Excerpts from

How to Eat an Elephant

      A Guide Book for Playing  the Game Called Life      ^®

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Section One

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   Cycle Breakers and Calming Exercises

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Page Content

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How to Eat an Elephant?

There are several, perhaps even dozens of ways we could approach the idea of improving our lives and an equal number of things we could do.   We can't do them all at once, so in keeping with the theme of this book, I'm suggesting we use the  "How to Eat an Elephant^® "  approach.   Let's eat our elephant  (bring more joy, love and freedom into our lives)   "one bite at a time."

Where Do We Start?

Where do we take the first bite?  How do we get from where we are right now to where we want to be?   

Let's begin with a two-fold approach.  The first part of our twofold approach is by utilizing some basic calming and centering exercises, exercises designed to  assist us in becoming more relaxed, more focused, more centered, more at peace with our lives, and to put us in an open and  receptive state of mind.

The exercises will assist us to move into the second half of our twofold approach,  the observation mode.   The purpose of the observation mode is to find out where we presently are.  We'll ask ourselves:   "What do I choose to be, do, have, express, or experience?    and   "Is what I'm presently doing getting me there?"

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self-awareness exercise      ...

What Pushes Your Buttons?

In the observation portion of our approach, let's begin with something quite simple and that is to start by noticing what's happening in our lives that triggers an emotional response within us.  (When we get upset as a result of what someone says or does, or as a result of your own behavior, we call that "having our buttons pushed.")

Essentially, I'm suggesting that we become more conscious of how we're feeling as we go through each day.   Notice each "warm fuzzy" (I feel good) and each "cold prickly" (I feel bad).   If you're so inclined, make a list of each day's emotional events.   Why?   Because a list will be very helpful for the later parts of this exercise.   It's like taking inventory to see what's in our houses.

Spend the next few days noticing your emotional responses to life and then come back and we'll take the next bite.  

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What Did You Find?

Welcome back.   What did you find.   For those of you who took the time and effort to make a list of what pushed your buttons, look at the list and notice what buttons were repeatedly pushed.   For example, did several fellow drivers on the freeway irritate you?  Did a family member trigger the same response in you several times?  

Now ask yourself,  "Is this what I choose to give my life energy to?  Is this what I choose to have more of in my future?  If not check the alternatives below.

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The following is an excerpt from: "The Yoni Dance, Volume One,  Once is not enough."   

Reptilian Brian / Human Brain:  Place your left hand (that’s the hand on which you wear your watch)   flat on your forehead.   Place your right flat on the back of your head, where you head sticks out furthest to the back.”  With your eyes still closed, breathe deeply and just stand there for about thirty seconds.”  

Again I do as directed.  

To my surprise, after only about fifteen seconds, I notice that my muscles are beginning to relax.   I’m particularly aware of the shift in my abdominal muscles.   Spontaneously I take another deep breath.    As I relax, I'm amazed at how easily I lost my cool and reverted to my childhood conditioning.   At that point, the old man speaks and breaks my train of thought.  

“Okay, Sonny, take another deep breath, then put your hands down and open your eyes."    

"Thanks." I say and start to return to my car.  Before I've taken two steps, he speaks again.   "May I show you one more thing." he asks.  

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Left Brian / Right Brain:  I stop, turn back to him, say yes, and then stand there awaiting for what's next.

"Straighten your arms out in front of you," he says.   Put your hands together, and stick your thumbs up.”   Feeling much better, I simply follow the old man’s instructions.  

“Now we’re going to make an infinity sign with our thumbs.   That’s a lazy-eight, like the number eight lying on its side.   As we make that infinity sign, we’re going to be moving our hands upward when our thumbs are right in front of us and we’re going to be moving our hands downward when our thumbs are over to either side.   You watch first and I’ll demonstrate.”  

The old man demonstrated the movement.    

“Keep your head as still as you can and follow the movement of your thumbs with your eyes.”  

Again, the old man proceeds to demonstrate what he has just described.  

“Watch my eyes, Sonny.   You see my head is relatively still.   What are my eyes doing?”  

“Following your thumbs and making an infinity sign.”  

“OK, now you do it.”  

I make the infinity sign keeping my head still and moving my eyes.   After about seven to ten times, the old man says, 

“That’s enough.”  

I put my hands down and take another deep breath.   I look at him, smile and say, “Thanks, I’m feeling much better.”