The comedy genius behind Monty Python’s Life of Brian Terry Jones has been diagnosed with dementia.
The news came as Bafta announced he had been given the special award for outstanding contribution to film and television
A spokesman for the writer, director and former star of Monty Python said: "Terry has been diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia, a variant of frontotemporal dementia.
"This illness affects his ability to communicate and he is no longer able to give interviews. Terry is proud and honoured to be recognised in this way and is looking forward to the celebrations."
Saturday, 24 September 2016
Four in 10 children not going to dentist, NHS figures show
More than 40% of children in England did not see a dentist last year, NHS statistics show - a figure the British Dental Association says is embarrassing.
The BDA said regular dental check-ups were the key to preventing tooth decay in children and urged the government to invest in educating the public.
Tooth decay remains the most common reason young children go to hospital.
Guidelines recommend children see a dentist at least once a year.
The statistics from NHS Digital show that 6.7m children went for a free dental check-up in the year to June - equivalent to 57.9% of all under-18s in England.
A regional breakdown of the figures shows that attendance in the north of England was highest, with 62% of children seeing a dentist there, but in London the figure was just 48%.
Apart from examinations, children were most likely to receive a fluoride varnish treatment - which is painted on to the teeth to strengthen the enamel, making it more resistant to decay.
Last year, these treatments went up by 20% compared with the year before.
Although these figures suggest a small dip in children having teeth extracted in dental practices, there are indications that tooth extractions due to decay continue to be the top reason children aged five to nine are admitted to hospital.
Figures from 2014-15 show an almost 10% rise in children needing tooth extractions from those recorded in 2011-12.
Henrik Overgaard-Nielsen, chair of general dental practice at the British Dental Association, said: "It's clear we have a problem when one in three children are missing out on free dental treatment.
"NHS dentistry has been left to fend for itself, without investment, a strategy, or any attempt at public education.
"These numbers are a national embarrassment, and will not budge until ministers change tack."
He added: "We need a concerted effort to get parents, health professionals and government on the same page."
The BDA said regular dental check-ups were the key to preventing tooth decay in children and urged the government to invest in educating the public.
Tooth decay remains the most common reason young children go to hospital.
Guidelines recommend children see a dentist at least once a year.
The statistics from NHS Digital show that 6.7m children went for a free dental check-up in the year to June - equivalent to 57.9% of all under-18s in England.
A regional breakdown of the figures shows that attendance in the north of England was highest, with 62% of children seeing a dentist there, but in London the figure was just 48%.
Apart from examinations, children were most likely to receive a fluoride varnish treatment - which is painted on to the teeth to strengthen the enamel, making it more resistant to decay.
Last year, these treatments went up by 20% compared with the year before.
Although these figures suggest a small dip in children having teeth extracted in dental practices, there are indications that tooth extractions due to decay continue to be the top reason children aged five to nine are admitted to hospital.
Figures from 2014-15 show an almost 10% rise in children needing tooth extractions from those recorded in 2011-12.
Henrik Overgaard-Nielsen, chair of general dental practice at the British Dental Association, said: "It's clear we have a problem when one in three children are missing out on free dental treatment.
"NHS dentistry has been left to fend for itself, without investment, a strategy, or any attempt at public education.
"These numbers are a national embarrassment, and will not budge until ministers change tack."
He added: "We need a concerted effort to get parents, health professionals and government on the same page."
Amazon has been fined £65,000 for trying to fly dangerous goods
Amazon has been fined £65,000 after being found guilty of attempting to ship dangerous goods by air.
The online giant tried to transport lithium-ion batteries and flammable aerosols between 2014 and 2015.
It was found guilty at Southwark Crown Court of causing dangerous goods to be delivered for carriage in an aircraft in breach of air navigation rules.
An Amazon spokesman said: "The safety of the public, our customers, employees and partners is an absolute priority."
The prosecution had been brought by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) under the Air Navigation (Dangerous Goods) Regulations 2002.
The items were destined for flights in and outside the UK in four shipments between January 2014 and June 2015.
Flight-safety risk
They were only discovered when the cargoes were screened by Royal Mail before departure, and seized before they could reach the aircraft.
The court heard that Amazon had tried to ship a lithium-ion battery to Jersey on a day before 7 January 2014, and a flammable gas aerosol to Romania on a similar date.
Another shipment, destined for Ireland on a day before 17 July 2014, contained another aerosol, while Amazon illegally tried to send two more lithium-ion batteries to Northern Ireland between 12 May and 3 June 2015.
The CAA's general counsel, Kate Staples, said: "There are important international and domestic restrictions to prohibit the shipping of certain goods that pose a flight safety risk.
'Everyday household items'
"These dangerous goods include lithium batteries, which are banned from being transported as mail or cargo on a passenger aircraft unless they are installed in or packed with equipment."
Prosecutor Martin Goudie, told the court: "Under the right circumstances the batteries, even new, undamaged batteries, could overheat, potentially causing burns, explosion or a fire."
Defending the online giant, lawyer Stephen Spence told the court: "We are not talking about Amazon lugging a propane canister onto a plane. They are everyday household items, and one should pay perspective to that."
In a statement, Amazon said: "We ship millions of products every week and are confident in the sophisticated technologies and processes we have developed to detect potential shipping hazards.
"We are constantly working to further improve and will continue to work with the CAA in this area."
The online giant tried to transport lithium-ion batteries and flammable aerosols between 2014 and 2015.
It was found guilty at Southwark Crown Court of causing dangerous goods to be delivered for carriage in an aircraft in breach of air navigation rules.
An Amazon spokesman said: "The safety of the public, our customers, employees and partners is an absolute priority."
The prosecution had been brought by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) under the Air Navigation (Dangerous Goods) Regulations 2002.
The items were destined for flights in and outside the UK in four shipments between January 2014 and June 2015.
Flight-safety risk
They were only discovered when the cargoes were screened by Royal Mail before departure, and seized before they could reach the aircraft.
The court heard that Amazon had tried to ship a lithium-ion battery to Jersey on a day before 7 January 2014, and a flammable gas aerosol to Romania on a similar date.
Another shipment, destined for Ireland on a day before 17 July 2014, contained another aerosol, while Amazon illegally tried to send two more lithium-ion batteries to Northern Ireland between 12 May and 3 June 2015.
The CAA's general counsel, Kate Staples, said: "There are important international and domestic restrictions to prohibit the shipping of certain goods that pose a flight safety risk.
'Everyday household items'
"These dangerous goods include lithium batteries, which are banned from being transported as mail or cargo on a passenger aircraft unless they are installed in or packed with equipment."
Prosecutor Martin Goudie, told the court: "Under the right circumstances the batteries, even new, undamaged batteries, could overheat, potentially causing burns, explosion or a fire."
Defending the online giant, lawyer Stephen Spence told the court: "We are not talking about Amazon lugging a propane canister onto a plane. They are everyday household items, and one should pay perspective to that."
In a statement, Amazon said: "We ship millions of products every week and are confident in the sophisticated technologies and processes we have developed to detect potential shipping hazards.
"We are constantly working to further improve and will continue to work with the CAA in this area."
Plane crew douse smoking Samsung phone
Cabin crew on an Indian passenger aircraft have used a fire extinguisher to tackle a smoking Samsung handset.
The Note 2 handset was smouldering and spitting sparks, according to a statement from airline IndiGo.
The crew's prompt action meant the aircraft landed safely at Chennai, its intended destination, said IndiGo.
The incident comes as Samsung recalls millions of new Note 7 devices because of faulty batteries.
IndiGo said no-one was hurt during the incident, on flight 6E-054 from Singapore to Chennai.
Passengers told the aircraft's cabin crew about smoke emerging from an overhead luggage compartment which, when opened, revealed the smoking phone in a piece of hand luggage, it said.
Damaged property
Once doused with an extinguisher, the sparking phone was put in a bucket of water in the plane's toilet and kept there until the aircraft landed.
"The aircraft made a normal landing at Chennai airport, and all passengers were deplaned as per normal procedure," IndiGo told Reuters.
In a statement, Samsung said: "We are aware of an incident involving one of our devices. At Samsung, customer safety is our highest priority.
"We are in touch with relevant authorities to gather more information and are looking into the matter."
Earlier this month Samsung issued a worldwide recall for its new Note 7 phones because faulty batteries can make the devices catch fire while the handset is charging or being used. Samsung is offering free replacements or refunds.
Before now, no similar problems with the older Note 2 have been reported.
The problems with the Note 7 have led many airlines to tell passengers to keep the phones turned off during a flight.
In the US, the Consumer Products Safety Commission said it had received 92 reports of faulty Note 7s overheating. Of those, 26 involved left owners with burns and 55 caused property damage.
The Note 2 handset was smouldering and spitting sparks, according to a statement from airline IndiGo.
The crew's prompt action meant the aircraft landed safely at Chennai, its intended destination, said IndiGo.
The incident comes as Samsung recalls millions of new Note 7 devices because of faulty batteries.
IndiGo said no-one was hurt during the incident, on flight 6E-054 from Singapore to Chennai.
Passengers told the aircraft's cabin crew about smoke emerging from an overhead luggage compartment which, when opened, revealed the smoking phone in a piece of hand luggage, it said.
Damaged property
Once doused with an extinguisher, the sparking phone was put in a bucket of water in the plane's toilet and kept there until the aircraft landed.
"The aircraft made a normal landing at Chennai airport, and all passengers were deplaned as per normal procedure," IndiGo told Reuters.
In a statement, Samsung said: "We are aware of an incident involving one of our devices. At Samsung, customer safety is our highest priority.
"We are in touch with relevant authorities to gather more information and are looking into the matter."
Earlier this month Samsung issued a worldwide recall for its new Note 7 phones because faulty batteries can make the devices catch fire while the handset is charging or being used. Samsung is offering free replacements or refunds.
Before now, no similar problems with the older Note 2 have been reported.
The problems with the Note 7 have led many airlines to tell passengers to keep the phones turned off during a flight.
In the US, the Consumer Products Safety Commission said it had received 92 reports of faulty Note 7s overheating. Of those, 26 involved left owners with burns and 55 caused property damage.
Easyjet pilots suspend strike action pending further talks
Easyjet pilots have suspended their plans to strike, while new proposals on tackling fatigue are considered.
Members of the British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) said talks had been held to try to resolve the row.
The union said proposals to mitigate pilot fatigue would now be put to members in a ballot.
Brian Strutton, Balpa's general secretary, said it did not mean the dispute was over, but "sufficient progress" had been made.
He said: "We have been working hard today and over the last few days to find a solution to this dispute about pilot fatigue.
"Easyjet management have put a proposal on the table that the Balpa team feel has closed the gap between us considerably on a range of issues.
"We therefore feel it is right and proper to consult with our members at this stage and so we are suspending serving notice of industrial action on the company."
'Agreeable solution'
It was revealed earlier this month that pilots were considering strike action over the week that coincides with the half-term holiday in many schools.
In a letter to pilots leaked to The Daily Telegraph, Balpa outlined strike action blaming a "dispute with Easyjet purely concerning pilot fatigue".
It claimed the core issue of the dispute was that "fatigue had risen year on year, to levels pilots and Balpa find unacceptable".
The airline said the new proposal had been developed after "extensive" discussions and would be put to its UK pilots in the hope that a "mutually agreeable solution" could be reached.
This meant there was currently "no threat of strike action", it added.
Members of the British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) said talks had been held to try to resolve the row.
The union said proposals to mitigate pilot fatigue would now be put to members in a ballot.
Brian Strutton, Balpa's general secretary, said it did not mean the dispute was over, but "sufficient progress" had been made.
He said: "We have been working hard today and over the last few days to find a solution to this dispute about pilot fatigue.
"Easyjet management have put a proposal on the table that the Balpa team feel has closed the gap between us considerably on a range of issues.
"We therefore feel it is right and proper to consult with our members at this stage and so we are suspending serving notice of industrial action on the company."
'Agreeable solution'
It was revealed earlier this month that pilots were considering strike action over the week that coincides with the half-term holiday in many schools.
In a letter to pilots leaked to The Daily Telegraph, Balpa outlined strike action blaming a "dispute with Easyjet purely concerning pilot fatigue".
It claimed the core issue of the dispute was that "fatigue had risen year on year, to levels pilots and Balpa find unacceptable".
The airline said the new proposal had been developed after "extensive" discussions and would be put to its UK pilots in the hope that a "mutually agreeable solution" could be reached.
This meant there was currently "no threat of strike action", it added.
Hackers publish apparent scan of Michelle Obama's passport
The White House says it is investigating a "cyber breach" after what appeared to be a scan of Michelle Obama's passport was published online.
The scan appeared to have been taken from a Gmail account belonging to a White House employee, a spokesman said.
Other confidential information was published online, including travel details, names, social security numbers and birth dates of members of staff.
The White House said it had not yet verified the documents.
DCLeaks.com, a hacker group which last week published personal emails from an account belonging to former US Secretary of State Colin Powell's emails, claimed responsibility for the hack.
The US attorney general, Loretta Lynch, said the incident was "something that we are looking into". White House press secretary Josh Earnest said the breach "should be a wake-up call for all of us".
Mr Earnest said that the employee targeted by the hackers was a contract worker and not a permanent member of staff.
He said: "At this point I cannot announce any sort of conclusion that's been reached about the individual or individuals that may have been responsible for the cyber breach that resulted in this information being leaked."
The Secret Service, which is responsible for protecting the President and First Lady, said it was "concerned" about the apparent hacking.
"The Secret Service is concerned any time unauthorised information that might pertain to one of the individuals we protect, or our operations, is allegedly disclosed," said communications director Cathy Milhoan.
In July, hackers released a string of emails from the Democratic National Committee (DNC), prompting the resignation of chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. State-sponsored Russian hackers have been accused of behind the DNC leaks.
And on Friday, internet giant Yahoo confirmed that hackers stole information from about 500 million users in 2014, in what appears to be the largest publicly disclosed cyber-breach in history.
The scan appeared to have been taken from a Gmail account belonging to a White House employee, a spokesman said.
Other confidential information was published online, including travel details, names, social security numbers and birth dates of members of staff.
The White House said it had not yet verified the documents.
DCLeaks.com, a hacker group which last week published personal emails from an account belonging to former US Secretary of State Colin Powell's emails, claimed responsibility for the hack.
The US attorney general, Loretta Lynch, said the incident was "something that we are looking into". White House press secretary Josh Earnest said the breach "should be a wake-up call for all of us".
Mr Earnest said that the employee targeted by the hackers was a contract worker and not a permanent member of staff.
He said: "At this point I cannot announce any sort of conclusion that's been reached about the individual or individuals that may have been responsible for the cyber breach that resulted in this information being leaked."
The Secret Service, which is responsible for protecting the President and First Lady, said it was "concerned" about the apparent hacking.
"The Secret Service is concerned any time unauthorised information that might pertain to one of the individuals we protect, or our operations, is allegedly disclosed," said communications director Cathy Milhoan.
In July, hackers released a string of emails from the Democratic National Committee (DNC), prompting the resignation of chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. State-sponsored Russian hackers have been accused of behind the DNC leaks.
And on Friday, internet giant Yahoo confirmed that hackers stole information from about 500 million users in 2014, in what appears to be the largest publicly disclosed cyber-breach in history.
Mayor of Dover won't face criminal action over white substance snorting video
Police will not be taking action against a town mayor who was filmed apparently snorting a substance inside a toilet cubicle.
Kent Police have informed Dover's Neil Rix that no offences have been confirmed after officers looked into the footage of him posted online.
The clip showed Mr Rix telling a man to close a toilet cubicle door behind him, and adding: "Don't let anyone come... shut that door."
In the 67-second footage posted on YouTube, Mr Rix - who was made town mayor of Dover in May - went on: "Don't want anyone seeing councillor Rix doing this."
The footage led Mr Rix to refer himself to the district council's monitoring officer for a possible breach of the code of conduct.
Now it has emerged that no police action will be taken against him. Mr Rix has denied knowing what type of substance he snorted or where it was filmed.
A Kent Police spokesman said: "Officers have carried out extensive inquiries into the circumstances of the footage and the investigation has now concluded with no offences being confirmed.
"A man has been advised there will be no further police action in the matter."
Mr Rix spoke of his relief that police have ruled out taking the matter further.
And he insisted that he had been the victim of a blackmail plot and coerced when the incident was filmed around six years ago.
He said: "At the end of the day, I was being blackmailed over it and it was a long, long time ago. It was before I was mayor or deputy mayor or anything else.
"Just a few seconds of madness after being coerced into something... I'm glad it's over. It's a weight off my shoulders, to be honest."
Mr Rix said he intended to give a statement to police about the alleged blackmail. And he added that he now wanted to concentrate on his mayoral duties.
He said: "I have got a lot going on, I'm a very busy mayor. I have had a lot of support from everyone around me and everyone who knows me."
Kent Police have informed Dover's Neil Rix that no offences have been confirmed after officers looked into the footage of him posted online.
The clip showed Mr Rix telling a man to close a toilet cubicle door behind him, and adding: "Don't let anyone come... shut that door."
In the 67-second footage posted on YouTube, Mr Rix - who was made town mayor of Dover in May - went on: "Don't want anyone seeing councillor Rix doing this."
The footage led Mr Rix to refer himself to the district council's monitoring officer for a possible breach of the code of conduct.
Now it has emerged that no police action will be taken against him. Mr Rix has denied knowing what type of substance he snorted or where it was filmed.
A Kent Police spokesman said: "Officers have carried out extensive inquiries into the circumstances of the footage and the investigation has now concluded with no offences being confirmed.
"A man has been advised there will be no further police action in the matter."
Mr Rix spoke of his relief that police have ruled out taking the matter further.
And he insisted that he had been the victim of a blackmail plot and coerced when the incident was filmed around six years ago.
He said: "At the end of the day, I was being blackmailed over it and it was a long, long time ago. It was before I was mayor or deputy mayor or anything else.
"Just a few seconds of madness after being coerced into something... I'm glad it's over. It's a weight off my shoulders, to be honest."
Mr Rix said he intended to give a statement to police about the alleged blackmail. And he added that he now wanted to concentrate on his mayoral duties.
He said: "I have got a lot going on, I'm a very busy mayor. I have had a lot of support from everyone around me and everyone who knows me."
Horses can communicate with us - scientists
Horses have joined a select group of animals that can communicate by pointing at symbols.
Scientists trained horses, by offering slices of carrot as an incentive, to touch a board with their muzzle to indicate if they wanted to wear a rug.
The horses' requests matched the weather, suggesting it wasn't a random choice.
A few other animals, including apes and dolphins, appear, like us, to express preferences by pointing at things.
Dr Cecilie Mejdell of the Norwegian Veterinary Institute, who led the research, said they wanted to find a way to ask the horse whether or not it liked wearing a blanket.
In Nordic countries, it is common for horses to wear a blanket in all weathers.
"I think our study adds to the knowledge on horse cognition - about what horses are able to learn and how they think," she told BBC News.
"Horses are often considered to be not very intelligent but this shows that using the right methods they can actually communicate and express their opinions and they can take choices that seem sensible to us even."
Horse whisperers
The scientists worked with a horse trainer to teach 23 horses of various breeds how to communicate with humans.
First the horse was trained to approach a board hung on a fence and touch it with its muzzle
Then, it was taught to tell the difference between different symbols on the board - blanket on (horizontal bar), blanket off (vertical bar) and no change (blank)
Finally, the horse was taught to associate a particular action with the symbols on the board
By the end of the training, a horse was able to signal if it was too cold or too hot by going up to the appropriate board and asking for its rug to be put on or taken off
Horses requested a blanket in wet, windy and cold weather, but went without when the weather was sunny, say the researchers.
This shows the horse was making a choice based on its own motivation, not that of its trainer, they explain.
The whole process took place over two weeks with 10 to 15 minutes of training a day.
The scientists hope that other researchers will use their method to ask horses more questions.
They also think ordinary horse owners will be able to train their horses in this way.
Karen McComb, professor of animal behaviour and cognition at the University of Sussex, said the training method would be useful in animal welfare.
"This is a really interesting and innovative study that has conceived a very novel way of getting at what is going on in the mind of the horse," she said.
While communication with cats and dogs is the subject of much research, other domestic animals have been somewhat ignored.
Earlier this year, UK researchers said horses were able to discriminate between happy and angry human facial expressions.
The scientists say domestication may have enabled horses to understand human behaviour.
The study30219-2/abstract) is published in the journal, Applied Animal Behaviour Science.
Scientists trained horses, by offering slices of carrot as an incentive, to touch a board with their muzzle to indicate if they wanted to wear a rug.
The horses' requests matched the weather, suggesting it wasn't a random choice.
A few other animals, including apes and dolphins, appear, like us, to express preferences by pointing at things.
Dr Cecilie Mejdell of the Norwegian Veterinary Institute, who led the research, said they wanted to find a way to ask the horse whether or not it liked wearing a blanket.
In Nordic countries, it is common for horses to wear a blanket in all weathers.
"I think our study adds to the knowledge on horse cognition - about what horses are able to learn and how they think," she told BBC News.
"Horses are often considered to be not very intelligent but this shows that using the right methods they can actually communicate and express their opinions and they can take choices that seem sensible to us even."
Horse whisperers
The scientists worked with a horse trainer to teach 23 horses of various breeds how to communicate with humans.
First the horse was trained to approach a board hung on a fence and touch it with its muzzle
Then, it was taught to tell the difference between different symbols on the board - blanket on (horizontal bar), blanket off (vertical bar) and no change (blank)
Finally, the horse was taught to associate a particular action with the symbols on the board
By the end of the training, a horse was able to signal if it was too cold or too hot by going up to the appropriate board and asking for its rug to be put on or taken off
Horses requested a blanket in wet, windy and cold weather, but went without when the weather was sunny, say the researchers.
This shows the horse was making a choice based on its own motivation, not that of its trainer, they explain.
The whole process took place over two weeks with 10 to 15 minutes of training a day.
The scientists hope that other researchers will use their method to ask horses more questions.
They also think ordinary horse owners will be able to train their horses in this way.
Karen McComb, professor of animal behaviour and cognition at the University of Sussex, said the training method would be useful in animal welfare.
"This is a really interesting and innovative study that has conceived a very novel way of getting at what is going on in the mind of the horse," she said.
While communication with cats and dogs is the subject of much research, other domestic animals have been somewhat ignored.
Earlier this year, UK researchers said horses were able to discriminate between happy and angry human facial expressions.
The scientists say domestication may have enabled horses to understand human behaviour.
The study30219-2/abstract) is published in the journal, Applied Animal Behaviour Science.
Washington state attack: Burlington mall fatalities rise to five
The death toll from a mass shooting at a shopping centre in Washington state has risen to five, police say, with the suspected gunman still at large.
Police have released a picture of the gunman, who fled the scene armed with a rifle.
The Cascade Mall and nearby shops have been evacuated and police have asked the public to stay away. The motive for the attack is not clear.
The suspect is described as a "Hispanic male wearing grey".
He was seen heading towards the Interstate 5 motorway.
Washington State Patrol spokesman Mark Francis said the fatalities had taken place inside Macy's department store.
At about 02:30 local time (10:30 GMT) on Saturday, Sgt Francis confirmed the death of a fifth victim, a man. The other four were women.
Mr Francis said the gunman had left the scene before police arrived and was last seen walking towards a motorway.
Emergency management officials have told residents to stay inside with their doors locked and avoid the area near the Cascade Mall. Drivers are being urged to keep nearby major roads clear.
The FBI, which is assisting in the investigation, says there is no evidence that further attacks are planned in Washington State.
Burlington is about 65 miles (105km) north of Seattle.
Police have released a picture of the gunman, who fled the scene armed with a rifle.
The Cascade Mall and nearby shops have been evacuated and police have asked the public to stay away. The motive for the attack is not clear.
The suspect is described as a "Hispanic male wearing grey".
He was seen heading towards the Interstate 5 motorway.
Washington State Patrol spokesman Mark Francis said the fatalities had taken place inside Macy's department store.
At about 02:30 local time (10:30 GMT) on Saturday, Sgt Francis confirmed the death of a fifth victim, a man. The other four were women.
Mr Francis said the gunman had left the scene before police arrived and was last seen walking towards a motorway.
Emergency management officials have told residents to stay inside with their doors locked and avoid the area near the Cascade Mall. Drivers are being urged to keep nearby major roads clear.
The FBI, which is assisting in the investigation, says there is no evidence that further attacks are planned in Washington State.
Burlington is about 65 miles (105km) north of Seattle.
Cold war: Iceland (the country) may sue Iceland (the chain) over name
Nation’s government wants to ensure that British retailer does not stop native firms using the word ‘Iceland’ in their titles
The Icelandic government has confirmed it is considering launching a lawsuit against British supermarket Iceland over its name.
Iceland’s ministry of foreign affairs said it is contemplating filing a suit against the frozen foods giant 46 years after it was founded.
“I can confirm that this is being looked into, but no decision has been made,” a spokesman for the ministry told the Press Association.
A statement from the government of Iceland explained that a group of Icelandic parties, including the government, are looking at filing a “cancellation action” against the supermarket’s Europe-wide trademark registration for the name Iceland.
Promote Iceland, an agency linked to the Icelandic foreign ministry, said it has no intention of forcing Iceland Foods to give up its brand, but wants to ensure that the supermarket does not prevent Icelandic firms from registering the name Iceland across the UK or EU.
“We are looking for a ‘live and let live’ outcome,” Jon Asbergsson, the managing director of Promote Iceland, explained.
The government said the supermarket chain has launched and won “multiple cases” against Icelandic companies for using the word, “even in cases when the products and services do not compete”.
“Any decision about proceeding with this claim will only be made after full consideration of the interests of Icelandic companies and our people,” the government added.
A spokesman for the supermarket said: “Iceland Foods has traded under the Iceland name in the UK since 1970, and is today one of the UK’s most recognised brands.
“We have also traded as Iceland for many years in other EU countries, and in non-EU countries, including Iceland itself. We are not aware that our use of the Iceland name has ever caused any confusion with Iceland the country.”
The relationship between the supermarket and the Nordic nation has a history of frostiness.
Icelandic retail conglomerate Baugur held a controlling stake in the grocer until its collapse in 2009. The stake then fell into the hands of Icelandic banks Landsbanki and Glitnir, and was later acquired as part of a management buyout led by Iceland Foods founder and chief executive Malcolm Walker.
The company, whose headquarters are in Deeside, has more than 800 stores across the UK and employs more than 23,000 staff.
Iceland the republic is only 26 years older than Iceland the retailer, having been formed in 1944 after the nation declared independence following centuries of rule by Denmark.
The Icelandic government has confirmed it is considering launching a lawsuit against British supermarket Iceland over its name.
Iceland’s ministry of foreign affairs said it is contemplating filing a suit against the frozen foods giant 46 years after it was founded.
“I can confirm that this is being looked into, but no decision has been made,” a spokesman for the ministry told the Press Association.
A statement from the government of Iceland explained that a group of Icelandic parties, including the government, are looking at filing a “cancellation action” against the supermarket’s Europe-wide trademark registration for the name Iceland.
Promote Iceland, an agency linked to the Icelandic foreign ministry, said it has no intention of forcing Iceland Foods to give up its brand, but wants to ensure that the supermarket does not prevent Icelandic firms from registering the name Iceland across the UK or EU.
“We are looking for a ‘live and let live’ outcome,” Jon Asbergsson, the managing director of Promote Iceland, explained.
The government said the supermarket chain has launched and won “multiple cases” against Icelandic companies for using the word, “even in cases when the products and services do not compete”.
“Any decision about proceeding with this claim will only be made after full consideration of the interests of Icelandic companies and our people,” the government added.
A spokesman for the supermarket said: “Iceland Foods has traded under the Iceland name in the UK since 1970, and is today one of the UK’s most recognised brands.
“We have also traded as Iceland for many years in other EU countries, and in non-EU countries, including Iceland itself. We are not aware that our use of the Iceland name has ever caused any confusion with Iceland the country.”
The relationship between the supermarket and the Nordic nation has a history of frostiness.
Icelandic retail conglomerate Baugur held a controlling stake in the grocer until its collapse in 2009. The stake then fell into the hands of Icelandic banks Landsbanki and Glitnir, and was later acquired as part of a management buyout led by Iceland Foods founder and chief executive Malcolm Walker.
The company, whose headquarters are in Deeside, has more than 800 stores across the UK and employs more than 23,000 staff.
Iceland the republic is only 26 years older than Iceland the retailer, having been formed in 1944 after the nation declared independence following centuries of rule by Denmark.
Jeremy Corbyn 'mugged' by Labour MPs - Baroness Chakrabarti
Labour MPs who have sought to depose Jeremy Corbyn are guilty of mugging a decent man "in cold blood", Baroness Chakrabarti has told the BBC.
The ex-director of civil rights group Liberty, who Labour recently nominated for a peerage, accused MPs of failing to see it is "time for change".
The outcome of the Labour leadership election between Mr Corbyn and Owen Smith will be announced on Saturday.
The winner will be unveiled at the party's annual conference in Liverpool.
Jeremy Corbyn v Owen Smith
Corbyn 'wants to unite Labour'
Speaking to BBC's Newsnight, Baroness Chakrabarti hit back at the 172 Labour MPs who helped to trigger the leadership challenge against Mr Corbyn when they supported a no confidence motion following the EU referendum.
The Labour peer said she did "not approve" of a 67-year-old man "being mugged in broad daylight, in cold blood, by people who don't see that it is time for a change".
She added: "I think it's going to be incredibly important that the Labour Party unites behind whoever wins.
"I hope and believe it will be Jeremy Corbyn."
'Fundamental disagreement'
Mr Corbyn is hot favourite to see off the challenge from rival Mr Smith, prompting speculation about what former cabinet ministers who resigned following the Brexit vote will do if he does win.
Lisa Nandy, the former shadow energy and climate change secretary, indicated she would only return to the Labour frontbench if Mr's Corbyn leadership team changed their ways.
She told Newsnight: "I resigned from the shadow cabinet not because of policy differences but because of a fundamental disagreement with a sort of approach that says that this is a battle, this is a war, and it must be won and dissenting voices must be silenced."
A political party or shadow cabinet "simply cannot survive if you refuse to hear dissenting voices and work as a team to try and resolve differences," she added.
"Then it is not a shadow cabinet. It is quite simply just a fan club," she said.
Meanwhile, Lord Hain, the former Labour cabinet minister who knew Mr Corbyn as a "junior" anti-apartheid campaigner in the 1970s, says the party is facing the gravest crisis in its history.
"We are facing the biggest crisis that the party has faced, even compared with the Ramsay MacDonald defection 80 years ago and the crisis that followed the 1979 defeat and the breakaway by SDP and the defection of significant numbers of Labour members and leaders.
"This is more serious."
He added: "The hard left around Jeremy have never had control of the party before, they have never had control of the leadership and they have never had control of the organisation.
"If they get that then they will have achieved what they want to achieve, which is control of the party rather than winning the country."
The ex-director of civil rights group Liberty, who Labour recently nominated for a peerage, accused MPs of failing to see it is "time for change".
The outcome of the Labour leadership election between Mr Corbyn and Owen Smith will be announced on Saturday.
The winner will be unveiled at the party's annual conference in Liverpool.
Jeremy Corbyn v Owen Smith
Corbyn 'wants to unite Labour'
Speaking to BBC's Newsnight, Baroness Chakrabarti hit back at the 172 Labour MPs who helped to trigger the leadership challenge against Mr Corbyn when they supported a no confidence motion following the EU referendum.
The Labour peer said she did "not approve" of a 67-year-old man "being mugged in broad daylight, in cold blood, by people who don't see that it is time for a change".
She added: "I think it's going to be incredibly important that the Labour Party unites behind whoever wins.
"I hope and believe it will be Jeremy Corbyn."
'Fundamental disagreement'
Mr Corbyn is hot favourite to see off the challenge from rival Mr Smith, prompting speculation about what former cabinet ministers who resigned following the Brexit vote will do if he does win.
Lisa Nandy, the former shadow energy and climate change secretary, indicated she would only return to the Labour frontbench if Mr's Corbyn leadership team changed their ways.
She told Newsnight: "I resigned from the shadow cabinet not because of policy differences but because of a fundamental disagreement with a sort of approach that says that this is a battle, this is a war, and it must be won and dissenting voices must be silenced."
A political party or shadow cabinet "simply cannot survive if you refuse to hear dissenting voices and work as a team to try and resolve differences," she added.
"Then it is not a shadow cabinet. It is quite simply just a fan club," she said.
Meanwhile, Lord Hain, the former Labour cabinet minister who knew Mr Corbyn as a "junior" anti-apartheid campaigner in the 1970s, says the party is facing the gravest crisis in its history.
"We are facing the biggest crisis that the party has faced, even compared with the Ramsay MacDonald defection 80 years ago and the crisis that followed the 1979 defeat and the breakaway by SDP and the defection of significant numbers of Labour members and leaders.
"This is more serious."
He added: "The hard left around Jeremy have never had control of the party before, they have never had control of the leadership and they have never had control of the organisation.
"If they get that then they will have achieved what they want to achieve, which is control of the party rather than winning the country."
Tyson Fury 'medically unfit' for Wladimir Klitschko rematch
The rematch between Tyson Fury and Wladimir Klitschko for the world heavyweight title has been called off for a second time.
Fury's management company, Hennessy Sports, said that the British boxer has "been declared medically unfit to fight" and the 29 October bout in Manchester "will not be going ahead".
A statement read: "Medical specialists have advised that the condition is too severe to allow him to participate in the rematch and that he will require treatment before going back into the ring. Tyson will now immediately undergo the treatment he needs to make a full recovery."
No further details were immediately given in the statement as to Fury's medical condition.
Fury beat Klitschko in Germany in November to claim the WBA, WBO and IBF titles. A rematch was originally scheduled for 9 July but was postponed after Fury said he sustained an ankle injury.
In August, it was revealed that on the same day Fury announced the injury, he had been charged by the UK Anti-Doping agency and suspended from the sport after testing positive for a banned substance.
Fury had his ban lifted "pending full determination of the charges," UKAD said.
Hennessy Sports said Fury was "understandably devastated" by the second postponement of the fight.
Fury, who is unbeaten in 25 pro fights, has not fought since beating Klitschko in one of the biggest shocks in heavyweight boxing in recent times.
Fury's management company, Hennessy Sports, said that the British boxer has "been declared medically unfit to fight" and the 29 October bout in Manchester "will not be going ahead".
A statement read: "Medical specialists have advised that the condition is too severe to allow him to participate in the rematch and that he will require treatment before going back into the ring. Tyson will now immediately undergo the treatment he needs to make a full recovery."
No further details were immediately given in the statement as to Fury's medical condition.
Fury beat Klitschko in Germany in November to claim the WBA, WBO and IBF titles. A rematch was originally scheduled for 9 July but was postponed after Fury said he sustained an ankle injury.
In August, it was revealed that on the same day Fury announced the injury, he had been charged by the UK Anti-Doping agency and suspended from the sport after testing positive for a banned substance.
Fury had his ban lifted "pending full determination of the charges," UKAD said.
Hennessy Sports said Fury was "understandably devastated" by the second postponement of the fight.
Fury, who is unbeaten in 25 pro fights, has not fought since beating Klitschko in one of the biggest shocks in heavyweight boxing in recent times.
Three dead in shooting at mall in Washington State, suspect remains at large
Three people died in a shooting at a mall in Burlington, Washington on Friday night, and police say they are still searching for the gunman.
A spokesman for the Washington State Patrol, Sergeant Mark Francis, said on Twitter that the gunman fled the scene before police arrived at the Cascade Mall. The shopping centre, located 66 miles north of Seattle, was immediately placed on lockdown after reports of the active shooter.
Police responded to reports around 7pm local time shortly after the lone suspect walked into a Macy's department store armed with a rifle and opened fire, killing three people and injuring at least two others.
One of the victims is in critical condition and fighting for their life in the area's Harborview hospital.
Shoppers began locking themselves into dressing rooms and other sections inside the shopping centre, too frightenedto leave, Seattle television station KIRO reports.
Authorities began evacuating the building before rushing to provide aid to victims.
Gunman opens fire inside Washington mall
Stephanie Bost, an employee at the mall's Johnny Carino's restaurant, said a customer warned her of a shooting nearly 100 yards away. 'We went on lockdown' and shut the doors, she told The New York Times.
The mall is just 66 miles north of Seattle.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.
A spokesman for the Washington State Patrol, Sergeant Mark Francis, said on Twitter that the gunman fled the scene before police arrived at the Cascade Mall. The shopping centre, located 66 miles north of Seattle, was immediately placed on lockdown after reports of the active shooter.
Police responded to reports around 7pm local time shortly after the lone suspect walked into a Macy's department store armed with a rifle and opened fire, killing three people and injuring at least two others.
One of the victims is in critical condition and fighting for their life in the area's Harborview hospital.
Shoppers began locking themselves into dressing rooms and other sections inside the shopping centre, too frightenedto leave, Seattle television station KIRO reports.
Authorities began evacuating the building before rushing to provide aid to victims.
Gunman opens fire inside Washington mall
Stephanie Bost, an employee at the mall's Johnny Carino's restaurant, said a customer warned her of a shooting nearly 100 yards away. 'We went on lockdown' and shut the doors, she told The New York Times.
The mall is just 66 miles north of Seattle.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.
Three arrested over Poplar 'chicken shop row' murder
A 16-year-old boy is among three people to be arrested on suspicion of murder following a disagreement at a chicken shop in east London.
Zdenek Makar, 31, from the Czech Republic, died near All Saints DLR station in Poplar on Wednesday night.
The Met said it was believed he had been followed and attacked after an altercation inside Perfect Fried Chicken in East India Dock Road.
Two men, aged 19 and 29, have also been arrested on suspicion of murder.
A post-mortem examination revealed Mr Makar died from head injuries.
Zdenek Makar, 31, from the Czech Republic, died near All Saints DLR station in Poplar on Wednesday night.
The Met said it was believed he had been followed and attacked after an altercation inside Perfect Fried Chicken in East India Dock Road.
Two men, aged 19 and 29, have also been arrested on suspicion of murder.
A post-mortem examination revealed Mr Makar died from head injuries.
Pippa Middleton iCloud hack claims investigated by police
Police are investigating claims an iCloud account reportedly belonging to the Duchess of Cambridge's sister Pippa Middleton has been hacked and private photographs stolen.
The Sun reported that it was offered the images, which it said included shots of the duchess's children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
The paper said someone had contacted it asking for £50,000 within 48 hours.
The Met Police said inquiries were ongoing and no arrests had been made.
The haul from the hack is believed to include 3,000 pictures, and an anonymous person has reportedly tried to sell them via encrypted messaging service WhatsApp.
'Specialist officers'
The Sun quoted a spokesman for Miss Middleton, who was maid of honour at her sister Catherine's 2011 wedding, as saying: "Thank you very much for drawing this to the family's attention.
"I can confirm that not only have the lawyers been informed but the police are about to be involved as well."
A Met Police spokesman said: "Police have received a report concerning the alleged hacking of a personal iCloud account. Specialist officers are now investigating."
In the summer, Miss Middleton and hedge fund manager James Matthews confirmed their engagement, with a wedding planned for next year.
Several high-profile figures have had images stolen from their iCloud accounts, including actress Jennifer Lawrence and singer Rihanna.
In July, US man Edward Majerczyk pleaded guilty to running a phishing campaign to steal private pictures and videos from film and TV stars, in what was known as the "celebgate" affair.
Four-digit code
In 2014, Apple said it had expanded its use of "two-step verification" checks to protect data stored on its iCloud servers.
The process works by introducing an extra step after an account holder has typed their username and password into a device they have not used before.
They are also required to enter a four-digit code that is either texted to a trusted mobile phone number or sent via Apple's Find My iPhone app.
If the person does not enter the code, they are refused access to iCloud and are blocked from making an iTunes, iBooks, or App Store purchase.
The Sun reported that it was offered the images, which it said included shots of the duchess's children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
The paper said someone had contacted it asking for £50,000 within 48 hours.
The Met Police said inquiries were ongoing and no arrests had been made.
The haul from the hack is believed to include 3,000 pictures, and an anonymous person has reportedly tried to sell them via encrypted messaging service WhatsApp.
'Specialist officers'
The Sun quoted a spokesman for Miss Middleton, who was maid of honour at her sister Catherine's 2011 wedding, as saying: "Thank you very much for drawing this to the family's attention.
"I can confirm that not only have the lawyers been informed but the police are about to be involved as well."
A Met Police spokesman said: "Police have received a report concerning the alleged hacking of a personal iCloud account. Specialist officers are now investigating."
In the summer, Miss Middleton and hedge fund manager James Matthews confirmed their engagement, with a wedding planned for next year.
Several high-profile figures have had images stolen from their iCloud accounts, including actress Jennifer Lawrence and singer Rihanna.
In July, US man Edward Majerczyk pleaded guilty to running a phishing campaign to steal private pictures and videos from film and TV stars, in what was known as the "celebgate" affair.
Four-digit code
In 2014, Apple said it had expanded its use of "two-step verification" checks to protect data stored on its iCloud servers.
The process works by introducing an extra step after an account holder has typed their username and password into a device they have not used before.
They are also required to enter a four-digit code that is either texted to a trusted mobile phone number or sent via Apple's Find My iPhone app.
If the person does not enter the code, they are refused access to iCloud and are blocked from making an iTunes, iBooks, or App Store purchase.
Wednesday, 21 September 2016
Questions and Answers
Q: You mean the Calm Technique increases willpower?
A: Definitely.
Q: Will I ever reach the stage when I don't have to meditate any more?
A: No. But after you've been meditating for some time, you won't want to stop. You will look forward to and enjoy it for its own sake. The time will come though, when you'll be able to reach the Calm State with very little effort. You will almost be able to reach that state at will. But that's something you have to look forward to.
How to Stay Calm
'When a man can still his senses
I call him illuminated.'
Sri Krsna
Now you should be ready to apply the Calm Technique. In the early stages, your greatest obstacle is simply expecting too much. I know you've read a whole book on the subject, but the Calm Technique is subtle and far from 'exciting' as far as experiences go. Don't expect to be riveted by your Calm Expression from the beginning. It will probably be several years before you will be able to spend a full twenty minutes with nothing but the Calm Expression in your consciousness. The reason why the Calm Technique is such a successful builder of character and appreciation is a direct result of your not being able to maintain your Calm Expression for extended periods in your consciousness. The struggle is what's important, not the result. The Calm Technique will be a success if you work hard and conscientiously at it, not just because you become proficient at it.
I urge you to persist with it for at least a couple of months. After that time, I feel absolutely confident you will be as excited about its potential as I am. The biggest hurdle students usually face is after nine to twelve months. This is the time when you begin to grow blase about what it's doing for you; the improvements aren't as obvious as they were in the beginning. If you let the Calm Technique lapse around this time, it will probably be a few weeks, or even months, before you fully appreciate what you have given up. Then you'll have to start all over again.
That is why it is so important that you learn to appreciate the Calm Technique as something to enjoy in its own right. Learn to appreciate it for what it is rather than what it can do for you. Treasure each time you do it purely for the joy of 'being'. See it as a rare moment of peace and harmony in your day.
In time, the Calm Technique will teach you to recognize your own Calm Centre - that place within you where you will always find a few moments of true peace, regardless of what's going on around you. When you are familiar with your Calm Centre, you will always have a base, you will cease to have regrets abour the past and concerns for the future, you will know the joy of living each moment to the fullest.
When you have been meditating for some time, new directions will reveal themselves to you. I have no idea what they might turn out to be, but you can investigate them in the knowledge that your intuition, your real self, will be more at the fore than it has ever been before.
I have cautioned you about intellectual and spiritual promiscuity. Changing from technique to technique, or guru to guru, is just another way of distracting yourself and diverting your attention from its real path. Certainly feel free to broaden your knowledge and appreciation as far as it is possible. But endeavour to build on each experience rather than to seek new ones each time you grow bored. The Calm Technique is an ideal base on which to build.
Use the Calm Technique faithfully and it will be a positive influence in your life. Embrace it and you will have increased health, happiness and harmony in everything you do. Depend on it and you will enjoy a true sense of calm in this troubled old world.
-- This excerpt was taken from The Calm Technique by Paul Wilson
Tuesday, 20 September 2016
Questions and Answers
Q: Some places say you should never tell anyone your mantra. What happens if you do?
A: It is best not to discuss your Calm Expression or mantra (unless it is with a teacher of meditation). Some schools of thought forbid the mention of the word ever again. I believe it is better left undiscussed. Your Calm Expression is something very private, something which is only ever heard in the inner recesses of your mind. To treat it as an ordinary word or as a conversation topic is to lessen its importance in your mind. Better to leave it alone.
Q: Sometimes I'm troubled by quite hateful thoughts while I'm meditating? How can I stop them?
A: Whatever the content of these thoughts, they are nothing but distractions. Go back to your mantra and forget them.
Q: I've heard that some people go astral travelling and have visions while they're meditating. Is this true?
A: In all schools of meditation, from the East and the West, the attitude towards paranormal happenings is the same: ignore them. They may be interesting, you may even think them relevant, but they have nothing to do with your meditation and should be ignored. If such an event should present itself to you (and that would be extremely rare), give it no more thought than you would to an itch or a fantasy. It is only your mind trying to distract you from your purpose, which is your Calm Expression.
Q: What about levitation?
A: Has nothing to do with the Calm Technique.
Q: Can the Calm Technique cure insomnia?
A: Much of insomnia is caused by tension and stress. If you can remove the stress and tension, it follows that you'll sleep better. People who use the Calm Technique do sleep more restfully than they did before they practised it. (This is based entirely on subjective reports, I have seen no in-depth studies on the subject.) Those whose insomnia was a product of stress definitely find relief in the Calm Technique. However, whether the Calm Technique can help all insomniacs, I am unsure.
Q: Can the Calm Technique help migraine headaches?
A: As above.
Q: Can the Calm Technique help me give up smoking?
A: Because the Calm Technique is a discipline designed to contain the will and master the senses, it is a great support to anyone contemplating a smoking cure, or a drinking cure, or any sort of cure at all. It does this in three ways. The first is when it strengthens the will. This happens with time. The second occurs when you grow more aware of your body and know what is good or harmful for it. Your body will then encourage you to give up smoking (or whatever). The third reason is simply that you will be more calm and relaxed after a time with the Calm Technique and this provides the greatest assistance of all to giving up. (Assuming of course that you accept the popular theory that smoking is just another symptom of stress.)
If you practise the Calm Technique and follow the five suggestions outlined, I promise you'll be able to give up smoking more easily than you would ever have thought possible. (The same applies for drink and drug problems.)
FIVE WAYS TO OVERCOME ADDICTION
1) Practise the Calm Technique regularly.
2) Instead of giving up smoking (drinking or whatever), take up non-smoking. Take up feeling healthy. Take up being able to breathe properly, being able to taste food again. Take up being socially acceptable. Take up being good to be around. The correct attitude is essential. Don't believe any of those cliches about 'getting bad-tempered' or 'getting fat' or 'suffering from nerves'; these are all little tricks to delude yourself into going back to smoking. If you can adopt and believe in the positive approach of 'taking up non-smoking', you won't suffer any of those negative reactions.
3) Begin a new exercise programme and diet (assuming you have room for improvement) at the same time. You'll find that when the benefits of one begin to fade, the benefits of the other will become obvious. You'll be encouraged to continue because you'll be feeling so good. And you will be feeling good!
4) Plan the day you're taking up non-smoking (or whatever) a week in advance. Mark it prominently on your calendar. Refer to it every day leading up to the event. Remember it well after you have taken the plunge. It will be a very important day in your life.
5) Never touch anothet cigarette (or whatever). There is no such thing as a light smoker (or drinker or drug user). There are only those who pause before taking it up heavily again. Your mind will play many tricks to persuade you that you can have just one smoke every now and then. But you can't. When you take up non-smoking, take it up forever.
-- This excerpt was taken from The Calm Technique by Paul Wilson
A: It is best not to discuss your Calm Expression or mantra (unless it is with a teacher of meditation). Some schools of thought forbid the mention of the word ever again. I believe it is better left undiscussed. Your Calm Expression is something very private, something which is only ever heard in the inner recesses of your mind. To treat it as an ordinary word or as a conversation topic is to lessen its importance in your mind. Better to leave it alone.
Q: Sometimes I'm troubled by quite hateful thoughts while I'm meditating? How can I stop them?
A: Whatever the content of these thoughts, they are nothing but distractions. Go back to your mantra and forget them.
Q: I've heard that some people go astral travelling and have visions while they're meditating. Is this true?
A: In all schools of meditation, from the East and the West, the attitude towards paranormal happenings is the same: ignore them. They may be interesting, you may even think them relevant, but they have nothing to do with your meditation and should be ignored. If such an event should present itself to you (and that would be extremely rare), give it no more thought than you would to an itch or a fantasy. It is only your mind trying to distract you from your purpose, which is your Calm Expression.
Q: What about levitation?
A: Has nothing to do with the Calm Technique.
Q: Can the Calm Technique cure insomnia?
A: Much of insomnia is caused by tension and stress. If you can remove the stress and tension, it follows that you'll sleep better. People who use the Calm Technique do sleep more restfully than they did before they practised it. (This is based entirely on subjective reports, I have seen no in-depth studies on the subject.) Those whose insomnia was a product of stress definitely find relief in the Calm Technique. However, whether the Calm Technique can help all insomniacs, I am unsure.
Q: Can the Calm Technique help migraine headaches?
A: As above.
Q: Can the Calm Technique help me give up smoking?
A: Because the Calm Technique is a discipline designed to contain the will and master the senses, it is a great support to anyone contemplating a smoking cure, or a drinking cure, or any sort of cure at all. It does this in three ways. The first is when it strengthens the will. This happens with time. The second occurs when you grow more aware of your body and know what is good or harmful for it. Your body will then encourage you to give up smoking (or whatever). The third reason is simply that you will be more calm and relaxed after a time with the Calm Technique and this provides the greatest assistance of all to giving up. (Assuming of course that you accept the popular theory that smoking is just another symptom of stress.)
If you practise the Calm Technique and follow the five suggestions outlined, I promise you'll be able to give up smoking more easily than you would ever have thought possible. (The same applies for drink and drug problems.)
FIVE WAYS TO OVERCOME ADDICTION
1) Practise the Calm Technique regularly.
2) Instead of giving up smoking (drinking or whatever), take up non-smoking. Take up feeling healthy. Take up being able to breathe properly, being able to taste food again. Take up being socially acceptable. Take up being good to be around. The correct attitude is essential. Don't believe any of those cliches about 'getting bad-tempered' or 'getting fat' or 'suffering from nerves'; these are all little tricks to delude yourself into going back to smoking. If you can adopt and believe in the positive approach of 'taking up non-smoking', you won't suffer any of those negative reactions.
3) Begin a new exercise programme and diet (assuming you have room for improvement) at the same time. You'll find that when the benefits of one begin to fade, the benefits of the other will become obvious. You'll be encouraged to continue because you'll be feeling so good. And you will be feeling good!
4) Plan the day you're taking up non-smoking (or whatever) a week in advance. Mark it prominently on your calendar. Refer to it every day leading up to the event. Remember it well after you have taken the plunge. It will be a very important day in your life.
5) Never touch anothet cigarette (or whatever). There is no such thing as a light smoker (or drinker or drug user). There are only those who pause before taking it up heavily again. Your mind will play many tricks to persuade you that you can have just one smoke every now and then. But you can't. When you take up non-smoking, take it up forever.
-- This excerpt was taken from The Calm Technique by Paul Wilson
Monday, 19 September 2016
Questions and Answers
Q: Sometimes I just fidget for twenty minutes and it doesn't seem to work at all. Am I doing something wrong?
A: Try the Calm Exercises first, which should make a difference. If not, perhaps you're just going through a dry period in which case you should persist. However, if things seem really difficult, be content to sit for twenty minutes and enjoy the solitude. And if things get really desperate on any occasion, postpone till the next session.
Q: Sometimes after twenty minutes I realize that I don't remember a single moment of that time; it's just as if I closed my eyes one instant, and opened them the next, with twenty minutes missing in between. Is this desirable?
A: It happens sometimes. I'm not sure why. All I know is it is pleasant, but it is not something you should pursue as an objective, and is one of those things that happen in meditation.
Q: I find it almost impossible to fit two twenty-minute sessions into my schedule. What should I do?
A: It would be glib of me to say 'rearrange your schedule'. But it does work. You'll never regret rising a half hour earlier (except when the alarm sounds) to perform the Calm Technique. If you can't manage it twice a day, then at least do it once a day. Then when you are very familiar with the technique, you can grab moments here and there throughout your day. Ensure you do it once a day though.
Q: What if I miss a few days?
A: Missing a few days is undesirable but shouldn't mean the end of your programme. Resume it as soon as you can.
Q: What if there's nowhere I can do it?
A: This sometimes happens when you live in a crowded house or you're staying with people you don't know too well. On such occasions you can rise early, you can take walks in the park (wonderful for the Calm Technique), do it on the train, in fact, you can do it practically anywhere (and it doesn't frighten the horses).
Q: Why do you say the Calm Technique should be done before meals?
A: Two reasons. The first is because the metabolism slows down and your digestive process is suspended during the Calm Technique. If you have just finished eating that's not a very healthy situation to be in. The second reason is because the sounds and discomforts of delayed digestion are quite a distraction during the Calm Technique. Do it before meals or more than two hours after.
Q: I've been told that meditation is a great time for problem-solving. Is there some way I can use the Calm Technique for any practical purposes?
A: The Calm Technique is a time for 'hearing' your Calm Expression, not for solving problems. Nevertheless, it is an excellent prelude to a time of problem solving. In those peaceful moments when you have finished the Calm Technique, your mind is fresh, creative and alert. It is an excellent time for problem-solving and creative thinking. Use those moments well.
Q: And what about the ideas that come into your mind while you're doing the Calm Technique - should they be acted upon?
A: You'll find that your distractions will become more and more inventive during the Calm Technique. Some of the schemes and conceps that you'll think of (when you're supposed to be thinking only of your Calm Expression) will seem quite extraordinary. As a general rule, these schemes and conceps should be treated like any other distraction that crosses your mind: you should forget them and go back to your Calm Expression.
Q: Is it possible to change your Calm Expression after you have been using it for a while?
A: Your Calm Expression is a very special part of your meditation development. It should remain an important part of your life and, once accepted, never changed. If at any stage you decide to further your meditation studies with another teacher, that teacher may wish to give you another mantra. In such a case, you will already have decided to search further than the Calm Technique so you will feel no compunction about changing your Calm Expression (nor should you, because in such a situation, change is perfectly acceptable). I can foresee no reasons other than the one just mentioned for wanting to change it. After all, the Calm Expression is meant to be a meaningless word or phrase. However, if you feel really strongly about it, change. But try to select a suitable one in the first place.
-- This excerpt was taken from The Calm Technique by Paul Wilson
A: Try the Calm Exercises first, which should make a difference. If not, perhaps you're just going through a dry period in which case you should persist. However, if things seem really difficult, be content to sit for twenty minutes and enjoy the solitude. And if things get really desperate on any occasion, postpone till the next session.
Q: Sometimes after twenty minutes I realize that I don't remember a single moment of that time; it's just as if I closed my eyes one instant, and opened them the next, with twenty minutes missing in between. Is this desirable?
A: It happens sometimes. I'm not sure why. All I know is it is pleasant, but it is not something you should pursue as an objective, and is one of those things that happen in meditation.
Q: I find it almost impossible to fit two twenty-minute sessions into my schedule. What should I do?
A: It would be glib of me to say 'rearrange your schedule'. But it does work. You'll never regret rising a half hour earlier (except when the alarm sounds) to perform the Calm Technique. If you can't manage it twice a day, then at least do it once a day. Then when you are very familiar with the technique, you can grab moments here and there throughout your day. Ensure you do it once a day though.
Q: What if I miss a few days?
A: Missing a few days is undesirable but shouldn't mean the end of your programme. Resume it as soon as you can.
Q: What if there's nowhere I can do it?
A: This sometimes happens when you live in a crowded house or you're staying with people you don't know too well. On such occasions you can rise early, you can take walks in the park (wonderful for the Calm Technique), do it on the train, in fact, you can do it practically anywhere (and it doesn't frighten the horses).
Q: Why do you say the Calm Technique should be done before meals?
A: Two reasons. The first is because the metabolism slows down and your digestive process is suspended during the Calm Technique. If you have just finished eating that's not a very healthy situation to be in. The second reason is because the sounds and discomforts of delayed digestion are quite a distraction during the Calm Technique. Do it before meals or more than two hours after.
Q: I've been told that meditation is a great time for problem-solving. Is there some way I can use the Calm Technique for any practical purposes?
A: The Calm Technique is a time for 'hearing' your Calm Expression, not for solving problems. Nevertheless, it is an excellent prelude to a time of problem solving. In those peaceful moments when you have finished the Calm Technique, your mind is fresh, creative and alert. It is an excellent time for problem-solving and creative thinking. Use those moments well.
Q: And what about the ideas that come into your mind while you're doing the Calm Technique - should they be acted upon?
A: You'll find that your distractions will become more and more inventive during the Calm Technique. Some of the schemes and conceps that you'll think of (when you're supposed to be thinking only of your Calm Expression) will seem quite extraordinary. As a general rule, these schemes and conceps should be treated like any other distraction that crosses your mind: you should forget them and go back to your Calm Expression.
Q: Is it possible to change your Calm Expression after you have been using it for a while?
A: Your Calm Expression is a very special part of your meditation development. It should remain an important part of your life and, once accepted, never changed. If at any stage you decide to further your meditation studies with another teacher, that teacher may wish to give you another mantra. In such a case, you will already have decided to search further than the Calm Technique so you will feel no compunction about changing your Calm Expression (nor should you, because in such a situation, change is perfectly acceptable). I can foresee no reasons other than the one just mentioned for wanting to change it. After all, the Calm Expression is meant to be a meaningless word or phrase. However, if you feel really strongly about it, change. But try to select a suitable one in the first place.
-- This excerpt was taken from The Calm Technique by Paul Wilson
Saturday, 17 September 2016
Questions and Answers
Q: What if the phone rings in the middle of the Calm Technique?
A: Answer it. Before you begin the Calm Technique, you should always ensure there is nothing to disturb you. It's most annoying. However, should you overlook taking the phone off the hook or something like that, an unanswered telephone will do a lot more to upset your equilibrium than getting up and answering it.
Q: What do I do about an itch or a cramp during the Calm Technique?
A: You have two choices. Ignore it and maintain your attention only on your Calm Expression, or scratch. You will find that minor itches and discomforts grow in intensity the more you think about them. Usually, they are just tricks of the mind intended to distract you from your task. Don't get obsessed about ignoring them, but ignore them if you can.
Q: What is the ideal time of day for the Calm Technique?
A: Always as early as possible in the morning, preferably in the peace and calm before the world wakes and goes about its business. As soon as you are washed and awake, begin the Calm Technique. You'll find that rising half an hour earlier than you normally would will still leave you feeling rested.
Q: What is the ideal length of time for the Calm Technique?
A: This is best decided through experience. In the beginning, fifteen to twenty minutes is the recommended time. If you don't have fifteen minutes, make it ten. A short session is better than none at all.
Q: How can you tell when the twenty minutes are up?
A: Use a clock (careful of the alarm) and take a peek occasionally. Better still though, is to trust your intuition. Your body clock works most accurately of all.
Q: Does it matter if you go longer?
A: In the early stages, it is best not to continue the Calm Technique for more than about thirty minutes. As you become more familiar with it, then certainly extend your meditations as you feel necessary.
Q: What if you get tired, or go to sleep?
A: If you feel sleepy, try the Calm Technique with your eyes partially opened. If you do happen to doze off, you'll usually wake within a short time. It's not as if you'll sleep all day and miss a day's work.
Q: How do you know if it's been a good meditation?
A: The fact that you did it makes it a good meditation. However, there will almost certainly be times when nothing much will happen and you'll go through a rather dull period. These are the times when you must persist (remember the exercise analogy) because the rewards are greater for those who persevere. Sometimes, usually after a dull stretch, things get even better than they were before it.
Q: I've been told that some people just aren't the type who can meditate. What sort of people are these?
A: Lazy people. Or people who haven't read The Calm Technique.
Q: How old do you have to be to start using the Calm Technique?
A: Whilw there is no age limit for using the Calm Technique at all, common sense says that it should be reserved for those who are old enough to appreciate what it can mean. It is possible to teach certain forms of meditation (even the Calm Technique) to small children. But why?
Q: Is it possible for several people to do the Calm Technique together?
A: A group meditation encourages a wonderfully peaceful environment which is one of the rare pleasures of life. Even though the Calm Technique is a personal and solitary event, performing it in the company of others creates a group dynamic which has to be experienced to be believed. Do it whenever you can.
Q: Surely stress has a place within one's physiology?
A: It certainly does. Not only are certain amounts of stress and tension quite normal in daily life, but they're essential to the performance of many natural functions. Imagine running in the Olympics without any pre-race anxiety. Would you feel comfortable with a general who felt totally at ease about the battle he was just about to commit you to? We all feel safer when air traffic controllers work with a moderate level of stress. And should you ever be confronted with a real 'fight or flight' situation, you will be only too pleased for that stress.
But what concerns us and the Calm Technique is accumulated and unrelieved stress. Stress that is ever present, that feeds on itself, that depresses and debilitates. Whether it is obvious or not, it is a fact of life that the majority of Western people suffer from from stress-related conditions and disorders. The Calm Technique is a major step towards relief.
Q: What about in those times of great stress when you have real problems?
A: Those times of great personal problems and stress are the times when you need the Calm Technique most of all. Unfortunately, they are usually the most difficult occasions to practise it. You have things on your mind, things you have to do, things that distract you. Nevertheless, these are the times when you have to persist. Do the Calm Exercises. Devote a bit more time to each Calm Technique session. I usually find it takes me about fifteen minutes just to start meditating on such occasions, so perhaps you have to dedicate more than thirty minutes to the full exercise, maybe up to forty-five minutes or an hour.
-- This excerpt was taken from The Calm Technique by Paul Wilson
A: Answer it. Before you begin the Calm Technique, you should always ensure there is nothing to disturb you. It's most annoying. However, should you overlook taking the phone off the hook or something like that, an unanswered telephone will do a lot more to upset your equilibrium than getting up and answering it.
Q: What do I do about an itch or a cramp during the Calm Technique?
A: You have two choices. Ignore it and maintain your attention only on your Calm Expression, or scratch. You will find that minor itches and discomforts grow in intensity the more you think about them. Usually, they are just tricks of the mind intended to distract you from your task. Don't get obsessed about ignoring them, but ignore them if you can.
Q: What is the ideal time of day for the Calm Technique?
A: Always as early as possible in the morning, preferably in the peace and calm before the world wakes and goes about its business. As soon as you are washed and awake, begin the Calm Technique. You'll find that rising half an hour earlier than you normally would will still leave you feeling rested.
Q: What is the ideal length of time for the Calm Technique?
A: This is best decided through experience. In the beginning, fifteen to twenty minutes is the recommended time. If you don't have fifteen minutes, make it ten. A short session is better than none at all.
Q: How can you tell when the twenty minutes are up?
A: Use a clock (careful of the alarm) and take a peek occasionally. Better still though, is to trust your intuition. Your body clock works most accurately of all.
Q: Does it matter if you go longer?
A: In the early stages, it is best not to continue the Calm Technique for more than about thirty minutes. As you become more familiar with it, then certainly extend your meditations as you feel necessary.
Q: What if you get tired, or go to sleep?
A: If you feel sleepy, try the Calm Technique with your eyes partially opened. If you do happen to doze off, you'll usually wake within a short time. It's not as if you'll sleep all day and miss a day's work.
Q: How do you know if it's been a good meditation?
A: The fact that you did it makes it a good meditation. However, there will almost certainly be times when nothing much will happen and you'll go through a rather dull period. These are the times when you must persist (remember the exercise analogy) because the rewards are greater for those who persevere. Sometimes, usually after a dull stretch, things get even better than they were before it.
Q: I've been told that some people just aren't the type who can meditate. What sort of people are these?
A: Lazy people. Or people who haven't read The Calm Technique.
Q: How old do you have to be to start using the Calm Technique?
A: Whilw there is no age limit for using the Calm Technique at all, common sense says that it should be reserved for those who are old enough to appreciate what it can mean. It is possible to teach certain forms of meditation (even the Calm Technique) to small children. But why?
Q: Is it possible for several people to do the Calm Technique together?
A: A group meditation encourages a wonderfully peaceful environment which is one of the rare pleasures of life. Even though the Calm Technique is a personal and solitary event, performing it in the company of others creates a group dynamic which has to be experienced to be believed. Do it whenever you can.
Q: Surely stress has a place within one's physiology?
A: It certainly does. Not only are certain amounts of stress and tension quite normal in daily life, but they're essential to the performance of many natural functions. Imagine running in the Olympics without any pre-race anxiety. Would you feel comfortable with a general who felt totally at ease about the battle he was just about to commit you to? We all feel safer when air traffic controllers work with a moderate level of stress. And should you ever be confronted with a real 'fight or flight' situation, you will be only too pleased for that stress.
But what concerns us and the Calm Technique is accumulated and unrelieved stress. Stress that is ever present, that feeds on itself, that depresses and debilitates. Whether it is obvious or not, it is a fact of life that the majority of Western people suffer from from stress-related conditions and disorders. The Calm Technique is a major step towards relief.
Q: What about in those times of great stress when you have real problems?
A: Those times of great personal problems and stress are the times when you need the Calm Technique most of all. Unfortunately, they are usually the most difficult occasions to practise it. You have things on your mind, things you have to do, things that distract you. Nevertheless, these are the times when you have to persist. Do the Calm Exercises. Devote a bit more time to each Calm Technique session. I usually find it takes me about fifteen minutes just to start meditating on such occasions, so perhaps you have to dedicate more than thirty minutes to the full exercise, maybe up to forty-five minutes or an hour.
-- This excerpt was taken from The Calm Technique by Paul Wilson
Friday, 16 September 2016
Questions and Answers
'What we need is an enthusiastic but calm state of mind and intense but orderly work.'
Mao Tse-Tung
Following are some of the most commonly asked questions relating to the Calm Technique. If, at the end of this book, you have questions of your own, please feel free to write to Paul Wilson's calm research group, at The Calm Centre, PO Box 404, Northbridge, NSW 2063, Australia. Or log on to, http://www.calmcentre.com. You can also e-mail the author at, paulwil@calmcentre.com.au.
There are many different types of meditation. Which type is superior?
It is a dangerous precedent for a self-improvement book to admit that there might be more than one 'right' direction to follow. However, the truth is there are thousands of 'right' directions. The fact that you meditate is all that's important. How you meditate is a matter of personal preference. The important thing is that you choose one type of meditation and practise it sincerely and consistently. As far as the quality of the technique itself is concerned, Zen meditation is no better than Tai Chi; Raja Yoga is no better than reciting the Rosary; Sufi rugweaving is no better than Dervish whirling. As long as each of them is practised sincerely and consistently, each is as effective as the other. The only advantage the Calm Technique has over all of them is that it's so easy to learn. In my humble opinion, that is a real superiority.
How important is Indian meditation to the Calm Technique?
I have never seen a hint of evidence which shows that culturally based formulae have any special spiritual relevance when they are exported. No doubt, because of some very old traditions, there is a popular misconception that India has some sort of franchise over proper meditation practices. Experience and common sense have shown that this is not so. Most Western teachers these days tend to agree that you must approach your particular meditation programme from within the framework of your own culture and environment. While this is not intended to denigrate the imported varieties (many of which have a great deal to offer), there has been too much of an Eastern bias in meditation. The Calm Technique is for everyone.
Is it possible to produce an experience similar to the Calm Technique by using drugs?
Drugs will never equal the purity of the Calm Technique experience. The ability to focus your attention on one thing is sometimes possible under the effects of marijuana, but the experience is shallow and meaningless. Focusing in itself is not meditation, especially when it is enhanced by a stimulant such ad marijuana is. You can achieve this same capacity to focus through your own efforts with the Calm Technique. With the Calm Technique you do it with a highly alert, perfectly balanced frame of mind. There is no comparison.
Does the Calm Technique impinge on my religious beliefs?
The Calm Technique offers no spiritual or philosophical advice. It is simply a technique for getting the most out of the temporal side of your life. It has no direct relevance at all to your religious beliefs or lack thereof.
Would you call the Calm Technique a trance?
Of a fashion.
Is it possible that the Calm Technique could be a form of self-hypnosis?
Hypnosis, being a state where you place your will in the hands of a third party, is the opposite to the Calm Technique. Hypnosis, as a means of limiting the consciousness, differs from the Calm Technique, which is a means of expanding the consciousness. The physiological state of hypnosis reflects whatever state has been suggested to the subject, while the Calm State is one of wakefulness combined with the calming qualities of deep sleep - a physiological condition that cannot be induced through hypnotism. Hypnotism is usually conducted with a definite goal in mind. The Calm Technique, in itself, has no goal.
Two similarities do exist, however. First, hypnosis and the Calm Technique both depend on highly focused attention. Second, hypnosis and the Calm Technique are both self-induced states. While self-induction may not appear to sit comfortably with the definition of hypnosis (a state where one's consciousness and will are placed under the control of a third party), it is the only way the hypnotic state can be attained. Having said that, self-hypnosis induces a physiological state that is similar, or even the same as meditation. I suppose you could even say that most forms of meditation are essentially self-hypnosis.
However, the most significant difference between the two states is simply their reasons for being. Hypnotism is concerned with instilling 'truths' and attitudes in a subject's subconscious, whereas the Calm Technique is dedicated to discovering the truth that already exists there. Which means there can be no comparison.
-- This excerpt was taken from The Calm Technique by Paul Wilson
Mao Tse-Tung
Following are some of the most commonly asked questions relating to the Calm Technique. If, at the end of this book, you have questions of your own, please feel free to write to Paul Wilson's calm research group, at The Calm Centre, PO Box 404, Northbridge, NSW 2063, Australia. Or log on to, http://www.calmcentre.com. You can also e-mail the author at, paulwil@calmcentre.com.au.
There are many different types of meditation. Which type is superior?
It is a dangerous precedent for a self-improvement book to admit that there might be more than one 'right' direction to follow. However, the truth is there are thousands of 'right' directions. The fact that you meditate is all that's important. How you meditate is a matter of personal preference. The important thing is that you choose one type of meditation and practise it sincerely and consistently. As far as the quality of the technique itself is concerned, Zen meditation is no better than Tai Chi; Raja Yoga is no better than reciting the Rosary; Sufi rugweaving is no better than Dervish whirling. As long as each of them is practised sincerely and consistently, each is as effective as the other. The only advantage the Calm Technique has over all of them is that it's so easy to learn. In my humble opinion, that is a real superiority.
How important is Indian meditation to the Calm Technique?
I have never seen a hint of evidence which shows that culturally based formulae have any special spiritual relevance when they are exported. No doubt, because of some very old traditions, there is a popular misconception that India has some sort of franchise over proper meditation practices. Experience and common sense have shown that this is not so. Most Western teachers these days tend to agree that you must approach your particular meditation programme from within the framework of your own culture and environment. While this is not intended to denigrate the imported varieties (many of which have a great deal to offer), there has been too much of an Eastern bias in meditation. The Calm Technique is for everyone.
Is it possible to produce an experience similar to the Calm Technique by using drugs?
Drugs will never equal the purity of the Calm Technique experience. The ability to focus your attention on one thing is sometimes possible under the effects of marijuana, but the experience is shallow and meaningless. Focusing in itself is not meditation, especially when it is enhanced by a stimulant such ad marijuana is. You can achieve this same capacity to focus through your own efforts with the Calm Technique. With the Calm Technique you do it with a highly alert, perfectly balanced frame of mind. There is no comparison.
Does the Calm Technique impinge on my religious beliefs?
The Calm Technique offers no spiritual or philosophical advice. It is simply a technique for getting the most out of the temporal side of your life. It has no direct relevance at all to your religious beliefs or lack thereof.
Would you call the Calm Technique a trance?
Of a fashion.
Is it possible that the Calm Technique could be a form of self-hypnosis?
Hypnosis, being a state where you place your will in the hands of a third party, is the opposite to the Calm Technique. Hypnosis, as a means of limiting the consciousness, differs from the Calm Technique, which is a means of expanding the consciousness. The physiological state of hypnosis reflects whatever state has been suggested to the subject, while the Calm State is one of wakefulness combined with the calming qualities of deep sleep - a physiological condition that cannot be induced through hypnotism. Hypnotism is usually conducted with a definite goal in mind. The Calm Technique, in itself, has no goal.
Two similarities do exist, however. First, hypnosis and the Calm Technique both depend on highly focused attention. Second, hypnosis and the Calm Technique are both self-induced states. While self-induction may not appear to sit comfortably with the definition of hypnosis (a state where one's consciousness and will are placed under the control of a third party), it is the only way the hypnotic state can be attained. Having said that, self-hypnosis induces a physiological state that is similar, or even the same as meditation. I suppose you could even say that most forms of meditation are essentially self-hypnosis.
However, the most significant difference between the two states is simply their reasons for being. Hypnotism is concerned with instilling 'truths' and attitudes in a subject's subconscious, whereas the Calm Technique is dedicated to discovering the truth that already exists there. Which means there can be no comparison.
-- This excerpt was taken from The Calm Technique by Paul Wilson
Thursday, 15 September 2016
ATTITUDE
There is no secret formula for developing a positive outlook. You simply have to be aware that such an attitude is desirable (that's positive in itself), and go after it with determination. Learn to recognize negative thoughts and feelings so you can replace them with the positive. While this may sound glib and over-simplified, it is the easiest and most successful way of developing optimism. Because a positive frame of mind is so much more powerful than a negative one; negative thoughts and emotions cannot long survive a positive effort to change them.
The Calm Technique is a great vehicle to instil positivity in your day. Begin your day as early as you possibly can with fifteen to thirty minutes of the Calm Technique. On completion, sit in that relaxed state for a few minutes and tell yourself how you're going to vibrate with positive energy all through the day. Picture yourself going through the day with a smile and boundless enthusiasm. Picture yourself looking only for the good in people you come in contact with. You will be amazed at how great an effect these couple of minutes can have on your day.
It may sound obvious, but as well as having the correct attitude, you need to maintain some sort of interest in your life. That means you need to be interested in your occupation as well as your leisure. You might think it easier for thosr in the glamour professions to maintain interest in their work than it is for the labourer, or the housewife, or the unemployed. It may well be. Nevertheless, you owe it to yourself to be interested in what you do. If you have the most boring task in the whole world to perform, then be interested in the way you perform it. So, while the task may be boring, your performance can be interesting, especially if each thing you do, you do completely. You concentrate only on the task at hand, and let nothing distract you.
As far as your leisure time is concerned. I'm sure you don't need me to tell you how to maintain interest and variety there.
Finally, laugh more. Laughter is unequalled as a therapeutic act. It relaxes all muscles, tensions and anger. Learn to see the funny side of life and your problems will vanish accordingly. Recognize the humorous side of your own personality and actions and you cannot be self-centred (bear in mind that 'self-centred' is completely different from 'centering, to come in contact with self'). Laugh more and you'll stop taking yourself and your life so seriously.
The Calm Technique will have a positivw effect on your attitude. The Calm Principle can add interest to your daily routine. Work on your attitude; laugh more; be interested in what you do; maintain a moderate diet and a sensible exercise programme; use the Calm Technique every day and you will get everything you want out of life: peace, health and happiness. No other way can ever compare.
-- This excerpt was taken from The Calm Technique by Paul Wilson
Tuesday, 13 September 2016
DIET
Obviously there are things to avoid: artificial additives of any kind, excessive sugar, salt and spices. Coffee and alcohol (especially spirits) should be limited. Refined foods of all types should be banished from your diet.
If you follow those simple principles and apply moderation (both in consumption and choice) to your diet, you will enjoy something that most people overlook in their search for sophisticated solutions to simple dietary needs.
In many schools of meditation, diet plays a much larger role. Any serious student of the traditional schoola knows that the higher forms of meditation require more disciplines than an hour a day sitting quietly. Diet is one of those disciplines. Such students are very aware that the food they eat has a definite influence on their state of mind. With some foods the effect can be quite extreme, and with others, barely noticeable. Nevertheless, diet does have an influence on the effectiveness of your meditation. How great an influence is a matter for conjecture, but it does exist.
Note: the following dietary discussion is not an integral part of the Calm Technique.
All foods can be divided into three distinct categories: calm, stimulating and lethargic foods. A serious meditator's diet (particularly from the Indian schools) consists mainly of calm foods, with occasional tastes of stimulating foods. Lethargic foods are avoided altogether. You will note that, perhaps with the exception of onion and garlic, the recommended Yogi's diet is virtually the same as your everyday 'alternative lifestyle' diet.
Calm foods are the pure foods which are central to all yogic diets. They are easily digested, cleansing, provide plenty of energy, and most importantly, encourage a calm state of mind. It is generally accepted that these foods are the most suitable foods for human beings.
Calm foods include:
all kinds of fruits
most vegetables (with as little cooking as possible)
nuts and seeds in their natural state
beans
grains
milk and milk products
herbs and spices (in moderation)
Stimulating foods are the foods which create activity and unrest in the mind. (Many of the lethargic foods also fit this category.) These foods should be used infrequently.
Stimulating foods are:
excessive spices
vinegar
coffee, tea, cola
all foods with preservatives
most canned and packaged foods
Lethargic foods are the foods to be avoided. They demand far too much energy and time to digest and create great feelings of inertia. Many of them also fall into the previous category of stimulating foods. Meat for example, being considered in both categories, causes feelings of lethargy, tiredness as well as a general feeling of restlessness.
Lethargic foods do the mind no good whatsoever. They include:
meat and poultry
seafood
refined foods (e.g. white sugar, bread, flour)
alcohol
fermented (e.g. pickled) or stale foods
I have omitted some foods from all categories. They are eggs, onions, garlic, chives and leeks. In Raja Yoga's book Eating for Immortality, they are classified as lethargic foods to be avoided entirely. However, other books occasionally classify them differently. I am reluctant to cast the deciding vote, so you decide if they are suitable for your diet.
Should you decide that a diet of calm foods (with moderate amounts of stimulating foods) is for you, consider buying one of the many vegetarian cookbooks which are available. Don't consider this small chapter as the final word on what you can or cannot eat. It is a guide; you would need to study the subject further. If you do decide to pursue such a diet, it is more desirable to change gradually by substituting foods from your present diet with foods from this one. Sudden and radical changes are counterproductive and should be avoided.
EXERCISE
Exercise has to be the most written-about subject of the decade. I wish I could tell you the Calm Technique removes the necessity for exercise (for my own sake as much as yours); however, this is not so.
If the thought of all that sweating and heavy breathing bothers you, forget the gyms and aerobic dancing, and concentrate on long walks. Walking is excellent exercise; it's sensible, effective and requires no speciel equipment. But the good thing about walking is that you can perform the Calm Technique (see the 'Calm Technique in Action', page 140) as you exercise. Then it can be relaxing as well as health-promoting.
Exercise does have an impact on the way you meditate. Any improvement in your general sense of health and wellbeing definitely enhances your performance of the Calm Technique. As well, being able to breathe correctly does wonders for your feelings of calm. When you learn to use the full capacity of your lungs, when you know how to breathe deeply and fully without effort, you will experience a sense of wellbeing similar to that felt by highly conditioned athletes. Read the Calm Exercises (see page 124) again, and learn to breathe deeply.
ATTITUDE
Attitude is every bit as important to your overall wellbeing as diet and exercise. A bitter, negative outlook will have a negative effect on your health and happiness. An optimistic, enthusiastic attitude enhances them.
After the Calm Technique, optimism should be your most important behavioural consideration. A positive attitude in your life will bring increased happiness, better health, more effective relationships and improved communications.
For some, optimism is a natural gift. But most of us have to work at it. Still, it's worthwhile! A positive attitude affects every moment of your day, and every person and situation you come in contact with. It's contagious. It's energizing. It's uplifting. It's health-giving. And success in almost every endeavour depends upon it.
-- This excerpt was taken from The Calm Technique by Paul Wilson
If you follow those simple principles and apply moderation (both in consumption and choice) to your diet, you will enjoy something that most people overlook in their search for sophisticated solutions to simple dietary needs.
In many schools of meditation, diet plays a much larger role. Any serious student of the traditional schoola knows that the higher forms of meditation require more disciplines than an hour a day sitting quietly. Diet is one of those disciplines. Such students are very aware that the food they eat has a definite influence on their state of mind. With some foods the effect can be quite extreme, and with others, barely noticeable. Nevertheless, diet does have an influence on the effectiveness of your meditation. How great an influence is a matter for conjecture, but it does exist.
Note: the following dietary discussion is not an integral part of the Calm Technique.
All foods can be divided into three distinct categories: calm, stimulating and lethargic foods. A serious meditator's diet (particularly from the Indian schools) consists mainly of calm foods, with occasional tastes of stimulating foods. Lethargic foods are avoided altogether. You will note that, perhaps with the exception of onion and garlic, the recommended Yogi's diet is virtually the same as your everyday 'alternative lifestyle' diet.
Calm foods are the pure foods which are central to all yogic diets. They are easily digested, cleansing, provide plenty of energy, and most importantly, encourage a calm state of mind. It is generally accepted that these foods are the most suitable foods for human beings.
Calm foods include:
all kinds of fruits
most vegetables (with as little cooking as possible)
nuts and seeds in their natural state
beans
grains
milk and milk products
herbs and spices (in moderation)
Stimulating foods are the foods which create activity and unrest in the mind. (Many of the lethargic foods also fit this category.) These foods should be used infrequently.
Stimulating foods are:
excessive spices
vinegar
coffee, tea, cola
all foods with preservatives
most canned and packaged foods
Lethargic foods are the foods to be avoided. They demand far too much energy and time to digest and create great feelings of inertia. Many of them also fall into the previous category of stimulating foods. Meat for example, being considered in both categories, causes feelings of lethargy, tiredness as well as a general feeling of restlessness.
Lethargic foods do the mind no good whatsoever. They include:
meat and poultry
seafood
refined foods (e.g. white sugar, bread, flour)
alcohol
fermented (e.g. pickled) or stale foods
I have omitted some foods from all categories. They are eggs, onions, garlic, chives and leeks. In Raja Yoga's book Eating for Immortality, they are classified as lethargic foods to be avoided entirely. However, other books occasionally classify them differently. I am reluctant to cast the deciding vote, so you decide if they are suitable for your diet.
Should you decide that a diet of calm foods (with moderate amounts of stimulating foods) is for you, consider buying one of the many vegetarian cookbooks which are available. Don't consider this small chapter as the final word on what you can or cannot eat. It is a guide; you would need to study the subject further. If you do decide to pursue such a diet, it is more desirable to change gradually by substituting foods from your present diet with foods from this one. Sudden and radical changes are counterproductive and should be avoided.
EXERCISE
Exercise has to be the most written-about subject of the decade. I wish I could tell you the Calm Technique removes the necessity for exercise (for my own sake as much as yours); however, this is not so.
If the thought of all that sweating and heavy breathing bothers you, forget the gyms and aerobic dancing, and concentrate on long walks. Walking is excellent exercise; it's sensible, effective and requires no speciel equipment. But the good thing about walking is that you can perform the Calm Technique (see the 'Calm Technique in Action', page 140) as you exercise. Then it can be relaxing as well as health-promoting.
Exercise does have an impact on the way you meditate. Any improvement in your general sense of health and wellbeing definitely enhances your performance of the Calm Technique. As well, being able to breathe correctly does wonders for your feelings of calm. When you learn to use the full capacity of your lungs, when you know how to breathe deeply and fully without effort, you will experience a sense of wellbeing similar to that felt by highly conditioned athletes. Read the Calm Exercises (see page 124) again, and learn to breathe deeply.
ATTITUDE
Attitude is every bit as important to your overall wellbeing as diet and exercise. A bitter, negative outlook will have a negative effect on your health and happiness. An optimistic, enthusiastic attitude enhances them.
After the Calm Technique, optimism should be your most important behavioural consideration. A positive attitude in your life will bring increased happiness, better health, more effective relationships and improved communications.
For some, optimism is a natural gift. But most of us have to work at it. Still, it's worthwhile! A positive attitude affects every moment of your day, and every person and situation you come in contact with. It's contagious. It's energizing. It's uplifting. It's health-giving. And success in almost every endeavour depends upon it.
-- This excerpt was taken from The Calm Technique by Paul Wilson
Saturday, 10 September 2016
CONTINUOUS CALM
These very simple practices can have a profound effect on your day. They are so easy to include in your daily routine, and can be performed almost anywhere you go without drawing attention to yourself. Apply the Calm Principle and find a few extra minutes during the day for a Calm Break.
Only then will you learn how to enjoy and appreciate every aspect of life as it's happening. Only then will you be blessed with a permanent sense of calm and order.
LIFESTYLE CONSIDERATIONS
As I have said before, the Calm Technique can have a profound effect on your existence, without asking you to modify your lifestyle one bit. However, it is only one aspect of development; it is not the universal remedy to all life's ills. Just as an exercise programme alone with no consideration to diet will not produce the most healthy body, so too a meditation programme with no consideration of other lifestyle factors cannot be expected to produce the ultimate calm.
Please bear in mind that I am speaking of optimum results here. The Calm Technique works in its own right and needs no dietary or exercise assistance to be a great comfort and benefit in your life. However, if you combine the Calm Technique with other programmes, the results will be even greater.
One of the unique characteristics of the Calm Technique is that after you have been using it for some time, you begin to grow more aware of yourself. You begin to get in touch with the subtleties of your own physiology. Your body will tell you that it doesn't approve of large doses of alcohol, drugs or cigarette smoke. Your body will tell you that certain foods are more acceptable than others. Your body will tell you that you need a certain amount of exercise.
This new awareness of the Self is part of the reason why those who practise the Calm Technique find it easier to give up smoking, reduce drinking, live without drugs. Obviously the elimination of stress has a lot to do with this. But equally as important is a new discovery of your own body and make-up. You will feel when something is good for you, or when something should be avoided. You may argue that you already know that certain things aren't good for you, that your smoker's cough or hangovers are constant physical reminders of what you're doing to yourself. But with the Calm Technique, your body helps you avoid these things by not craving them. To enjoy life to the fullest, to be a complete human being, pay attention to the four different aspects of your life:
1) The Calm Technique
2) Diet
3) Exercise
4) Attitude
THE CALM TECHNIQUE
The Calm Technique or some other form of meditation is essential for a well-balanced, happy, healthy way of life.
DIET
If there's one thing that affects your state of mind as much as your health, it's your diet. It is common enough knowledge that diet affects the emotions and mental state as much as it does the body. You really are what you eat.
There is no need for this book to explore diet in great depth, many other publications cover it. Nevertheless, there is one dietary principle which deserves to be highlighted over and above everything else: moderation.
Moderation in diet is a principle that has been ignored by the hundreds of books which come out each year on this subject. The fact is, no-one ever grew rich (or became noticed) by preaching moderation. A scientist or dietician is not going to be considered very innovative nor is she or he going to create any new fad or movement by encouraging moderation. Yet this is the most obvious and most sensible practice to adopt.
We all know that the modern person eats far too much. The average person's calorie consumption far exceeds recommended daily requirements. Today's average food intake is more suited to the requirements of primitive man with his regular episodes of 'fight or flight' than it is to a modern person's hours in the office, in front of a television or driving a cab.
Eat less, unless, you're already eating less.
Moderation in choice of food is also becoming a rare principle these days. As every second person you meet seems to be advocating the 'Drinking Girl's Diet' or the 'Banana Diet' or the 'Armed Services Diet' or the 'Hamburger-and-Cola Diet', is it any wonder that the 'Moderate Diet' is vanishing? The 'Moderate Diet' is just what you learned at school: sensible, varied proportions from each of the five good groups.
Eat more fruit and vegetables, especially raw ones. Choose wholegrain rather than processed. Drink more (unchilled) water than you think you need. Choose herbal teas in preference to tea or coffee (as soon as you stop comparing them with 'real' teas, you'll learn to appreciate the calming and soothing effect they can produce).
Choose foods rich in vitamin A (yoghurt, cream, butter, eggs, liver, carrots, leafy green vegetables, fruit) which counteract the ravages of stress. Choose even more vitamin C foods (fruit and vegetables), which are required in greater proportions as stress levels increase. They also have a positive effect on one's mental health. And, most importantly of all, make your diet rich in vitamin B foods (beans, lentils, peas, nuts, seeds, wheat germ, bran, wholegrains, brewer's yeast, liver, eggs, milk, cheese, yoghurt, meat, fish, poultry and green leafy vegetables). Remember that, like most vitamins, the B vitamins are rapidly destroyed by light, high temperatures, steam, long cooking and long storage.
-- This excerpt was taken from The Calm Technique by Paul Wilson
Only then will you learn how to enjoy and appreciate every aspect of life as it's happening. Only then will you be blessed with a permanent sense of calm and order.
LIFESTYLE CONSIDERATIONS
As I have said before, the Calm Technique can have a profound effect on your existence, without asking you to modify your lifestyle one bit. However, it is only one aspect of development; it is not the universal remedy to all life's ills. Just as an exercise programme alone with no consideration to diet will not produce the most healthy body, so too a meditation programme with no consideration of other lifestyle factors cannot be expected to produce the ultimate calm.
Please bear in mind that I am speaking of optimum results here. The Calm Technique works in its own right and needs no dietary or exercise assistance to be a great comfort and benefit in your life. However, if you combine the Calm Technique with other programmes, the results will be even greater.
One of the unique characteristics of the Calm Technique is that after you have been using it for some time, you begin to grow more aware of yourself. You begin to get in touch with the subtleties of your own physiology. Your body will tell you that it doesn't approve of large doses of alcohol, drugs or cigarette smoke. Your body will tell you that certain foods are more acceptable than others. Your body will tell you that you need a certain amount of exercise.
This new awareness of the Self is part of the reason why those who practise the Calm Technique find it easier to give up smoking, reduce drinking, live without drugs. Obviously the elimination of stress has a lot to do with this. But equally as important is a new discovery of your own body and make-up. You will feel when something is good for you, or when something should be avoided. You may argue that you already know that certain things aren't good for you, that your smoker's cough or hangovers are constant physical reminders of what you're doing to yourself. But with the Calm Technique, your body helps you avoid these things by not craving them. To enjoy life to the fullest, to be a complete human being, pay attention to the four different aspects of your life:
1) The Calm Technique
2) Diet
3) Exercise
4) Attitude
THE CALM TECHNIQUE
The Calm Technique or some other form of meditation is essential for a well-balanced, happy, healthy way of life.
DIET
If there's one thing that affects your state of mind as much as your health, it's your diet. It is common enough knowledge that diet affects the emotions and mental state as much as it does the body. You really are what you eat.
There is no need for this book to explore diet in great depth, many other publications cover it. Nevertheless, there is one dietary principle which deserves to be highlighted over and above everything else: moderation.
Moderation in diet is a principle that has been ignored by the hundreds of books which come out each year on this subject. The fact is, no-one ever grew rich (or became noticed) by preaching moderation. A scientist or dietician is not going to be considered very innovative nor is she or he going to create any new fad or movement by encouraging moderation. Yet this is the most obvious and most sensible practice to adopt.
We all know that the modern person eats far too much. The average person's calorie consumption far exceeds recommended daily requirements. Today's average food intake is more suited to the requirements of primitive man with his regular episodes of 'fight or flight' than it is to a modern person's hours in the office, in front of a television or driving a cab.
Eat less, unless, you're already eating less.
Moderation in choice of food is also becoming a rare principle these days. As every second person you meet seems to be advocating the 'Drinking Girl's Diet' or the 'Banana Diet' or the 'Armed Services Diet' or the 'Hamburger-and-Cola Diet', is it any wonder that the 'Moderate Diet' is vanishing? The 'Moderate Diet' is just what you learned at school: sensible, varied proportions from each of the five good groups.
Eat more fruit and vegetables, especially raw ones. Choose wholegrain rather than processed. Drink more (unchilled) water than you think you need. Choose herbal teas in preference to tea or coffee (as soon as you stop comparing them with 'real' teas, you'll learn to appreciate the calming and soothing effect they can produce).
Choose foods rich in vitamin A (yoghurt, cream, butter, eggs, liver, carrots, leafy green vegetables, fruit) which counteract the ravages of stress. Choose even more vitamin C foods (fruit and vegetables), which are required in greater proportions as stress levels increase. They also have a positive effect on one's mental health. And, most importantly of all, make your diet rich in vitamin B foods (beans, lentils, peas, nuts, seeds, wheat germ, bran, wholegrains, brewer's yeast, liver, eggs, milk, cheese, yoghurt, meat, fish, poultry and green leafy vegetables). Remember that, like most vitamins, the B vitamins are rapidly destroyed by light, high temperatures, steam, long cooking and long storage.
-- This excerpt was taken from The Calm Technique by Paul Wilson
Thursday, 8 September 2016
THE CALM PRINCIPLE
In practice, the Calm Principle means you don't plan your evening's entertainment while you're working during the day; you don't eat while you're watching the television; you don't worry about tomorrow's deadlines while you're performing today's tasks; you never try to do two things at once. You concentrate all of your attention on one single task or activity, on one moment at a time - that is the Calm Principle.
It is important to recognize that the Calm Principle is not concerned with subjugation of the normal workings of the mind. The Calm Principle is about directing your efforts in a more efficient and orderly fashion. Concentrating attention on a single activity is an exercise in centring, just like the Calm Technique. It frees the mind of all distractions and brings maximum effectiveness to each task you perform. And when you have centred your attention, you will work more efficiently with an ever-present sense of calm and fulfilment, regardless of how strenuous the activity is.
When you can focus your attention on the present, you will produce your greatest effort for each individual moment. This is the most efficient way of working; it is also the ideal way for human beings to function. You achieve little when you flit from one subject to another every thirty seconds, or when you concern yourself with the past or the future as you perform other actions. (Not thinking about the past and future also has the calming effect of eliminating most of the problems you think you face.) You can really only do one thing effectively at one time; trying to do more tends to produce less.
If you pay meticulous attention to your most minor undertakings, giving the best you are capable of at that moment, you'll be surprised at how calming it can be. Attempting to do several things at once createe anxiety, limits your effectiveness and seldom seems to help deadlines much at all.
On the surface, the Calm Principle appears to go against the conservative ideal by which most of us have been raised: that is, living for the present is short-sighted and self-indulgent; preparing for the future is commendable. This is not what's intended by the Calm Principle. Insisting that your attention be fully focused on what you're doing - the present - does not imply that you should ignore planning. To plan is an activity of the present - you can devote all your attention to this one task for a specified time, make your plans, then move on to your next task. If every activity you undertake is accompanied by concerns for what's ahead, you will be living in a state of tension. Whereas, if you make your plans, then apply your full attention to following them, your efforts are fully directed in the present - and this is the most calming and effective way to operate.
Apply the Calm Principle to driving your car, and you'll drive it in the best and most complete way you can. The driving will absorb all of your attention. You shouldn't distract yourself by compiling a shopping list as you drive or listening to talkback radio. Be totally engrossed in your driving, do it completely and to the best of your ability. Concentrated attention will not only make you one of the safest and most conscientious drivers on the road, but one of the most peaceful.
Take a lesson from your children. Watch how the uncomplicated child lives each moment for the pleasure of that moment. Watch how she or he becomes totally absorbed in the colouring-in, or the sweeping of the floor, or the fantasy of the game. Consider how calm she or he is at that moment. Because children have yet to learn how to worry and distract themselves, they apply the Calm Principle naturally. It is only later in life, when they grow older and 'wiser' that they learn to ignore this fundamental behaviour.
You may argue that a child doesn't have the responsibilities and problems which adults are forced to endure. This is so. But adults so often assume responsibilities and problems that they have no hope of controlling or solving at that moment. If you spend the next fifteen years worrying about how you're going to afford to enjoy your retirement, you'll have wasted fifteen years and probably soured yourself for retirement anyway. If you must worry about a problem, then set aside a period of time for worrying about that problem. Apply all of your attention to it for a specified period of time, then go on to your next task or activity. If you find you have too much on your plate to be able to devote all of your attention to one task at a time, you have too much on your plate! Simple, isn't it?
You can apply the Calm Principle to everything you do. When you're eating, savour every smell, sight and bite (you'll eat less this way and appreciate it more), be totally aware of even the most subtle colours, tastes and textures; become one with the eating. The same when you're washing the dishes. Or pulling the weeds. Or painting a landscape. Or reading a book. If you want to listen to the radio, turn it on and listen to it completely. Don't listen to it while you're reading. It is a popular misconception that having the radio playing while you drive or work is relaxing. It is distracting. And even though it may take your mind off the task somewhat, it does so at the expense of your sense of calm. It creates restlessness.
Dividing your attention creates tension; centring your attention on only one activity (concentration) is not only calming, but is the most productive way you can function.
-- This excerpt was taken from The Calm Technique by Paul Wilson
It is important to recognize that the Calm Principle is not concerned with subjugation of the normal workings of the mind. The Calm Principle is about directing your efforts in a more efficient and orderly fashion. Concentrating attention on a single activity is an exercise in centring, just like the Calm Technique. It frees the mind of all distractions and brings maximum effectiveness to each task you perform. And when you have centred your attention, you will work more efficiently with an ever-present sense of calm and fulfilment, regardless of how strenuous the activity is.
When you can focus your attention on the present, you will produce your greatest effort for each individual moment. This is the most efficient way of working; it is also the ideal way for human beings to function. You achieve little when you flit from one subject to another every thirty seconds, or when you concern yourself with the past or the future as you perform other actions. (Not thinking about the past and future also has the calming effect of eliminating most of the problems you think you face.) You can really only do one thing effectively at one time; trying to do more tends to produce less.
If you pay meticulous attention to your most minor undertakings, giving the best you are capable of at that moment, you'll be surprised at how calming it can be. Attempting to do several things at once createe anxiety, limits your effectiveness and seldom seems to help deadlines much at all.
On the surface, the Calm Principle appears to go against the conservative ideal by which most of us have been raised: that is, living for the present is short-sighted and self-indulgent; preparing for the future is commendable. This is not what's intended by the Calm Principle. Insisting that your attention be fully focused on what you're doing - the present - does not imply that you should ignore planning. To plan is an activity of the present - you can devote all your attention to this one task for a specified time, make your plans, then move on to your next task. If every activity you undertake is accompanied by concerns for what's ahead, you will be living in a state of tension. Whereas, if you make your plans, then apply your full attention to following them, your efforts are fully directed in the present - and this is the most calming and effective way to operate.
Apply the Calm Principle to driving your car, and you'll drive it in the best and most complete way you can. The driving will absorb all of your attention. You shouldn't distract yourself by compiling a shopping list as you drive or listening to talkback radio. Be totally engrossed in your driving, do it completely and to the best of your ability. Concentrated attention will not only make you one of the safest and most conscientious drivers on the road, but one of the most peaceful.
Take a lesson from your children. Watch how the uncomplicated child lives each moment for the pleasure of that moment. Watch how she or he becomes totally absorbed in the colouring-in, or the sweeping of the floor, or the fantasy of the game. Consider how calm she or he is at that moment. Because children have yet to learn how to worry and distract themselves, they apply the Calm Principle naturally. It is only later in life, when they grow older and 'wiser' that they learn to ignore this fundamental behaviour.
You may argue that a child doesn't have the responsibilities and problems which adults are forced to endure. This is so. But adults so often assume responsibilities and problems that they have no hope of controlling or solving at that moment. If you spend the next fifteen years worrying about how you're going to afford to enjoy your retirement, you'll have wasted fifteen years and probably soured yourself for retirement anyway. If you must worry about a problem, then set aside a period of time for worrying about that problem. Apply all of your attention to it for a specified period of time, then go on to your next task or activity. If you find you have too much on your plate to be able to devote all of your attention to one task at a time, you have too much on your plate! Simple, isn't it?
You can apply the Calm Principle to everything you do. When you're eating, savour every smell, sight and bite (you'll eat less this way and appreciate it more), be totally aware of even the most subtle colours, tastes and textures; become one with the eating. The same when you're washing the dishes. Or pulling the weeds. Or painting a landscape. Or reading a book. If you want to listen to the radio, turn it on and listen to it completely. Don't listen to it while you're reading. It is a popular misconception that having the radio playing while you drive or work is relaxing. It is distracting. And even though it may take your mind off the task somewhat, it does so at the expense of your sense of calm. It creates restlessness.
Dividing your attention creates tension; centring your attention on only one activity (concentration) is not only calming, but is the most productive way you can function.
-- This excerpt was taken from The Calm Technique by Paul Wilson
Monday, 5 September 2016
THE CALM TECHNIQUE IN ACTION
Effective though they may be, these variations should not replace your morning or evening performances of the Calm Technique. They are not intended as a substitute for those two sessions, more a calm bonus to help you maintain your peace and harmony throughout the day.
THE CALM BREAK
The most stressful environment any of us ever has to face is the daily grind: the office, the factory, the building site, even the home. It's almost as if there were some cynical design to turn our workplaces into little purgatories of competitiveness and insecurity. Even when we enjoy every stimulating moment of our working day, we still have to contend with more stress situations per minute than in almost any other activity outside wartime. In surroundings like these, even the best morning and evening meditations are sometimes insufficient to compensate.
In these times, even two minutes of the Calm Technique during your working day will bring significant benefits. Five minutes is better. Instead of a coffee break (remember coffee fuels tension), take a Calm Break. A five-minute walk by yourself, hearing only your Calm Expression or your footsteps, will do more to help you through the day than all the coffee in the world. A five-minute meditation in some quiet place will give you more energy and enthusiasm for the rest of the day than any caffeine and sugar break. A Calm Break can make your day.
This is not hiding from reality, it is simply maximizing your potential. If everyone in your workplace is slowly (or quickly) going mad and cultivating stress-related ailments, it is not a 'reality' you should be party to. Besides, you will find that having a sense of order and calm in your work life will not only be more beneficial to you and your work, but it will have a calming influence on all who work with you.
I'll give you an example. A man I met, let's call him Peter, worked in an advertising agency. As you may guess, advertising is one of the most insecure, political and volatile industries one can work in; the stress-related casualty rate is quite staggering. Peter learned a meditation method which was of great benefit to his life in general. But he still had to spend twelve hours a day in an insecure and highly stressful environment. He needed more. When exposed to the principle of taking a Calm Break several times a day in the seclusion of his own mind, away from the pressures and the politics and the decisions, he considered it blatant escapism. He thought it would take away the hard business edge that he'd spent so long developing. He felt sure it would take away his drive, his hunger for success, his aggression. He felt that it would soften him professionally. Eventually his work situation took its toll, and he made the decision to quit the business.
Persuaded to give it one more go, only this time taking Calm Breaks several times throughout the day, he tried again. Usually at this particular stage of these types of stories, the subject gets everything out of life he wants, with no extra effort, and everything changes overnight. We all know that, in real life, such things don't happen. However, Peter did make an effort to change the way he thought about his work. He sought time to himself during his working day to take stock, to recharge his batteries. He applied the Calm Principles (see page 148). He took Calm Breaks. And as soon as he learned to relax he was no longer one of the insecure people of that industry. He was free of doubts and insecurities, and not surprisingly, he was free to do his best work ever. Now he is one of the most relaxed, most sought-after (and most highly paid!) advertising consultants in the country.
After you are very familiar with the Calm Technique, it is beneficial if you practise it occasionally with your eyes open, gazing unfocused at some spot in front of you. Although it may feel a little unusual to you at first, it will soon become second nature. Then, when you have mastered the Calm Technique with your eyes open, you'll find that you can steal moments of privacy during the day without drawing attention to yourself. A three- or five-minute application of the Calm Technique in the office, while travelling to work, standing in a queue or waiting for the lift can work wonders.
THE CALM PRINCIPLE
Even if you'd never read about the Calm Technique, you could still achieve a great measure of calm and wellbeing in your day-to-day life by applying a very simple practice called the Calm Principle. Essentially, it makes every act of your day an act of meditation. Everything you do is done in such a way that it enriches your life and makes you a happier, more contented, more successful human being.
The Calm Principle is deceptively simple. All it demands is that each thing you do, you do completely and to the best of your ability. While you're doing that one thing, you ignore distractions and concentrate all your attention on that one moment. If you have a mundane chore to do, you absorb yourself in it totally without seeking 'relief' through conversation or entertaining thoughts. You approach even the most unexciting or most trivial task as if it were the most important thing that had ever happened in your life. Because at that very moment, it should be!
Life exists only in the present. 'Future' and 'Past' are nothing more than abstract concepts; yet they dominate our lives and are at the root of almost every emotional disorder or discomfort ever experienced. In Western society, concerns for what's passed and what's yet to happen cause more insecurity, anxiety, fear, frustration and tension than any other condition. The Calm Principle helps you to overcome your regrets about the past and your concerns for the future. The way you do this is simply by concentrating your life in the present, by living each moment to its fullest and by devoting all your attention and appreciation to that moment.
-- This excerpt was taken from The Calm Technique by Paul Wilson
THE CALM BREAK
The most stressful environment any of us ever has to face is the daily grind: the office, the factory, the building site, even the home. It's almost as if there were some cynical design to turn our workplaces into little purgatories of competitiveness and insecurity. Even when we enjoy every stimulating moment of our working day, we still have to contend with more stress situations per minute than in almost any other activity outside wartime. In surroundings like these, even the best morning and evening meditations are sometimes insufficient to compensate.
In these times, even two minutes of the Calm Technique during your working day will bring significant benefits. Five minutes is better. Instead of a coffee break (remember coffee fuels tension), take a Calm Break. A five-minute walk by yourself, hearing only your Calm Expression or your footsteps, will do more to help you through the day than all the coffee in the world. A five-minute meditation in some quiet place will give you more energy and enthusiasm for the rest of the day than any caffeine and sugar break. A Calm Break can make your day.
This is not hiding from reality, it is simply maximizing your potential. If everyone in your workplace is slowly (or quickly) going mad and cultivating stress-related ailments, it is not a 'reality' you should be party to. Besides, you will find that having a sense of order and calm in your work life will not only be more beneficial to you and your work, but it will have a calming influence on all who work with you.
I'll give you an example. A man I met, let's call him Peter, worked in an advertising agency. As you may guess, advertising is one of the most insecure, political and volatile industries one can work in; the stress-related casualty rate is quite staggering. Peter learned a meditation method which was of great benefit to his life in general. But he still had to spend twelve hours a day in an insecure and highly stressful environment. He needed more. When exposed to the principle of taking a Calm Break several times a day in the seclusion of his own mind, away from the pressures and the politics and the decisions, he considered it blatant escapism. He thought it would take away the hard business edge that he'd spent so long developing. He felt sure it would take away his drive, his hunger for success, his aggression. He felt that it would soften him professionally. Eventually his work situation took its toll, and he made the decision to quit the business.
Persuaded to give it one more go, only this time taking Calm Breaks several times throughout the day, he tried again. Usually at this particular stage of these types of stories, the subject gets everything out of life he wants, with no extra effort, and everything changes overnight. We all know that, in real life, such things don't happen. However, Peter did make an effort to change the way he thought about his work. He sought time to himself during his working day to take stock, to recharge his batteries. He applied the Calm Principles (see page 148). He took Calm Breaks. And as soon as he learned to relax he was no longer one of the insecure people of that industry. He was free of doubts and insecurities, and not surprisingly, he was free to do his best work ever. Now he is one of the most relaxed, most sought-after (and most highly paid!) advertising consultants in the country.
After you are very familiar with the Calm Technique, it is beneficial if you practise it occasionally with your eyes open, gazing unfocused at some spot in front of you. Although it may feel a little unusual to you at first, it will soon become second nature. Then, when you have mastered the Calm Technique with your eyes open, you'll find that you can steal moments of privacy during the day without drawing attention to yourself. A three- or five-minute application of the Calm Technique in the office, while travelling to work, standing in a queue or waiting for the lift can work wonders.
THE CALM PRINCIPLE
Even if you'd never read about the Calm Technique, you could still achieve a great measure of calm and wellbeing in your day-to-day life by applying a very simple practice called the Calm Principle. Essentially, it makes every act of your day an act of meditation. Everything you do is done in such a way that it enriches your life and makes you a happier, more contented, more successful human being.
The Calm Principle is deceptively simple. All it demands is that each thing you do, you do completely and to the best of your ability. While you're doing that one thing, you ignore distractions and concentrate all your attention on that one moment. If you have a mundane chore to do, you absorb yourself in it totally without seeking 'relief' through conversation or entertaining thoughts. You approach even the most unexciting or most trivial task as if it were the most important thing that had ever happened in your life. Because at that very moment, it should be!
Life exists only in the present. 'Future' and 'Past' are nothing more than abstract concepts; yet they dominate our lives and are at the root of almost every emotional disorder or discomfort ever experienced. In Western society, concerns for what's passed and what's yet to happen cause more insecurity, anxiety, fear, frustration and tension than any other condition. The Calm Principle helps you to overcome your regrets about the past and your concerns for the future. The way you do this is simply by concentrating your life in the present, by living each moment to its fullest and by devoting all your attention and appreciation to that moment.
-- This excerpt was taken from The Calm Technique by Paul Wilson
Saturday, 3 September 2016
Continuous Calm
'Don't meditate; be in meditation.'
Buddha
To get the most benefits from the Calm Technique, it needs some sort of carrythrough into your everyday life. Being calm and contented for an hour a day is one thing, but carrying that feeling with you all day requires more effort. Undoubtedly, the Calm Technique performed every morning and evening will give you a more balanced and peaceful perspective, and a more harmonious outlook than if you didn't use it at all, but can the Calm Technique by itself maintain that unique sense of calm throughout each and every day?
Probably not. To realize the full benefits of the Calm Technique in every moment of your life, it needs to become part of your life. Not just in the morning and evening, but during your day as well.
THE CALM TECHNIQUE IN ACTION
Not all meditations are performed from a static position. In fact, some very well-known types are extremely active. Yet they all share a common objective with the Calm Technique: their goal is simply 'being'; their method is through centring the attention on just one activity. So whether the path is Zen-inspired archery, the ballet-like movements of Tai Chi, the feverish dancing of the Dervishes, the martial-art styles of China and Japan, or even the famous 'Little Way' of St Teresa of Lisieux, the objective remains the same for all: forgetting the distractions and centring the attention on the task at hand (i.e. living just in that moment).
After you have been performing the Calm Technique for a while, you will begin to find the process of 'hearing' your Calm Expression much easier. You will be able to make it much more a part of your everyday life. In time, you will be able to relax the rules; you will be able to meditate in rooms that are not darkened, that are not even quiet. You will be able to steal calming moments in places when you're surrounded by people and traffic. You'll be able to do it with your eyes open, when you're standing, when you're reclining. (Don't try these things in the early stages as they will only tend to lead you astray.) And even though your quiet, private morning and evening meditations will still be the basis of your Calm Technique practice, you will also be able to apply the 'Calm Technique in Action' throughout your day. It works similarly to the stationary version.
Try it when walking.
You begin by just walking - eyes unfocused (open please), looking in front of you, hands swinging loosely as you walk. Relax your neck, face and arms. After a minute or so, your hands will feel quite limp and heavy - maybe your fingers will tingle slightly. Your breathing will be deep and even, as it is in the Calm Exercises.
Then begin to listen to your footsteps as you walk. Listen to them until they fill your attention. Ignore the traffic sounds, hear only your footstep as each foot touches the ground. Be aware only of your walking. Relax into this one activity until you are totally absorbed by it. Forget the passers-by. You may have to stop at the traffic lights or cross through heavy traffic, but these things you will do safely and instinctively; your peripheral vision will warn you about oncoming cars and 'Don't Walk' signs. Let your awareness be filled with the rhythm of your walking; ignore everything else. That you're on the footpath and cars are going past means nothing: hear only that soothing sound of your own footsteps. Feel only the breath the breath in your lungs and the path beneath your feet. In minutes you will have forgotten the distractions, the traffic jams, the sweaty crowds: you'll be meditating. It will feel a little different from your regular morning and evening meditation, but it can be just as effective.
As an alternative to listening to your footsteps (or your breathing, if you prefer), you could 'hear' your Calm Expression emanating from your Calm Centre as you do during the Calm Technique. You could also try 'hearing' it when you're bouncing on a trampoline. Or travelling on the train or bus, when you're in the bath or on the beach, when you're waiting in a long queue - you'll find no end of possible places where you can perform the Calm Technique.
You will find that the 'Calm Technique in Action' can be an effortless way of recharging your energies and exorcising your anger and anxieties during a working day. In fact, to maintain a sense of calm, it is essential that you devote some moments of your working day to the Calm Technique or the Calm Technique in Action. Even if it's only for three or five minutes.
-- This excerpt was taken from The Calm Technique by Paul Wilson
Buddha
To get the most benefits from the Calm Technique, it needs some sort of carrythrough into your everyday life. Being calm and contented for an hour a day is one thing, but carrying that feeling with you all day requires more effort. Undoubtedly, the Calm Technique performed every morning and evening will give you a more balanced and peaceful perspective, and a more harmonious outlook than if you didn't use it at all, but can the Calm Technique by itself maintain that unique sense of calm throughout each and every day?
Probably not. To realize the full benefits of the Calm Technique in every moment of your life, it needs to become part of your life. Not just in the morning and evening, but during your day as well.
THE CALM TECHNIQUE IN ACTION
Not all meditations are performed from a static position. In fact, some very well-known types are extremely active. Yet they all share a common objective with the Calm Technique: their goal is simply 'being'; their method is through centring the attention on just one activity. So whether the path is Zen-inspired archery, the ballet-like movements of Tai Chi, the feverish dancing of the Dervishes, the martial-art styles of China and Japan, or even the famous 'Little Way' of St Teresa of Lisieux, the objective remains the same for all: forgetting the distractions and centring the attention on the task at hand (i.e. living just in that moment).
After you have been performing the Calm Technique for a while, you will begin to find the process of 'hearing' your Calm Expression much easier. You will be able to make it much more a part of your everyday life. In time, you will be able to relax the rules; you will be able to meditate in rooms that are not darkened, that are not even quiet. You will be able to steal calming moments in places when you're surrounded by people and traffic. You'll be able to do it with your eyes open, when you're standing, when you're reclining. (Don't try these things in the early stages as they will only tend to lead you astray.) And even though your quiet, private morning and evening meditations will still be the basis of your Calm Technique practice, you will also be able to apply the 'Calm Technique in Action' throughout your day. It works similarly to the stationary version.
Try it when walking.
You begin by just walking - eyes unfocused (open please), looking in front of you, hands swinging loosely as you walk. Relax your neck, face and arms. After a minute or so, your hands will feel quite limp and heavy - maybe your fingers will tingle slightly. Your breathing will be deep and even, as it is in the Calm Exercises.
Then begin to listen to your footsteps as you walk. Listen to them until they fill your attention. Ignore the traffic sounds, hear only your footstep as each foot touches the ground. Be aware only of your walking. Relax into this one activity until you are totally absorbed by it. Forget the passers-by. You may have to stop at the traffic lights or cross through heavy traffic, but these things you will do safely and instinctively; your peripheral vision will warn you about oncoming cars and 'Don't Walk' signs. Let your awareness be filled with the rhythm of your walking; ignore everything else. That you're on the footpath and cars are going past means nothing: hear only that soothing sound of your own footsteps. Feel only the breath the breath in your lungs and the path beneath your feet. In minutes you will have forgotten the distractions, the traffic jams, the sweaty crowds: you'll be meditating. It will feel a little different from your regular morning and evening meditation, but it can be just as effective.
As an alternative to listening to your footsteps (or your breathing, if you prefer), you could 'hear' your Calm Expression emanating from your Calm Centre as you do during the Calm Technique. You could also try 'hearing' it when you're bouncing on a trampoline. Or travelling on the train or bus, when you're in the bath or on the beach, when you're waiting in a long queue - you'll find no end of possible places where you can perform the Calm Technique.
You will find that the 'Calm Technique in Action' can be an effortless way of recharging your energies and exorcising your anger and anxieties during a working day. In fact, to maintain a sense of calm, it is essential that you devote some moments of your working day to the Calm Technique or the Calm Technique in Action. Even if it's only for three or five minutes.
-- This excerpt was taken from The Calm Technique by Paul Wilson
Thursday, 1 September 2016
CALM EXERCISE TWO
This is a very simple exercise which should be performed as slowly as you possibly can.
1) Countenance and stance as specified, arms hanging loosely by your side.
2) Looking straight ahead, breathe in.
3) Slowly turn your head to look back over your left shoulder as you breathe out.
4) Breathe in as you bring your head back slowly to face the front.
5) Slowly turn your head to look back over your right shoulder as you breathe out.
6) Repeat about three times to either side.
Now for the second part:
1) Looking straight ahead, breathe in.
2) Exhale as your chin is lowered slowly on to the chest.
3) Breathe in as your head comes up straight.
4) Exhale as your head is lowered slowly back (so you are looking towards the ceiling).
5) Repeat three times forwards and backwards.
And the third:
1) Looking straight ahead, breathe in.
2) Exhale as you slowly incline your head to the left (facing forwards).
3) Breathe in as you bring your head back to the upright position.
4) Exhale as you slowly incline your head to the right (still facing forwards).
5) Repeat about three times to either side.
6) Relax.
CALM EXERCISE THREE
This is a simple exercise where the arms describe a large circular movement as you rise up on your toes. You breathe in as your arms and your lungs are at their widest. There is nothing tricky about this exercise; if you move your arms in a large circle, your breathing will coordinate naturally. It should be performed as slowly as you possibly can.
1) Countenance and stance as specified.
2) Bend knees slightly until almost bow-legged. Elbows bent, wrists crossed about navel level, palms facing upwards (see figure 2).
3) As arms move upwards in wide, circular motion, breathe in, straighten legs and rise on to toes as arms reach the highest part of their arc (see figure 3).
4) Continue the circular movement as you exhale and let knees bend again (back to figure 2).
5) Repeat this movement five times.
6) Reverse the whole procedure for another five times.
7) Relax.
CALM EXERCISE FOUR
This exercise is slightly more complex, but the most graceful and relaxing of all the Calm Exercises. Essentially, it is a variation of Calm Exercise Three where the breathing flows just as naturally. You can work your own breathing pattern for this exercise. If you have a large lung capacity (or if you're fit), you can do the whole movement in one breath. Most people will find it easier to do it in two breaths: in and out as the hands rise; in and out as the hands fall. Remember to make the hands/arms movement as slow and fluid as possible.
1) Countenance and stance as specified.
2) Bend knees slightly until almost bowlegged. Fingers entwined, arms straight down, palms upward (see figure 4).
3) Breathe in and raise cupped hands (as if drawing water from a well) to mouth.
4) As hands pass face (rising upwards), turn cupped hands away from you so palms face out (see figure 5) and begin to exhale.
5) Rising on your toes, continue hands upwards until palms face ceiling and arms are fully extended upwards.
6) Breathe in as you reverse the action, bringing hands past face level (see figure 6).
7) Exhale as you sink back into the bow-legged position with arms (fingers still entwined) lowered in front of you (see figure 4).
8) Repeat exercise at least five times until your breathing is deep and regular.
9) Relax.
If you are still restless after performing thesr Calm Exercises, do the following (while standing or reclining).
1) Tense one set of muscles (e.g. arms). Then relax (so you know what 'relaxed' feels like).
2) Tense another set of muscles (e.g. abdomen).
3) Relax them.
4) Repeat with neck, back, legs, hands, feet, buttocks, chest.
5) Then perform the Calm Exercises.
-- This excerpt was taken from The Calm Technique by Paul Wilson
1) Countenance and stance as specified, arms hanging loosely by your side.
2) Looking straight ahead, breathe in.
3) Slowly turn your head to look back over your left shoulder as you breathe out.
4) Breathe in as you bring your head back slowly to face the front.
5) Slowly turn your head to look back over your right shoulder as you breathe out.
6) Repeat about three times to either side.
Now for the second part:
1) Looking straight ahead, breathe in.
2) Exhale as your chin is lowered slowly on to the chest.
3) Breathe in as your head comes up straight.
4) Exhale as your head is lowered slowly back (so you are looking towards the ceiling).
5) Repeat three times forwards and backwards.
And the third:
1) Looking straight ahead, breathe in.
2) Exhale as you slowly incline your head to the left (facing forwards).
3) Breathe in as you bring your head back to the upright position.
4) Exhale as you slowly incline your head to the right (still facing forwards).
5) Repeat about three times to either side.
6) Relax.
CALM EXERCISE THREE
This is a simple exercise where the arms describe a large circular movement as you rise up on your toes. You breathe in as your arms and your lungs are at their widest. There is nothing tricky about this exercise; if you move your arms in a large circle, your breathing will coordinate naturally. It should be performed as slowly as you possibly can.
1) Countenance and stance as specified.
2) Bend knees slightly until almost bow-legged. Elbows bent, wrists crossed about navel level, palms facing upwards (see figure 2).
3) As arms move upwards in wide, circular motion, breathe in, straighten legs and rise on to toes as arms reach the highest part of their arc (see figure 3).
4) Continue the circular movement as you exhale and let knees bend again (back to figure 2).
5) Repeat this movement five times.
6) Reverse the whole procedure for another five times.
7) Relax.
CALM EXERCISE FOUR
This exercise is slightly more complex, but the most graceful and relaxing of all the Calm Exercises. Essentially, it is a variation of Calm Exercise Three where the breathing flows just as naturally. You can work your own breathing pattern for this exercise. If you have a large lung capacity (or if you're fit), you can do the whole movement in one breath. Most people will find it easier to do it in two breaths: in and out as the hands rise; in and out as the hands fall. Remember to make the hands/arms movement as slow and fluid as possible.
1) Countenance and stance as specified.
2) Bend knees slightly until almost bowlegged. Fingers entwined, arms straight down, palms upward (see figure 4).
3) Breathe in and raise cupped hands (as if drawing water from a well) to mouth.
4) As hands pass face (rising upwards), turn cupped hands away from you so palms face out (see figure 5) and begin to exhale.
5) Rising on your toes, continue hands upwards until palms face ceiling and arms are fully extended upwards.
6) Breathe in as you reverse the action, bringing hands past face level (see figure 6).
7) Exhale as you sink back into the bow-legged position with arms (fingers still entwined) lowered in front of you (see figure 4).
8) Repeat exercise at least five times until your breathing is deep and regular.
9) Relax.
If you are still restless after performing thesr Calm Exercises, do the following (while standing or reclining).
1) Tense one set of muscles (e.g. arms). Then relax (so you know what 'relaxed' feels like).
2) Tense another set of muscles (e.g. abdomen).
3) Relax them.
4) Repeat with neck, back, legs, hands, feet, buttocks, chest.
5) Then perform the Calm Exercises.
-- This excerpt was taken from The Calm Technique by Paul Wilson
Tuesday, 30 August 2016
The Calm Exercises
'Life is so short, the craft so long to learn.'
Hippocrates
There will be times when it is almost impossible to sit down and relax in preparation for the Calm Technique. These are the instances when the mind and/or emotions are working overtime on some issue or another. Whether it's a time of great stress and anxiety, or a time of great excitement, or even a simple business problem that requires an immediate answer, you'll find it extremely difficult to attend to the Calm Technique with the attention it deserves. On occasions like this, you should perform the Calm Exercises before you begin. You may find that they never become necessary. However, they should still be learned and considered as an effective and enjoyable introduction to a Calm Technique session. Whether you have need for them or not, you will find the Calm Exercises to be a relaxing interlude in their own right.
The Calm Exercises which follow are derived from Tai Chi. You will almost certainly have seen exhibitions of this graceful, balletic and very relaxing exercise. Although it is well promoted as a physical exercise, Tai Chi is an excellent way of meditation. The complex moves demand total attention, and this, as you know, contains the makings of meditation.
The Calm Exercises are not exercises in the traditional callisthenic mould. They are not designed to quicken your heartbeat, trim your waistline or build your stamina. The Calm Exercises have but one purpose: to relax you physically and mentally, so you can effectively use the Calm Technique.
They are incredibly simple to use. In fact, the only thing about the Calm Exercises that you could possibly find difficult is curbing your impatience. They must be done extremely slowly. Unlike any physical exercise you have ever participated in before, Calm Exercises gain in effectiveness the slower they can be performed.
Each exercise is accompanied by a slow breath in, followed by a slow breath out. Each movement relates to either the inhalation or the exhalation of the breath. The slowness of the movement is governed by the slowness of your breathing. The object is to slow your movements and your breathing as much as you comfortably can without strain.
As these Calm Exercises depend upon good, natural breathing, it is best to do them near an open window, in the garden or on the balcony. (Don't worry about being noticed; these are very subtle exercises.) They should take five to fifteen minutes to complete.
However, before you begin the Calm Exercises, there are three things you should attend to: your countenance, your stance and your breathing.
TO RELAX YOUR COUNTENANCE
1) Lightly push your tongue against the roof of your mouth just behind your front teeth (this relaxes and unclamps your jaw).
2) Lift your eyebrows very slightly as if you're wide awake (this is to relax the muscles in your eyes and forehead).
3) Have a hint of a smile on your face (this relaxes all the facial muscles).
In Tai Chi and many of the Asian martial arts, your basic stance is ons which 'glues' you firmly to the floor so you cannot be thrown off balance. The same stance applies to the Calm Exercises.
TO RELAX YOUR STANCE
1) Both feet should point straight ahead, a comfortable shoulder-width distance apart.
2) All joints should be 'unlocked': knees bent ever so slightly, a slight kink in your elbows, arms not quite touching your body (a little space under your armpits), fingers separated and hands hanging loosely (they'll feel limp and heavy), neck relaxed, head up and looking straight ahead, back straight.
3) Slowly concentrate all your weight down through your feet into the floor. Feel your feet becoming heavier and heavier. Feel your weight sinking through your feet, down into the floor.
Breathing is one of the most important elements of the Calm Technique and the Calm Exercises. Your breath should be as even as possible. Draw in and breathe out in one flowing stream (in other words, don't hold on to your breath before exhaling).
BREATHING
1) Place your fingers gently on your stomach about four centimetres below your navel.
2) Inhale deeply through your nose, slowly and evenly until you can feel your abdomen swell under your fingers (the Chinese call this your tan tien). Don't strain. Don't allow your chest to rise. You want a natural, effortless flow of breath into your tan tien.
3) Exhale slowly and evenly until you feel your abdomen fall.
4) Repeat the slow inhalation, followed by the slow exhalation, with no pauses between.
5) Breathe in and out, in and out, five times.
CALM EXERCISE ONE
This is extremely simple. It is intended as a warm-up exercise for Calm Exercises Two, Three and Four, and as such does not require slow movements. It relaxes the entire top half of your body, and with slight modification, the lower half as well.
1) Countenance and stance as specified.
2) Let your arms hang loose until they feel heavy and relaxed.
3) Keepibg feet, legs and waist very steady, swing the top half of your body to the left so your shoulders and head are also facing the left. Your arms will wrap loosely around your body as you do so. Then repeat the action to the right. Develop this swinging motion one way, then the other. Your arms will follow the upper of your body as you pivot from the waist; they will wrap around one way, then swing back the other - always swinging loosely, fingers relaxed.
4) Swing one way, then the next, until the weight of your arms is sufficient to turn your body.
5) Optional: As one arm passes in front of (the other will be behind) your body, you can bend your knees a few centimetres to create a pumping action as well as a swinging motion. This improves circulation to the lower part of your body.
6) Continue for two minutes.
7) Gradually slow down the movement until your arms hang loosely by your side again.
8) Relax.
-- This excerpt was taken from The Calm Technique by Paul Wilson
Hippocrates
There will be times when it is almost impossible to sit down and relax in preparation for the Calm Technique. These are the instances when the mind and/or emotions are working overtime on some issue or another. Whether it's a time of great stress and anxiety, or a time of great excitement, or even a simple business problem that requires an immediate answer, you'll find it extremely difficult to attend to the Calm Technique with the attention it deserves. On occasions like this, you should perform the Calm Exercises before you begin. You may find that they never become necessary. However, they should still be learned and considered as an effective and enjoyable introduction to a Calm Technique session. Whether you have need for them or not, you will find the Calm Exercises to be a relaxing interlude in their own right.
The Calm Exercises which follow are derived from Tai Chi. You will almost certainly have seen exhibitions of this graceful, balletic and very relaxing exercise. Although it is well promoted as a physical exercise, Tai Chi is an excellent way of meditation. The complex moves demand total attention, and this, as you know, contains the makings of meditation.
The Calm Exercises are not exercises in the traditional callisthenic mould. They are not designed to quicken your heartbeat, trim your waistline or build your stamina. The Calm Exercises have but one purpose: to relax you physically and mentally, so you can effectively use the Calm Technique.
They are incredibly simple to use. In fact, the only thing about the Calm Exercises that you could possibly find difficult is curbing your impatience. They must be done extremely slowly. Unlike any physical exercise you have ever participated in before, Calm Exercises gain in effectiveness the slower they can be performed.
Each exercise is accompanied by a slow breath in, followed by a slow breath out. Each movement relates to either the inhalation or the exhalation of the breath. The slowness of the movement is governed by the slowness of your breathing. The object is to slow your movements and your breathing as much as you comfortably can without strain.
As these Calm Exercises depend upon good, natural breathing, it is best to do them near an open window, in the garden or on the balcony. (Don't worry about being noticed; these are very subtle exercises.) They should take five to fifteen minutes to complete.
However, before you begin the Calm Exercises, there are three things you should attend to: your countenance, your stance and your breathing.
TO RELAX YOUR COUNTENANCE
1) Lightly push your tongue against the roof of your mouth just behind your front teeth (this relaxes and unclamps your jaw).
2) Lift your eyebrows very slightly as if you're wide awake (this is to relax the muscles in your eyes and forehead).
3) Have a hint of a smile on your face (this relaxes all the facial muscles).
In Tai Chi and many of the Asian martial arts, your basic stance is ons which 'glues' you firmly to the floor so you cannot be thrown off balance. The same stance applies to the Calm Exercises.
TO RELAX YOUR STANCE
1) Both feet should point straight ahead, a comfortable shoulder-width distance apart.
2) All joints should be 'unlocked': knees bent ever so slightly, a slight kink in your elbows, arms not quite touching your body (a little space under your armpits), fingers separated and hands hanging loosely (they'll feel limp and heavy), neck relaxed, head up and looking straight ahead, back straight.
3) Slowly concentrate all your weight down through your feet into the floor. Feel your feet becoming heavier and heavier. Feel your weight sinking through your feet, down into the floor.
Breathing is one of the most important elements of the Calm Technique and the Calm Exercises. Your breath should be as even as possible. Draw in and breathe out in one flowing stream (in other words, don't hold on to your breath before exhaling).
BREATHING
1) Place your fingers gently on your stomach about four centimetres below your navel.
2) Inhale deeply through your nose, slowly and evenly until you can feel your abdomen swell under your fingers (the Chinese call this your tan tien). Don't strain. Don't allow your chest to rise. You want a natural, effortless flow of breath into your tan tien.
3) Exhale slowly and evenly until you feel your abdomen fall.
4) Repeat the slow inhalation, followed by the slow exhalation, with no pauses between.
5) Breathe in and out, in and out, five times.
CALM EXERCISE ONE
This is extremely simple. It is intended as a warm-up exercise for Calm Exercises Two, Three and Four, and as such does not require slow movements. It relaxes the entire top half of your body, and with slight modification, the lower half as well.
1) Countenance and stance as specified.
2) Let your arms hang loose until they feel heavy and relaxed.
3) Keepibg feet, legs and waist very steady, swing the top half of your body to the left so your shoulders and head are also facing the left. Your arms will wrap loosely around your body as you do so. Then repeat the action to the right. Develop this swinging motion one way, then the other. Your arms will follow the upper of your body as you pivot from the waist; they will wrap around one way, then swing back the other - always swinging loosely, fingers relaxed.
4) Swing one way, then the next, until the weight of your arms is sufficient to turn your body.
5) Optional: As one arm passes in front of (the other will be behind) your body, you can bend your knees a few centimetres to create a pumping action as well as a swinging motion. This improves circulation to the lower part of your body.
6) Continue for two minutes.
7) Gradually slow down the movement until your arms hang loosely by your side again.
8) Relax.
-- This excerpt was taken from The Calm Technique by Paul Wilson
Sunday, 28 August 2016
UNWANTED THOUGHTS
Nevertheless, you will be distracted along the way. You will encounter more uninvited (and probably irrelevant) thoughts than you would think possible. You will also be discomforted by every little itch, twitch and urge under the sun. You will hear things, smell things and feel things that you would normally never notice. These are the distractions of the Calm Technique. They are completely natural and happen to everyone. They exist because the mind does not want to be quietened. It enjoys being master, and will use every possible diversion to retain its superiority and to distract you from your task. The mind does not take kindly to this Calm Technique stuff. But your response to this should be simply to acknowledge that this condition is entirely normal and predictable. Just be passively aware of these thoughts and itches as they come and go, and let them exist quietly in some little corner of your brain. Don't entertain them. Don't be seduced by them. Ignore them. And if they do make their presence felt, calmly turn your attention back to your Calm Expression. Let it dominate all distractions that come your way.
There may be times when your thoughts will be more serious. Perhaps you have work or home problems, financial worries, a speech to deliver in an hour, a wedding. On occasions like this it's probably better for you to give in. If you are really anxious and concerned, your mind will continually turn to your problem rather than the Calm Expression. Although the Calm Technique will eventually be an effective and calming relief from such tensions, in the early stages your resolve will probably not overcome the distraction. Better to postpone your meditation till evening or the following morning.
On occasions when you are greatly distracted by physical discomfort such as an itch or cramp or pins-and-needles, I believe it's usually better to give in, have your scratch, and get on with the job. It is possible to continue until the discomfort passes, but great sacrifices aren't required for the Calm Technique.
Always bear in mind the object is to teach yourself how to centre your attention, not to force yourself to. The most effective results are gained when you can guide your wandering mind away from distraction by applying your Calm Expression, not by sublimating your thoughts.
IMPATIENCE
One of the most damaging characteristics of stress is impatience. The condition many people set out to overcome through the Calm Technique can often be the very source of their failure.
Recognize that stress produces a number of nervous conditions such as the apparent inability to cope, lack of concentration, listlessness, fatigue or hyperactivity, irritability and impatience. Like stress itself, these conditions cannot be willed away, or even concealed for any length of time; they are most persistent when they are least needed. As a relaxed, peaceful and non-urgent activity, the Calm Technique is a natural target for impatience. If you are severely stress-affected, impatience will probably be present in your early meditations. In the first week or so, before your stress levels have reduced significantly, you may find impatience getting the better of you. You will complain that things aren't happening fast enough. You will search for short cuts. You may even seek out other means of achieving your ends. But you will be succumbing to one of the maladies you had hoped the Calm Technique would cure.
The truth is that the Calm Technique will triumph over impatience. The issue is how long it will take. It varies, obviously; but the longer you are with the Calm Technique, the less you will be affected by stress symptoms. For some, the improvement is both immediate and very noticeable. For others, it is more progressive and requires much more perseverance, particularly in the early stages. What is important is that you recognize stress exists, accept that it can be eliminated, and be constantly on guard against its negative effects. As time passes, so does impatience.
-- This excerpt was taken from The Calm Technique by Paul Wilson
There may be times when your thoughts will be more serious. Perhaps you have work or home problems, financial worries, a speech to deliver in an hour, a wedding. On occasions like this it's probably better for you to give in. If you are really anxious and concerned, your mind will continually turn to your problem rather than the Calm Expression. Although the Calm Technique will eventually be an effective and calming relief from such tensions, in the early stages your resolve will probably not overcome the distraction. Better to postpone your meditation till evening or the following morning.
On occasions when you are greatly distracted by physical discomfort such as an itch or cramp or pins-and-needles, I believe it's usually better to give in, have your scratch, and get on with the job. It is possible to continue until the discomfort passes, but great sacrifices aren't required for the Calm Technique.
Always bear in mind the object is to teach yourself how to centre your attention, not to force yourself to. The most effective results are gained when you can guide your wandering mind away from distraction by applying your Calm Expression, not by sublimating your thoughts.
IMPATIENCE
One of the most damaging characteristics of stress is impatience. The condition many people set out to overcome through the Calm Technique can often be the very source of their failure.
Recognize that stress produces a number of nervous conditions such as the apparent inability to cope, lack of concentration, listlessness, fatigue or hyperactivity, irritability and impatience. Like stress itself, these conditions cannot be willed away, or even concealed for any length of time; they are most persistent when they are least needed. As a relaxed, peaceful and non-urgent activity, the Calm Technique is a natural target for impatience. If you are severely stress-affected, impatience will probably be present in your early meditations. In the first week or so, before your stress levels have reduced significantly, you may find impatience getting the better of you. You will complain that things aren't happening fast enough. You will search for short cuts. You may even seek out other means of achieving your ends. But you will be succumbing to one of the maladies you had hoped the Calm Technique would cure.
The truth is that the Calm Technique will triumph over impatience. The issue is how long it will take. It varies, obviously; but the longer you are with the Calm Technique, the less you will be affected by stress symptoms. For some, the improvement is both immediate and very noticeable. For others, it is more progressive and requires much more perseverance, particularly in the early stages. What is important is that you recognize stress exists, accept that it can be eliminated, and be constantly on guard against its negative effects. As time passes, so does impatience.
-- This excerpt was taken from The Calm Technique by Paul Wilson
Saturday, 27 August 2016
USING THE CALM TECHNIQUE
If you have been able to restrict your thoughts to your Calm Expression, you will be amazed at how quickly twenty minutes can pass. Then, at the end of this period, slowly bring your attention back to the everyday.
Sit a while. Think over how you feel, how you felt. If nothing else, you will be aware of a deep sense of calm and peace. For however brief a moment during the Calm Technique, you would have tasted real peace. Even when those moments of peace are just fleeting glimpses of a higher form of consciousness, they are moments that can have the most extraordinary calming influence over your whole day. And in time, over your whole life.
If at any stage you find it absolutely impossible to keep your Calm Expression in mind, don't let it bother you. Most people will only succeed for a few seconds in the early stages. Just listen to your breathing and enjoy the peace of doing absolutely nothing for a while until you can resume 'hearing' your Calm Expression. This is still meditation. On the other hand, if you find yourself deeply troubled about something, perhaps work pressures or family problems, postpone your meditation until you have a more ordered frame of mind. Then do the Calm Exercises before you begin.
As you can see, the Calm Technique is incredibly simple to perform. The paradox is that its simplicity is also its difficulty. Ironically, the principal problem you will experience is just accepting how very simple it really is. The human mind thrives on distraction and drama, it convinces you that there is no such thing as a 'simple' experience. It urges you to believe that you must make a greater intellectual contribution than you do. How can you experience a higher form of consciousness by employing less of your intellect? How can you improve your capacity for thinking by employing no thoughts? Only experience in the Calm Technique will fully answer these questions for you. Until you can recognize and accept this experience in its own right, you need only understand that your intellect and ego are self-supporting parts of the same. The combined might of these two elements make it very difficult for you to appreciate any higher consciousness, especially a higher consciousness that can only be attained by transcending their influence altogether. Yet, when you are no longer distracted by the prattle of uninvited thoughts, when you can transcend your own ego and intellect, you will know otherwise.
THE CALM TECHNIQUE
1) Create the right environment.
2) Adopt the correct posture.
3) Listen to your breathing. Let it relax you with each breath.
4) 'Hear' your Calm Expression emanate from your Calm Centre. 'Hear' it repetitively in your mind.
5) When thoughts distract, gently turn the attention back to your Calm Expression.
6) Don't worry about whether you're doing it right.
7) Sit in contemplation for a few moments when you're finished.
Let me assure you one more time of the simplicity of the Calm Technique. Approach it with an open mind and it will have a positive influence in your life. Dismiss your preconceptions and, within a few weeks, your own experience will tell you that it has been worth the effort.
THE OBSTACLES
Because the Calm Technique is such an uncomplicated, easy-to-understand exercise, the major problem most people experience is believing it could possibly be so simple. It can. In fact, once you can accept its ease and simplicity, there should be only two other obstacles you will have to contend with: unwanted thoughts and impatience.
UNWANTED THOUGHTS
In the West, where meditation is generally associated with religious thinking and prayer, a vivid imagination and lively thought processes are highly prized. In the East, and in schools where meditation is used to enrich everyday life, the thinking process is viewed with much less reverence. Thoughts are often considered to be mere distractions and a hindrance to effective meditation. With the Calm Technique, for example, the prize is the absence of uninvited thoughts, imagination and sensory perceptions. And it is towards this end that the Calm Technique is devoted. It is not thr Calm Expression, or the posture, or the frame of mind which produces this wonderful calming influence and expansion of awarenes, it is the absence of unrelated thought brought about by centring the attention.
But is that not an escapist ideal? Aren't we overlooking the majesty of the mind? Is not the mind really the person?
Most of us tend to think of ourselves as the product of our minds and our mental attitudes. Yet it is these very mental attitudes which limit our development as human beings. How often have you wished you could think another way, that you could have stronger willpower, that you could convince yourself there was no reason to feel anxious when there was no reason to feel anxious?
You've heard it said many times that all of us only use a tiny part of our mind/brain (meaning consciousness), and that if we could ever realize its full potential, great things could be achieved. The purpose of the Calm Technique is to expand your awareness way beyond the boundaries of yout conventional way of thinking and imagination. But first you have to learn to control your thought processes, to train your mind. To elevate your consciousness. You are probably well aware that there are areas of your consciousness which do not function in the usual 'verbal' or 'visual' way. Words such as 'intuition' spring to mind, where you 'sense' something that is beyond the scope of your normal sensory organs. Or 'inspiration', where no matter how hard you try, you cannot satisfactorily verbalize or visualize this experience.
So, during the Calm Technique, the normal workings of your mind continue, but they do not dominate your consciousness. They cease to be the totality of your awareness. During such an activity not only do you enjoy the Calm State, but you have access to regions of your consciousness which you may never have known existed. The Calm Technique will eventually lead you past the boundaries of conventional thinking and imagination, where you will discovet a whole new world of peace, creativity, insight and wisdom.
-- This excerpt was taken from The Calm Technique by Paul Wilson
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