10 ESSENTIAL TOOLS FOR TRANSFORMATION

1. TRANSITION TO AN ALKALINE, PLANT BASED DIET

The Standard American Diet (SAD), which is high in processed foods, sugar, and animal products like meat and dairy, is very acidic. These foods not only have a direct affect on your physical health (obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer), but on your emotional and spiritual wellbeing as well. When you eat lighter, more alkaline foods such as green vegetables, some fruits, nuts and seeds, and whole grains, and drink alkaline water, you raise your vibrational frequency and open up both your creative channels and your connection to the divine. Eating a high quantity of animal products like meat and dairy contributes to lower level emotions and thoughts dominating your mind, like worry, anxiety, stress, anger and depression. When you transition to a more plant based diet, high in raw, living foods, you detoxify your body, your mind and your soul. Your thoughts and emotions become more positive and loving, you feel better about yourself and typically that translates into being more loving and compassionate towards others. You are able to handle stressful situations with much more grace and ease when eating a clean, plant based diet. Transitioning to a plant based diet high in raw, living foods is a process and it takes time, effort and support, but rest assured the benefits are well worth the effort. With the help of a coach, you can make the changes gradually, at a pace you are comfortable with. For example, I work with my clients in individual classes, 6 week sessions and 12 week sessions depending on their goals. Start out slowly and commit to one or two changes that you know you can make before introducing any others. Commit to adding more green vegetables into your diet or drinking one green smoothie or green juice per day. Once you have mastered that and it has become a part of your daily routine, then choose another goal such as adding one large, substantial salad into your day. Or perhaps start with the goal of drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day.

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Copyright 2012 Carol Galanty, Address: P.O. Box 1051, East Quogue, NY 11942 631-235-3816 Email: carol@GetSomeZen.com www.getsomezen.com

As you introduce more nutrient dense, healthy foods into your diet, they start to crowd out the less healthy choices until you eventually completely lose your desire for them. Amazing how nature works! Set yourself up for success! If you try to make too many changes at once, you are likely to end feeling like a failure and return to your old ways.

2. MEDITATE AT LEAST 20 MINUTES A DAY

Imagine a bucket filled with water. Now add some sand into it and stir it around. The water looks all cloudy and agitated. Allow the bucket to sit and be still for a few minutes and the sand settles to the bottom, leaving clear water. Clarity. The constant chatter going on in your mind causes you to miss out on what is going on in your present life. If your mind is filled with worry or anxiety, you are living in the past or future, rather than the present. When you make a habit of investing the time to quiet these thoughts and practice being present it enables you to think more clearly, be more productive throughout the day, and approach your tasks from a place of inner wisdom and mindfulness. Consistently quieting your mind will reduce your reaction to stressful situations and will eventually cultivate an inner feeling of peace and calm. Start off small. Commit to five minutes out of your day. Sit quietly, close your eyes, focus on your breathing, and just be present in your body, in the moment. Once you have mastered the 5 minutes in the morning, add in another 5 minutes and continue to do so until you are meditating for 20 minutes consistently each morning. It takes only 21 days to form a new habit, so if you can stick with it for 21 days, it will become part of your daily routine. An easy meditation to begin with is to sit comfortably, either in a chair with your feet touching the floor or sitting cross-legged on the floor with a straight spine. Close your eyes and place your hands on the tops of your knees. Slowly inhale and watch with your minds eye the breath rising from the base of your spine, moving gradually upwards, through each chakra, until it reaches the crown of your head, then slowly exhale and watch the breath move down the back of the spine, from the crown to the base of the spine. After taking 3 or 4 breaths like this, keeping your awareness on the breath, add in a mantra. On each inhale repeat I belong to love and on each exhale I am safe in the universe (or substitute mantras of your own). The mantras will

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Copyright 2012 Carol Galanty, Address: P.O. Box 1051, East Quogue, NY 11942 631-235-3816 Email: carol@GetSomeZen.com www.getsomezen.com

keep your attention focused throughout the meditation, preventing your mind from straying. If you do find that thoughts start to enter your mind, just acknowledge their presence, release them, and bring your awareness back to your breath, your life force. Over time, with a consistent meditation practice, you will find that your sleep becomes more restful, your productivity increases, your ability to handle stress improves greatly and your creative channels open. I have clients who report back to me that meditation has transformed their lives! They are sleeping better, being more productive at work, and dealing with interpersonal issues from a much calmer place. They have learned through meditation how to reprogram how they react in certain situations.

3. DEVELOP A DAILY YOGA PRACTICE

The ultimate goal of yoga is to quiet the mind and to reach a state of enlightenment. Rather lofty goals for a newcomer, but dont let that prevent you from embarking on what very well could be a life changing course. Most Westerners are initially drawn to yoga for the physical benefits. Who doesnt want a yogis body? Strong, flexible, muscles, toned abs, impeccable posture and a youthful visage. The secret most seasoned yogis know is that even though you may begin a yoga practice to get more flexible and to prevent or correct certain physical injuries, what keeps people coming back is the emotional, mental and spiritual benefits of the practice. In India, yoga is very different that here in the United States. The emphasis is more on breathing (pranayama) and the meditative aspects of this ancient practice rather than the physical postures. Culturally, we are quite different than India and thus, our approach to yoga is quite different as well. We are a type A nation and attack our yoga mats as we do our lives, with gusto and competitiveness, which explains the rising popularity of gym yoga and sweaty, aggressive styles of yoga such as Bikrim and Hot Yoga. The end result is that more and more people are getting introduced to the deep, spiritual practice of yoga, just in a round about way. Yoga has a way of sucking you in. Once youve walked out of that first yoga class and you feel a lightness to your step that has been missing for years, or you feel an inch or two taller, you become hooked and want more. Its like a drug. The more you experience the high, the more you want it.crave itabsolutely need it in your very bones.

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Copyright 2012 Carol Galanty, Address: P.O. Box 1051, East Quogue, NY 11942 631-235-3816 Email: carol@GetSomeZen.com www.getsomezen.com

Thats the way I feel about yoga. My love affair with yoga began in a gym when I blindly walked into a yoga class, not knowing anything about it. I though it was all mellow stretching and breathing and thought I would give it a try. (There was nothing else on the schedule at the gym that morning!). What I encountered was far from what I expected. I couldnt even do half of the poses, but I walked out of there feeling like a completely different person that when I walked in. I was instantly hooked! Flash forward ten years and Im now teaching yoga at the very same gym where I was initially introduced to it, loving every minute of it and never underestimating the responsibility that goes into introducing newcomers to the practice. If you have never practiced yoga, start slowly and gradually. If you cant attend a class at a local gym or yoga studios, find one online or purchase a DVD. There are more options than ever today to being your own practice. Even just fifteen minutes upon waking and/or going to bed will make a noticeable difference not only in the way you feel physically, but emotionally and mentally. You will be able to handle stress easier, sleep better, focus better at work or in school, and it will enhance your creativity as well. Personally, I look at my life in two distinct segments: before I began practicing yoga and after. Yoga completely changed my life and put me on the path to where I am now. It continues to grow and enrich my life as I deepen my own practice and improve my teaching skills and I look forward to seeing where it takes me in the future.

4. DEEP BREATHING EXERCISES

Deep breathing exercises tend to accompany most styles of yoga and can be practiced before and/or after yoga. They are beneficial if done even for a few minutes. In moments of extreme stress, stopping and taking a few deep breaths can help you to reset and reprogram your reaction to the stressful situation. Most people tend to take very shallow breaths throughout the day never fully allowing oxygen to get to their cells. Your breath is your life forceyou are literally breathing life into your cells. By breathing deeply and fully, you not only oxygenate your cells, but can also slow down your heart beat, lower high blood pressure and reduce anxiety.

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Copyright 2012 Carol Galanty, Address: P.O. Box 1051, East Quogue, NY 11942 631-235-3816 Email: carol@GetSomeZen.com www.getsomezen.com

Before going to sleep at night, lie flat on your back with your eyes closed placing one hand on your stomach and one on your chest. Slowly inhale through your stomach first, feeling it rise. Once it is full allow the breath to enter your chest area, feeling it too rise. Upon completion of a full inhale, retain the breath for a few moments and then slowly exhale through the chest cavity first and then the stomach. Retain the exhale before slowly beginning the cycle again. Inhale stomach then chestexhale chest then stomach. Repeat this cycle several times to reach a deep state of rest and relaxation.

5. PRACTICE EXTREME SELF-CARE

Its an unfortunate fact of modern day life that when finances or time gets tight, we cut back on those things we deem to be non essential in our life such as our gym or yoga membership, massages, pedicures and the like. In actuality taking time to care for and nurture yourself is not a luxuryits a necessity. You will be a better wife, mother, friend, etc. when you feel nurtured and are practicing self-love. Get creativecarve out time during your lunch hour, when the kids are napping, or before everyone wakes up. Say no to commitments that arent going to bring joy into your life and use that time to go for a walk or write in your journal instead. Get your morning run in even if the laundry is piled sky high. You will be in a better frame of mind to tackle lifes mundane chores if youve had the chance to clear your head and get those endorphins going. I challenge you to take at least a half hour every day this week to do something for yourselfwhatever it is that brings you pleasure. Write it in your daily planner and make it a priority. Personally, I plan my yoga and tennis schedule for the week before I schedule any client appointments. Those activities take priority over my work commitments. If I neglect them, I end up feeling anxiety and tension and do a disservice to my clients and family alike since I am not fully present when I am with them if I have neglected my own needs. It may seem selfish to the uninitiated, but my work ends up getting done, and I am more productive when I put my own needs first. (Think of the rule on the airplane---place the air mask on YOUR face firstTHEN your childs! Keep this concept in mind as you go through your week). Try it for a week and you will seeyoull not only feel better, but you will be better equipped to handle whatever life throws your way.

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Copyright 2012 Carol Galanty, Address: P.O. Box 1051, East Quogue, NY 11942 631-235-3816 Email: carol@GetSomeZen.com www.getsomezen.com

Some easy self-care rituals anyone can incorporate into their life: Aromatherapy bathssprinkle sea salts and some aromatherapy essential oils into a warm bath and soak for 20 minutes. This releases toxins, relaxes sore, tired muscles and enables you to sleep better. Dry brushing: before getting into the shower or tub, dry brush your skin in upward sweeping motions to stimulate the flow of blood, remove toxins from your skin and give your lymphatic system a boost. Turn off the computer, tv and phone and sit in a comfortable chair with a cup of herbal tea and read a book. Even if it is for only 10 minutesfeel the tension leave your body with each page you turn. Take a walkanywhere you happen to be, you can find the time to unplug and walk in nature. Its rejuvenating! Self massageschedule and finances dont always allow for a trip to the spa, but you can always find a few moments to give yourself a neck or foot massage. Use a tennis ball under your feet or your back to work out knots or just use your hands to relax tight muscles and relieve tension. Call a friend you havent spoken to in a while who always makes you laugh. A good belly laugh relieves tension like nothing else!

6. PRACTICE GRATITUDE
The simple act of practicing gratitude can have a profound effect on your life. At first it may be difficult to find things to be grateful for if you are going through a challenging time, but gradually you will be able to fill pages with things you are grateful for. The very act of being grateful attracts more positive experiences into your life. No matter how dire the circumstances are, there is always someone, someplace who is worse off than you. Keep your focus on what IS working and those things will begin to expand. Start with basics such as being grateful for the sun rising and setting each day, for all the wonders of nature that surround you and work in perfect harmony with one another, and go from there. Express gratitude for both the good and the bad...be grateful for the nagging feeling of angst that brought you here, in search of something more in your life, some sort of fulfillment you cant quite put words to yet.

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Copyright 2012 Carol Galanty, Address: P.O. Box 1051, East Quogue, NY 11942 631-235-3816 Email: carol@GetSomeZen.com www.getsomezen.com

Both the positive and negative experiences you have had in your life have contributed to making you who you are today and to will help you to discover ultimately why you are here. So be grateful for ALL of your life experiences to date. Without them, you would not be where you are in your life. A gratitude practice is the simplest tool of all to begin with. You can write your gratitude in a journal, speak it out loud in the shower, or say in silently in your head on your walk. Indulge in the ritual of expressing heartfelt gratitude and feel your emotions lift and a lightness enter your heart. Notice how your outlook becomes more positive and your interactions with others filled more with compassion and love. Continue this simple practice and watch doors start to open, opportunities present themselves to you, and solutions to seemingly insurmountable problems appear out of nowhere. Be grateful every step of the way as you journey through this lifetime.

7. BE PRESENT
Staying in the present moment takes practice. Our natural tendency is to live in the past or the future, either recalling or rehashing things that have happened to us in the past or spending time anxiously worrying about events that have yet to occur in the future. By staying in the present moment, you turn off your thinking mind and just let life happen. Let it unfold as it is meant to, keeping your trust and faith in God and in the process. Yoga and meditation help to cultivate the practice of staying present by training the mind to stop the chatter and just be still. This isnt easy, especially if you are a Type A personality, constantly on the go and very task or goal oriented. To sit and just BE seems lazyseems to lack motivation and drive. Ironically, the more time you spend being present and still, the more productive you end up being. Your mind works more efficiently when it has had a chance to settle. If you are spending a lot of time worrying, or trying to figure out the solution to a problem, you will remain stuck. If you just let go, detach yourself and not

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Copyright 2012 Carol Galanty, Address: P.O. Box 1051, East Quogue, NY 11942 631-235-3816 Email: carol@GetSomeZen.com www.getsomezen.com

worry about the how to of the situation, the solution will work itself out in unexpected ways. You need to have faith in the process and get out of your own way. Quiet the mind and allow the rest to unfold. There is a divine pan at work that we know little to nothing about. The more resistance we give to the changes that are happening to and around us, the slower the process of transformation becomes. Be open and receptive to receiving all the good the universe has in store for you. Stay present.

8. PRACTICE FORGIVENESS (TOWARDS SELF AND OTHERS)

Holding onto resentment and anger can ruin the quality of your life. Believe me, I know this from experience! Blaming yourself or others for past mistakes does not help in the healing process. It only adds to the layers of anger and resentment that reside within you. Criticizing or blaming yourself, or another, for circumstances or events in your life keeps your energy blocked and prevents you from moving forward, from reaching your fullest potential. Know that you are 100% responsible for how you experience your life. Nobody is holding you back or preventing you from living the life you dream of except YOU. That can be a tough pill to swallow. The first time my therapist told me that I was taken aback. But, what about, But, he said, But, he did, etc, etc. The buts kept spewing out of my mouth. It took hearing his words a few times, well maybe more than a few times, for it to finally take root and for me to acknowledge deep in my soul that nobody was to blame for me not living up to my potentialnobody, except myself that is. And harder yet has been to stop all the self-blame, guilt and criticism that has been my go-to behavior for as long as I can remember. This pattern was created in early childhood and has followed me through to present daythe pattern of putting others needs before my own, of taking on the role of feeling responsible for how others feel and feeling guilty when I dont please them. This pattern of self-blame, guilt and criticism represents a roadblock between your current state of being and that of your higher selfs fullest potential. If you keep blaming yourself or others for mistakes, flaws, imperfections and tragic events that have occurred in your life, you will remain stuck.

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Copyright 2012 Carol Galanty, Address: P.O. Box 1051, East Quogue, NY 11942 631-235-3816 Email: carol@GetSomeZen.com www.getsomezen.com

To welcome positive flow into your life, you must forgive. Forgive yourself. Forgive your spouse. Forgive your parents. Forgive whomever you are holding anger and resentment towards. You may need to dig deep to discover who that is. You may not even realize just how much anger and resentment resides within you until you start digging. Releasing these feelings through practicing forgiveness, meditating and journaling, releases energetic blocks in your chakras and deepens your connection to the divine. Synchronistic events start to occur more frequently, and flow begins to happen in your life. We are all spiritual beings, perfect just as we are, unique, divinely created individuals loved by God and created in his likeness. Unfortunately, most people dont see themselves that way. They see only the imperfections they perceive to exist and berate their self, trying to overcome these so called flaws as they strive towards some ideal they believe will make them feel happy and fulfilled once reached. This attempt is misguided; you are perfect as you are. Forgive yourself for past actions and behavior. You did the best you could with the knowledge and wisdom that you had at the time. Forgive others for what did or didnt do to you in the past. Forgive and move on. Move forward. Know your truth and dont compromise. Stay true to yourself always. The universe will respond by fully supporting your efforts and bringing the positive flow of abundance into your life, but it all starts with forgiveness. Try this simple forgiveness meditation. Sit comfortably with your eyes closed and your spine straight. Bring your awareness to the base of your spine. As you slowly inhale, watch the breath move from the base of your spine upwards until you reach the crown of your head. As you are inhaling repeat the mantra I forgive myself. Once you reach the crown of your head slowly begin to exhale, watching the breath move from the crown of your head down the back of your spine until you again reach the base of the spine. Repeat the mantra I love myself as you exhale. Continue to repeat this cycle of inhaling and exhaling mindfully while repeating those two mantras for ten to fifteen minutes. Even if you dont fully believe the mantra in the beginning, the words and intention will have an impact. You will feel more peaceful afterwards. This simple yet powerful exercise can be applied towards another person whom you wish to practice forgiveness towards as well.

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Copyright 2012 Carol Galanty, Address: P.O. Box 1051, East Quogue, NY 11942 631-235-3816 Email: carol@GetSomeZen.com www.getsomezen.com

9. KEEP A JOURNAL
Daily journaling is a way of releasing unexpressed emotions. Your journal is a place to write any thoughts or feelings you are experiencing, without fear of judgment or ridicule. This is not a place to worry about sentence structure or grammar, or what someone else will think about you when they read it. It is a place to work out your inner struggles. Oftentimes just putting the words on paper has a therapeutic effect. I consider it talk therapy. The very act of getting the words out of you can have a healing effect on your psyche. Keep your journal safe so you can write freely, without holding back. Whether you write with pen to paper or on a computer doesnt matter. The best times of day to journal is immediately upon waking, directly after meditating or right before going to sleep at night. Journal about anything you are feeling, regardless of whether you deem it to be petty or insignificant. If you are feeling something, it is never insignificant. Dont even go back and re-read what you wrote. Just write. Get the words out. Your journal is a safe outlet, free from criticism with no right or wrong answers. If you are fearful that the words will be read, then rip the pages out after youve written themyou will have still received the benefit of having written them. Regular journaling helps to manage and reduce the stress in your life by allowing you to release pent up emotion, which leads to resentment and anger if kept inside. Buy yourself a beautiful journal and pen, and set aside a special spot in the house or outside that is your journaling place. Just stepping into that space will begin to get the emotions and words flowing out of you. You will begin to know your true self and what your higher self desires by writing from your heart.

10. CONNECT WITH NATURE

Being outside in nature connects you with the divine. I say my prayers of gratitude as I am walking my dogs, breathing the fresh air deeply into my lungs. Practice being present when you are outside in naturequiet your mind and bring your awareness to the wonder of what exists around you. Observe the trees swaying gently in the breeze, smell the fragrance of the flowers that

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Copyright 2012 Carol Galanty, Address: P.O. Box 1051, East Quogue, NY 11942 631-235-3816 Email: carol@GetSomeZen.com www.getsomezen.com

are blooming and hear the sounds of the birds, or just tune in and listen to the silence. Whenever possible, remove your shoes and walk barefoot, grounding yourself, connecting to the living pulse of the earth, or sit with your spine against the trunk of a tree. Slow down and really connect with the divine force of nature and know that we are all one consciousness, connected to every other human being on this planet and connected to the planet Earth herself.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Feel free to combine many of these toolswrite in your journal as you sit under a tree; say your prayers of gratitude as you walk through the woods; turn your yoga practice into a moving meditation; do deep breathing exercises as you get a pedicure. Be creativemake it your own. Stress exists in everyones life.There is no way to completely eliminate it, but you CAN learn to manage and reduce it. Two people can experience the exact same stressful situation, but choose to react to it in completely different ways. One can react calmly and under control and the other can explode in anger and rage and feel extreme anxiety. Your life will transform once you adopt these tools.

The choice is yours! desire?

Are you willing to do what it takes to live the life you

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Copyright 2012 Carol Galanty, Address: P.O. Box 1051, East Quogue, NY 11942 631-235-3816 Email: carol@GetSomeZen.com www.getsomezen.com