this technique to quickly reduce bodilytension,tohelpyouchillalittleandtothinkmoreclearly.Closeyoureyesorleavethemopen,whicheveryouprefer,andimaginea

wave of energy. This energy can be in the form of a colour, a light or acloud.Itstartsatyourheadandmovesslowlydownyourbody(howslowlydependsonhowmuchtimeyou’vegot,buttheslowerthebetter!),andasitpasses through itmelts the tension around your head down into your neckandtowardsyourfeet.Thewavethencomesbackuptoyourheadandpassesdownagain.Each

time the tension shouldmelt toa lower level inyourbodyuntil there is animaginedpileofstressandtensionleftonthefloorasyouwalkaway.Alwaysmakesurethatthetensiongoesdownthroughyourfeetandnotup

throughyourhead.Youdon’twant tomake themistakeofpushing tensionintoyourheaduntilyourbrainhurts!Youalsodon’twant tobeinterruptedhalfwaythroughandbeleftwithaheadfullofstress.Meltingordissolvingdownwardsisthewaytolosethetension.Practise thisanywhere,anytime.Youcanevendo it several timesduring

thedayasawayofobservinghowtenseyouare.

Notes

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9.Coolfocusing

Bestfor:

Aquickde-stressRelaxingConcentration

Noiseisaveryhandythingtomeditateon,sodon’ttreatitasanirritationif it turnsuphalfwaythroughyoursession,particularly if it is thesoundofrain,which ispossibly thebest soundof all. Instead,usenoise as a tool tohelp you improve your ability to focus. Noises from fans and fridges, inparticular,areactuallyveryconsistentsotheyareeasytomeditateto—turnthemintoapositive.

Anotherwaytousenoisetohelpinyourpracticeofmindfulnessis tositwith your eyes closed and try to follow a sound until it fades completely.Followthe trainuntil thenoisefades.Listen toabird’ssonguntil itmovesaway.Alternatively, sit and concentrate on howmanydifferent people’s voices

you can hear, or how many bird noises are around you. If you’re feelingnervous or are waiting for something to begin, it can be very calming tocloseyoureyes,takeafewbreathsandfocusonthenoisesaroundyou.Howmanydifferentpeople’svoicescanyouhear?Howmanybirdcallscanyoupickup?Afterawhile,youshouldbecomfortablerelaxingtothesoundofbarking

dogs!This technique can also be usedwith sight. Instead of closing your eyes

and focusingona sound,watcha surfer catchawaveand ride it right intoshoreorwatchabirdflyuntilitdisappears.You could also use sight to focuswith feeling.Take an object—a tennis

ball, a jumper or a piece of fruit—andplace it on the floor just in front ofyou.Gazesoftlyattheobjectandbegintofeelit,justasifyouwereholdingit.

Turnitaround,squeezeit,catchit,feeltheweightofitanditstexture.Stayfocusedontheobjectforas longasyoucan.Youcanalsoconsider thelifeoftheobject.Howmanyhandshasitbeenthrough?Whomadeit?Whatwastheirstory?Ifyoudon’thaveanobject,thinkofoneandstaywithitforthreetofive

minutes.Keepatennisballfirmlyinmindandwatchitwhereveritmentallygoes.

Notes

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10.Coolgratitude

Bestfor:

FeelinghappieraboutyoursituationFeelingappreciativeFeelinglovedDevelopingcompassion

Make yourself comfortable and begin to focus on the breath. Once youhave relaxed, turn your attention to things you can feel appreciation for orgratitudetowards.Forexample,youmightfeelappreciationforateacherorrelative who has pitched in for you recently, or for a gift youmight havereceived,orforsomethingassimpleandabundantasthesunshine.Itmightsoundcorny,butmeditationsonthesesortsofpositivethingscan

giveyouanenormouslift.Appreciation is just a greatway to start and finish theday. It feels good

andbeingaroundappreciativepeople isenergising. Ifyoudo itbeforebed,there’sagoodchanceyou’llkickoffyourdayinthisframeofmindaswell.

Notes

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EXTRASTUFFIncaseofanemergency

Inallcasesof suddenstress, thebreath isalways the firstplace tocheckinto while you settle down a little. Here are a few other suggestions forhandlingstressfulsituations.

Example1

If you’re in a situationwhere it feels like the sky is falling in or you’reunderthreat,firstlyputsomespacebetweenyouandthe‘thing’,closeyoureyesandtakeafewdeepbreaths.Letthebreathruninandoutatexactlythespeeditwantsto.Letitslowdownatitsownrate.Ifyouhaveasecondtodoso,checkinwithyourself.‘Hinerves,I’vegot

you,it’scool’,orsimilarwords,canhelpyoutogetsomecalmback.Naming the feelings—‘I’m feeling nervous’ or ‘There is fear going on

here’—can help you to settle down. Stick with words that describe your‘feelings’ratherthanbrandingyourselfwithanotherlabel.Go toyourpreferred technique (this iswhere it pays tohavepractised!),

knowing you have a place of cool. You can also place your hand on yourforeheadandwithyour thumbandmiddle fingerpressaboveeacheyebrow—these are the ESR points (emotional stress release points) and applyingpressure to these points is a reflexway of relieving stress. (Youmay havenoticed before that people often put their palms on their foreheads whenunderstress.)

Example2

Thespeechorperformanceyouweredreadinghascome.You’rewalkinguptothestage;thereisnoescapeandallyouwanttodoisrun.A golden rule in a stressful situation is to meet the feelings with your

breath. Always go to the breath in any challenging situation. Trust thatthingswill turn out as they turn out, and that you’remore than capable of

handlingthat.Itisinthesechallengingsituationsthatyougetthechancetoreallygrow.

These are the best times to practise being in control, to trust your naturaltalent. Themore you do that, the stronger your self-belief will become. Itwill takemany attempts before you begin to feel more comfortable, so becoolwithyourselfifthefirstfewdon’tworkoutsowell.Ifyourself-beliefdoesn’t come up to the mark, that’s okay. Your coolmind is happyregardless.Thebreath is thegateway toyourcoolmind.A fewbreathswillkeep the

stress chemicals from producing in your body and enable you to trustyourself. Basically, focusing on your breathingwill help you to get out ofyour own way. Have you ever surprised yourself by doing somethingawesomeandsaying, ‘Wow,Ididn’tknowIcoulddo that!’That’sbecauseyouwereoutofyourownwayandhappilyfocusedonthetaskathand.Thepossibilitiesareendlessifwefollowourgutfeelingsandgetoutofourownway!

Example3

Things have gone horribly wrong, you’re shaking and feeling like youcouldpuke.When a situation hits you forcefully, do whatever you can right now to

feel better.Breathe, use theESRpoints onyour forehead, clear out, take aquickwalk,movearound,dowhatevercutsyousomerelief.There’snothingtofigureoutatthispointasyourheadhasprobablycaved

in already. However, know that the ‘mind’ that reacted strongly isn’t thesame ‘mind’ that will figure it out. In the meantime, just try to feelphysicallybetterassoonaspossible.It’s handy to know that, if you’ve been practising this stuff, there is a

placeofcalmwithinyouwhenyouneedit.Ifthesesituationshappenoften,the fear of freaking out can become greater than the fear of the situationitself.Soknowingthatyoucanrestoreyourcoolthroughmeditationisyourtickettostarttakingonthosefearslittlebylittle.Talktosomeoneorgethelpassoonasyoucan,becauselettinghigh-stress

eventsswirlaroundinyourheadjustbuildsthepressure.

Example4

‘Ohno,herehe/sheis,walkingovertome!Ishouldaskhim/herout.’Andthentheheadtalkstarts,usuallybadly...‘Ican’taskherout,I’mamoron.’‘I’matotalnerdanduglytoo.’‘She’lllaughatme.’If the head talk is negative like this, just keep saying, ‘So what!’ to

yourself.There’snoneedtosayanythingmorecomplexthan‘Sowhat!’‘Ican’taskherout,I’mamoron.’‘Sowhat!’‘I’matotalnerdanduglytoo.’‘Sowhat!’‘She’lllaughatme.’‘Sowhat!’She or he is probablymore nervous than you are anyway, but you don’t

needtotellyourselfthat.‘Sowhat!’willdo.Keepsayingituntilyouletgoanddothethingyouwanttodowitha‘So

what!’ attitude. This works for just about any challenge you might findyourselfin.Itputsthefearsbackintheirplacewithabitofcomicrelief.Weoftentakeourselvesabittooseriously,sothishelpstocleartheway.

Example5

Imagineasituationthatyouarereallynotlookingforwardto.Visualiseitin all its ugliness. Play it out and then drop the thoughts and see how thesituationfeelstoyou—notthatgreat?Nowplay itoutpositivelyand seehow it feels.Better?That’showyour

lifewantsittoplayout.Takethatnaturalfeelingintothesituationandwatchwhathappens.Ifyouareheadinghomeonedayandyouknowthereisahassleawaiting

youthatyouhavetodealwith,practisethepositivevisualisationbeforehand.Then take that feeling andmood into that situation and be patientwith theoutcome. If you present yourself to the situation with a more positive

attitude, you will create an atmosphere where things may have a betterchanceofworkingoutforyou.

Hurdles!

Yourparrot

‘Ican’tdoit.I’mjustnogoodatit!’Thatwouldbeyourparrotgettingatyou before you give yourself a chance. If this happens, just give yourselfcreditfortakingafewminutesoutandfornoticingthatyourmindisracingandunsettled.It’snormal.Begentle,relaxwiththefeelingthatyourmindisoffracingandjustwatch.That’sthebestwaytostart.Your parrot has probably been happily running the show for some years

andenjoyedgettingyouintoallsortsofstates,sodon’texpectittotaketookindly to being zipped up. It will have all the excuses: ‘I’m too tired. It’sdumb.Idon’tneedthis.I’vegotbetterthingstodo,etc.etc.’Justbeawareof your parrot kicking in with this sort of complaining and bring it alonganyway.

Thenay-sayers

In theearly stagesofpracticedon’t talk toomuchaboutyourmeditationunless there are people close to youwho youwant to share itwith. If youtalktoomuch,youcanbesurethatthere’llbesomeonewhowantstoshootyoubackdowntowhereyouwere.Andifyou’regainingbenefitsfromyourpractice,thelastthingyou’llwantissomeonesquashingyourcloud.

Theworryingmind

This iswhenyoualways thinkyouhave tofiguresomethingout.Yousitdown to relax, thenoncomesyourmindobsessingabout something. It canbe useful to realise that this type of thinking creates the stress in the firstplace! It isgreatpractice to recogniseunhelpful thinkingandknow thatbyputtingitonholdwhileyourelaxyoucanhelpbreakthehabit.

Yourphone

It’sagoodideatolosethephoneorturnit tosilentandputitwhereyoucan’t see it. It’s great practice to turn it off evenwhen you’re expecting acall.Peoplewillleaveamessageorringback.

Notimetomeditate

Sorry,that’syourparrottalking!Rememberthereisatechniquetofitanysituation,nomatterhowtightfortimeyouare.

Procrastinating

Youhave someheavyproblems to sort out andyouwill startmeditatingwhenthat’sdone.Ohno!Thebesttimetopractiseiswhenyoufeelyou’reindeep!It’swhenyoucanpractisefeelingcalmduringtimesofstressthatyouknowyou’vemade a leap forward.When you see through that one, you’rewellonyourwaytocalm.

Unrealisticexpectations

Bepatientandrealistic.Don’texpectrainbowsorangelstoappearafterafewattempts!Coolwill flowslowly intoyour lifeasyourpracticedeepens...anditwillsurpriseyouwhenitdoes.

Ican’tfindaquietplace!

Remember there is a technique for anywhere and anytime. Beginwith acouple of techniques anddo themwalking, in the shower orwhenever youcangrabafewsecondsonyourown.

I’vehadsomerealgrowthandIdon’tgetworriedanymore!

Thereisalwaysanewchallengeinlifeandtherewillalwaysberoomforpersonalgrowth.Keepinmindthatyouwillhavetoexpandtokeepupwithyourself!Thereisalwaysaplaceformeditationanddependablecalminyourlife.

Coolaccessories

Workingwithcolours

Thismight sound bizarre but colours have an electromagnetic quality tothem, which we respond to unknowingly. Think about how the colours ofthings affect you: the colour of your bedroom, your sports colours, yourclothingcolours.Dopeoplesayyoulookgoodinredbutblackdoesn’tsuityou?Hereisaquicklookatsomecoloursandhowtheymightaffectyouifyou

wearthemoraresurroundedbythem.

Blue

Thisisacalmingcolourfortheemotionsandisknowntobeinspiringandspiritual.Itisalsoendlessandvast—thinkblueskyortheocean.Ifyouareoften fired up or have trouble relaxing you might need some blue aroundyou.

Green

The colour of nature and growth, green is good for getting well andcalmingthenerves.Thinkrainforests,greengrassandgardens.

Black

This is a deep colour which has the energy of mystery. It’s deep andthoughtful,creativebutnotbiginthefunandcalmstates.

Yellow

Yellowislight-hearted,easytoseeandfullofhappy,expressiveenergy.Itis good for energising and expressing yourself. Think morning sun andbananaenergy.

Orange

Orangeisgreatforenergisingandpoweringup.Itwillmakeyourappetitekick in and is good for creativity. Think fresh oranges and long afternoonsun.

Brown

Brown is a solid colour that reflects the earth. ‘Grounded’ and moreseriouspeoplegetintobrown.It’snotgreatforyoursenseofhumourbutitwillgetyourfeetonthegroundifyouliveindreamland.Thinksoil.

Grey

Greyisamaturecolour, isneutralandgoodfor thinking. It isnotoverlyenergisingbutgoodfortimealone.Thinkcalmingrainclouds.

White

Thecolourofpurity,whiteiscleanandgodly.Itisgreatformentalclaritybuteasilydestroyedbybeetroot!Thinkheavenlyorpuffyclouds.

Red

Redis themostenergeticandfieryofcolours. Itwon’thelpyoutosleeptoo well, but it will help shake off your blues. Think fire and convertiblecars.

Afinalword

Thecalmwasalways there,alwayswithin,butyoucan’t readabout it toknow it.Nobodycan tellyouabout it, it’s like the tasteof anapple ... youdon’t get to savour it by reading about it. You have to experience calmwithinyoutoknowit!So,overtoyou...

BACKCOVERMATERIALDoyouwanttofeelhappierinyourlife?

Areyouattackedbydoubts?Donervessometimespreventyoufromdoingthingsyoumightenjoy?

Doyouwishyoucouldconcentratebetter?Ifso,thisbookisforyou!

Fromaslittleasthreeminutesaday,youcanlearnhowtofeelcalmer,happier,morefocusedandreadytoachieveyourgoals...whetherthat’snailingyourexams,playingwellinyournetballmatch,improvingyour

timesinthepoolorsimplyaskingoutthegirlnextdoor!Andthegoodnewsisthatit’snothard.

Sowhatareyouwaitingfor?It’stimetogetacoolmind!

IndexB

breathcounts,1

breathing,1,2,3,4,5

C

colours,workingwith,1,2,3,4,5

black,1

blue,1

brown,1

green,1

grey,1

orange,1

red,1

white,1

yellow,1

cooltechniques,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53

focusing,1,2,3,4,5

gratitude,1,2,3

healing,1,2,3,4

mindfulness,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10

performances,1,2,3,4,5,6

power,1,2,3,4

relaxing,1,2,3,4,5,6

releasing,1,2,3,4

visualisations,1,2,3,4,5,6,7

walking,1,2,3,4

L

lettinggo,1,2,3,4

M

meditation

makingtimefor,1,2

whatitis,1

whatyoucanditch,1

whatyougainfrom,1

N

nay-sayers,1

notimetomeditate,1

P

P

parrot,you,1,2,3

phone,your,1

posture,1,2

procrastinating,1

Q

quietplace,a,1

R

realgrowth,1

S

stress,1,2,3,4,5,6

manifestationsof,1

T

techniques,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54

U

unrealistic

expectations,1

W

worryingmind,the,1