Andrew Johnson

Meditation Isn’t Just for Hippies

Posted on by Kelly aka LadyOTrout

Back in the late 60’s, the Beatles blew the lid off of this “thing” called Meditation.  They met this man, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and learned about Transcendental Meditation and if you were paying attention to what the Beatles were doing at the time, at best it seemed weird and worst it seemed sorta creepy.  What is happening with these musicians?  This and Woodstock would certainly make a person stop and know something new was going on!

Scientific Proof

There is proof that meditation actually CHANGES how your brain responds. Psychology Today talks about this in great detail. But the important thing isn’t how long you meditate, if you sit cross legged or make funny chant sounds that scare the dog, it is that you START.

How To Start

Deep Sleep With Andrew JohnsonAnywhere.  This blog focuses on how to make technology work for you.  This post is no different. There are many apps available that you can download many for FREE to start Meditating.  Using a “Guided” type first was most helpful when I started.  I have written about Andrew Johnson before, he has great apps and downloadable audio files for relaxation of all types.  There are also other free ones, in both the Apple App and Google Play Stores for your phone or mobile device.

Latest one I am trying is “Guided Journey,” you can pick the setting (like the beach or forest) and the time that you would like to Meditate: 1 minute to :59 Minutes. The sounds of the setting you pick (waves, etc.) and a very sweet voice “guides” you through a visualization that helps focus you awGuidedJourneysay from all the jumbled thoughts you have and onto something else to help you clear your head.  Just follow along. It is that easy.

Keep On Keepin’ On

Start with short intervals and try to sit at the same time(s) during the day. I started with 2 minutes, twice a day for the first week. The second week I tried 4 minutes and so on. Do what works for you.  I “sit” in the morning, first thing still in my PJ’s and at night after I am ready to go to bed, but before I am in bed.

I also have used these apps when I was in a stressful situation, I have my phone with me so  when I was waiting in a waiting room while my Mom was in the Operating Room.  It was a great way to stay calm and feel fresh and focused. Then if you really get into it, you may want to start meditating in a group, but for now, just START.

I am a big believer in Meditation for just about everything. Great option to try before turning to medication. If you have any questions, like always please drop me an email and I am happy to help.

 

From the Mouths of Babes

Posted on by Kelly aka LadyOTrout

My Niece

She may not be truly a baby but I was 21 when she was born.   Is she smart!  Of course I say that because I love her. Every time I see her or talk to her, (which the seeing part is not often enough), we talk on the phone a lot and text LOTS – that is how she mainly stays in touch.

She is on the move, in the military, has a full time job, hanging with her buds, doing stuff.  But she always makes time for the “I Love You, Auntie”  text.  I am the luckiest girl on earth.  Whenever we see each other we can pick up right where we left off because we don’t have months of old news to flog through to get down to important stuff, us.  How she is doing, how she feels, her dreams. Some times I feel like I am talking to “myself.”

She Lets Me Pick Her Brain

I almost always ask her what her favorite “APP” is she is using on her phone.  Over the next few weeks I will be posting some of those that she has passed on to me that I have tried and love too.  Perhaps you have one you would like to share?  Put it in the comments below and we will try it and share it with everyone.

Our Favorites

USUALLY cost nothing or darned near to it.  Unless one of us has shared one we really LOVE and absolutely can’t live without, we always try a FREE one first.

My First Favorite APP “Family”

Andrew Johnson  has a series of Apps that focus on relaxation techniques that are just wonderful.  Of course I think his accent is sexy which certainly helps me relax.  But he has CD’s and MP3’s too.  His blog. As you go down through it, you really can see what this guy is all about.  This isn’t “HOCUS POCUS”.

Here are just 4 things Andrew and his Relaxation Techniques can help you with:

  • Quitting Smoking
  • Getting Fit
  • Losing weight
  • Sleep Troubles

Any and all of these we know add stresses on top of everything else to our lives and though we may not be the “type” to go see a hypnotherapist in their office, these tools are helpful and YOU can use them when YOU need them.  They are not all free certainly but there are a few free ones so you can try for yourself.  Lie down and prepared to relax and as Andrew says, “Breathe.”  You may just realize how your stress has messed with your breathing and it goes on and on from there.

I started using a couple of these about a year ago and then I kinda forgot about them, but in the past month I have been religious about using one at  least every day.  He has a great Power Nap one that wakes you up in about 20 minutes and you feel like you have slept for hours and you are wide awake.

The best thing about Andrew Johnson is that even after a million downloads, I contacted him through his Facebook Page about this post.  And he wrote back.  He is real and you can count on him.  He is right inside of your ipod, phone or other device and you can hear him anytime you want (or need) to.