Written by: George Thorman, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Marriage is hard. Parenting is even harder. When you’re trying to do both at the same time, it can be difficult to balance competing priorities and maintain quality relationships. Knowing how to manage the dynamics of emotional connection and the science behind them can lead to a stronger marriage and a more fulfilled family. Married Doctors John and Julie Gottman have dedicated their lives to researching what makes marriages successful and what causes them to fail. They have studied over 40,000 couples ‒ some for as long as twenty years ‒ and can predict with 94% accuracy whether a couple will stay together. One of the biggest indicators is the couple’s response to what the Gottmanns termed “bids”. What is a bid in a relationship? Bids are the reaching out from one partner to the other for attention, affection, humor, or support. The partner can either turn toward the bid for a positive interaction that keeps the love flowing, they can ignore the bid, or they can turn away creating a negative interaction that erodes trust and connection. Couples who stayed together happily responded positively to each other’s bids 86% of the time. For couples that divorced that average was down to 33%. In other words, when your partner tries to connect with you by making a bid, turn toward them. Answering a bid seems like a very simple thing to do, but try adding in children. An astonishing 67% of new parents experience a significant drop in relationship satisfaction during the first three years of their baby’s life. If you have a child under 10, especially more than one, you’ll find yourself in a juggling act. You’ve got work, grocery shopping, dinner, bath time, dishes, laundry, the dog needs to go out, bids from your child, friends, Mark Zuckerberg, that new episode of your favorite show. Now your spouse wants something, too. There are so many things making bids for our attention that we end up with what I call “bid exhaustion”. This constant stream of demand creates a feeling of burnout. It gets easier to check out than check-in. Our relationships suffer for it. Not just marriage, but your ability to answer the bids from your child as well. It’s common to see parents give their children’s bids priority over their partner’s. It’s our biological imperative. However, this can cause one partner to feel hurt or snubbed when the other responds to their children’s bids instead of theirs. Those feelings can lead to disconnection and resentment. The time and consideration we give to our children often takes away from the time and emotional availability that we have for our partners. So what can we do to connect with our spouse and still be loving, attentive parents? Answer your partner’s bids It can be easy to miss subtle bids or blow them off when you feel busy or overwhelmed. Acknowledging your partner can go a long way to building trust and connection between you. Instead of“I’m doing something right now”, try “I need about 10 minutes to finish this and then I’d love to give you my attention”. Make bids often Do you consciously attempt to connect with your partner throughout the day? It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture. Whether it’s a lunch hour text of a kissing emoji, taking them out on date night, sharing a story from your day, or kissing them goodnight, it’s good to give your spouse lots of opportunities to respond to your bids. Make sure you are on the same page Have open communication about your bid boundaries. It’s okay to specify a time when you’d like to be with them uninterrupted, like a weekly date night. Or let them know that you’d prefer to finish the conversation you were having before they help your daughter with her homework. It can help to clue your child in, too. “The parents are having a talk right now, but we’d be happy to help you with that when we are done." Creating a daily “bid free time” Even if it’s only for 15 minutes, create some time and space that is just yours. Make sure you are practicing good self-care. Support your partner in practicing good self-care, too. If you can fit in some quality one-on-one child with your child to take them to soccer practice or read them a book, your partner can use that as their bid free time. And vice versa. Creating quality time for your marriage is the key to long-lasting happiness. It can be difficult to make space for that during the early parenting years, particularly before children are school-aged. However, you can more easily maintain your marriage through the child-rearing years by staying connected to your spouse through bids and responses. Try starting with, “Hey honey, did you see this article?” Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and visit my website for more info! Read more from George! George Thorman, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Have you ever met a woman named George before? No? Then George Thorman has already changed your life. Helping people change their lives wasn't what she set out to do, but after EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) helped her heal severe PTSD she knew she wanted to use it to help others. Since 2011 George has been facilitating personal development through her work as a Thetahealing Master, EFT Practitioner, and Optimize Coach. George's mission is to help people become the best version of themselves. Though she has called many cities and countries home over the years, these days you'll find her in Kansas City, Missouri, USA with her husband, son, and pets.

Written by: Flora Bami, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Do you have a coach? Athletes have coaches. Musicians have coaches. Leaders have coaches. When you start to look, you’ll find that pretty much anyone at the top of their game has a coach – it’s often what separates the good from the great. Coaching is a partnership between a coach and a coachee that builds the coachee’s ability to observe and select appropriate actions to maximize their personal and professional potential. Coaching is a symbiotic relationship and mutually beneficial interaction. A coach provides space and structure for the reflection that is necessary for learning and growth. They help you understand what your values are and where your actions diverge from your values or stated goals. A good coach can help you reconnect with what you love about your life and your work. Coaching is not a remedial procedure, it’s a developmental investment. The most successful people in our world take their personal growth seriously and make sure that they have a coach to support their development at a physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual level. You can be a successful professional, a great friend, and partner but you can become even better by building awareness of yourself, your “algorithm”, the way you have been programmed, your limiting beliefs, etc. Self-awareness is an endless lifelong beautiful fascinating journey. The desire to be coached comes from a space of self-love, self-worth, and genuine curiosity. “Everyone needs a coach. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a basketball player, a tennis player, a gymnast, or a bridge player. We all need people who will give us feedback. That’s how we improve.” ‒Bill Gates Interestingly the point he highlights and the one characteristic common to all high-performing individuals, from executives to athletes is the fact that they all have a coach. Good coaching provides actionable insight and opportunity for growth based on specific areas you wish to improve; Its purpose must be clear, and the success criteria are set. But not by a coach, by you. Coaching is the mechanism to help you achieve the success you define for yourself; the coach is the ally that helps get you there. How? By challenging your thinking, making you consider better questions or different world views, helping you understand your own blockers to success, being fully present for you, and listening to you with zero judgment. Who else does that for us? Coaching helps you break through these barriers, empowering you to be the expert of your own success. So why everyone needs a coach? A coach sees the potential and greatness in you, even when you don’t. A good coach challenges you to think bigger and do better. They’ll remind you of your potential and resourcefulness when you’re hitting roadblocks. When you’re feeling like a failure, burned out, or overwhelmed, a coach will reconnect you to your vision and your “why” to relight that fire. Working with a coach helps give you space and structure to think. In our culture, everyone seems to be going, going, going with packed schedules and endless meetings. Have you ever thought, “I could do amazing things if I just had the space and time to think and reflect!”? When you work with a coach, you have dedicated thinking time, plus an experienced thought partner who asks the right challenging questions and offers the right guidance to help your thinking time be as productive as possible. A coach can help you get out of your comfort zone. Whether it’s limiting beliefs or self-sabotaging behaviors, chances are you are part of the problem you want to solve. Which is a good thing because we can’t change others, but we can change ourselves. A coach helps shed light on times when your assumptions, subconscious beliefs, thought processes, habits, or other behaviors are getting in the way of what you want to accomplish. Working with a coach helps give you a different perspective. Sometimes, we’re so close to a situation that a solution could be right in front of us and we wouldn’t see it. Other times, you need to get out of your bubble and think differently about an issue. Having a coach can solve all of these things – they can help you zoom in, zoom out, visualize possibilities and identify areas of opportunity. A coach will support you integrally by accessing not only your mind but also your heart, body and spirit ‒ and this is how and when the magic happens. A coach can help you find new and creative pathways to success ‒ your success. A coach works with you to identify the best path to get from where you are to where you want to be, how to overcome the obstacles you encounter when it makes sense to take a detour, and which skills you need to build over time. Sometimes, what you need is a roadmap. What have others done in this area that has been successful (or not)? With a good coach, you can get a roadmap that makes your journey one you’re excited to take. A coach is a dedicated listener (and everyone needs one of those in their lives). One of the most important roles a coach plays is a dedicated listener. If you’ve never had the experience of someone listening to you – really, truly, deeply listening without judgment and with no other purpose than to understand you – it’s life-changing. Unfortunately, most humans aren’t taught to be good listeners, but it’s something we all need. Some of my most meaningful personal coaching sessions have been when I have felt overwhelmed and emotionally drained, and my coach just listened. Talking to your coach can be like releasing pressure and overwhelming emotions. It allows you to vent, center yourself, and come to a place of calm and thoughtfulness. You’ll see things in a new light and be intentional about your next move. A coach facilitates the development of personal or professional objectives. The coach doesn’t provide you with the answers to a challenge or even tell you what to do. Instead, the coach acts as a facilitator to help you ask better questions and explore your own answers. They serve as a guide while you create a plan, define outcomes, and experiment to move your thinking forward. “Life coaching is truly its own unique service designed to help ambitious achievers meet the outcomes that will bring them Success and Fulfillment” ‒ Tony Robbins Becoming a coach and having a coach, has improved immensely my personal and professional life, made my purpose in life clear and inspiring, radically changed my relationship with myself and others, and made me fall in love with the process of self-discovery, becoming unstoppable and living with inner peace. My long-term vision is that coaching becomes as normal and as indispensable as running water, electricity, and WiFi in every family, workplace, business, school, university, and public service. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Flora! Flora Bami, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Flora Bami is an optimist, an experienced and passionate integral coach, with expertise in life, mindset, relationships, and wellbeing coaching. Her main focus is on making your relationship with yourself healthier and reframing your inner voice based on self-love, acceptance, and compassion. Her mission in life is to support people in their life journey to reach their potential and feel better and happier through individual coaching and setting up wellbeing programs in big organizations. Better people, better world! Happier people, happier world! After going through a deep transformation herself and turning trauma into a gift, she dedicated her life to supporting people reconnecting with their true selves.

Christopher Ashton is a thought leader and truth seeker in all matters pertaining to improving health in individuals, organizations and populations. Educated in engineering physics, medicine and business finance, Christopher is able to connect the dots in multidisciplinary, complex scenarios in a manner few other persons can. Driven by the belief that answers always exist, he is currently making sense of previously incomprehensible human decisions from an organic, scientific basis. His personal goal, create something so creative and discover new truths worthy of consideration for a Nobel prize. Dr. Christopher Ashton, Program designer/ Consultant Introduce yourself! Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better. I’m considered a multidisciplinarian with education and practice in engineering physics, medicine and business finance. I’ve worked for myself for virtually my entire career; for most of the past 15 years, I’ve considered myself ‘unemployable’ especially now given my age. Nonetheless, I’ve had the privilege of working coast to coast to coast in Canada from the executive boardrooms to the front lines, positively impacting people’s health. Yet, I am an ordinary person that loves the outdoors, hunting and fishing and exploring, hearing stories from my elders, laughing and loving. What is your business name and how do you help your clients? My business name since 2006 is HarbourFront Health Group, started in Toronto in the neighbourhood of the same name. I help where others can’t through rigorously seeking the truth (as best I can), connecting the dots across disciplines and inspiring solutions that have been deemed ‘miraculous,’ ‘lifesaving’ and ‘brilliant. What are your current goals for your business? I would like my current work to be a ‘disruptive technology’ in its current space. I’m sure it will be; I’m just first. What would you like to achieve for yourself and your business in the future? I have no goals, just a life-long inner drive to do the right thing on the planet in this short journey. I’d be happy to be a full-time researcher but, in many senses, I already am. Who inspires you to be the best that you can be? Muhammad Ali will remain as my internal role-model. Despite seemingly impossible challenges and challengers, his faith in himself prevailed. I’m also a boxing fan and was pretty good at the sport once upon a time. What is your work inspired by? Mother Teresa inspires me to ‘do it anyways.’ I’m often internally confronted with a new truth that I know is going to go through some often savage criticism and will come at an energy and economic cost to me. I do it anyways. Tell us about your greatest career achievement so far. I figured out what support groups told me was impossible to do: I know the organic basis of most of the complexity of addiction and the science of recovery (what to expect so one can handle episodic ‘craziness’). If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be and why? I’m truly torn by my current industry. I see little evidence of actual understanding of the issue at hand, yet the myths are so entrenched in society, very good revenues can be gained with proper marketing of things that don’t really work. More often than not, the overall effect of residential ‘treatment’ can be negative. Relapse after treatment physiologically makes the next attempt at getting clean and sober harder and with more longer term personality changes. It's awful having this ‘knowing’ of what we’re truly dealing with, yet having to compete against more established, even branded centers with major marketing dollars. But I ‘do it anyways.’ Tell us about a pivotal moment in your life that brought you to where you are today. I don’t believe in ‘pivotal moments.’ To me that’s one of the societal fallacies designed to keep us ‘looking inside’ for discrete solutions that don’t exist. I specialize in science of the limbic system: emotions, thought, actions, memory. Except for true PTSD (which is another matter entirely), our reality today is the result of a developmental process that starts when sperm meets egg. Follow me on LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Dr. Christopher!

Written by: Kamini Wood, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Whether you want to achieve goals, make better decisions, or stop unhelpful habits, you may want to hire a life coach to help you with your personal and professional goals, personal growth, and life transitions. All of us can use support and guidance from a professional, whether it is a life coach, relationship coach, career coach, or wellness coach. A life coach can help you reach a new level of success and satisfaction, teaching you practical strategies and tools you need to achieve important goals and improve your life. What Qualities Make a Good Life Coach? A good life coach will become your guide and mentor, helping you change your mindset to growth, raise resilience, and achieve your goals. All great life coaches should have certain qualities. First of all, make sure that you find a reliable life coach who you can trust to monitor your progress and provide feedback. Your life coach should also be a good listener, willing to pay attention to your needs and understand you completely. He or she should always challenge you to step out of your comfort zone and change and support you when you feel discouraged. Guidelines for Choosing a Qualified Life Coach 1. Hire a Life Coach that Understands You Choose a life coach that understands your strengths and your weaknesses. Most of us hire a life coach because we want to improve and grow. Choose a life coach who understands your goals and which areas of your life you want to change or improve. The best life coach will give your confidence a boost and assure you that they can help you progress and grow. 2. Seek a Thoroughly Trained and Certified Life Coach Anyone can call themselves a life coach these days. However, coaching is based on scientific research. A good coach uses evidence-based strategies in their work, so they need to go through a comprehensive training program. Therefore, make sure to hire a coach who has been through a coach training program. There are certain standards and ethics that must be upheld when providing coaching and mentoring services. 3. Choose a Coach whose Coaching Style Fits Your Needs Each life coach works differently based on their training, orientation, and personality. So, ask your prospective coach about their coaching style and then decide whether that style matches your needs. Think about coaching methodologies, technologies, and activities you are looking for. Ask your potential life coach how they will accommodate this 4. See It As An Investment In Yourself Hiring a life coach means investing in yourself and your future. Ensure that you are ready to invest your time, energy, and money into your growth. Ultimately, it will be up to you whether the investment was worth it. Most life coaches offer a free consultation which is an excellent opportunity to consider whether they match your needs. My approach to my coaching practice is to always be authentic as possible. That’s why I make it clear who I work with and who my coaching may not be a fit for. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit my website for more info! Read more from Kamini! Kamini Wood, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Kamini Wood is the founder and CEO of Live Joy Your Way and the AuthenticMe® RiseUp program. An international best-selling author Kamini is driven to support people of all ages to heal their relationship with themselves and to stop outsourcing their self-worth. As a result, her clients become their own confident, resilient self-leader with healthier relationships. Kamini is a certified life coach, board-certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners, holds specialty certifications in Calling in the One®, Conscious Uncoupling®, NewMoney Story®, and teen life coaching. Also trained in conscious parenting, Kamini aims to meet her clients where they are, supporting and guiding them on their journey to where they want to be, both personally and professionally. Her mission: create space for each person to see the unique gifts they bring to this world.

Written by: Dr. Jeni Wahlig , Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. The internet is full of quick tips for learning communication skills, resolving conflict, and improving your relationship, but there is just ONE skill, that no one is talking about, that will dramatically transform your committed love relationship. We call it Empowered Accountability, and in just 5 simple steps, you can be empowered to take your relationship beyond its struggles and consciously create an extraordinary one. What is Empowered Accountability? If you’ve never heard about, much less been taught, the skill of Empowered Accountability before, you’re not alone. Most people haven’t, and that’s for good reason. Empowered Accountability is a new idea and skill that my partner and I have only recently introduced into the relationship discourse. It’s a revolutionary, leading-edge approach to understanding your own role in what you experience in your relationship(s), and it’s a powerful skill for empowering you to create lasting transformation in them. We define Empowered Accountability as the skill of recognizing and then applying one’s power and responsibility to both effect and account for the experiences in their life. At the foundation of Empowered Accountability is the recognition that each of us is a participant in the creation of our own experience, and it directs us to bring consciousness to how we can be a participant in changing our experience. Empowered Accountability is about looking inward to observe how you “got here,” and taking responsibility for getting somewhere different. It’s about owning how you have been contributing to the struggles in your relationship and empowering yourself to consciously, lovingly, and effectively participate in the solution. To be clear, empowered accountability is not about blaming yourself, nor does it imply that you are solely responsible for "fixing" everything. While transformation starts with one, it ultimately does take two. Rather, empowered accountability is about becoming aware and conscious of your own part in the picture, which is the part of the picture you actually have the power to change, and then changing it for the good of your relationship. The problem with the usual response to problems When most people experience unresolved conflict, poor communication, or ongoing frustration and dissatisfaction in their relationship, they blame their partner. That is, most people will look at the problems in their relationship and quickly see how, if their partner had done or said something different, or if their partner could just be different in some way, that problem wouldn’t exist. People tend to have very valid reasons for feeling hurt, frustrated, or even unloved by their partner. Their desires for their partner to respond or show up differently in the relationship are often just as valid. Yet, the problem shows up when the other partner is feeling the same way. That is, both partners are hurt, frustrated, or upset. Both partners see the other person as the reason for the problem and the solution to the problem. Each person wants the other to change, or at least to apologize, or maybe even just to soften and show they care. Now, you are in a power struggle. Each partner is essentially pointing their finger at the other person and wanting, waiting, or fighting to get that person to do something different first. This very normal, and even very understandable process is nevertheless very ineffective! It keeps partners stuck in their struggles, leaves issues unresolved, and makes communication ineffective. If it goes on too long, it will leave both partners feeling drained and defeated and puts the relationship at high risk of dissolution. How learning Empowered Accountability can dramatically improve your relationship Empowered Accountability is the opposite of what typically happens. Instead of looking at your partner as the problem and solution, Empowered Accountability is a skill by which you are bringing consciousness to how you have been a part of the problem and how you can be a part of the solution. In the practice of Empowered Accountability, you take your power back and learn how to be a catalyst for the changes that you want to experience in your relationship, without having to wait or rely upon your partner doing something first. As cliché as the adage is of "it takes two," there's deep truth where most relationship problems are concerned. The truth is, that you are already 50% of your relationship. You are a participant in how effective your communication is, how vibrant your sex life is, how well conflict is managed, and how healthy your relationship is overall. The practice of Empowered Accountability helps you to be more effective, conscious and loving in your 50% of the relationship, which by itself will already change the trajectory of how your relationship unfolds. More than that, though, by showing up more powerfully and effectively in your relationship, you will have a better chance at influencing your partner and inviting them into their own growth and healing alongside you. Your partner will see and feel the ways that you are showing up more powerfully, effectively, and lovingly. Because they love you, they are likely to want to respond in kind. Now, both of you are doing your empowered accountability work, focusing on how each of you can show up with more consciousness, effectiveness, and love. Here, you and your partner become an unstoppable team—each committed to being a participant in consciously creating the happy, loving, connected relationship you want. The 5 Steps of Empowered Accountability The skill of Empowered Accountability can be broken down into 5 simple (though not always easy) steps. Step 1: Notice Noticing is the act of bringing conscious awareness to what you’re experiencing. Most of the time, what you will notice is that you are feeling some flavor of unhappiness about your relationship or frustration with your partner. The key in this step is to allow those uncomfortable feelings and unpleasant thoughts to become an indicator of the need to engage in the practice of Empowered Accountability. Step 2: Remember The first thing that you are remembering here is that, if you’re feeling unhappy about something in your relationship, it’s time to bring more awareness to what’s going on and, in particular, to what your part in it might be and how you can help. In our work with coup les , we teach additional tools and shortcuts to remember in this step, but underlying all of them is a commitment to stepping up, being the one, and doing this work. Step 3: Shift Shifting is about doing the work to bring your heart, mind, and nervous system into a space of openness. This means doing the work of self-soothi ng . If you are feeling upset about your partner or your relationship, it means your nervous system is activated, and you have moved into some form of self-protection. When this happens, you are not in a place of receptivity to personal accountability, much less stepping into your relationship in the most conscious and loving of ways. It takes at least 20 minutes for your nervous system to reset if you are actively doing something to help soothe it (as opposed to "stoking the fire," so to speak.) Shifting doesn't mean getting to a place where you feel 100% better. Rather, it's about getting back into your window of tolerance so that you can be open and receptive to new ways of understanding what’s happening, your part in it, and how you can respond most effectively. Step 4: Ask Empowered Questions Questions are powerful ways to bring conscious awareness to what is happening, how you may be contributing to it, and how you can be part of the solution. Some of our favorite questions include, “What’s my sh*t to own here?” “What is my partner’s perspective?” and “What could I do that would help?” For more of our top empowered questions, check out this blog p ost . Step 5: Consciously Respond As a result of asking empowering questions, you will start to become aware of different ways that you can respond that will be more likely to move you and your partner in the direction you desire. Here, you are moving the conscious awareness into conscious action. You are stepping in and showing up from a place of accountability, intention, and love. Chances are the response that you engage in here will result in a much more desirable response from your partner, thus moving you further along your path to healing, connection, and fulfillment. If you’re struggling in your relationship and want to learn more ways that you can help to improve your relationship, please visit our website and check out our blog page . Also, I encourage you to download our “ Top 5 Tips for Improving Your Relationship Quickly ," which comes with a free 30-minute video training, where I take the teachings even deeper. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Dr. Jeni! Dr. Jeni Wahlig, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Jeni Wahlig (she/they) is a transformational relationship coach, licensed couple & family therapist, teacher, author, & public speaker. She identifies as graysexual queer, genderqueer-femme, polyamorous, white, able-bodied, & a parent. Self-proclaimed “relationship nerd,” Jeni has dedicated her career to studying relationships & supporting couples, particularly within the Queer & Trans communities. In partnership with her soulmate, Calvin Osili, Jeni offers critically conscious relationship education & coaching through their business, PowerfuLove. Their mission is to empower couples with the knowledge and skills they need to move beyond struggles & consciously create an extraordinary relationship.

Written by: Diane Hiller, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. I first became interested in Feng Shui when a book came to me via a friend. At the time, I was intrigued. I had just bought a house and wanted to do some design, but when I read the book, I wanted to incorporate the principles of energy or “chi” into the home. My first book was Harmony by Design by Nancy SantoPietro and Lin Yun. I went out and bought 5-6 more books. Exactly what was this Bagua map, and how do you use it? Then I encountered the Compass School and a Lo Pan, which focused on directionality. I then realized there were two significant traditions, The Chi school, and the Compass school. There are more, but these are the two major ones. The Compass School is more traditional in China. I had the Lo Pan for about 10 min and needed clarification. It took me four months to figure out how to overlay the Bagua Map. I then undertook a formal study. I felt more resonance with the Black Sect Feng Shui, which incorporates Shamanic and wisdom teachings. There are five sects in Tibetan Buddhism, and each has a color. This school recognizes the synthesis of Shamanic and wisdom teachings and further that there is no separation between consciousness form and intention. There is a constant interaction between them. Creativity arises out of consciousness, intention, and the artist, ‘Qi” or “chi” or “life force energy, “ connects as the message and the medium. Changing the chi of a person or place changes the clients’ luck/fate/karma. For the Feng Shui Master, the goal is to adjust chi at the most appropriate level: internally, externally or interpersonally. I studied under His Holiness Professor Lin Yun, who created Black Sect Feng Shui as a system of Tibetan, Buddhist, Daoist, Chinese, and folk wisdom, as well as modern psychology and design principles. The goal is to bring an individual's desire for positive change through universal spiritual laws and principles. We attempt to "do well by doing good,” advancing ourselves by helping others. This form of enlightened self-interest makes the practice of Feng Shui especially magnetic and magical. Again, this is a calling of a higher nature, and I believe it was written in my soul contract in this lifetime. The day Professor Lin Yun died, I was sitting at my computer, and my graduation photo floated up out of nowhere on the exact day and time of his death. So yes, I believe in karma and soul contacts. The pictured Bagua is King Wen Bagua. It overlays the architecturally designed front door of your home, whether you use it or not (And you should) your property as a whole, and each room is based on the “mouth of chi,” which would be the doorway into the room. The map would rotate based on this door. If there are two on different walls, it would be the one you use the most. So, in summary, there are nine energy areas on your property, based on the driveway entrance, nine in your home, and they are in each room of your home. I will explain the Bagua and some significant concepts you can incorporate immediately. As you can see, this isn’t very easy. Does it work? Yes. Do you need a professional? I would say yes. Even we professionals hire someone for a second look at times. We do not need to be present and can do a consult from a to-scale floor plan and using google earth and looking at a 10-mile radius around your home. So, let’s look at the Bagua. The featured Bagua is called the King Wen, (Later Heaven Bagua) and is used for residences. You will need to read the below text and move clockwise to see what gua is where. Though directions are mentioned, we do not use them. The bottom is called the three-door Bagua method. Your front door only opens to Helpful People, Career, or Knowledge and Spirituality: one of these three guas. Career is (black) in the bottom center, next to the left is Knowledge (mountain or midnight blue), then Family (green). Your center wall left is your Family area; after that is Wealth, Reputation, then Relationship (romantic love, sister, mother), and then Children, Creativity, and the future ending with Helpful People. The center, or Tai Chi, is the origin of all Yin/Yang energy and health. Each gua has 50 or more references, family members, specific health issues, etc. Every qua is associated with an element, color, and shape: Career is black and water, Knowledge is soft earth and blue or midnight blue, Family is wood and green, Wealth is wind and purple, Reputation is fire, the color is red, Love or relationship is red and white or pink, the element is earth, Children and the future is white and metal, Helpful People is metal and grey or black and white, also metal. There is also the overcoming and producing a cycle of elements taken into consideration when a consult is being done; for example, a fireplace in a metal area is not the best placement; why? Because fire overcomes metal. I know; it is enough to make your head spin. It is always best to hire a Master. You can anytime, but the best time is before you buy that house. Here are a few standard fast adjustments; many more powerful ones will not be found in books; they are only passed down orally from teacher to student. Use your front door. Be sure a pathway connects to your driveway and the road. Or go in and out of it daily. It is the way chi enters your home. Keep your stove in good working condition; it is how you bring nourishment into your life and is related to your career. Many use only some of the four burners. If so, turning them all on occasionally will help your career. Ensure your bed is in the “commanding position of the room.” You can see the door but are not in direct line with it. This school does not like mirrors or electronics in the bedroom; it is a yin space. The three most significant areas are your front door, bedroom, and stove. There is much fuss about clutter. How bad is it, really? As long as it does not block an entrance or exit, it’s not as bad as you may have believed. In short, “Change your chi, change your life.” You can find certified consultants in this tradition here. Recommended books: Harmony By Design ‒ Nancy SantoPietro and Lin Yun The Modern Book Of Feng Shui ‒ Steven Post Any book by Sarah Rossbach and Lin Yun More insight into Baguas and their origin. Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Diane! Diane Hiller, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Diane is a Licensed Psychotherapist, Psychic Medium, Certified Feng Shui Master, and Medical Intuitive. She has been tested for accuracy. After working in the nursing field as an LPN for 13 years, she returned to college and received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa. She then went on to earn her Master's (MSW) with a Major in Clinical and a Minor in Research, both from the University of Connecticut. She is licensed by State examination as an LCSW. In 2005 she founded Elemental Empowerments, LLC. She is noted in the book “The Top 100 Psychics and Astrologers in America.” She is one of the most well-researched psychics In North America.

Written by: Brian Wood, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. He is an athlete with a history of performing on the court, ice, field, or any other zone of competition. She uses a cause-and-effect model ‒ consistently putting in the work, practicing deliberately, doing the drills, and eating strategically. Combining these behaviors and habits with talent and discipline usually drives spectacular results. The athlete continues to collect wins. The stats don't lie. The scoreboard is accurate. You are crushing it! "I believe every lie that I've ever told" – Aloe Black Not only are you crushing it, but the assumption is that you will dominate your sport for the next 25 years. You will never age or slow down. You will live forever! Wait. What? It's over? How did that happen? You’ve put in a lifetime of work and your time under the bright lights only lasted about ten minutes. No fair! And then the lying begins: My identity is connected to my athletic performance. I'm good, bad, worthy, or insignificant based on the statistics I accumulated while competing. I'm nothing. I must start all over and get a "real" job. I'm the only person who has struggled with transitioning away from the game. And if we're not careful, negative momentum can build up and even take over. There may be more frequent (and seemingly innocent) thoughts of “Those were the best of times!” But these thoughts could unconsciously translate into “These are the worst of times!” What do you do now? A few things to consider: Choose the right room – The right room is one that doesn’t include people trying to hang on to your name and fame with self-serving intentions. People motivated to capture a picture with you to elevate their social media status should not be included in your customized room. Be careful about choosing a room with people who constantly pitch business opportunities too good to be true. Those “golden opportunities” tend to crumble like a cookie. Your room should be exclusive, and your space should be sacred. Draft the right support team – You don’t have to go through this transition alone. Athletes can typically reflect on their playing days and recall a team of people that helped maximize performance. The same approach when transitioning away from the game is a sound strategy. During your playing days you may have relied on strength coaches, nutritionists, and your position coach. Away from the game a well-crafted support team could include professionals in the space of coaching (success, transition and/or mindset), financial planning and often a therapist. Not only do you need qualified people in these areas, it’s also crucial to draft individuals aligned with your values and compatible with your personality. Service – A great way to get out of a funk while figuring things out is to take a servant leadership approach. Despite the challenges associated with the transition away from sports there are countless people who are really hurting and would gladly exchange places with you in a heartbeat. Find the people you are called to serve and help them as you see fit. This action can create multiple benefits including the opportunity to clear your head and do some deep thinking. Time can be invested to focus and explore the things that you are most passionate about while examining the ‘why’ behind the passion. This process can also help build your authentic story, which helps formulate your genuine brand. Self-talk can make all the difference in the world, and it becomes more powerful (to the positive or negative) over time. Think of self-talk as repetitions during your training. The repetitions with correct form and the right resistance will make you better and stronger. But if you just go through the motions during training, the desired results will not be realized. Tell yourself the right stories. Feed yourself the thoughts that move you toward the next adventure (there’s always room for one more adventure) and next level of greatness. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Brian! Brian Wood, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Brian Wood combines 30 years of corporate experience with his background as an athlete, certified player agent (NBA, WNBA, and FIBA), and a certified professional success coach to provide clients with a unique perspective and guidance toward the next level of achievement. Wood is passionate about continuous personal and professional growth including organizational development, training, and gamification. He is enthusiastic about helping leaders leverage their gifts to drive impact and success. Wood supports major corporations, professional sports organizations, and municipalities. He provides confidential, professional, and executive coaching, speaking engagements, virtual and in-person facilitation.

Jason Wojo is a 9 Figure Advertiser and Direct Response Marketer Who Has Sold Over $100 Million Online With Paid Advertising and For The Past 5 Years Has Scaled Businesses in 90+ Niches and Verticals To 7 and 8 Figures With Predictable Paid Ads, Sales Systems, and High Converting Offers/Creatives! Jason Has Been a 30 under 30 Entrepreneur in New York Weekly Magazine and a Top 10 Entrepreneur in Major News Outlets Such as Entrepreneur.com, LA Weekly, Miami Wire and New York Weekly Magazine! Jason Has Also Been Very Well-Known For His "Flame-Swipe" Videos That Revolutionized The Ad Space For The Past Couple of Years and Has Consulted For Major Inc 500 Companies and Is a Leading Marketer In The Advertising Space! What is your business name and how do you help your clients? I run Wojo Media, a full spectrum marketing agency that helps businesses of all sizes and 90+ different niches harness the power of running paid social media ads, getting a new influx of sales and leads everyday with predictable traffic and sales nurturing systems. We have sold over and generated $100M online with paid ads and have been successful in 90+ niches and verticals. We help our clients develop an irresistible offer, build their funnels and landing pages with compelling copy and infatuations that sell, creating high converting creatives that get clicks and customers, and managing the backend KPIs and numbers that make their ads profitable, predictable and consistent month after month, year after year, economy after economy. Tell us about your greatest career achievement so far: My greatest achievement in business is being nominated as a Top 30 Entrepreneur Under 30 Years Old In NY Weekly Magazine which at 22 years old was humbling and made me work even harder, be even more grateful for my risks/sacrifices and made me realize how far I've come and the long journey of impact I have ahead of me! Who inspires you to be the best that you can be? This all goes to my favorite quote - "When I was 14, my father was stationed in Japan. I went rock climbing with this kid from school. He fell and got injured, and I had to bring him to the hospital. We came in through the wrong entrance, and passed this guy in the hall. He was a janitor. My friend came down with an infection, and the doctors didn't know what to do. So they brought in the janitor. He was a doctor. And a Buraku- one of Japan's untouchables. His ancestors had been slaughterers, gravediggers. And this guy, he knew that he wasn't accepted by the staff, didn't even try. He didn't dress well. He didn't pretend to be one of them. People around that place didn't think he had anything they wanted, except when they needed him - because he was right, which meant that nothing else mattered. And they had to listen to him." What this means if that I'm inspired by my transparency and my "hero" which is me in 20 years... and that "hero" will never conform, that hero will stay on it's path and people will join that path because what I'm doing it RIGHT and that's all that matters... regardless of the way I dress, act or talk I will be respected. What are your current goals for your business? Wojo Media is striving to have a $7.5M year in 2023 and have 300+ clients under its management. We are going to do this with other ascension programs like coaching and sales training, better systems to streamline sales and set better expectations with clients so that we can operate better, have better morale and culture moving forward into 2023. If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be and why? The lack of patience from business owners is what needs to change. We need to make calculated decisions, not emotional ones. Business owners are looking to scale their business to 7 and 8 figures, which requires spending more money, more patience and having that finite relationship with spending money. Most business owners, have little business literacy, don't understand the numbers and patience of paid ads and have control issues within their business but lack to drop their ego and understand that you scale with people and teams. If business owners were more patient and understood the time and energy it takes to find what works, then we would have more successful businesses in the world! For more info, follow Jason on Instagram and visit his website!

In a world mired with health misinformation, weight loss schemes, and body “hacks,” it’s easy to be discouraged. Often, a healthy lifestyle is achieved by taking many small steps and holding yourself accountable. Here are ten practical steps fitness expert Eugene Pallisco swears by to help kick-start anyone’s journey toward healthy living. 1. Get Enough Sleep Sleep is number one on the list because sleep impacts every single aspect of your life. If you aren’t getting enough quality sleep, it’s impossible to facilitate a healthy lifestyle. Anyone struggling with weight, emotional regulation, or energy levels should examine their sleeping habits before anything else. 2. Exercise Regularly You knew exercise was going to be on this list. Moving your body, even if it’s just going for a brisk walk every day, is vital for your physical and mental health. If you aren’t an active person, it’s okay to start small and build yourself. Celebrate all the wins on your journey to encourage yourself to continue exercising; it will change your life! 3. Sit Less Sitting isn’t great for your health, even though many have to do it daily for work. Try to set timers to get up every 20-30 minutes and find other opportunities for quick movement breaks. 4. Choose Healthier Options Dieting is tough and only sustainable for some. But choosing the healthier option can be much easier to approach. Go for foods with more protein and fiber and less fat or sugar. 5. Stay Hydrated Water is the lifeblood of your body. Your cells need it to propel you through your day. Don’t forget to drink water, especially after workouts, to keep your body feeling balanced. 6. Keep Track of Your Weight It’s not for everyone, but if you aim to lose weight, you’re much more likely to succeed if you track your weight. Whether daily or weekly, log your weight to get a baseline of where you’re at and see any improvements your changes make! 7. Manage Your Emotions Emotions can impact our physical health. Managing your feelings is not only a superpower many don’t master but also an excellent way to reduce overall stress, making reaching your exercise or diet goals easier. 8. Limit Alcohol Alcohol is full of calories and can impair your judgment. If you want a healthy lifestyle, abstain from consuming alcohol too much or too often. 9. Limit Screen Time Screens are another necessary evil in modern times. But planting yourself in front of them for hours can encourage bad eating habits and make it harder for you to motivate yourself to exercise. Manage your screen time however and whenever you can. 10. Talk to Your Doctor Your doctor is the biggest ally in your quest for healthy living. Discuss your body’s unique needs and pain points at your next visit to give yourself a fighting chance at success. Insights from Eugene Pallisco Eugene Pallisco is a certified trainer and fitness expert working in Dallas, Texas. He started his career as a group fitness teacher, and his passion for helping others led him to develop his current training philosophy and private training firm. Pallisco’s values focus on achieving joy and freedom through movement, regardless of what kind of exercise his clients use to get there.

Vivien Roggero is a certified Executive Empowerment Coach and Entrepreneur. After nearly 2 decades of professional journey, expanding from Sales to Executive in some world-class startups, losing his father to COVID, and going through a high-conflict divorce, he decided to dedicate his life to empowering people so they can live a fulfilling life. Those experiences also inspired him to create the One Freedom™ Framework, freedom and purpose-centric approach to life that helps his clients to accelerate their life design process and sculpt growth. His focus is to help clients who feel stuck in their professional or personal journeys or find struggles to re-navigate life after major life-changing events. Vivien Roggero, Executive & Empowerment Coach What made you become an Executive Empowerment coach? I first built a successful career as an executive– Led high-performing teams and advised entrepreneurs and coaches worldwide. And several years ago, I switched, I became an Executive Empowerment coach, speaker, entrepreneur and business strategist. I am focused on empowering people to reach their true life through a freedom-centric approach to life and success. My career started after graduating with two bachelor degrees in IT, a master's degree in Marketing and a master's degree in International business from one of the top 20 business schools in the world. I started working in IT in France before repatriating myself to 3 different countries, (all of which I didn’t speak the language). And In the last decades, I led high-performing teams for Startups, Unicorns and Decacorns worldwide. While doing so, I still sought to improve myself and maximize my impact on the lives of the people around me. Through this purpose, in 2009, I co-founded the Rotaract Paris Hausmann, known for its recognition by Bill Gates in its participation in the fight against polio with “Climbing like Ibrahim”. But then 2020 was a turning point in my life. I lost my dear father due to COVID and I entered a high-conflict divorce with my ex-wife of 11 years. This soul-searching, life-breaking period of my life led me to recreate my life and redefine my values and goals. This made me vow to dedicate my life to supporting people who are ready to change and build a better life for themselves, a life centered around freedom, joy and success. What is your mission now as an Executive empowerment coach? Through my coaching business I provide 1-on-1 and group sessions for people dedicated to creating their best life using the One Freedom™ Framework that I created. I am also starting to offer online classes for people that want to start the journey at their own pace. But my mission is to support a million people every year to achieve their true life. I also co-founded the ICC, (International Coaches’ Collective). A group for coaches to learn, develop themselves and network between fellow coaches. As the better we become as coaches, the better we can serve, and the more our impact grows. Let’s say it this way, I made it my life mission to help people live the life they deserve and achieve a state of Freedom, Success and Joy every day. For this and from my own experience, I designed the One Freedom™ framework. This framework was created to help people learn what their core Freedoms are and how to apply that knowledge to designing their True Life– a life of Purpose, Joy, Success and Freedom. By dedicating my time and energy to helping others raise their Life Wealth and live a conscious life driven by Joy and Happiness. I know that I am allowing them to create a better life and a better world for their families and children. As a father myself, I know how being the best version of yourself is one of the greatest gifts you can give your children. Who are you helping through coaching? COVID was a pivotal moment in my life. As I said, during the first year, I lost my job, my father a couple of months after that, and I went through a divorce. All of that pain forced me to recreate myself and made me the coach I am today. And that made me realize that you can be successful and unhappy. You can have money but still no Freedom. So I want to help people that may be already extremely successful, or that are going through a life-changing event and feel that they are not progressing anymore; are overwhelmed; feel they are not having Freedom. I help them rebuild their lives around their own personal values and freedoms. So they can achieve a higher level of joy and success in a freer and healthy way. Was there anyone who inspired this change in your life to dedicate it to others? God, my partner, my son, my father, my family are my daily inspirations that keep me going even when times get hard. My family has a moto, there are no lazy people in the family, and I have always been a follower to it. But we have a second one that is never spoken but always acted, we always move forward. My grandmother survived 2 wars, and one dictature, and at over 90, she is still writing books and going to conferences and concerts. I can say that she is a hell of a woman, but even more impressively, she dedicated most of her life to teaching and sharing knowledge. Now, I am also inspired by many of the leading figures in the industry such as Jay shetty, Vishen Lakhiani, Tony Robbins and also by people like Jim Kwik, James Clear, Gaur Gopal Das, and many more. What is your greatest career achievement as a coach? For me, of all the achievements, the first paying coaching client was and is the best achievement I ever made as it was the start of the road to where I am. But every client that I help is for me the greatest achievement as they are all unique. We coaches have a responsibility to each of our clients, and we have to understand the weight of our words and actions, as clients trust us to help them. That is why also, I would like to see more trained certified coaches. For me getting trained and being certified was critical, that is why I have been certified through the Jay Shetty certification school, and got a OTHM 7 diploma in Coaching and Leadership development. I am now preparing to get my ICC accreditation in 2023. But, I also have to say that having my name next to Vishen Lakhiani on the Brainz Global Award 2022 was a great recognition. What next for you? As I said, my goal right now is to grow my impact to a million people per year, through my coaching and the One Freedom™ Framework, the proprietary freedom-centric coaching and life framework that I have developed. To achieve that I am launching several online classes and webinars this year, starting with the Freedom Creation Program. A 3-month program where people will learn to identify their core Freedoms, and to start aligning their life to those core Freedoms, so they can bring Joy and Success in their daily lives. If you want to know more about this program, register to my mailing list and get your free awareness workbook. Now I also have season 2 of In The Mind Of Founder, my podcast on mental health for entrepreneurs starting in January, after a well deserved new year break. And lastly, we are also opening the ICC next year to all coaches worldwide that want to join a growth-centric community. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Vivien!

Written by: Christy Roberts, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Living with meaning and purpose is like rocket fuel for humans. Did you know the average person spends more time planning a holiday than planning their life? A Harvard Business Study showed that the 14% of people who have goals are 10 times more successful than those without goals. The 3% with written goals are 3 times more successful than the 14% with unwritten goals. Successful people set goals, write them down, and take action toward achieving them. We know that when we set clearly defined and structured goals we are significantly more likely to achieve the results we want, yet most of us either don’t take the time to do it or have no idea where to start. Don’t fall into the trap of living by accident or by default. Live by design. When your goals are aligned with who you are as a person, with your values and beliefs, you will naturally connect with more intrinsic motivation, passion, and purpose. Purpose is our fuel In this article I’ll be sharing a simple structure you can easily follow to help you create some really cool goals for yourself. Our life goals can vary from: The quality of our relationships Running a billion-dollar company The next level of your career Your health & fitness Time with the kids $$$ in the bank Financial freedom Educating ourselves Giving back to the community And everything in between Our dreams and aspirations are the seedlings of reality. If your trees are not already growing, then you need to start planting. NOW! Setting personal and professional goals is a simple and powerful process that moves you toward your ideal future. The more clarity you have around your future vision, the more motivated you will be to turn this into reality. As a coach, healer, and educator, I see way too many people living a life that is not even close to their dreams and aspirations. The majority of my new clients do not have defined goals. Life happens – events like job loss, relationship breakdowns, grief, trauma, even becoming a parent changes you. Many people lose connection with themselves along the way. It doesn’t need to be that way. It’s totally possible to overcome these hurdles and obstacles, if you’re prepared to step up and do ‘the work’. Get out your pens and paper because if you’ve read this far, I expect you’re serious about creating change in your life. This simple activity and questions will get you started toward defining goals that are aligned with what’s most important to you. They’ll have you planting seeds and moving towards creating a life you want and are proud to be living. The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life. When you know precisely what you want to achieve a couple of things happen: Your future vision becomes clearer Effective goals should act like a compass pointing you towards your true Northern Star. Not only will you have more clarity around where you’re heading but it will become easier to determine what steps you need to take to get there. You set your expectations and focus This guides where you need to focus your attention and concentrate your efforts. Motivation & Self Confidence builds Properly set goals can be incredibly motivating. As you get into the habit of setting and achieving goals, you'll find that your self-confidence and esteem builds. Remember: the past cannot be changed, and the future is the direct result of what you do right now! As a Life & Results Coach, that works primarily with high achievers and leaders, I use a holistic approach that supports my clients to achieve balance across all aspects of their life, including: 1. Career – profession ‒ business 2. Relationships Partner Family Friends Community 3. Hobbies and Activities 4. Health & Well-being Physical Emotional Mental Spiritual 5. Wealth and Abundance The 9 Goal Settings Questions Consider each of the above life areas and answer the following 9 questions, separately, for each category. Brainstorm your ultimate vision for each area of your life, one at a time, using the following questions. Start with the area you would most like to improve. What is your goal for this area? Success in this area would be … What’s the big picture and what’s the small picture? What 3 things in this area would you like to focus on improving in the next 6 months? What are the barriers or challenges that are currently holding you back? (why aren’t you there already?) What actions can you take to overcome these barriers or challenges? Make a list of all the possible people, businesses, entities, and groups who can help you achieve this goal. What can you do to empower yourself? What choices do you have to improve these challenge areas? Is there anything you’re not doing currently that would make an impact or difference? What specific actions can you take, starting now, that will start moving you closer to achieving your goals? Setting Goals that are SMART The biggest mistake people make when they’re setting goals is being too vague. Details are important. A great tip when setting goals is to Be SMART ‒ ask yourself, is it: Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant, and Timely? Once you’ve brainstormed each question for a specific area of your life, revisit each goal ‒ through a SMART lens. Ask yourself ‒ is it SMART? If it’s not SMART and doesn’t tick each box, then rework the goal so it is more specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely. This ensures your goal is robust, actionable, tangible, and measurable, meaning it provides better clarity and direction and is much more likely to be achieved. I trust that’s useful. You can access a free Goal Setting Workbook at christyrobertscoaching.com. If managing your time or deciding what’s most important to you is a challenge, check out our online course Master Your Time – Master Your Life. I work with clients around the world, online via zoom. You can book me 1:1 or join our Group Coaching Program. If you’d like to know more, reach out to me via the Creating Change website. Happy goal setting. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Christy! Christy Roberts, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Christy is the Global Self Directed Healing Practitioner Trainer, an award-winning Coach, and Grief Educator with over 20+ years of Human Resources and Organisational Development experience. She helps people journey through the toughest of life’s challenges, like grief, trauma, anger, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, fear, overwhelm, stress, and burnout. Christy is passionate about unlocking our human potential, transforming mindsets, and supporting people to get out of their own way and live their ultimate lives by achieving the success and results they desire. She provides Coaching, Self Directed Healing, Workshops, and Educational Resources that positively impact people, leaders, and workplaces. As Founder of Creating Change, she is driven to make a change in our society and culture, so that we are more authentically connected to ourselves and living with passion and purpose.

Written by: Michael Hetherington, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. ‍Digestive problems can be frustrating and uncomfortable and can lead to further health complications if left untreated. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offers a unique and holistic approach to the management of digestion. According to TCM, there are four key steps that can be taken to improve digestion: eating according to the season clearing out old emotions & traumas inside the digestive system paying attention to how and when you eat strengthening the digestive organs These steps can help restore balance and improve digestion, resulting in increased energy and better overall health. By following these methods, you can learn to nourish your body and find relief from digestive discomfort. Eating According to the Seasons In TCM, the seasons are connected to certain organs, emotions, health concerns, and dietary recommendations. This connection is based on the idea that the weather, temperature, and environment affect the health of each organ. For example, summer is connected to the heart organ, which governs blood flow and circulation, so summer is when the heart is most active and blood flow is increased. This can cause an increase in heart palpitations, anxiety, and a rise in blood pressure. In order summer-related issues, the TCM dietary recommendation is to reduce heart-heat foods like red meat, poultry, and eggs. Eating according to the seasons can help create a balanced diet and provide the necessary nutrients for a healthy body. It can also reduce the risk of developing certain health complications. Clearing Out Old Emotions & Traumas Inside the Digestive System According to TCM, certain emotions and psychological states can get stuck or stagnate inside the mind-body system and disrupt physiological function and even create physical pain. When these emotions are processed and cleared from the mind-body system, all physiological functions, including the immune system begin to work more effectively and efficiently. In the modern world, many people suffer from overstimulation of the senses, stress, unprocessed traumas and a lack of quality rest. Excessive worry, stress, anxiety, grief, guilt and depression are the most common emotional states that tend to get stuck in the mind-body system, disturb digestive function and harm the immune system. There are many methods such as EFT (the emotional freedom technique), acupuncture, Qi Gong, meditation, martial arts, Chinese herbs, and psychotherapy that can help people clear stuck or stagnant emotional states from the mind-body system and therefore, improve digestion. For more information on how to clear old emotions from your mind-body system, visit my website (www.michaelhetherington.com) Pay Attention to How and When You Eat The way you eat and when you eat can dramatically affect your digestion. Eating while distracted (such as looking at your phone) tends to disconnect the mind from the body which leads to a breakdown of internal communication between mind and body. When there is a breakdown of internal communication, the stomach can become confused about what is happening and what it should be doing. When you bring the mind to the party, it sends signals to the stomach and the rest of the body which allows it to keep up to date with what is happening with your food. Eating too quickly can cause your digestive juices to flow too quickly, causing your stomach to produce too much acid, which can lead to indigestion and discomfort. Eating at regular times can help with digestion because it allows the internal bio-clock to become organised as to what is happening at what time and therefore it can prepare accordingly. Regular time activities and a regular eating schedule can also help people to feel more "grounded" and relaxed which can also help improve digestion and enhance the immune system. Additionally, eating in a calm environment (away from your computer) can go a long way to help to reduce stress and improve digestion. Strengthening the Digestive Organs The digestive organs play an important role in digestion. According to TCM, the spleen and stomach are the major organs in digestion, but the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas also play a role. These organs can become unbalanced from stress, long-term illnesses, lack of exercise, or hereditary factors, which can lead to digestive issues. Strengthening the digestive organs can help to reduce digestive discomfort, restore balance, and improve digestion. Qi Gong, proper breathing practices, martial arts, strength training and running are all methods that can help improve the circulation and overall power and function of the digestive organs. When there is poor internal circulation, it doesn't matter so much how well you eat because there is no real power in the organs to pull the good nutrition out of them. Therefore, I always encourage my patients and clients to focus on building their internal organ strength and improving internal circulation more than anything else if they really want to improve their digestion. There are many TCM herbs that can also help strengthen the digestive organs. Some of these include ginseng, long guo, long dan sao, gao shan shu wan, and shen qiao mu wan. When taken alongside physical practices to improve internal organ strength, these herbs can help reduce digestive discomfort and improve the digestive process. Conclusion: Benefits of Improving Your Digestion with TCM Improving your digestion with TCM can help to reduce digestive discomfort, improve nutrient absorption, and provide overall health benefits. Eating according to the seasons, clearing out old emotions & traumas inside the digestive system, paying attention to how and when you eat, and strengthening the digestive organs can help you find relief from digestive issues and lead to a healthier, more balanced diet. By applying a few lifestyle adjustments and some of the methods mentioned above, they can help to quickly improve your digestion and have you feeling better in no time. Follow me on Facebook, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Michael! Michael Hetherington, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Michael Hetherington is an anxiety-release expert with over 13 years of experience in the health and wellness industry. He holds a bachelor of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), a brown belt in Taekwondo, and postgraduate qualifications in education and counseling. Michael has been teaching and giving talks on energy medicine and traditional Chinese medicine around the world since 2012. Most people describe him as calm, knowledgeable, and playful.