The day I almost died.....

However, I'm going to tell you a story when the line became blurred and I danced momentarily into recklessness with near devastating consequences. It's only my careful preparation and training in breath that saved me.

...Ok, so that’s quite a dramatic title, but it hopefully got your attention....

But when I think back to the details, the story I’m about to share was the closest I’ve come to death while playing in my beloved ocean; surfing.

Since getting back to the UK after my recent travels I’ve had a lot of time for reflection; comparing my life back in London to the lives of those I meet while on my adventures. I like to think I work hard and do what I do for the right reasons, but sometimes we need to check back in form time to time and make sure that’s still the case. what are the right reasons?

The past few months have been full of new experiences, exciting new chapters, new skills and so much physical and mental expansion, all down to taking a chance on something I ‘felt'. Exploring the benefits of breathing for performance and the power of calming meditation lead me to becoming a Yoga teacher, and now it’s played a part in saving my life.Day one in the Mentawi Islands, 36 hours of transit from the UK to the remote coastline of West Sumatra in Indonesia and the trip of a lifetime is under way…

HT's (Hollow Tree's) - Last night was choppy crossing the channel, sleeping in our bunks rocking from side to side in 30 degree sticky heat. I woke up feeling super tired but soon came to life as I came above deck to see a wave outside the window next to a tiny little island covered with palm trees.

It’s not long before I’m paddling around on my board and it’s magical! The waves are coming in around 5-6 ft at the beginning then soon jump up to some 7-8ft bombs while we're out there. I'm trying to act all cool amongst the boys but my heart is pumping and the rolling water under me is enough to keep me out of the action and happy to see the lads warm into it. 

I'm out for a about 2 hours and content I've not managed to get smashed on the first morning. The guide makes the call to head around the other side of the island and get out of the wind that's picked up, next stop 'Lances Left'.

We arrive to two guys coming out of the wayer with snapped boards and the waves are powerful and big, but very clean so still inviting. I'm excited and also nervous at the same time. Some of the boys make the call to stay out of the water and spectate but I'm not one to miss out on the action and needed to keep up momentum to get some waves under my belt. I just wish they were more 'my size' (around 3-4 ft) and not 8, but me and 5 others headed out anyway...

I'm hanging on the shoulder (away from the wave drop zone) and watch the sets to gauge where I can slide in and steel a ride but there's a big delay and it's seems the wave pulse has dropped off, so we creep in a bit, then a bit more, then the mother of all waves comes through! This one’s the size of a house. One of the guys got caught at the top and bailed into a free fall over the top of me, then it was my turn.

I tried to duck dive as far under as I could but there was too much water and the power was like noting I'd ever felt before.
I was in the 'washing machine' getting thrown around like a rag doll made of cotton wool.
I was under, for what felt like minutes.
I hear and feel my knee ‘pop’.
There's no one to access what happened.
I'm getting bounced hard, but stay as relaxed as I can and remember my training (thank you Laird)  “Stay calm, you have enough air".
I popped up and gasped for a breath before going straight back under.
I knew there was reef under my feet.
I was bracing myself for a coral battering.
I tried to stand up and find my feet but there was nothing.
I'd slipped down the middle of a a coral bed.
The next wave took me under again.
My lease got hooked under the reef, looped around my ankle and pulled me down; I was locked in.
I take a big breath and go under to try free myself but it's too tight.
I have to brace for another set coming at me.
My board is getting smashed everywhere and the panic has set in.
I get a break from the waves so I dive under and manage to pull the leash off my foot.
The board comes free and I'm picked up by the current pulling me across the coral table.

The boat crew have seen I'm in trouble and send some help. All I have to do now is make my way out of the reef bed. I'm pulled into the boat and the blood starts to flow, I'm cut up pretty bad. The worry with coral lacerations is that the coral can start to grow under your skin if you don't treat it and clean the wound, so the crew get to work with ice for my knee and used the old school treatment of sliced fresh limes and start to rub it in and over the cuts (yes this stung a lot). The blood turns a dark brown and the coral particles wash away and my god did it sting!

It's starts to sink in that this is only day one and I'm out of action, time to go into turbo rehab and feel very grateful for my yoga and mobility training before I came out here, as it's literally saved my life and the surf trip.

The badboy chef is incredible on the boat, he really helps me reload and kick start the recovery process with a bottomless feast on local fresh fish, rice and vegetables. I’m drinking as much hydration nectar as I can with a combo of water and fresh island coconuts, and the lads enjoy their evening quota of bintang beers. I pass out after a dose of ibuprofen and paracetamol to end a very exciting first day.

…it’s day 4 before I get the confidence to get in the water again. I’ve been going stir crazy on the boat and everyone is worried for my sanity. Not ready for surfing yet, but I throw some fins on and a snorkel and head over to the island reef to spot some sea life and move my body. The ocean literally heals me in minutes, my knee is feeling ok and there’s finally some hope my trip is not over…

The end.

Ok, so that’s obviously not the end, there’s a lot more to this story (i’ve actually done a journal for each day of the trip) but I’m sure most of you don’t want to read it all now. But if you like me to share more of these adventure stories let me know?In the mean time, my words of new found wisdom… Learn how to meditate, practice the art of breath, stay safe, have fun everyday, explore everything, live with passion and do more Yoga!. 

Aloha.

Love Richie

x 

My Toughest Opponent.... Me!

Hi Temple gang, 
 
I wanted to check in one last time before the 2016 chapter comes to an end (still can’t believe it’s over already). But what a year it’s been..

Life changing experiences, emotional decisions, physical and mental challenges, lessons and enlightenment. This year has had it all; I’m guessing there will be a few of you reading this thinking the same? Powerful right?

I’d like to start by saying thank you to everyone that has been part of this ‘TheStrengthTemple’ rollercoaster journey so far. I may not say it all the time but I’m constantly pinching myself that we've been able to build something that has had such a positive effect on so many lives. Feeling and seeing the physical and mental benefits of making some better choices to improve the quality of life we can all have really has blown my mind and I’m buzzing so many of you are going down this path with us. 

This time of year can be super tough for a lot of us, for various reasons, so it’s really important we do what we can for those less fortunate and take a minute to appreciate and be grateful for everything we have. We all have special powers and it’s so important we use them to help others when we can. Remember a small gesture of kindness can really make someone's day or even save a life, all you need to do is look up and be aware of whats happening outside of your little bubble. Checking in with someone you’ve not been in touch with for a while, a simple smile or offering to help someone in need can be an incredible gift. Why not practice it today!

Richie’s mindfulness check list:

1. Write down everything I’m grateful for and read daily affirmations.

2. Make a list of all the experiences that have made me really happy.

3. Build an action plan to smash my goals for 2017 (we can help with that - click here!).

4. Meditate twice a day; morning and night for 20 minutes - focus on breathing deep cleansing breaths.

5. Remain present, let go of the past, recognise the lessons, don’t worry about the future.

6. Treat everyone and everything around me with respect and how I wish to be treated myself (karma is real).

7. Move my body and stimulate my mind everyday.

8. Take care of my precious life, eat well and value a healthy existence.

9. Always remember the effect I can have on another persons life.

10. Listen to my instinct, it’s always right. x

When it comes to taking care of yourself and keeping up with your fitness regime, once winter sets in and the festive party season rolls out, it can become hard for most to stay motivated. Colder days and less daylight to play in means going outside to train and pushing through xmas party hangovers and festive feasts often leaves you feeling heavy and sluggish. This inturn can lead to every excuse under the sun to not move our bodies. We might casually slipp into 'lazy ass mode’ (scientific term) and fall off track.

Remembering why you started your training journey and staying connected with the passion that drives you is the difference when the "lazy gremlins" are whispering in your ear.

I’m a big believer in ‘balance' when it comes to training and lifestyle, no matter what your sport and health goals are. If you’re a professional athlete, ‘#Fitfam’ social media gym junkie or simply working on your general wellbeing, ultimately its about taking care of your body and mind, feeling great and being happy. If that's not part of your motivation, I suggest you have a think about what really matters and whats going to keep you sane.

The popularity of social media, the thirst for recognition in the industry and amongst your peers in the fitness world, the need for followers and likes and what looks like an epidemic of body dysmorphia fuelled by aesthetic perfection is a concern. I feel there’s an element of neglect to remember why you’re going down this path in the first place. I didn’t want to spend too much time on this subject but it really does concern me and I’m worried for those that may have lost their way and it’s making people sick.

"Those who have not found their true wealth, which is the radiant joy of "Being" and the deep, unshakable peace that comes with it, are beggars, even if they have great material wealth. They are looking outside for scraps of pleasure or fulfillment, for validation, security, or love, while they have a treasure within that not only includes all those things but is infinitely greater than anything the world can offer” - Eckhart Tolle, “The Power of Now”  This is from the book that helped me make sense of a few things and see the world from a new perspective.

Being a bit of an adventure nut and adrenaline junkie, there’s not much I wouldn’t do or haven’t tried at least once. Playing Rugby and competing in athletics throughout my younger years, I relied on my coaches to advise me on how to move, train and eat; thinking they would have all the answers and have my best interests in mind (not always the case I found). It wasn’t until my professional career dreams were over due to injury that I realised there was so much to learn, it was time to find some mentors.

This was the beginning of my rehabilitation and functional movement practice. My mobility geek addiction began and personal training journey started. The Strength Temple is born out of this new awareness and understanding and continues to evolve.

There is so much information out there now, it’s a mine field of facts and complete rubbish so it’s really important you connect and learn from those that are backing it up with science and practiced methodology.

We have the power to inspire, motivate and teach the younger generations how to live happy and healthy lives. It begins with taking care of yourself! Walk your talk and set the best example possible.

Here are some 'Strength Temple’ questions you might want to ask yourself before you start setting up your 2017 ‘Gamechanger’ campaign…. :)

1. What are you training for .. Health, wellbeing, olympics or all of the above?

2. How do you know the way you are training is the right way?

3. Have you experimented with other methods?

4. Are you experiencing reoccurring injury's?

5. Are you over training, feeling rundown?

6. Do you have the right structure in place with realistic and sustainable weekly targets?

7. Are you really preparing your body in the right way before exercise?

8. Are you putting in enough time to improve your range of motion?

9. Is your poor flexibility preventing you from getting to that next level?

We created a whole article on goal setting, specifically with a New Year vibe.  You can use it at any time of year though - the science is the same.  If you really want to set goals that will motivate you and increase your chances of success go do this excercise here!

The Strength Temple Goal Setting Plan

One of the biggest projects this year and one of most motivating, has been my recent campaign with NewBalanceUK. It’s been a powerful few months that's given me insight into the minds of incredible athletes competing at the highest level of performance and taken my respect for what is required to be the best to a whole new level. It's inspired me to face the battles of my mind and get me into the best shape of my life both physically and mentally.
 
I honestly thought I understood what it takes to be at the top of your game. I’ve been fortunate to have found mentors and gained priceless experience training with legends like Laird Hamilton, Brian Mckenzie and Gabby Reece (all incredible athletes and pioneers in this game) opening up a whole new chapter to explore; How we breathe, how we move and understanding that our minds really are the key to unlocking it all.

Having the right knowledge, up to date research, kit and equipment all plays a vital role in feeling the confidence you need at the highest level. Giving you the edge thats necessary to push past your mental boundaries and win (whatever that means to you.) This is another element I’ve learnt so much about this year.

The UK sportswear scene is pretty nuts and only seems to be gaining momentum as the world gets more and more fitness crazy. Before I became a training nerd, I’d picked kit based on looks and if it matched the rest of my outfit! Don’t get me wrong, style is still very important of course but the technology and research that’s going in into the NewBalance product performance really is next level.

I love that it’s cool and the norm to see everyone cruising around in their gym kit (even if they’ve not ever seen a gym) rocking a new hoodie, yogi pants and a fresh pair of trainers round town. I basically live in gym kit all year round so making sure it’s comfy, gets the job done and looks cool is very important to me. The grand opening of the huge NewBalance Flagship Store in Oxford Street London happened recently. Three floors of sneaker porn and fitness threads to immerse yourself in. If you haven’t checked it out yet, it’s time you went in to meet the team and see what they are up to.

 

http://www.newbalance.co.uk/
9. LONDON OXFORD STREET
287-291 Oxford Street,
London,
W1C 2DR
Tel: 0207 499 8089

Anyway… I better leave it there before I ramble on anymore and get carried away on another topic! I hope you can take something away from this post, even if it’s just checking in on yourself to make sure you're on track.

Begin creating now, manifest everything you want to achieve and believe it’s possible, because it is if you can visualise it (True story).

Infuse your life with action. Don't wait for it to happen. Make decisions. Make it happen. Make your own future. Make your own hope. Make your own love.

Oh, and ALWAYS..... #respectyourtemple

Love Richie x

Training: Making it count & maximising your precious time

Click here for Richie's New Balance Kit breakdown. 

An article from our founder Director: Richie Norton.  Professional PT & New Balance Ambassador.  Here Richie explores training techniques to make you faster and stronger in your running.  Over to you Richie!

OK - So here's my view on how to make the most of your training time and how to become more flexible and improve your strength. Plus, my favourite NewBalance kit to get the job done of course :-)

I see it in gyms far too often. Walking straight in and grabbing weights far too heavy without priming the muscles first; then (after stressing the body throwing weights around) just walking out of the gym (following a good flex in the mirror with a few selfies) with no warm down at all..... this is you setting yourself up for trouble!
 
I get it.  When you’re smashing a running program, often the last thing anybody wants to do after an all out sprint circuit or 5K workout is to even think about a cool-down routine. However, the cold truth is that your post training routine is as important as your physical training.  Especially if you intend to excel and have the edge over you opponent.  Dealing with your post run routine will also help prevent injury - something I know I've fallen with in the past and will literally do ANYTHING to avoid.

You’d be surprised; failing to follow up a lower-body session with an effective warm down circuit that includes sufficient stretching of your key muscles will hold you back. If it doesn’t leave you injured, neglecting the time to cool down can have a direct effect on your speed next session. Those five minutes you think you're saving heading home early simply aren’t worth it.

So here's a few tips from me.  Incorporate them into your running training and let me know how much faster you go and stronger you feel!

Click this picture for a link to my 3 Foam Roller Moves for Runners

Flush out those toxins

Tackling the build up of the lovely DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) will keep you on track. The Lactic acid waste product that builds up around a muscle after repetitive movement, can literally bring you to your knees. A stretching routine lasting just five minutes sends blood and oxygen to your lower-body flushing out the acid leaving your muscles set for the next session.

Flexibility and Mobility

Improving your range of movement to resemble an olympic gymnast is the dream of course, but for most of us simply being able to touch our toes and reach both hands down our back is a challenge. Neglecting that cool down stretch will only delay any progress you planned and likely lead to an injury. Static mobility cool downs and some time on a foam roller will fill your muscles with blood and oxygen giving you a deeper release and rapidly improving your recovery time. ‘Less pain for more time gained'.

Here's a few more of my favourite stretch time moves to help you along.

TIP - Hold each move for a minimum of 30 seconds while taking in those deep slow breaths.
You’ve got to listen to your body. If one part of your leg aches then target those areas again with some more stretching love.

Quad stretch

• Stand up and take some deep breaths
• Whilst standing, bend your leg behind you and pull your foot into your glutes (bum).
• Feel the gentle stretch (don't force it) and release
• Repeat - you will probably go further on subsequent repetitions

Single-leg hamstring stretch

• From your knees, place one foot forward in front of you.
• Keeping your back upright and foot planted, lean forward through your hips to stretch the front of your rear leg.
• Repeat with the opposite side.

Hip flexor stretch

• From your knees, place one foot forward in front of you.
• Keeping your back upright and foot planted, lean forward through your hips to stretch the front of your rear leg.
• Repeat with the opposite side.

Glute stretch

• Lie on your back with your knees bent.
• Lift one ankle up and rest it across the opposite knee.
• Reach underneath the lower leg and pull up towards your chest.
• Repeat with the opposite leg.

Strength Training

Strength training is so important if your intending on having a strong start to a run and maintaining a steady driving pace. Every runner needs a reserve of strength, not just in the legs but your also your core during those last few miles. Maintaining a solid program that incorporates all these areas, stabilising your joints and improving your endurance is the key to a strong race and finishing without injury..

My top 3 Exercises for Running Strength

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The barbell squat

This all-round strength staple is particularly great at stabilising your core muscles but, more importantly, it also creates a foundation of explosive power you can use when it really matters.

1. Stand with your feet more than shoulder-width apart – this wide stance will allow a deeper squat;  getting your glutes and hamstrings involved.
2. Hold a barbell across your upper back with an overhand grip – avoid resting it on your neck. Hug the bar into your traps to engage your upper back muscles.
3. Take the weight of the bar and slowly squat down – head up, back straight, buns out. Lower yourself until your hips are aligned with your knees, with legs at 90 degrees – a deeper squat will be more beneficial, but build up your strength and flexibility first.
4. Drive your heels into the floor to push yourself explosively back up.

---

The Deadlift

Essential for building a stable core during your run. A solid mid-section ensures your run power comes from your hips rather than loading injury-causing stress on your knees.

1. Stand with your feet slightly wider that shoulder-width apart, with the barbell on the floor in front of you. Bend at your knees and your hips to take hold of the bar with an overhand grip; your hands should be shoulder-width apart.
2. Head up, back straight: squeeze your glutes, tighten your shoulder blades and pull in your lower abs. After that, it’s simple. Stand up.
3 The bar should remain close to your body the whole time, almost in contact with your thighs when you’re fully standing. Keep tension in your core as you lower the bar to the ground – this doesn’t have to follow the same pattern of movement, just get it down safely.
 

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The front loaded split squat

Muscle imbalances can be a major problem for runners, slowing down your running economy. By targeting your weaker leg with this unilateral exercise, you can share the power between both legs, which should allow you to pull out a spurt of speed when you need it most.

1. Stand facing away from the bench, holding a barbell across your chest. Have one leg resting behind you on your toes.
2. Squat with your standing leg until the knee of your trailing leg almost touches the floor.
3. Push up through your front foot, contracting the glutes to return to the start position.
 

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Master your mind

Breathe. Your brain is a muscle, it needs rest just like every other muscle in your body.  By focusing on the air going in and out your lungs during the cool down, your mind and breathing become one. Long deep slow breaths will slow your thoughts and allow your muscles to let go and lengthen. Finishing each session feeling confident in your mind and body will only improve your motivation, taking you to that next level of performance.

Build up mental strength. Set your goals, visualise where you are going and imagine the feeling of reaching those goals and how amazing it feels.

What motivates you? The more you concentrate on what it feels like to be at the front and win that race, the more focused you will become on believing it is possible. Breathe, find your flow and go get the job done.
‘You are your toughest opponent’.

The power of the mind in performance.

With love and respect

Richie x

Lead from the front and do it in style

During the years playing rugby week in week out, endless drills and lifting/throwing big weights around, I realise now more than ever that the key to my physical and mental development primarily depended on 3 things..

1) What I put in my body (Nutrition) - If I felt energetic, I would work harder than ever.

2) The way I was training my body - If I felt strong and fast, I was unstoppable.

3) Which kit was being used - If I trusted the equipment and kit I was using, I was confident I had the edge to take anyone on.

Back when I had athletics training and rugby games every week, I’d never really put too much thought into the kit I was wearing and how many calories I was consuming/burning, pretty sure I was no where near the 8% body fat I am now. (I have chubby pictures on my Instagram to prove this fact).

Anyway my point is, how you ‘feel’ mentally and physically when you compete or simply when you’re   out and about moving around is the difference between winning and losing or feeling confident.

There’s so much information out there, all claiming to be ‘the best’ it often leaves you confused and lost on what may be right.

Here are a few of my favourite things… ‘The Trainer Game'

I’m a bit of a 'sneaker head’ so when it comes to having something on my feet, I like to get hold of something that plays the part and also looks sharp. I’m fortunate and very proud to be working with @NewBalanceUK at a time when they are really at the top the game. Getting access to the hottest kit on the market and putting it to the test not only for my own personal gain, but to provide you guys with the knowledge that can help you find the right tools for your fitness goals. http://www.newbalance.co.uk/

At the end of the day, everyone's body shape is a little different and when it comes to our precious feet, we need to try out and ‘feel’-out what’s right so we can get the best from our purchases right?

These days you don’t have to spend a fortune to get the best feel and performance, the level of quality and technology is changing the game and constantly evolving. Be ahead of the curve.
Check out my top picks... 
 

Fresh Foam 80v2

Fresh Foam 80v2 - Attack the gym. A Cross-training shoe specifically designed with the support and stability you need for the lateral movements and the impact of hitting the gym as hard as you can, loaded or explosive.

Fresh Foam 80v2

Putting the 80v2 under some load in the front squat. 

Fresh Foam 80V2

When you need to keep your heels locked down and connect to that floor with complete control. The 80v2 hold up well.

574 Fresh Foam

574 Fresh Foam - Performance running technology and a classic design combined for everyday wear. This evolution of a classic is the perfect balance of life and style, my everyday choice.

Fresh Foam Breathe

Fresh Foam Breathe - Don’t let hot days get in the way of your running plans. When the temperature and the roads heat up, lace up these little bad boys. Made with breathable, perforated mesh, it allows air to move through, keeping you cool and comfortable whatever the thermometer says.

Fresh Foam 1080

Fresh Foam 1080 - Megacushioning, more support and more comfort to cruise along for miles without stopping. Like slippers but with all the support you need to stay rapid! Takes cushioning to a whole new level.

Vase Pace

Vase Pace - Set a record. Break it. Repeat. Engineered for the relentless pursuit of getting faster, these lightweight running weapons deliver the snappy, responsive ride required for all the miles you have planned for them.

Fresh Foam Zante v2

Fresh Foam Zante v2 - is the men’s neutral cushioned running shoe built for fast speeds. The aggressive toe spring and new midsole design is even more serious about delivering the quick transition and support you need to tear up the streets.

I really hope this helps you get started and off on the right track (pun accidental). Remember to create your own style and find whats right for you.

http://www.newbalance.co.uk/

Be safe out there, remember to take care of your precious body and be the best version of yourself.

Have a beautiful day.
Big love always.
Richie
 

What is mindfulness and how can mindfulness help me?

Wearing 7" New Balance Short and Max Speed Short Sleeve Top

Firstly lets understand what mindfulness means...

Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing our awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting our feelings, thoughts, and physical senses.

By being fully present in this way – not forcing things or hiding from them, but actually being with them, we create space to respond in new ways to situations and make wiser choices. We may not always feel like we have full control over our lives, but with mindfulness we can work with our minds and bodies, learning how to go through this life feeling more appreciation and less anxiety.

We have battles with our mind everyday; some are easy to overcome, many can leave us drained and feeling a little lost. If you’re an athlete your mind is the biggest opponent you’ll ever come up against, so it’s important you learn to master it.

Making mindfulness a regular part of daily life requires training and practice. If you’re motivated, a fresh perspective will begin to spread over every aspect of your life. When you begin practising mindfulness, you’re embarking on a journey that will take you down an exciting path of discovery, helping you unlock your true potential.

Mindfulness practices aren’t new – they have Buddhist origins and have been around for thousands of years. You don’t need to be religious or spiritual to learn to practise mindfulness and enjoy the benefits. For decades now, scientific research has been showing how useful these therapies are for reducing stress, anxiety and depression; helping people manage a wide range of physical conditions and for our general wellbeing. So mindfulness isn’t only useful if you’re feeling stressed or have a mental health problem – it can help any of us enjoy a better quality of life, whether you’re just wanting to smile more or have a new PB in your sights.

Now, learning to understand the mind and it’s games is one part and how to practice using it’s power in our everyday life takes time and perseverance. Remember this is a journey, one step at a time we develop what works for us. It can be as simple as beginning your day with a simple acknowledgement of appreciation of everything you have in your life - to preparing for the biggest challenge of you competitive career, staring down the track in the final of 100m mens Olympics. If you don’t believe you can win and can’t FEEL it, you have already lost before the guns gone off. If you can visualise the race, embrace the powerful emotions of how it feels crossing the line and believe you can do it...how much better is that vibration! I’ve got goosebumps just thinking about it. 

Wearing New Balance Trinamic Tights

Mindset is everything. Etch that statement into your brain and never forget how powerful you can be, once you master your thoughts. Mindset should be considered the vital key that can determine your competitive success or failure, so learn to master it

Not every situation you encounter in your competitive realm will have the happiest outcome. Trying to adopt to a positive mindset in every situation you face can be tough. We need to learn to train our mind like we learn to train our bodies to be able to perform at the highest level. Positive realism is about trying to make the best of a bad situation or challenge, whilst tempering that with realistic assessment and action based on your circumstances.

For example, in a fitness environment, this usually manifests itself in athletes not listening to the bad signs when their body is in pain. Instead they ignore these feelings because they see acknowledging them as form of negativity. They continue on exercising and then wonder why they end up hurting themselves. In these types of situations, by being realistic and knowing when to back off, you may lose today’s battle, but the end result is positive. There’s nothing positive about winning today at the cost of injuring yourself for the long term.

Where do you go from here..

Wearing New Balance Vaze Pace Trainers, Accelerate Short Sleeve Shirt & 7" New Balance Shorts

How about stopping what you're doing right now, turn off your technology, find somewhere you won't be disturbed for a few minutes and get comfortable in a chair sitting upright in a relaxed position. Place your hands on your lap, palms up and take 5 deep long loud breaths in through your nose and out through the mouth. Brig your breathing back to a quiet calm state and begin counting up to 10 with each breath in 1, out 2, in 3, out 4... and so on. Focus only on counting each breath. It's ok to drift off into other thoughts, just keep bringing yourself back. Be present and ground yourself in that moment of peace.

Off you go. Let me know how you get on.

Oh - and don't forget to #respectyourtemple

Richie Norton x

For more info, and if you didn't catch the articles, check out Richie in the following links with New Balance and Mens Health

New Balance - Mindset and Performance

Mens Health - The Power of the mind in performance featuring Richie Norton

New Balance "You Are Your Toughest Opponent"

Richie Norton: New Balance #iamthecompetition

Hi!

So as some of you may know, I’ve just become an ambassador for New Balance (yes, very cool and I’m absolutely buzzing about it). I grew up competing in Athletics and Rugby, and the thought of being scouted to represent a brand like NewBalance was a dream. Now I’m here, years later, living that dream.

Even though New Balance are making bad ass kit, I'm actually excited to be a part of this brand because of their philosophy. Especially their newest campaign 'You are your toughest opponent'. This campaign is all about the recognition that the toughest competition involves the battles and obstacles that we create ourselves, in our mind and our lives. To me, this campaign is about developing your confidence, becoming the best you can be and excepting you will face challenges and obstacles; once you master your mind, your body can achieve anything.

Over the coming months I’ll be researching the challenges in performance, breaking down the mind games, while also analysing and product testing the awesome New Balance apparel. Luckily for me I pretty much live in training clothes, I now have the best excuse to never ever wear a suit again. (Although I did hear a rumour NB had plans for a sweet tailored dinner jacket)...

New Balance: Richie Norton #iamthecompetition

Trainers: Fresh Foam 'Zante V2'. Shorts: 7inch Shift Short. Top: Performance Merino

Richie Norton: New Balance #iamthecompetition

Top: Performance Merino Short sleeve

Richie Norton: New Balance #iamthecompetition

Top: Performance Merino. Leggings: Precision run tights

Richie Norton: #iamthecompetition

Top: Trinamic long sleeve Pants: Trinamic tight. Trainers: Suede Limited Edition Classic

With the health and fitness industry booming bigger than ever, even to the ‘trained eye’ it’s a daunting task understanding what to eat, how to balance your day, what exercises are right for you, what equipment you need (if any) and of course what clothing and footwear are required to support you training and lifestyle. This is where I come in.

This project with NewBalance is something I can relate to in many ways, on a personal level and as a professional. I've battled with career ending injuries, walked some dark paths and been on a wild journey before finding my way here. I’m grateful for the challenges that have given me so much insight into the struggle so many go through; how we grow from this always makes us stronger. I’m now finally understanding all my strengths (and weaknesses), following my passion and applying the knowledge I’ve developed from the many lessons getting here. I now hope to share this you. 

Over the next few months I’ll be working alongside @newbalanceuk, @menshealth and @runnersworld on a campaign all about understanding the power of the mind in performance and how your biggest opponent is YOU! Managing your expectations, getting the best out of your body, improving your health, pushing past your limits, exploring new challenges and reaching your highest potential. Mastering your mind is the key to it all.

If there’s anything you’d like me to research please let me know, I’ll pull it all apart!

This is our time to shine.

Oh - and here's a gift from New Balance:  Limited time: 15% off if you subscribe via the link below....

New Balance 15% off subscription

Richie Norton #iamthecompetition

Here's a little video message from me on the power of the mind in performance.

Doggy Style! Why you need a Dog in your life......

Today’s insight is inspired by a meeting that I went to recently with one of our partners.  On arrival I was greeted in the most wonderful way by a smiling member of the team accompanied by the office dog Molly.  As a leaned down to give Molly some affection I was informed that she was a rescue dog and part of the crew.  Her demeanour put me immediately at ease and I felt very much at home in this business environment, knowing I was amongst like minded people and animal lovers.

How many more of you find that you are comforted by animals and nature in general?  In preparation to write this article I typed a number of search terms into Google and phrases like “Animal Therapy” and what’s commonly termed “Biophilia” came back with nearly 300,000,000 results!  I know that anecdotally there is something in this by the way I feel around cats and dogs and it seems there is a lot of research into the subject if you are interested in further reading online.

Part of the current thinking is around a hypothesis that we have evolved to be calmed by animals in our lives. The idea is that we would have used animals such as dogs as look outs and alarms in our evolutionary past to indicate the presence of a predator.  If we have livestock, or a dog in our “tribe” then their amazing sense of smell would have alerted us to dangers before we were aware of them ourselves.  The fact that an animal is relaxed in our company may switch on part of our evolutionary response which indicates we are not in danger, slows down our sympathetic nervous system and allows us to feel relaxed!

Photography by David Neave

As I write this my loyal Springer Spaniel (Lucy) is sat next to me.  She is nearly asleep and is breathing deeply and calmly.  I can feel her warmth against my legs.  As I stroke her she gently stretches her legs and has a little groan before slapping her chops and drifting back off to sleep where I’m sure she is chasing rabbits.  I’m finding myself smiling as I wrote that, and I can honestly say that having her has changed my life.

I like many people have experienced depression in the past. I look at it like any other illness or injury and am very happy to talk about my experiences with people and see no reason to keep it private.  Since Lucy joined our family I have definitely experienced a reduction in any signs of depression.  I’m not saying that I may not find it affecting me again, but I’m sure that our dog has had a positive effect both directly and indirectly through a number of “vehicles”.

I don’t know about you, but I get pleasure from seeing others that are happy.  Smiling and happiness is as infectious as a yawn to me, and if you know Springer Spaniels you’ll appreciate that they are happy most of the time!  There is a classic cartoon of a burglar coming into a house confronted by the (Springer Spaniel) “guard dog” wagging it’s tail.

In addition to this dogs need to be exercised. This in turn means that we walk or run with our dogs and get the excercise we need as well.  Lucy particularly loves to run wild and free in a woodland setting and we enjoy our little adventures together come rain or shine.  I even chose my car based on my lifestyle in the countryside with my family and dog and take great pleasure driving around in a beaten up Land Rover Defender covered in mud inside and out with my dog sat next to me on the middle seat in the front.

Getting outside with Lucy has meant that I am much more closely tuned in to the seasons.  When I combine this with all I’ve learned about mindfulness and life optimisation I can certainly say I’m much more balanced and centred in my feelings around and approach to life.  I think I owe a great deal to Lucy!

Photography by David Neave

So I’m not saying everyone should go out any get a Springer Spaniel.  Yes they are a life long commitment and they may not be for everyone.  Having said that I’m sure that anyone reading this knows someone with a dog if you don’t actually own one.  If you do, then I’d highly recommend that you get together and go for a walk together.  Who knows, you might get to the stage when you can regularly borrow their dog and take him or her for walks.  It’s the best way to find out if you could commit to having one in your life, and if you decide that you can’t, then you still get to go walking with a dog and gain all the associated benefits!

So here’s to Dogs and walking in the countryside. Find someone with a dog today and go for a walk. Write to us an let us know how it makes you feel.  We absolutely love getting feedback from our community.

PS: This article features Lucy Davis.  She has changed my life.

#respectyourtemple

Rich Davis

The #TempleWalk and changing the way you feel in an instant!

We’ve written a lot recently about your mind.  No one gave us a manual on how to manage our mind, and so we’re writing one for you!

There’s no doubt that when you get a handle on managing your internal computer, you will be in a much better position to control what you do and how you feel.

This insight is also about mind, but indirectly.  If you want to change the way you feel you can use any of the mind techniques detailed in our #MindPillar and if you combine them with the following ideas they will be magnified into a more intense change in state than you perhaps thought possible!

You see, the way we feel is based on what we focus on as well as our physical body postures, facial expressions, actions and the way we move.  Reflect on this for a moment and then let’s try a little excercise to illustrate the point.

I’m not sure how you’re feeling at the moment.  If you’re feeling in a bit of a funk, this will make you feel better.  If you’re feeling pretty damn good then this will make you feel awesome!  In order for it to work, any of you sceptics out there just need to lend yourself to me for a few minutes.  I’d like you to empty any thoughts of negativity associated with trying new things from your mind (if the little devils are trying to poke their way through).

Before we start set yourself up for success by focusing on the fact that you are about to learn something that is going to help you for the rest of your life.  Some people like it so much they have shared it with others, thus spreading the vibe of happiness!

It’s not a profound technique, but I firmly believe it’s quite magical.  Never forget that you have the power to dictate how you feel at any given moment.  Nobody else has the power to make you feel in a specific way - it’s all about you!  It’s your choice.  When you combine this mantra with a few healthy techniques to nudge you in the right direction you’ll begin to live a more fulfilling life on a consistent basis.

OK then, so I’m hoping that short preamble has left you open to new ideas and a willingness to experience a little more joy.  “Hang on a minute Rich.  Who wouldn’t want to experience more joy?” I hear you saying.  Well, you’d be surprised!  Many of us self sabotage our feelings of happiness.  Have you ever been feeling a bit down and some potentially good experience or feeling comes by for you to subconsciously disregard it almost as if to say “Hang on, I can’t feel good about this as I’m in a bad mood!”  Yep - we all do it, so don’t sabotage your happiness on this one.  Come with me.  I’m giving you permission to make a change 😉 

You can try this in private, and if you’re really living in the now you can try it on a crowded tube train (although you may get a few inquisitive looks, but who cares about that eh?!)  If you prefer you can start in private and then upgrade the experience to a crowded train or shopping mall.  I dare you 😉 

The key insight here is to understand that your physical body has anchored feelings associated with certain physical actions and postures throughout your life.  You may not even be aware of it, but it has.  Have a think about this.

When you are in a positive state; really excited and up for a good time how are you breathing? Are you taking shallow breaths or is your breathing rate slightly elevated and deeper than usual? When you’re up for a challenge, bunji jump, your first kiss or your birthday present from a loved one how do you move?  Is your body hunched and bent or are your shoulders back, your chin slightly lifted and your chest out?

Just close your eyes for a moment and think about the difference between how your body looks and moves when you’re sad and depressed compared to how it is when you’re unstoppable!

How do you walk when you’re up for anything?  How does it compare to how you walk when you’re disillusioned or flat?  Do you swing your arms slightly when you’re pumped and is there possibly even a slight Travolta strut in there? 😃  What does your face look like when you’re excited?  Is it wrinkled and frowning, or are you’re eyebrows lifted, you’re eyes open slightly wider and a massive grin on your chops?

So now you’ve visualised all this, I think you should be convinced of the importance of your physical body when it comes to how you are feeling in the moment.  So here’s the thing.  No matter how you feel if you try this I guarantee it will change your state.  If you try it in conjunction with some of the mind based exercised detailed above it will be magnified.  So give this a go!

Don’t just keep reading.  Let’s get it on!  Stand up, and get ready to feel AWESOME!

• Firstly let’s start with your breathing.  Start to mindfully be aware of your breathing and make it slightly quickened and deeper than your base line.
• At the same time move your posture into a positive position.  Get your shoulders back, put your chest out.  If you can, start to walk in a way you would when you feel unstoppable.
• If you like you can even imagine a flowing red cape attached at your shoulders behind you - yep, stay with me on this.  A long flowing red cape like Superman or Superwoman.  Start to walk and feel unstoppable.
• Open your eyes slightly and put a massive grin on your face.  Come on now - it won’t work unless you do all this stuff, so suspend your disbelief and start smiling!
• Swing those arms like the legend that you are and pop a little Travolta strut in there too if you like.  Keep focused on your breathing, imagine your favourite tune playing and perpetuate the sensations.
• Stay in this state for about 30 - 60 seconds (don't let that massive grin fade) and then reflect on how you are feeling.

I don’t think I need say any more on the matter.  Some people (the ones that really get into it and go for it!) speak of experiencing that pins and needles, goose bumps sensation.  You’re feeling PUMPED and you LOVE IT!

Until next time - don’t forget your “Temple Walk”, stay in the now and keep practicing.  You are becoming more powerful on a daily basis.  I have massive respect for you for trying all these techniques and your body and mind are thanking you for it. I love you for it; keep it up!

#respectyourtemple

Rich Davis

Our Mind Technique to tap into your Limbic System and Upgrade the way you FEEL!

We wanted to give you an insight around thoughts and feelings today and we encourage you to really take this one on board as it can literally change the way you are feeling in an instant!

Thoughts create feelings.  Feelings can create actions.  Actions  create outcomes.  Outcomes create new thoughts.  Repeat.  Just ponder on that for a moment and re-read it.  It’s really important to understand.

OK, got that?  Let’s move on then and define a term we often use called "Self Talk."

Your self talk is that little voice inside your head that provides a commentary on your life.  It’s the internal verbalisation of your thoughts. Some people have quite a loud voice, others softer, but we all have it. Becoming mindful and aware of your self talk is a key element to what we will be teaching in this insight.

One way to become very aware is to notice your self talk and reflect on how useful it is to you. People often describe a sensation of almost listening to yourself talking.

If you picture what this “looks like” in the theatre of your mind, it could be the “enlightened and higher you” sitting on a magic carpet watching and listening to everything your mind is doing. You are entirely detached from everything and able to observe and commentate if necessary on what’s happening.

Think about this for a moment.  Can you picture this process happening?  If you can’t , re-read what we’re saying so you completely understand it and then try again.  This is one of the most important steps to becoming mindful and for some is a revelation!

I like to picture myself looking in a state of complete relaxation, peace and calm on my magic carpet.  I’m sitting there cross legged in a beautiful blue sky, deep in the recesses of my psyche, looking very Zen!

So back to your self talk.  Whilst sitting on your magic carpet, observing your thoughts and feelings, if you catch your self talk and thoughts becoming destructive or negative, pause for a moment.  If they are positive reflect on that too.

If you’d prefer that they were positive and you recognise negative self talk happening, simply acknowledge it and say something to yourself like “oh - there I go again” and then allow the thoughts and discussion to change to something more empowering.

Have you ever experienced a time when you’ve chastised yourself using your internal dialogue / self talk?  As you become more mindful you may see this happening frequently and it’s one of the keys to changing how you are feeling.

So all of these thoughts tap into the emotional side of your brain and trigger the neurons associated with feelings.  Feelings are produced by the firing of specific sets of nerve clusters in the Amygdala which is part of the Limbic system in your brain.

The Limbic system is fascinating.  I got the following definition from Google:

LIMBIC SYSTEM:  "a complex system of nerves and networks in the brain, involving several areas near the edge of the cortex concerned with instinct and mood. It controls the basic emotions (fear, pleasure, anger) and drives (hunger, sex, dominance, care of offspring)."

So do your thoughts serve you in a positive way and fire the right sets of nerves in your Limbic System?  If not, then it’s time to check in with yourself and start to gradually allow your focus to move from negative to positive thoughts.

Now it’s important to emphasise at this point that this is not just about positive affirmations.  Some people advocate that simply saying “I feel good, I feel good, I feel good, I feel good, I feel good, I feel good, I feel good” is enough to create a change in state.  This may work for some people, but it’s not the essence of what we are teaching.
 
One thing about affirmations is that you may be in a situation that is too complex to allow your intelligent / logical brain to translate the situation into feeling better.  A more suitable way to change your state is to check in with yourself.  Be kind to yourself.  Let your current thoughts and feelings drift past you on your magic carpet as you observe them from your vantage point.  Breathe deeply and start to migrate your thoughts to more constructive ways of interpreting any situation.

Another powerful way to reframe destructive self talk is to remove its significance by considering it to be like “mental or emotional weather.” If you find your brain is misbehaving and gravitating to less empowering self talk, consider the words to be like a storm passing. Observe the storm from your magic carpet. Sit there peacefully in the knowledge that weather is transient and shining sunshine is just round the corner!

This will in turn bring about different more positive feelings, which will create more empowering actions, which reinforces your thoughts and the cycle continues.  This is probably best illustrated with an example.

I’m going to write two paragraphs and they are going to illustrate your internal dialogue.  See if you relate to any of it and reflect on how each way of talking to yourself could bring about different overall feelings.

“What a shit day!  Why does my alarm always fail to go off.  I can’t believe I’m late again - I’m always bloody late!  Missed my train, even after running. God, I’m shit at running too.  It’s going to be one of those bad days, I just know it.  Everything’s going wrong.  I’ve got to face those people trying to block my ideas at work too.  Why do they hate me so much.  I need a new job, but I’ll never find one in this economy.  What a shit day!"

OK - so I’ve turned on the taps to full here.  I hope that none of you have conversations with yourself of this magnitude of destruction, but then some of you might!  I’m chuckling to myself at how hard it was to write that, as I’ve been practicing mindfulness for some years now and it was difficult for me to come up with those words.  It might be easier for you?  Either way, I think you will see the point. Now let’s try another version.

"I love it when there’s mist in the mornings.  Everything looks like an abstract painting and the moist air feels great in my lungs.  I must remember to plug my phone in at night.  I’ve missed my alarm this morning  and I’d prefer not to let that happen again.  I’ll buy another charger today and put it next to my bed.  I think I’ll listen to that favourite album I’ve just found on the way to the station this morning to change my focus after this little setback.   I’m not going to rush as I’m a little late already, but have called to let everyone know, so it’s no problem.  It will give me time to think about how to get more buy in from my colleagues for my project.  I think they must need more information as the ideas are sound.  I’ll arrange some 121 meetings today to get some feedback on how things are going."

So there we are.  It takes practice to transition from one way of thinking to another as a lot of what we do as humans is habitual.

I hope you’ve found this interesting.  Here’s a simple little exercise to do to make sure you are more mindful of your self talk, focusing and feeling better!  Try it and PLEASE let us know how you get on.  We love to get feedback. 

1. Regularly check in with yourself and ensure that you are being kind to yourself and not beating yourself up with negative self talk.
    
2. If you “Catch” disempowering chatter just reflect from the vantage point of your magic carpet and say something like “there I go again", and let it float past.
    
3. Understand that there is ALWAYS a more positive way to reflect on any given situation.
    
4. After it has passed, be creative in thinking of ways to change your focus.  Either reframe the current negative situation in a more supportive and positive light, or consider some other situation that allows a change of focus and more positive internal evaluation of where you are.  The vital bit is to get your self talk to reflect this using more positive and empowering words and phrases.
    
5. Breathe and be kind to yourself.

This technique works best when combined with making changes in your physical state. We will discuss this in a future insight. :-)

Until next time.

#BeMindful & #respectyourtemple

Steps to make “some" people less annoying!

I pondered for a while on the title of this insight.  I’m a big fan of creating positive and empowering topics to promote a sense of wholeness in people and this one had me stumped.

How do I tell people that I can help them to stop getting annoyed at their perceived inadequacies and imperfections of other human beings?

In order to do that, then I have to put it out there that we may have inner annoyances with some folk (even if we don’t verbalise or act on them.)  I don’t like to think that I have any, but do you know what? I do; and we all do and just acknowledging that is the start of making a change for the better!

So when I talk of annoyances I don’t mean the more traditionally defined prejudices aimed at protected characteristics.  Protected characteristics are things like sex, race, age, physical characteristics, sexual orientation etc.  Here at the strength temple we are proud to be acknowledged as a company that supports and actively promotes equality and diversity.  We even have our own policy in this regard - so if you’re annoyed by protected characteristics please make some changes if you want to stay part of this community!

No, what I mean is the person that just seems to annoy you on a regular basis, or the dude that “gets your back up” more than they should.  The ones that you just want to avoid or remove from your life in extreme circumstances for some reason.  Also the ones that just slightly get on your nerves.  These feelings are generally around another person's habits or actions and it’s not a big thing - but it can become one!

If you could find a way to stop the negative energy associated with feelings around these types of people that has to be a good thing - right?!

If you’re the type of person that doesn’t get annoyed with anyone - please scroll down now and leave us a comment below with your secret of how you do this!  You clearly don’t need this insight.  If not, and you occasionally find yourself getting a smidge annoyed with people read on - the solution isn’t that complicated, but it is powerful and it does work!

Insight 1:  Firstly - when you find yourself getting wound up by someone, check in with your self talk?  What type of conversations are you having with yourself in your head?  What type of words are you using to describe the situation and the people involved?

Being mindful of your self talk is something we often discuss as part of our mindfulness insights. It’s so important and powerful and even just monitoring how you are feeling when something annoys you, how you describe this to yourself internally and how this energy can flow into other activities in your day is a valuable lesson.  If something annoys you and you find yourself constantly processing this information and ruminating on it you can all of a sudden start to get annoyed with other tasks that would usually make you happy.  It's a kind of transference of negative energy that you can prevent if you know how.

So firstly - be aware of your self talk and stop it in it’s tracks if it’s negative.  Don’t let it snowball into a stream of negativity that can pollute other activities or relationships.

Secondly it’s time to use a technique that has dramatically changed the way I feel about challenging situations as soon as I started applying it.  It involves a slight leap of faith, but it really works.

Insight 2:  When you are faced with a situation that feels uncomfortable, or if someone is annoying you, stop for a moment and reflect.  They key:  What is this situation trying to TEACH you?  What is the lesson here?

It’s probably best described with an example.

Imagine you’re the kind of person who is tidy and that someone close to you keeps leaving their stuff everywhere.  The converse could also be true.  Imagine that you are less focused on keeping everything in it’s place and thrive on chaos and have someone in your life that is constantly tidying up after you or moaning at your general inability to put things in their place?  Either of these familiar?  Well for both types of people these situations can start very innocently and over time reach a point where they can literally break a relationship!  Everything else can be perfect, but this one thing can get out of control and be the thing that ruins an otherwise great partnership.

Let’s apply both lessons described above to this situation.

Insight 1:  Firstly, be very mindful of how you talk to yourself about the other persons lack of, or strict tidiness.  As soon as you notice yourself internally criticising put the breaks on.  Just say something like “oh - there I go again.  Let’s just pause things there and move to insight 2.”

Remember Insight 2?  That’s right - what’s the lesson that my mind is trying to teach me in this moment?  Well the lesson here could be that you need to discuss your feelings with the other person - perhaps something that you haven’t been doing.  It could be that you need to celebrate other people’s differences more and be thankful that we aren’t all the same - how boring would that be!  It could be that the lesson is you need to focus less on a particular person’s less attractive habit and more on all the things you love about them.  It might be that you generally need to be more patient with other people and don’t let small differences be the focus of your attention - after all, it really isn’t that big a deal.

The list can literally go on for ever and it’s a fun thing to try and come up with new ways to find lessons in everything that annoys you.

So just try this for the next 24 hours.  If it reduces your stress and gives you an increased inner feeling of clam (and it will) then perhaps continue with this new habit for a week.  If after a week it’s still working (and it will be), why not make it a part of your being and share it wth others.

Trust me on this one - I started using this a few years ago and it's changed my life.

So, be insightful, be mindful, be peaceful, be kind to yourself and others and don’t forget to…..

#respectyourtemple

If you found this article useful and interesting please click the share button below.  We want to help as many people as possible and your assistance is very dearly appreciated. 

Our key to being Happy more of the time

We encourage our clients to set goals.  We have a whole section of our philosophy dedicated to the “why” of what we are doing and powerful goals are the foundation to an awesome existence. Goals contribute to growth which is one of the 6 human needs as described by the teachings of Tony Robins.  We love Goals!

As part of the goal setting process, the reason that a goal has been chosen is worth considering.  Goals are simply vehicles to produce feelings that we desire.  It is for this reason that sometimes, when we achieve a goal, we may paradoxically experience a sense of dissatisfaction or disillusionment.  We had expected that achieving this “thing” would make us feel a certain way and sometimes it doesn’t.

It’s a fascinating subject and if you’re interested in further reading check out some links at the end of this article to some of our teachings on goals.

The reason that I mention this in relation to being happy more of the time, is that when we distill most goals down, they are simply vehicles to happiness at some level.  Often a feeling of peace and pleasure is also sought.  The thing with these feelings is that they are ALL transient.  They may be wonderful whilst they are manifested, but they will pass.  This is the fundamental key to understanding how to be happy or to experience a feeling of peace more often.  Let’s explore this a little more.

Our mind is truly an incredible thing.  It takes experiences and classifies them based on outcomes and how they make us feel.  It then decides whether to gravitate towards that experience again and looks for ways to create more positive feelings in our lives.  The thing is that if we start to allow ourselves to feel profound disappointment at the passing of happy moments, our brains can associate this as being too difficult for us and actually moves subconsciously to make sure we don’t experience this pain again.  By doing this we can actually start to avoid some of the deeply happy moments in our lives!

A good example off this is the person that experienced a deeply loving relationship.  That magical time when you fall deeply in love with a person and your whole world revolves around that part of your life!  If that relationship ends for some reason, it can cause the individual to actively avoid relationships in the future.  Ringing true of any of you?

So lets explore a way of using self talk (our internal dialogue) to think of a new way to make sense of thoughts and feelings in our mind.  Start to discuss with yourself the fact that ALL feelings will pass at some point.  How we feel about things WILL change over time.  Feelings you’ve had in the past (good and bad) have come and go.  They will come and go in the future.

If we are experiencing negative emotions just say to yourself “there we go - a negative emotion that’s probably linked to a thought.  It may pass if I change my focus.  If not then it will pass over time.”  On the converse be aware that when you are in a sense of flow and deep peace and happiness that this will also pass at some point.  Continue to celebrate and perpetuate the feeling of joy, but don’t be afraid that it may pass.  Just live in the now.

The simple acknowledgement that everything is transitory means we don’t feel as much disappointment when the good times wain.  We just know that they will return again at some point in the future.  All of us have experienced good and bad feelings in the past.  They come and go.  This is the key insight to feeling more balanced.

So next time you are meditating, take a moment to check in with your feelings.  Just be aware of them and let them manifest and flow.  Think of them like a tide on a beach through the changing seasons.  Like the sea, your emotional states come in and out with varying magnitudes in different weathers.  The only constant is that they will come and they will go.  Learn to dance in the rain and go surfing in the winter.  When summer comes enjoy it, even though other climates may be around the corner.  Be generally mindful and kind to yourself.  If you practice this we promise you will start to feel more balanced and whole.  Oh and don’t forget to…..

#respectyourtemple

Here's the link to the Goal Setting Article.  We invested a lot of time writing this one - so please check it out :-)

Do you need a #TempleDay?

We’ve been discussing progress with goals and resolutions recently with a number of clients.  Sometimes a great start and bags of enthusiasm can fade.  It’s a good idea to revaluate your progress if any feelings of disappointment or setbacks come up to prevent you from straying from the path you've set yourself.  We want you to learn to dance in the rain ;-)

When we set goals we mainly do so because of how we think it will make us feel on achieving them as well as how we will feel during the process of attaining them.  Occasionally we might set some milestones or general expectations in our goals that we don’t achieve as quickly as expected.  Alternatively we might not experience the feelings that we expected on achieving the goal.  It’s during these minor setbacks that the real power of your will comes to action to ensure you don’t fall into the trap of becoming distracted or giving up and returning to old disempowering habits.

It’s a set of behaviours that’s also associated with an “all or nothing” type of thinking seen in some people.  So we've created the idea of a #TempleDay to get those of you who are waining back on track to being and feeling awesome during your journey through life!!
The concept of a #TempleDay is to decide that today, tomorrow or some fixed date in the future will be a dedicated day where you enjoy focusing on your Strength Temple by being mindful of your #7Pillars.  For those of you new to The Strength Temple or our 7 Pillars philosophy let’s recap!

The Strength Temple is our name for your overall being!  Not just your physical body, but your feelings of wellness, energy, joy and abundance.  It’s how well you give to yourself and others.  We achieve results in our Strength Temple through focus on what we call our 7 Pillars.  The 7 Pillars are Movement, Hydration, Flexibility, Mindfulness, Nutrition, Environment and Breath.  We provide programs to allow progression to mastery in each of these areas and this journey creates an incredible life and sense of being!

So if you ever feel like you’re losing your direction try just dedicating a single day, or even a shorter period of time, such as a morning, to focusing on your 7 Pillars.  Let’s consider this in the form of an example to give you an idea.

Jane had been really excited at the turn of the year and had completed the Strength Temple Goal Setting workshop and set some really awesome goals for the year ahead.  These had focused on feeling fitter and healthier by taking up a gym membership and setting some goals around running a half marathon in July.  She got off to a great start and had been eating cleaner and gradually building her miles running.

After a few weeks and a very enthusiastic start, Jane started to find some of her new habits were becoming more of a chore than a pleasure.  She found she was getting bored running on the treadmill and had reverted back to snacking on the wrong foods whilst at work.  Feeling disheartened she began to skip running sessions and by the end of January had pretty much reverted back to her old lifestyle.

If any of this sounds familiar to anyone - that’s cool.  Much of what we need to do when setting goals is change old habits and this can be challenging!  The key is to modify any feelings of setback and find ways to refocus and remind yourself why you wanted to progress on a path to a better you in the first place.

We advised Jane to be mindful of her self talk (that little voice in your head that can sometimes chatter negativity at you!) and to have a #TempleDay.  She picked the coming Saturday and arranged to do a number of things that would allow some focus on her #7Pillars and bring her back in alignment with what she was looking to achieve.

From the moment she opened her eyes in the morning we reminded her to take deep cleansing breaths and gently stretch as she reminded herself of the gifts already present in her life.  She focused on the fact that she was warm and in a comfortable bed.  She reminded herself of the support of her family and friends and remembered how fortunate she was to be holidaying this year in France.  After reflecting for a moment, she woke and immediately made her bed.  This is a great habit to set yourself up for a productive day and reflects a sense of order in your environment.

She then progressed downstairs and started her day with her usual coffee, but included some freshly filtered water to drink when she woke up to feed her hydration pillar.  She showered using her favourite organic products chosen for their aromatherapy actions and prepared for a long walk in the countryside with her dog.

Jane chose a route that she hadn’t tried before and took some friends along for the walk.  She made a conscious effort to be aware of the wonders of nature around her and went for her walk at sunrise to experience the wildlife she didn’t usually get to see.  She focused on listening to birdsong and ensured that she maintained positive breathing techniques.  The walk wasn’t rushed.  It was an exercise in living in the moment and enjoying the pure energy of being alive!

On the way home from her walk she visited her father for tea and to pick up some fresh, organic produce from his vegetable garden.  Kale, Cavalier Nero, Carrots and Leaks were in season and on returning home she made herself a delicious green smoothie to kick start her day and pay attention to her nutrition pillar.

We had coached Jane in balancing her lifestyle with some new hobbies and not making everything about nutrition and exercise.  Jane went shopping to purchase some new books on upholstery and did some eBay browsing purchasing an old armchair as her first project.

During the afternoon she prepared a meal for a dinner party in the evening prior to going for a run.  She decided to ditch the gym for the day and run in the local park.  It delivered some variety to her training and she did some research locally to find some other new routes to maintain variety in the future.

Her evening dinner party was very well received.  Jane made a number of dishes from our Strength Temple clean eating programs and she enjoyed sharing the love with her family and friends.

So that was Jane’s #TempleDay.  Yours might be very different!  They key is to do something that will address as many of your pillars as possible and to make it a day of sticking to your plans. 
Who knows, you might eventually decide to make every day a #TempleDay ;-)

In the mean time, we wish you courage in your journey.  Celebrate the great progress you are making and don’t forget life isn’t perfect.  If you get distracted, have a #TempleDay and get yourself back on track.

With love.

#respectyourtemple

Setting Goals & Your Best Year Yet!

OK folks.  It's that time of year when we all jot down a load of New Year’s Resolutions.  There is something very powerful about the turn of the year from one to the next.  When we really think about it there’s nothing to stop us setting some goals on any day of the year, but this tradition or “habit” is a cultural one for many of us, and it is a great opportunity to start moving in a direction that is more powerful for you.

So how does it go for you?  Doe this sound familiar to anyone?  “What shall I go for this year?  Is that realistic?  Will I stick to that one?  I know - let's put "get fit....."

Well it is a VERY familiar goal.  The number of people that join the gym in a New Year is very significant.  You may have already seen the subliminal messages going out on social media and around you locally.  Special offers will abound for memberships.

So we guess what we’re trying to say is that this is a GREAT time to set some goals for the year ahead (but if you’re reading this in February there’s nothing to stop you taking control and following this advice on goal setting anyway)!

What is most frustrating for many people is getting past week 1 and sticking to their intentions!  We're here to tell you, that if you just make your list in a slightly different way, create some new habits and progress steadily with the right expectations, your chances of success are significantly higher than before.  So invest a little extra time in making your list this year, and really describe what you are GOING (not trying) to do in the year ahead :-)

The thing about goals are that you need to feel rewarded by their attainment, but you also need to be able to "enjoy the journey."  Many people split goals or resolutions down into a check list to make sure that they are suitable, and more motivational.

So get yourself some paper & pens, pencils, paint pots - whatever floats your boat.  The first thing we will do is a brainstorm of what you want to do.  It sounds obvious, but what you MUST do is write your goals / resolutions down! Take a good 10 minutes or more doing this.  Use different colours, put your favourite music on, turn up the volume, get right into it - remember it's YOUR life you're planning !

Make your ideas into a compelling list, draw pictures and doodles on them, make them fun - do whatever you like, but commit them to paper. Just write whatever comes into your head.  Do that first before you progress with this article.

You should have a good list.  Before we go to the next step, how does this make you feel? Just ponder on that for a moment and start to manifest how your life will be when you have achieved some or all of your goals!

Now take another colour pen (we like to use a big thick marker) and write H for High, M for Medium and L for Low Priority next to each one and rewrite the lists in High, Medium and Low Priority order.  Then for each list write Easy, Medium or Hard next to each specific resolution / goal. We want you to have a balanced list of resolutions.

Then we'd like you to pick your favourite Easy, Medium and Hard from each list, and start the exercise below with each of these.

Before we go on let’s just pause again for a second.  If this all feels like a lot of effort - have a word with your subconscious.  This is FUN.  You are planning a better you!  A more enjoyable life!  Really allow yourself to feel excited, and enjoy the process.

OK - for each of your favourite resolutions I would like to you apply the following technique to make sure that you have EFFECTIVE GOALS.  You may have done this before and it’s called the SMART technique.

SMART goals exhibit the following characteristics:

S - They are very Specific (a wider goal can be broken down into stages of achievement)
M - They are Measurable and have a means to track progress
A - They are Achievable
R - They are Realistic
T - They have a Time within which they will be achieved.

We want you to apply this to ALL of your goals.  To help you we’ve given an example of how to apply the SMART method to a common goal and one close to our heart - get fit!

GET FIT! can manifest itself in a New Years Resolution list in  a number of ways.  You could simply write - Get Fit.  Or you might write Join a Gym.

The problem with both of these is that Get Fit is not really specific enough.  Join a Gym may help you reach your goal, but there is no mention on how you will USE the gym.  You need to get specific.  So a good start might be:

"I will get fit this year.  This will make me feel healthier and give me more energy to accomplish my other goals.  It will give me a sense of achievement, and allow me to lose the 20 lb's I need to shift.  I will feel more confident, and will look great on the beach during my summer holiday.  My friends will comment on how well I am looking, and how my mood is elevated for more of the time."

Now that's specific!  You need to really understand your motivations for your goal (getting fit).  They will be different for different people.  Write them down so you are have a deep understanding of why you are going to do what you are planning.

So now we must make it measurable.  Specifically - how many times will you exercise per week.  What will you do and what do you see as the pitfalls in your plan?  How can you make preparations for when they occur, so you can stay motivated?  Also, getting “fit” isn’t just about exercise.  How will you modify your nutrition to feel amazing all the time and give your body the best building blocks for the new you? Write it all down.  Don’t forget you can go to www.testrengthtemple.com for advice on every element of wellbeing at anytime.  It’s still all Free as we build our community :-)

Remember - if you are not used to exercise, be kind to yourself in the early stages.  If you are not joining a gym, but going running, then start by walking and build up gradually.  There’s nothing worse for motivation than running off at the pace you remember you could the last time you excerecised to find you are in pain, a world of suffering and aching badly the next day.  Take your time.  There is no rush, just consistency and commitment that win the day with this one!

Please also choose some activities that you like!  It makes everything so much easier.  Recruit friends and family to join you too.  You will be helping others and getting that motivational boost you need by sharing your progress.

So you may be feeling really motivated and writing "I will attend the gym every day for a year”.  That’s commendable, BUT - be honest with yourself.  Is this Achievable and Realistic?  Will you have the time?  Is it a good idea and does it give you sufficient time for rest?  It's often better to set a goal that allows you to overachieve.  Why not set a goal to go twice per week?  There's nothing to stop you going five times and having a feeling of massive overachievement!  We would recommend that you write something like this.

"I will attend the gym at least 2 times per week on Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings.  As my training plan evolves, I will review this on a monthly basis.  If I manage to get to the gym in additional to this base commitment, then GREAT!  I will start with walking and progress steadily and enjoy the journey."

The above also includes an element of the T in Time.  It also allows some space for review and overachievement which will maintain your motivation and start to make your new lifestyle an empowering habit.

So let's go back to our original goal - Get Fit.  Well - another thing about goals, is that they work better if you have a target, and also if you have support.

How do you measure "Get Fit"?  It could be by weight loss.  It could be that you prepare for an event.  e.g. Run 5k, 10k, Run a marathon, do 50 press-ups, 100 press-ups, 1000 press-ups!  Choose your longer term goal, and aim for it.  Do another quick SMART check on it.  Is it realistic?  If it isn't at this point, then break it down.

There is NOTHING to say that you can't run 100k of you are committed to do so.  What you will need is patience and the ability to break this goal into more manageable chunks.  Aim for 1k.  Celebrate.  Then 3k - celebrate, then 5k etc.  You will get there in the end if you keep moving, are motivated and apply the principles above.  Also, if you decide that you want to change your goal, then change it!  As long as you are still on your path to “getting fit” then that’s great.

Finally - don't go for an "all or nothing" approach.  If you fail to hit any stage of your goal, it's a learning opportunity, not a failure or an EXCUSE to stop.  If you manage to get to the gym once in a week, revaluate your goal.  Why did you miss your target this week?  Do you need a friend to come with you for more motivation?  Are you getting bored?  If so change your exercise plan.  Variety is the key - don't just do the same thing week in week out - you will get bored.  All this should be fun!

So here is a summary and an example of a SMART goal to "get Fit".

"I will get fit this year.  This will make me feel healthier and give me more energy to accomplish my other goals.  It will give me a sense of achievement, and allow me to lose the 20 lb's I need to shift.  I will feel more confident and will look great on the beech during my summer holiday.  My friends will comment on how well I am looking and how my mood is elevated for more of the time.

My definition of fit is as follows.  I will lose 20lb's in weight slowly and healthily through exercise and moderation of my diet.  I’ll get my inspiration on a daily basis by researching my goal.  I will get inspiration from www.thestrengthtemple.comI will get my resting pulse rate down to 65 beats per minute.  I will train to compete in the local 10k run in September this year.

I will draw up a training plan on Monday and stick to this.  I will attend the gym at least 2 times per week, and take up Tennis and swimming to provide variety.  I will ask my friends to join me to provide a welcome social element to my training.

I will continuously check on a weekly basis that I am progressing toward my goal and will not be affected negatively by any setbacks, but will learn from them and change my plan to suit my needs.

When I achieve my goal, I will CELEBRATE,  evaluate the process, and see what worked and what didn't.  I will then be excited to set a new goal, and continue to enjoy the process and healthy habit of getting and being fit!"

Now apply this to your other goals.  DO NOT SKIP THIS PROCESS.

If you have chosen a goal you feel will be quite challenging (something like stopping smoking) then you can also draw on a very powerful technique we teach in this article:

Powerful Thought Game to Change your Future

We hope this has helped you.  If you feel that your friends would benefit, please send them a link to our article.

We want to help as many people as we can lead a happier more awesome life.  It's what gets us out of bed in the morning!  We can invest out time and do all our work in committing these techniques to our website, but it's so much more powerful if more people are exposed to it.  Just a quick click, cut and paste into Facebook or Instagram would be great, or use the share button at the bottom of this article.

Thank you in advance for sharing :-)

Have fun - and stick with it.  We'd love to hear your feedback, successes and setbacks.  You can do it.  We know you can :-)

In the coming year The Strength Temple will be releasing a number of programs to facilitate you progressing to an awesome life both physically and mentally.  Stay tuned for this by subscribing to our newsletter below.  We don't send loads of emails, just occasional summaries of our best content and we never share your data.

Our Director, Rich Davis used this technique to train for a Triathlon a few years ago.  Crossing the finishing line was an awesome feeling for him.  Here’s a picture we hope will inspire you to really commit to crossing your own finishing line - whatever that may look like.  Good luck and don’t forget. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

GO FOR IT!

#respectyourtemple

The Power of NO!

Well there’s an interesting title.  "No" is usually associated with bad people.  It’s something we don’t look forward to hearing as it means we’re not getting what we’ve asked for.  It’s used by people stopping our progress.  People who just aren’t team players; but HANG ON ONE SECOND!

The power of a kind, well placed and diplomatic no is one of life’s greatest lessons and it’s careful use can open a gateway for your growth and ultimately a better outcome for everyone.  Let’s explore how you can use this often underused word to make everyone happier in the end; most importantly YOU!

How do you feel when you think of the word “no”?  What does it mean to you?  It’s an interesting thought exercise as it has different meanings to different people.  Are you the person that finds it easy to say no?  Perhaps you’re using it in the wrong way, or too much?  If you’re the type of person who is run ragged and finds yourself putting off important personal things at the expense of helping others or keeping appointments, then you should probably use it more.

The thing is, it doesn’t have to be a negative thing.  It doesn’t have to mean you won’t do something or help someone.  It may just mean that you won’t be doing it in line with someone else’s agenda!

So consider this for a moment.  The next time someone asks you to do something, PAUSE.  Just take a moment before that habitual “Yes, OK” response and ask yourself a question.  Is it necessary to say yes right now?  Do I want to do this at all?  If I want to do this, shall I agree now, or shall I postpone to another time when it is more convenient for me?  By asking these questions it will interrupt your pattern of immediately saying yes, or feeling you have to say yes and give you an alternative outcome.

This may seem like basic simple stuff, but I’m telling you now it’s potentially life changing!  Very quickly you will find that you’re working more closely to your plans and still satisfying the stakeholders that matter in your life.  It’s a wonderful thing!

Another interesting result of saying no is that it opens up a potential negotiation.  If you start with no and the other party remains persistent in asking for your time, then try asking for something in return for a yes!   “OK, I’ll do that for you, but it means I’ll fall behind with another project.  Could you do me a favour and organise a meeting with the team so we can delegate some tasks?”  If you start with no then you might get a little more balance in the transaction.

Try some of these things in the week ahead and let us know how you get on.  Repetition is the mother of skill, so we recommend you practice often by saying no :-)

• A great place to start is to decide what you’d like to achieve in the next few weeks.  All those things that you just don’t have time for.  It might be visiting family, going on a date, getting your hair cut, going to the gym, doing your Christmas shopping, cooking yourself and your partner or family a fresh meal.  Have fun with it and make a list.  You’re going to get to do all these things and having a clear picture of the outcome of your new habit will provide leverage and allow you to better follow through with the experiment.
   
• Book your activities into your diary.  If in two weeks time you  have decided to visit your friend in Scotland for 3 days, then book it in.  If something comes up that conflicts, you know what to do.  Just say no.  How did that feel?
   
• If someone asks if you can meet them to go through a proposal or idea at work make sure it’s on your terms.  If you can’t do it because you have other commitments, politely give them a time when it IS convenient.  If they can’t make that appointment then just say no.  See what happens!
   
• If you’ve got children you might be familiar with this already!  If they ask for something, say no.  If they are persistent then negotiate by saying they can have what they want if they….. clean their room, do the vacuuming, mow the lawn, clean the car.  It delivers a clear lesson that there is value in any personal transaction and it will assist them in later life.  It might even turn them into a top negotiator!

Often people who habitually say yes are taken advantage of by some individuals.  If someone asks you for something and you’d really rather not do it, SAY NO!  This is one of the hardest ones for many people (whilst others find it extremely easy).  You may be surprised at the other person's response.  Stick to your guns.

In the end if what we’ve done is to raise awareness of the fact that you can say no and give yourself some time to do the things your want and need to do, then it’s served it’s purpose.  If it’s given you food for thought, then our mission is accomplished.  Just don’t forget!

Finally I just thought I’d share something.  This lesson crystalised after an opportunity came by for me to catch up with the legend Chaz Davies.  For those who don’t know Chaz, he’s a World Superbike rider (Aruba.it Ducati Team) and an incredible human being.

My schedule was super hectic and I was really struggling with my inner dialogue around trying to make time for the adventure to visit Chaz at his home in Wales.  It meant that I would have to say NO to a number of people and projects and I was really struggling with the whole process.  In the end I made the right decision to say no and arrange to make the long journey into the countryside.

Arriving at Chaz’s extreme sports playground, you are spoilt for choice on what toys to ride, starting the days with a highland cross country runs chasing the sheep around, then ending with a endurance trials bike challenges through his private woodland… Needless to say this was one of the best action packed weekends I’d ever experienced.

In years to come I will not remember the things I thought were urgent, but I’ll never forget that time with my mate riding our bikes and just loving life.

Try saying no a little more often and see what happens.  It’s LIBERATING!

#respectyourtemple

Anchors & Healthy Chocolate Thick Shakes!

Interview with Shona Vertue on Anchors and her Thick Choc Shake for health!

TST “So Shona.  Great to have you with us today.  We want to explore anchors and how they may affect our eating on a subconscious level.  Tell us about some of your food memories from when you were at school."

Shona "Well, when I was little, one of my favourite things to do with my Dad was to have a Chocolate thick shake from Macdonald's. I became really attached to this Thick Shake because it reminded me of the time I would spend with Dad. It was comfort food."

TST “Ok, so that’s a perfect example of how we can create anchors which associate a particular thing with a feeling.  Over time this can mean that we crave that thing when we need to go to that same feeling.  Do you still drink them?"

Shona “Well I gave up MacDonalds some time ago, and I have to say it’s the only thing I really missed.  I guess it’s because of the thoughts of the great times I had with my father.  I think I was searching for comfort, but I found that replacing it with something better for me hit all the Anchors and kept me healthier and feeling better."

TST “OK cool!  So you effectively used the anchor that you’d already developed, but replaced the old habit with an empowering new one?"

Shona “Yes, that’s right.  I invented my own recipe for a thick chocolate milkshake and I have to say I actually prefer it to the old one so it’s a massive step forwards.  I still get the lovely smooth chocolate hit and feelings of comfort, but also some great fuel for my body which doesn’t have the crash effect of the old version packed with processed sugars."

TST “Thank you Shona.  So it’s a great lesson for all of us.  When you crave a certain food, just stop to think for a moment why that might be happening.  What feelings are you craving?  Try and find another “vehicle” to satisfy your needs.  This can be a food, but it can also be a number of other activities or things.  Maybe even a nice glass of filtered water to replace a bad habit.  Perhaps go for a walk in the fresh air.  Or invent your own healthier version like Shona did!

Here’s Shona’s recipe for her Healthy Thick Chocolate Shake.  We’ve tried it and it comes highly recommended.  As usual go organic with all your ingredients and enjoy!"

MacShona's Thick Superfood Shake

1/2 - 1 Avocado (depending on size)

1 Tablespoon Raw Cacao Powder

1 ripe Banana

1 cup rice or oat milk (maybe more if you like a more runny consistency)

1 teaspoon Manuka Honey (If you like it a little sweeter try adding a couple of dates as well)

3-5 Ice Cubes

Sprinkle of Bee Pollen

Place everything in a good quality blender and hey presto!  MacShona’s thick Superfood Shake.

Shona Vertue xx

#respectyourtemple

Powerful Thought Game to Transform Your Future!

The first time I did this my goal was to get out of rented accommodation and into my own home.  I didn’t think I had the financial capacity to do it and it was really getting me down.

Within 2 weeks I’d found a new home and placed an offer that was accepted. I also used it to stop smoking and change my career.  This stuff works!

A good way to really take some action towards something is to momentarily  consider what would happen if you don't.  Think of something you really want to change.  It could be anything - your fitness level, your finances, your relationship with someone (existing or imagined!), your diet, smoking, drinking or anything at all really!

Now, the following process can can feel a little emotionally painful in places, but it's worth it and will allow you to shed your fear and live in the now.  It's also important when doing this exercise to make sure you have a good half an hour of no interruptions.  Turn your phone off.  Find a quiet place.  Make sure you are comfortable.  It's a kind of meditation, and so light a candle if that's your thing, and get yourself centred.  If you can’t do it now, book some time in your diary for later and look forward to it!

Preparation is the key. Put all of this in place before you read on, or this won't work.  I want you to do this properly, and this will take me some time to write and explain, so return my investment in you by doing exactly as I ask, and don't cheat.  You will be rewarded at the end for your honesty.

The process requires you to stop at times. When I write PAUSE, do what I have asked, and don't read on until you have done this.  Promise me.  Don’t cheat yourself out of a better result.  It will work so much better if you follow these instructions to the letter.  After the pause there will be a long blank section to stop the temptation to read on before time.  When you are ready just scroll through these sections to the next stage.

OK - So have you prepared??  If you haven't PLEASE DON'T READ ON.  Get yourself set up.

I'm assuming that you're ready and have done all I asked.  I respect you for this, and wish you an interesting and enlightening journey. Let's begin. Be prepared to feel all the emotion associated with it.  I promise you will feel great at the end and have more clarity.

START

Sit quietly on your own with no distrations. Now consider your life where you are now. Really think about your current situation, the current thing you either don't have, or behaviour you would like to change, and allow yourself to "feel" everything.  Take a couple of minutes, don't rush.  How do you feel about this thing?  Breathe deeply.

PAUSE - do this then scroll down to the next part...

OK. Once you are focused on this, you need to consider what you want.

I want you to focus on this for a minute, and more importantly the perfect scenario. Imagine a balanced life.  Imagine you have changed the bahavious you want to change, or achieved the goal you imagine.  Close your eyes and focus using pictures - make them colour, sounds, smells, touch and taste. This process uses what's called the "theatre of your mind". There are no rules, no restrictions, it's all up to you to make it real.  Really take time to describe this to yourself as if it’s happened.

PAUSE do this then scroll down to the next part...

Have you done this? If you haven't thought about the perfect situation go back and start over - it won’t work properly unless you do this exactly as I describe.

If you are still being good, awesome.  Enlightenment is round the corner!  Does it almost seem real because you ave taken the time to really feel it, and imagine it with colour, sound, smell - everything? 

Good - Now for the more difficult part.

In a minute, I want you to close your eyes again, and see yourself in 1 years time WITHOUT what you wanted to happen.  Not just the actual habit or thing, but all of the things you would have missed out on, or how your energy levels will still be low.  I want you to really FEEL how things are with nothing changing. Use all your senses again. OK do this now.

PAUSE do this then scroll down to the next part...

Have you done it? If you haven't stop right now and do it bofore reading on.

OK. Now I need you to do the same thing, but forward yourself 5 years into the future.  You still haven't changed, or achieved the thing you wanted.  How old are you now?  What are you doing?  What is missing in your life because you haven't simply gone for it?  Do you have any regrets?  Really feel it. Don't skip the steps.  Do this now for a minute or so.

PAUSE do this then scroll down to the next part...

OK. Now launch yourself 10 years into the future and do this again.  What has happened.  How is your physical body and health.  What are you doing?  What have you missed out on.  What are your wider friends and family doing?  What do they think of you?  Again for a minute or so close your eyes and really FEEL the situation like you are there 10 years from now.

PAUSE do this then scroll down to the next part...

OK. I should think you're feeling pretty rubbish by now, so lets really raise the bar. I want you to project your life 25 years into the future.  This will be hard, but really see yourself without what you want.  Where are you.  What do you look like.  What have you missed out on?  Are you happy?  Do this for a minute or so, and use all your senses.

PAUSE do this then scroll down to the next part...

OK.  I am sorry to have had to do that to you. It will be more than worth it though.  The thing is:

NONE OF THAT HAS HAPPENED

Feel relief. Feel thankful for your current situation and that you have the opportunity and power to bring any change in your life you desire.  Bring yourself back to the present.  Breathe deeply and give yourself the opportunity to take another look at your future.  This bit is amazing.  Take your time before you start, because you have just gone through quite alot.  Have a sip of water or something.  Breathe for a while and feel relaxed in your surroundings and body.  All that stuff hasn't happened, so let's design your future the way it WILL AND SHOULD BE!

So you've thrown away all of the future you just envisaged - BIN IT!!  Lets do this again.  This time, FEEL everything in the theatre of your mind for what would be going on in your life if you go for what you want or change what you need to change.  In 1 year from now, if you have that perfect relationship, what are you doing?  If you have decided to change your diet and take regular exercise how do you look and feel, what are your energy levels like?  Where are you?  Give this some thought for a minute and close your eyes.

PAUSE do this then scroll down to the next part...

You guessed it - starting to feel a little better.  Now it gets better and better.  5 years get's a chance now. Do it again. Don't skip the steps.  Really take time to enjoy the feelings that you are experiencing having achieved what you wanted.  If it was a new relationship - are you married (if that's what you wanted)?  Do you have children.  What do they look like.  If you wanted a new house - where are you living.  What is everyone doing around you in your new life? Feel everything. Get into minute details. Don't hold back.

PAUSE do this then scroll down to the next part...

OK - That's great, now let's go for ten years. Don't rush this. Have a good look at yourself. It's tempting to rush at this point, but really take time to experience your new life as it will happen. What are you up to now??? Did you stop smoking or drinking?  Where have you been travelling to in the world?  Amazing! Take as long as you want.

PAUSE do this then scroll down to the next part...

GREAT! Now let's go for the big one. 25 years from now in your desired situation how do you feel?  Is there a picture of you on holiday somewhere on the wall? Feeling great, looking fantastic; amazing?  Think of EVERYTHING. Take as long as you want and enjoy and relish in the experience!

PAUSE do this then scroll down to the next part...

Right - bring yourself slowly and gently back in time to the present.  Have a think for a minute about the two scenarios you have just allowed yourself to consider. The ying and yang of your future if you will. One - not what you want, the other - what you are perfectly capable of. Which one do you want to focus on and do everything in your power to go for and attract?

You might want to try this exercise with a friend if they have an open mind and are perceptive to it.  There is a share button at the bottom of the post.  We’d love to impact on as many people as possible to reach their dreams.  Please spread the word.

If I were you I'd sit and reflect for a while. Feel content in your power to design your future. You really have all you need to make it what you want.  Just don't be afraid to go for stuff.  If you get hurt or knocked back, what the heck.  All you have is a lesson in how not to get there, so try something else.  It's not what you know - it's what you do.

If you don't make mistakes, you won't make anything, and your life will rush away from you.  The past does NOT equal the future.  You have the power to go for what ever you want, and it starts right now.

Oh - and don't rush, enjoy the journey :-)

#respectyourtemple

Rich 

Mindfulness, Anchors & Peak Performance on demand

I’m at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend.  I’ve been here for the last few weeks working with some awesome people and getting their game just right for the incredible sport of Motor Racing.

Teams at this level invest significantly in every 100th of a second.  It’s apparent from the sheer obsessive attention to detail of the people involved that they leave no stone unturned and no technique is omitted in their goal of the perfect race.

Clearly the car has a large amount to do with this, as do the teams with their carefully honed skills in pit discipline for tyre changes and telemetry analysis, but it’s the driver that I’ve been focusing on.

There are many lessons to be derived from elite athletes and one of the areas I’d like to discuss is Mindfulness and Anchoring.

Mindfulness is defined as the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something, or a mental state achieved by focusing ones attention on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting ones feelings, thoughts and bodily sensations.

Focusing on achieving mindfulness can also produce a state where we feel what’s commonly described as “flow.”  Flow is the state where your senses are heightened and you are able to focus on the task at hand with what feels like 110% of your brain.  It’s this state of “flow” that we look for when coaching our clients, and we are careful to build anchors for them to allow a rapid return to that state when it’s needed most.

So anchors are a fascinating thing.  Let’s just take a quick look at them before we go into a technique for getting into your flow at will.  Have you ever heard a song on the radio from years ago that immediately teleported you back to that place where you experienced feelings of that time in your life?  Sometimes the sensations are so acute that they can come as a bit of a surprise as memories come flooding back to the present.  Other people mention a smell that they experience like candy floss (cotton candy for our US brothers and sisters) that takes them back to a fairground experience as a child.  These types of sensations and emotions can be positive or negative.  What you’re experiencing is an anchor.

The interesting thing is that we can create anchors on purpose that can act as empowering levers delivering top performance in a desired situation.  These anchors can take various forms from rituals to a physical act or a set of words and the key to their success in their consistent use at the right time.

Our Pillar on Mindfulness takes you through a full process for developing anchors, but for the sake of this article try this.

Find a routine that’s easy to do when you feel you are in a peak state of “flow."  Something like pinching your ear lobe.  Make sure it’s something unusual that you must mindfully do.  Something you wouldn’t do by accident.  Each time you feel in that state of flow in your life be sure to be mindful of this moment and activate your chosen anchor (e.g. pinch your ear lobe.)  You must constantly do this so it becomes a habit.  If you do this consistently, in time simply pinching your ear lobe will evoke the same  feelings and with practice it can be of the same magnitude.

Some of the people I’ve been training with in the last few weeks have anchors.  They may or may not be aware of them.  Sometimes what we might call “natural” athletes and high performance individuals have just stumbled on the technique by accident if it’s not directly taught.  I love it when I see it happening as they enter that state of flow.  It's a wonderful thing.

I’d like to encourage you to research the topic more.  It’s fascinating and can give you that extra edge required when the race starts or the business meeting kicks off.  Let us know how you get on - we love hearing from people on how they apply our techniques.
 
So until next time have an awesome and mindful day and don’t forget to.......

#respectyourtemple.
 

Are you a Human Being or a Human Doing?

Let’s just pause to think about this statement for a moment.  Does it leave you feeling like you might have missed a trick?

I don’t want to define this statement too much as I want it to be more of a process of pondering and thought rather than a lesson delivered on a plate.

I suppose it’s a little like looking at abstract art.  Your interpretation of a piece of art may be entirely different from someone else.  Does that make either of you wrong?

I guess one thing I will say is that there is a message in here about mindfulness.  Mindfulness is defined as “the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something” and “a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging one’s feelings, thoughts and body sensations."

I think for me a Human Being is more mindful and not on autopilot.  We’d love to hear what this means to you.

Have a Mindful day.

#respectyourtemple
 

Comfort zones and growth

Before you read this, just take a second to evaluate where you are on a scale of 1-10 with regards to getting out of your comfort zone?  Don't take too long, but evaluate where you are.  Got your score?  Great, lets crack on then!

So everyone’s heard of the Comfort Zone.  It’s that place where we don’t feel pushed or stressed by an activity or situation.  We handle it with ease and it’s where some people assume they do their best work.

So what does your comfort zone really look and FEEL like?  After you’ve read this paragraph, close your eyes and see if you can GO to your comfort zone.  Pay attention to the colours that predominate, the sounds that you might hear, the smells that might be present.  What does the place look like?  What do you see?  Is there anyone or anything else there.  What’s the temperature?  Indulge yourself and really take a moment to enjoy what this feels like.  OK, so off you go, close your eyes.  Stay there for as long as you like.  Then come back to me :-)

So how do you feel right now?  I bet you feel quite centred and relaxed and that's because being in your comfort zone is a good thing.  I’m not going to tell you it’s not.  The thing is, life is all about balance.  We NEED comfort in our lives, but we also need to feel stretched and pushed.  That’s right, it’s not just a "nice to have" or an option, we actually NEED to feel challenged.  It’s what creates growth and is part of feeling fulfilled and happy.

Tony Robins (widely considered to be one of the best coaches on the planet) refers to this as the human paradox.  We have a NEED for CERTAINTY and a NEED for UNCERTAINTY.

Reflect on this for a moment and let it resonate with you.  If this is a revelation for you - enjoy the insight and get ready to understand how we can actually enjoy this process, because whilst your comfort zone is great, it’s when we get outside of this area that the magic happens.

The key to getting outside involves a number of things based on your current situation.  The mere thought of getting out of your comfort zone can feel quite exciting to one person and yet fill another with dread and fear.  This is based on how you define these actions internally in the theatre of your mind, and how you anchor them to past experiences.

Moving outside is a bit like stretching your muscles.  If you aren’t used to it you should start gently and gradually.  As time goes on you will start to feel the benefits and can go a little further.  Over time you will suddenly realise that you are so far removed from where you were that it’s miraculous!

This applies to your personal situation as well as your career.  How many people do you know (perhaps even yourself) who have been made redundant only to find that they land a better job?  How many time in your life have you eventually been forced to take action on something only to find that things were better after you did?  You see your comfort zone can be a death rattle for progress if you're not careful.  We recommend you regularly take time to evaluate where you are and make plans to stretch yourself and grow.  Just small steps can expand your zone sufficiently to achieve growth.

The Strength Temple Mindfulness Pilar deals extensively with techniques to move you to a wider comfort zone in a staged way.  If you’d like to hear more let us send you cool stuff here.  We’ll let you know when our online program is ready to rock your world and take you to a whole new destination within your expanded comfort zone.

In the mean time, let’s revisit how you feel about the thought of pushing yourself and getting out of your comfort zone; are you motivated?  On that scale of 1-10 where are you now?

We always say at The Strength Temple that you should never leave an empowering thought or insight without taking action to progress what you’ve learned.  Why don’t you make some plans right now to do that little thing that expands your comfort zone.

With love from The Strength Temple.

#respectyourtemple

Surprise Yourself

When we first posted this picture to Instagram the response was quite overwhelming.  We all chuckle about it now, but it does look a bit extreme.  Comments flew in.... "That's photoshopped!"   and "How is that possible?"  "Where are the wires?"

Well it's real and we had to take a video of our founding Director, Richie Norton, actually doing this to prove that there were no smoke or mirrors involved.

So what's the message?  Well, you shouldn't expect to look at a picture like this and think that you can do it right away - although that may well be the case :-)  It has taken a good deal of investment in Richie's mind and body to allow him to perform this move.  Richie didn't train for this move, but being able to do it is a result of his training and we think that's a key to success at many levels.

The point we're trying to make is that if you put in the investment and create healthy habits that empower you to be better every day then the results you are looking for become happy side effects.  You actually don't even end up feeling like you've "worked" for them as they are just part of your lifestyle.

So check in with yourself, have a board meeting with your internal CEO, and decide to make some small changes today to take you in the direction you desire.  You don't have to go "all in" straight away.  In fact, it's probably more sustainable if you don't.  If a boat changes course by just two degrees and sails away, the difference in the end destination is massive in a week and unfathomable in a month.  Oh, and if you hit a problem, change your direction.  Calm seas never made the best sailors!

Go on and do yourself a favour.  SURPRISE YOURSELF!

#respectyourtemple