The most important thing a person possesses is thier imagination. That is what Eintein said anyway.

If an imagination (his while he was looking out of a train watching telephone poles one day) can break an atom, it can help you get strong as well.

With an opened mind try this ten to twenty minute meditation/visualization before or after an intense workout.

Sit in a comfortable position in a low lit room. Take off your shoes and socks.

1. Just close your eyes and count to 50. Then open your eyes.

2. Now get in a cross legged or lotus position if you can. Place your hands palms up on your knees. After you close your eyes again, press the back of your hands as hard as you can against your inner knees for 30 seconds. Keep your index finger and thumb lightly touching together. Then after a few moments lift them up. Palms up and towards the sky. They should feel light and relaxed from the push. Stay in this position while thinking of what you can be grateful for. Two minutes.

3. Now you are going to breathe in thru your nose and out thru your mouth. Do diaphramatic breathing by pulling your air in via your solar plexis. Simply extend your abdominals out as far as you can while breathing in thru your nose and lifting your heart up high. You can actually feel your heart area stretch during this part of the breath if you extend your cage out enough.

4. While breathing out thru your mouth, contract your abdominals together hard like you are protecting them from a blow. Stay relaxed all at the same time lifting up thru your cage and pulling your shoulders and blades back and down. Focus and breathe like this for twenty breaths with your eyes closed. Visualizing your heart getting pumped and stronger with each breath. Also remember to pace your breath by creating a raspy sound from the back of your throat so you don't hyperventilate or get dizzy. Do this for 10 slow breaths with your eyes closed.

5. Now breathe like this with your eyes opened while you're reading this part. Count 5 breaths. Inhale and exhale through the tip of the nostrils, drawing the air up into the bridge of the nose, drawing the air deep into the lungs, allow the diaphragm to expand causing the abdomen to rise with each inhalation and fall with each exhalation, like the rise and fall of the tide of the sea. Pay attention to how it feels. Try to lengthen the breaths and slow your heart beats. For the next five breaths slow them even further, try to make the inhalations and exhalations longer. Count to 5, then 10 and then 15 and make a mental note, without judgement, of how long a time you can do it. Say to yourself,as you inhale, "Inhale, activate, energize the body. Release negative energy. Do this five times.

You can keep your eyes open for the following. Gaze at these words in a daydream like state. If you haven't given yourself permission to daydream lately, it might be a learning process.

6. Turn your attention to the body. Starting with the feet. Breath in.Relax your feet. Breathe out.

7. Now with your legs. Breath in, Relax your lower legs. Breath out.

8. Now your upper legs. Take a deep breath inhale and relax your upper legs.

9. Now your hips and abdominals. Breathe in, relax your hips and abs, breathe out.

10. Now your chest, heart, and back. Breath in, relax your chest and back, breathe out.

11. Now your shoulders and arms. Inhale and relax your shoulders and arms, exhale.

12. Lastly your neck and head. Breathe in, relax your neck and head, breathe out.

13. Now your muscles starting with your feet and hands. Breathe in, visualize the feet and hand muscles building in strength and tone and breathe out.

14. Now your calves and forarms. Inhale, and visualize the calves and forearms strengthening, then breath out.

15. Quadriseps (thigh muscles) and biceps and triceps (upper arms) breathe in, visualize them popping out in size and strength, breath out.

16. Deltoids (shoulders), Breathe in, visualize the shoulders popping out in strength, breathe out.

17. Pectoralis (Chest muscles), Breath in, visualize the pects blowing up in size, breath out.

18. Abdominals. Breathe in, visualize your abs popping one by one from your seventh rib to your pubis six times forming a six pack, breathe out. This one is fun.

19. Latisimus dorsi (Back fan out muscle on each side), Breath in, visualize your lats fanning out like a butterfly, breathe out.

20. Now your organs starting with your intestines. Breathe in, relax your intestines, breathe out.

21. Stomach. Breathe in, relax your stomach, breath out.

22. Kidneys. Breathe in, relax your kidneys, breathe out.

23. Liver. Breathe in, relax your liver, breathe out.

24. Heart. Breathe in, relax your heart, breathe out.

25. Lungs. Breathe in, relax your lungs, breathe out.

Now visualize the workout you are about to do. Make it focused and concise. Then go workout and keep your conversations to a minimum. If someone talks to you, simply say, "Hold on and let me finish this set." Then while you are doing the set think of a concise and quick response. Do not let anyone steal your time. After your response, re engage. Keep this focus for at least 30 minutes.

Reward yourself with a "gab session". You will have a better conversation after a good workout anyway.

One more thing, notice the other people in the gym working out. You will find that the fit ones rarely if ever talk while they are doing a set while the not so fit are talking or draping themselves over a fitness machine or treadmill. They may be reading but they are not focused.

Notice how they work their abs. The fit ones will likely have their focused or closed while placing one hand over their abs to feel for proper technique. The unfit ones may be talking or throwing away their reps.

When I am focused, I get twice as much done. I always get," Gina you spend all day working out". NOT TRUE. I focus my efforts 5 to 6 hours. I also made a decision to only do what I ask my clients to do.

Until next time, live with energy,

Copyright (c) 2008 Gina Cool