Inner Stress Relief – How to manage your Stress? By Vikas Malkani

The word 'stress' originates from the French word 'estrece' meaning 'narrowness' and is used to depict a limiting or constriction of your power and abilities. You have the feeling of being emotionally and mentally stressed out when you think you have too much to handle.

www.soulcentre.org

Anything viewed negatively has the potential of causing stress in your life regardless of what the thing may be. However, what makes one person stress-full may be quite an ordinary event for another. The secret to releasing stress is to realize that stress therefore is created not by the event or circumstance itself but by the way we respond to what happens to us in any moment of our life. We are the creators of stress and it we alone can provide the solution to it.

In essence, stress is the result of the way you think. And if you develop the ability to change the way you think, you will have in your hands the power to eradicate the stress that you feel.

Here are 3 easy ways to manage the inner stress you may encounter :

1. Act, then Detach

Trying to control every moment and outcome of your life causes more stress and disharmony than any other process.

Take the action the present moment requires, and once the action is done, stop clinging to the results. After your best is done, step back and wait for the results to arrive, then respond to them.

It’s the constant clinging and worry about the results that is the primary creator of stress.

Do your best, then Let-go, and become stress-free.

2. Meditate

You always have two choices in every situation – either curse the darkness, or light a candle. Meditation helps you to train your mind to choose the more positive attitude, always, regardless of the situation. 

Negative thinking produces stress and thinking positively releases it. Remember that stress arises out of the way you think, and since meditation is the skill of training your mind, meditation is also one of the most effective antidotes to stress.

Find a good teacher, and learn to meditate. And whatever the situation, keep your mind focused on the positive outcome you want to achieve, rather than the negative outcome you want to avoid!

3. Chunk it down!

Do things one at a time. Don’t be too concerned about how much there is to do, or how overwhelming some of the tasks seem. Just get one thing done at a time, again and again. Keep your mind focused on the one action you can take now, and do what’s in your power. One step at a time you can climb the highest mountain, and one step at a time you can accomplish the greatest task.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. So chunk it down and you will accomplish more with greater ease.

SoulCentre is Asia’s Premier Centre for Meditation, Mindfulness & Stress-Management.

For details of our training programs, connect to www.soulcentre.org

Wisdom for the Soul

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE CARDS - SOULCENTRE

Do you ever wish you could simply find the answer to a question in life or do you ever feel a bit lost and would just love for some words of wisdom?

Well we have the solution, or as we love to say, the SOUL-ution.

SoulCentre Inspirational Words of Wisdom – Our SOUL Card series.

• Wisdom at your fingertips for you to use for any and every occasion.
• Beautiful quote cards that give you a boost in life just when you need it the most.
• Leave them on your coffee tables and pick a card whenever you need a boost.
• Put them on your walls / notice boards/ fridge to keep you inspired.
• Use them as handy post cards / notes to friends.

Available through SoulCentre – Order on line or simply just drop us an E-mail and order your set today.

www.soulcentre.org

How to be truly happy - 5 Essential Secrets

Do you ever feel caught up in all the mundane things of life while happiness seems to elude you? Do you feel like life is just passing you by? Do you sometimes feel that you are doing so much but that you are not truly happy?

Life is too short to postpone happiness until the conditions are right. So if we are waiting for something is our world to be just right before we become happy, then we are keeping ourselves in an endless cycle of waiting!

Everywhere around, people are trying desperately to find their happiness in relationships, in expensive cars, mansions, overseas holidays, money, the perfect place or the perfect job – and yet after they have experienced some or all of the above, they are still not happy.

Happiness is the special sauce that makes everything else in life worthwhile. And if happiness is missing, then even a life full of wealth and health is not meaningful.

"If a person is happy, life is worthwhile" - Vikas

So how can one become truly happy?

What are the essentials to happiness?

Let me guide you to the 5 essential secrets that will create real happiness for you.

SECRET NO: 1 – START YOUR DAY WITH GRATITUDE

All of us have so much to be grateful for; it’s just that most times, we don’t realize it.

Gratitude helps to cultivate a positive mindset, which will help you to accept yourself for who you really are. Remember, as your day begins, you don’t know what the day will bring to you, but you can decide what you will bring to this day! So choose to bring a grateful and happy ‘you’ to your day and see the benefits happen.

Start your day with a positive attitude and a positive mind-set. Spend 3 minutes before you get active in the morning reminding yourself what is great in your life.

Start your day on a positive note, because a spiritual law is that whatever is inside you is what comes out of you. So if you create happiness inside by being grateful, you will ooze happiness all day, which in turn will make your day a happy one!

SECRET NO: 2 – DURING THE DAY, STRENGHTEN YOUR POSITIVE MUSCLES

As your day begins to unfold, many types of things, results and people will be encountered.

No matter what comes your way, choosing to be positive will help you to stay strong within the challenge and handle it in a peaceful and powerful manner. Even when things are difficult, try being positive and strive to make the best of whatever situation you’re in. It will help make even the most challenging situations easier to bear.

So as you live your life during the day, look for the positive not for the negative.

Often, during the day, repeat positive affirmations about what you want. Do so with faith, feelings, intention and focus. Your mind is the filter for this world around you, so look for the good in every situation, and you are sure to see it.

“Don’t gain all the wealth and lose your soul” - Vikas

SECRET NO: 3 – JUST FOR TODAY, ACCEPT IMPERFECTION

It’s a fact that we all have imperfections. When we stop worrying about our imperfections and what others think about us, and just start being what we are, then we can truly offer the world the best we have. For as long as we are living a life of pretense, we are sure to be tense, and real happiness will elude us.

Moreover, you can’t expect people to be perfect all the time. Perfection comes when you’re ok with imperfection.

Our ideas about the way the world works are based, in part, upon our expectations. Those expectations color our experience, good or bad and influence our reactions and responses to just about everything and everyone that we encounter.

Expectations help us form a world view, but they can also skew that world view in unexpected and sometimes unwanted ways. The more the expectations, the more the disappointment.

Being a perfectionist will not make you happy, I promise. So ease up a little bit, check the expectations you carry and lower them if necessary, and see how much more you can enjoy life.

You will be happily surprised.

SECRET NO: 4 - TRAVEL LIGHT

Keep your mind light. Carry the good experiences with you, and the lessons from the bad experiences. Both will help you and make you a better person. But carrying negative memories will only take your happiness away.

The best short-cut to happiness is meditation, which teaches you to train your mind to be calm and happy. Never put the key of your happiness in anyone else’s hands.

“Life is not a race, don’t make it so” - Vikas

SECRET NO: 5 – HUG TODAY. IT WON’T COME BACK

So many people keep themselves constantly busy, but spend their whole life waiting to start living. And in the meantime, this beautiful gift from life called ‘today ‘is passing by forever!

Give your attention to the value of today. This day is your life, and you are alive only today! So value it, cherish it and live it fully while it is here. Because it’s soon going to be gone forever.

Take action in your life on the problems you face, if any. Any action is better than burying your head in the sand, hiding from the world, and more importantly yourself. But at the same time, don’t let your pains and problems define your experience; you also have a lot of blessings in your life, so let that be the flavor of the day!

"Create happiness, don’t wait for it!" – Vikas

Quit waiting for life to work out. Make a change and take control. You control your own happiness; don’t waste any more time waiting for it to come find you.

So embrace and HUG your life today. Bring some happiness, understanding and gratitude to your life today!

“H – Happiness; U – Understanding; G – Gratitude” - Vikas

There is always a lot in life to be happy and grateful for. Start living in the only moment that matters, right now. The more you are focused on the past or the future, the more you are missing out on happiness right now.

Pay attention to this day and make yourself truly happy, no matter what!

Meditation Class - The importance of a teacher

With the introduction of Google, we spend many hours researching and reading "stuff" on the web. We soon become an expert on any and every topic by reading second hand information in huge amounts.

So can we learn mediation on the web, and do we really need a teacher?

The simple answer is "Yes" you can learn meditation (to a certain extent) on the web and "Yes" you do need a teacher if you are serious about Meditation.

So why do I say you need a teacher?

First, the mind is a tricky little devil, and over 60,000 thoughts are whizzing through in any one-day. So you sit to meditate and some of the first thoughts that come in are;

• “ Am I doing this right?”

• “ What should I be thinking?”

• “ How do I stop thinking and have no thoughts “

This is natural and most of us start out like this on our journey with meditation. Having a teacher with you allows you the confidence and freedom to ask these questions and to be guided on correct answers.

Having no thoughts is one of the many myths of meditation; it's a little bit like expecting the heart to stop beating once you tell it to.

So a teacher also dispels these myths.

Having sat through 12 years of meditation classes I have heard so many myths ...

•  You have to sit cross legged to meditate

•  You have to shower before you meditate

•  You have to place your palms on your knees and make a lotus shape with your fingers to meditate

•  You have to meditate for over an hour to benefit

•  Meditation is religious

•  You cannot meditate during your menstrual period

These myths, and many more, are easily dispelled by a teacher and thus put the mind at peace.

A teacher will explain clearly what meditation is and what it is not.

A teacher will also listen to what you are saying and be able to guide you as an individual to experience the technique that is best for you.

After all there are thousands of techniques in meditation and it’s not a "cookie cutter" experience where everyone is precisely the same.

A teacher will also see your habits and challenge you a little to see them for yourself. After all meditation is all about getting to know yourself and to see how your own thinking and actions bring results in your life.

So sign up for a class today!

SoulCentre is Asia’s Premier Centre for Meditation

Our next program is on 16/17/23/24 August

We have 10 am and 7 pm classes

Meditation Classes in Singapore

MEDITATION CLASSES IN SINGAPORE

2016 has seen a sharp increase in the number of people turning to Meditation. The pace of life is speeding up; we are all multitasking more often and for longer periods and also the opportunities for distraction have never been greater. It all results in excessive thoughts and a mind that feels as if it is spiraling out of control and has no peace.

I caught up with the latest batch of students who have learnt Meditation Made Simple, a beginners guide to meditation at SoulCentre.

SoulCentre is Asia’s Premier Centre for Meditation and Mindfulness and under the guidance of Vikas Malkani, students are taken through a 4-session beginners program.

I asked them how has Meditation benefitted them and here are some insightful replies.

• Meditation has really benefitted me, I have learnt to see the positive in all situations and to focus on the good in my life.
• Meditation has given me simple tools to use throughout the day and in life to quiet my mind and to be in tune with myself.
• I changed how I view my life!
• It has opened my eyes more to my surroundings and helps me see the negatives that I have let affect me.
• Now I really understand meditation, its simple and the tools are helpful and work.
• How beautiful to get the tools for a happy life.
• It was a truly great course!
• I am more conscious of the good in my life.
• Made me understand that it is me that can bring good things into my life.
• It was so simple – powerful and easy to apply into daily life.
• I am already calmer at home with my children and more understanding with my husband.
• I had learnt meditation earlier but this course was so different – it taught techniques that can be used anywhere! It was so beneficial.

Students leave after 4 sessions like a new person…it was so inspiring to see. And as for Vikas himself, the teacher, this is what they say:

• He is very accessible, calm and clear, I love his style of teaching.
• No words can describe him – thank you Vikas!
• He is inspirational, interesting, informative and encouraging.
• He is an ocean of wisdom; I am so blessed to be able to learn from him.
• He is fun, an excellent storyteller, authentic, clear and direct.
• Lovely, gentle, warm natured and so approachable.
• He vibrates calmness, compassion, acceptance, wisdom and is such an amazing teacher.

SoulCentre holds classes each month and they are in the morning (10 am – 12 noon) and again in the evening (7pm – 9pm)

Check out the website – www.soulcentre.org for dates and for on line bookings.

There is also an On-Line program for mediation on the website – for those who want to learn in their own space and time and for those who simply want to stay connected to the wisdom at all times.

Interview with Sally Forrest - Co-founder of SoulCentre

Sally was interviewed this week by Nerissa from Brown and Chase, a leading global company of talent acquisition / advisory, for a pod cast to be broadcast in May.

We are delighted to share a snippet from the interview.

"We are delighted to be speaking today to renowned Reiki master and teacher / former senior corporate executive / medical pharmacist with an MBA / Philanthropist and co-founder of SoulCentre Academy, Asia’s premier Centre for Personal Development, Sally Forrest.

"Sally inspires people worldwide to take responsibility for their lives and to live a life of happiness and holistic health"

Sally let me ask you  “How did you start your Reiki journey”

I am a medical pharmacist by training with a business MBA and so have a science/management background.

I was born in the UK into a large family where money was limited and so from an early age I learnt the qualities of working hard, being independent and going into the world to earn a living.

I worked for a company called Boots and was successful at growing my career rapidly with them. The external rewards of life at that stage were a key focus for me – job promotions, house, and car, gathering more and more.

The universe then stepped in, and out of the blue, Boots decided to go international and I was asked to be part of the team opening Boots stores in Thailand. Thailand was an amazing experience and it was hear that I first experienced Reiki.

The first time you experience Reiki it's like a wonderful comforting warm sensation moving through your body, giving your a feeling of deep relaxation, joy and happiness.

After 3 amazing years in Thailand, the Boots Company asked me to return to the UK to be part of a project downsizing the company. This was a turning point for me. Each day I woke and felt as if my heart was dying.

I felt my energy and passion ebbing away, so one morning I decided to become authentic and to follow my heart and so I quit my role. I decided I wanted to return to Asia and so this is what I did.

A few things were driving me, including a deep desire to set up an orphanage and give back to Thailand. I relocated myself to Singapore and for the first few months I focused my efforts on setting up an orphanage with 2 wonderful people I had met in Thailand.

It was whilst I was working with the hill tribe people in Thailand that I had another amazing awareness, and that was that some people with no access to medicines can heal themselves.

This was the start of my journey to understand the mind, body, health and healing.

I approached Reiki with an open mind and an eager heart. Naturally the mind wants to know the "how’s and whys" of things, and with Reiki is much more about feeling and experiencing it first before you try to understand it.

Once I had this beautiful feeling, I just knew I had to learn it for myself, as I wanted it to be a part of my daily living. Reiki made me feel was as if my eyes had taken an "eye wash" and suddenly the world looked a brighter, more colorful place and amazing synchronicity started to happen. 

I just knew deep down that I would go on to become a Reiki Teacher and spread this gift to others. I am eternally grateful to Dr Usui and his authentic teachings of Reiki.

At SoulCentre we teach in a very professional way, with excellent classroom facilities, comprehensive manuals and individual tuition.

Thousands of students have studies with us, and many are now teachers themselves. Students progress at a pace that suits them.

We are recognized as “Asia’s Premier Centre for Personal Development”

Who are you really?

I was reading an interesting article recently that debated that people with a high internet usage were markedly more lonesome and unhappy than those with low usage. It also went on to say that people who most need to learn how to interact with others are the ones spending time on their computers alone. 

Human connection is vital to self-esteem.

Everyone needs to learn basic life skills which teach how to adapt to life and to deal effectively with changing demands and daily life in a positive way. 

Social media is also creating more unhappiness as people scroll through pages of how life "should be", without realising that many posts on social media are actually false realities.

People want to show the world they have a perfect life - when actually it may be far from the truth.

I have met many people who are so different in reality to how they post on Social Media.

We now invite anyone and everyone into our head space by scrolling down Social Media - We do not filter.

We react to things we see which we had no intention of viewing. We allow the lives of others to play out in our minds - when we have no real connection with these people in daily life. 

It's time to STOP ...

... Forget what everyone else is doing ...

FOCUS on yourself 
Are you happy?
Are you living the life of your dreams?
Are you giving your best to the world ?
Are your emotions under your control and positive ones?
Switch off the computer Spend time in silence and discover your own unique and amazing gifts

You will feel so much happier and contribute to the world once you are centred in your own truth.

Be Authentic … Follow your heart …

We are all born with pure potential, and a promise of being able to be the best we can be. This promise is the reason we took birth, yet as we grow we move further away from this promise and actually forget what it is..

Imagine that the day you are born, you came with a bright white, clean, blank piece of paper; there is nothing written upon it. You have to write what you wish to be and what you want to become is totally up to you and is possible!

However once we are born, others begin to write on this piece of paper. They are people who have your best interests at heart – like our parents, teachers, leaders of communities etc… They write things from their viewpoint, what they feel is right for you

Things like :

“Sally should be a lawyer when she grows up”

“Sally should get married and have children”

“Sally should play the piano, as I always wanted to do that as a child”

“Sally must get good grades in school and go to University”

“Sally should always put others needs before her own”

The list goes on and the expectations that others impose upon us continue throughout life. Eventually we lose sight of our natural gift and begin to live a life of continuous futile attempts trying to fulfill other people’s hopes, dreams and expectations.

How others see the world is not how we see the world, we see the world from our own conditioning and experiences.

How can the generations before us even begin to comprehend the unlimited opportunities of the future generations?

Take something as obvious as technology … it is the youth who are creating the technology of the future … not the previous generation.

Soon we begin to lose sight of the promise we are born with and the natural passion we have for life.

At this moment – STOP and ask yourself the following questions :

• Am I happy with life at this moment?
• Am I passionate each day as I wake up? 
• Do I rise each morning excited to start a new day – or full of dread and moans?
• Are you in a relationship that fulfills you emotionally and physically?

If life is great then congratulations! Continue doing what you are doing and enjoy! However if you are not happy with some aspect of life, first identify what that aspect is and then decide to change.

The secret is to become authentic!

Live a life where you bring out the best from inside you and be what you want to be. Find that special gift that you were born with and follow your heart. Forget about trying to fulfill the expectations of others – they have their own life to live and in which to fulfill themselves.

As you walk in this direction you will naturally manifest Happiness and Passion for life.

Top Tips to become Authentic

• Know yourself and what you want from life.
• Know what makes you happy and keeps you passionate.
• Stop doing anything that depletes you or makes you negative.
• Stop living to make others happy – start by making small changes, ,e.g. do not accept invitations to activities or events that you do not want to go to.
• Take time out for “ME” – connect again with nature and feel balance and harmony in life.
• Do new things! Especially those things you have always wanted to do.
• Loosen up - be child like and stop fitting in!
• Do not simply watch each day pass you by – take action and participate fully in life!
• Live today as if it was your last day on earth ... you never know it may really be so ...

The Universe does not make mistakes, you came here for a reason and you are full of special talents. You owe it to yourself and to the world to BE AUTHENTIC.

Having walked the path it is clear that those who have courage can give courage to others, just as the flame of the candle can light up another… I urge you to take a step towards your authentic self ... one step leads to another and you will soon discover your passion and purpose in life!

You are born an Original. So bring that gift to the world … Do not die a copy!

Sally Forrest

BSc, MRPharmS, MBA

Managing Director

SoulCentre Academy

www.soulcentre.org

Each and every person has huge potential ...

Having spent the weekend with 31 children, I reflected on how enthusiastic and passionate they are about sharing their dream.

• I want to be a vet 
• I want to be an astronaut 
• I want to be a model 
• I want to be a nurse 
• I want to be a jet fighter pilot 
• I want to be a professional gymnast 
• I want to be a professional soccer player 

Their excitement and levels of enthusiasm were off the scale.

I asked the same question to a few adults recently and their replies could not be more different.

• I have no clue
• Anything except what I am doing now with my life 
• Not sure - given up on my dream
• Whats the point - I am too old to achieve it now….

Each and every person has huge potential inside them. It's just waiting to come out.
So find out exactly what it is that sets you on fire!
What it is that you get so absorbed in that you lose track of time?
What it is that you would happily do for no charge…

These answers will take you one step forward towards your passion and purpose in life.
Then simply take action and watch the magic unfold !!!

If you need my help - I am here :)

Vikas Malkani | How to get the Universe on your side

Ten minutes of pure bliss from the master himself. Vikas has been spending hours at the recording studio creating videos for his students and friends around the world to enjoy. Just added few new short clips. Enjoy them here: https://www.youtube.com/user/SoulCentreSG

The full lessons are available through SoulCentre at SoulCentre Lessons