An Exercise Program for your Attitudinal Muscles

by | Jun 10, 2021

I’m one of those people who recognize exercise as an important path to health. I  also have fibromyalgia which often makes exercise uncomfortable. I took on and completed the P90X workout program years ago because my son-in-law was doing it, bringing out my competitive nature.

“If he can do it, so can I” was the thought in my head, despite the twenty years of age separating us. I learned that while growing muscle it must be elongated and stretched at the same time. Yoga, weightlifting, cardio, jump training, and martial arts are all part of the P90X program, and stretching was the beginning and end of each workout. The stretching gave me greater results than the lifting did.

Our most recent guest. Kate Eckman has written a book describing the necessity of stretching our spiritual, mental, and emotional muscles as well. Let’s face it, life is a daily workout with heavy lifting of burdens, relationships, and responsibilities; it’s a bit of jump training when unexpected “fires” need putting out; and it’s like martial arts, too – metaphorically punching and kicking our way out of problematic situations, unfulfilling careers, and healing from trauma or tragedy.

The Full Spirit Workout: A 10 Step System to Shed your Self-doubt, Strengthen your Spiritual core, and Create a Fun and Fulfilling Life could be considered a manual for stretching and strengthening your “attitudinal muscles” as the author put it. And it’s easy to do at any age.

Kate Eckman is a master of physical education. She is an elite, competitive swimmer. Peradventure, her swimming career started with a little “competitive” mindset like P90X did for me, but she stayed with it for years.

When Kate was four-years old she overheard her mother talking to Kate’s swim teacher. The teacher commented, “your daughter is not a good swimmer”.

Kate’s four-year-old mind absorbed perhaps her first limiting belief: “I need to perform at a high level to be worthy of praise, pride, and love from others. I’ve got to be a champion swimmer even though I don’t like swimming.”

Kate did become a champion swimmer, but at a high cost. She was obsessed with performance and perfectionism; in constant turmoil with the pain of insecurity.

Once a limiting belief is established (as it was for Kate) we spend our whole life looking for evidence that it’s true. Eventually we become spiritually and emotionally overweight and unhealthy with our limiting beliefs and will need to consciously delete the thoughts that don’t serve us, like changing our diets to lose unwanted pounds.

“It’s like a toxic virus on your computer you delete to the trash. Then you must cocreate a new thought system for yourself; download truth and live your life from that place. Have a purpose greater than yourself.”

Kate Eckman

Kate’s book is for everyone who struggles with mental health issues (That’s about all of us); and is dedicated to her friends Sam and Raf who took their own lives. She has learned life’s important lesson: money, fame, and good looks do not make you happy. In that pursuit you are always seeking for the next bigger, better, more expensive things, and it takes more and more of the same to satisfy you.

Her book is a fun and easy read. You’ll return to it again and again as the need comes up to work out a different spiritual muscle group. As with any exercise program you must be willing to show up and not be great…yet. In fact, a dance coach started her first lesson with Kate by saying, “Let’s start with failure.” Kate thought, “I can do that“, and it took the pressure off.

Kate Eckman

Kate describes her program as:

“The ultimate rebellion against my inner perfectionist.”

Kate claims the Universe rises to meet you when you take a risk by getting out of your comfort zone and doing just that is the 1st Step to Kate’s program outlined in her book.

Kate’s 10-Step Plan:

1. Stretch Your Comfort Zone

2. Lift Yourself Up

3. Feed the Burn

4. Strengthen Your Core Confidence

5. Build Your Emotional Muscles

6. Boost Your Mental Metabolism

7. Step Up Your Spiritual Stamina

8. Embrace Your Endorphins

9. Rock the Freedom Freestyle

10. Cool Down with Inner Calm

“I was staying with my friend who looked stunning on her way to work one morning, and she began personal commentary about how she hated her hair, and she had gained weight. She was ripping herself apart.

I shouted, ‘stop it right now. That’s my friend you’re talking about. Knock it off.’

I realized I talked to myself the same way my friend was talking about herself. I decided to speak with nonjudgement, and to be kind and compassionate, not only to others, but to my inner critic. I had to get real with myself and say, ‘you have judged and criticized yourself harsher than anyone’.”

Kate Eckman

Kate has a 5-minute minimum sit and stare time every day.

“It’s a non-negotiable adult time out. I sit, reflect, and check in with myself. I ask my inner child ‘how are you doing and what do you need right now?’ Then I listen; not to the ego, but to the divine wisdom we can download at any time because we always have access to it. I bring it down into my heart; into my body. If you do the same, like me, you’ll start to hear the truth and get the answers you seek.”

Kate Eckman

Kate cautions us that we might feel a little scared or anxious.

“Great. It means you care. Show up and bring the joy. Be in the present moment. Be prepared, then picture yourself as a swimmer or track runner in the blocks. Get set. Ready. Go. Just do it. Show up, do your best. That is success.

Failure is our unwillingness to show up. Failure is not being willing to try. Failure is falling asleep to the truth of who we are and not believing how truly powerful we are.”

Kate Eckman

The ultimate fulfillment is an inside job. Kate works with people to identify their special sauce and unique gifts, helping them tap into it, and lean into it when they’re struggling. Find out more here:

Leadership Development and Performance Coach – Kate Eckman

A Full Spirit Workout with Kate Eckman

by | Jun 8, 2021

Kate Eckman June 8, 2021
A lot of people are tired of living a life based on comparison, competition, lack, and fear. They want to feel better, but don’t know how. 
Kate Eckman, accomplished entrepreneur, elite athlete, and mindfulness expert, used to be like a lot of people.  On the surface, she was successful, high-level performer. But deep down, her life was full of roadblocks — deep-seated insecurity, self-judgment, stress and anxiety.
In her new book, The Full Spirit Workout: A Ten-Step System to Shed Your Self-Doubt, Strengthen Your Spiritual Core, and Create a Fun and Fulfilling Life , Kate shares the inner fitness regimen she used in her own life to generate a sense of self-worth and contentment from within.
Rooted in neuroscience, positive psychology, and whole-person coaching techniques, her results-driven plan focuses on building spiritual and emotional muscles.
Meet Kate Eckman

Shopping for Negative Thoughts

by | Nov 5, 2019

Imagine you’re walking down main street lined with many store fronts. Imagine the stores are selling negative thoughts, and you can see them in the windows. Imagine you go into each store on main street and buy a negative thought. You make the thoughts your own. You end up with a collection of negative thoughts.

“Those negative thoughts are a symptom of depression. Depression generates negative thoughts.  Negative thoughts generate more depression.”

Stuart Eisendrath, MD

As a Psychiatrist, Stuart Eisendrath, MD is always treating depression. It is the number 1 psychiatric disorder in the world. On any given day 300 million people are suffering with symptoms of depression.

Twenty-five years ago Dr. Eisendrath learned about mindfulness. It was useful to him personally, and he began to practice a more mindfulness-based lifestyle.

In the late 1990’s Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) was introduced as a new way to treat depression. Dr. Eisendrath hopped on that train and brought it to his medical practice.

Today, Dr. Eisendrath is the author of When Antidepressants Aren’t Enough – Harnessing the Power of Mindfulness to Alleviate Depression

With mindfulness you walk down the same street used in the previous example and see the same stores offering their negative thoughts for sale. Imagine not going into the store to purchase those thoughts. Imagine you walk right past those inviting store fronts because you see they’re just thoughts, and they have little to no value for you.

YOU ARE FREE!

“We are popcorn poppers of thoughts, but THOUGHTS ARE NOT FACTS.”

Stuart Eisendrath, MD

If you’re depressed, you’re having depressive thoughts. If you believe those thoughts, it’s natural to get depressed.

MBCT helps a person step back from those negative thoughts such as:

  • “I’m no good.”
  • “I’m a failure.”
  • “I’ll never be as successful as…“

Don’t carry on a public relations campaign about yourself throughout the day. Don’t buy in to the negative thoughts.

A diagnosis of depression is made if a person has five or more of the following symptoms lasting two weeks or longer.

  • Loss of appetite or excessive appetite
  • Loss of weight
  • Sleep disturbances: a decrease in restful sleep, or an increase in sleepiness
  • Depressed mood
  • Suicidal thoughts
  • Loss of energy
  • Inability to enjoy once enjoyable activities

“Some people have genetic makeup that makes them more susceptible to stress-produced depression. And some people have a genetic makeup that makes them more resilient to stress, and less likely to experience depression. But given enough stress almost anyone can develop depression.”

Stuart Eisendrath, MD

Depression and anxiety are disorders of time.

—–A person with depression focuses on the past and feels as if they have experienced a loss. (loss of loved one, loss of a job, loss of financial status)

“Whether it’s actually occurred or not, the depressed person will feel a sense of loss.”

—–A person with anxiety focuses on the future and feels as though some loss is going to take place, that a disaster is going to happen, that they’re going to have a catastrophe.

“Depression is focused on the past; and anxiety is focused on the future.”

Mindfulness helps a person focus on the PRESENT.

“The Mindfulness training isn’t smoke and mirrors. It changes the way your brain functions.”

Some of Dr. Eisendrath’s clients who’ve had depression for 7 years have been able to make major changes in just 8 weeks of Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).

Depressed persons often participate in self-criticism. Mindfulness helps those same people to change the way they think, and consequently the actions they take.

“It’s like looking into a glass of water muddied with dirt. You can’t see clearly. But if you wait, with mindfulness, for the dirt to settle, you’ll have greater clarity.“

The next time you’re downtown, shop only the stores selling positive thoughts.

Sharing Experiences of Anxiety, Allows you to Keep the Lessons

by | Mar 19, 2019

Eloquently spoken, Corinne Zupko was our Life Mastery Radio guest on March 19th. She is the author of From Anxiety to Love, wherein Corinne shares how A Course in Miracles helped her heal from anxiety.

Anxiety is nothing more than fear projected into the future: fear about what might occur at some future time. Love is lived only in present tense – A Course in Miracles

Experiencing anxiety from early childhood, Corinne’s mother encouraged her to study A Course in Miracles. Corinne explained how she literally put her fingers in her ears to avoid her mother’s explanation of “spiritual crap”.

Avoidance of “spiritual crap”

When Corinne’s anxiety escalated into debilitating panic attacks in college she was finally ready to “try anything.”

A Course in Miracles taught Corinne “miracles are a shift in perception”. Corinne simply needed to learn how to shift from an ego-controlled state of body and mind to a Self-controlled state, guided by her Inner Therapist.

Healing requires an exchange of fear for love.

During our delightful interview with Corinne Zupko, she illustrated through a personal story the choice we make to witness either fear or love – in other words, we’ll experience whichever one we’re looking for.

I was at a doctor’s office because of a symptom I’d had for a long time. My fear had led me to finally seek a diagnosis, and while in that state of fear the nurse (while drawing my blood) asked, “what are you here for?”

Upon explaining my concerns, the nurse replied, “oh, that’s not good. I sure hope you don’t pass out.”

Of course, I passed out! The nurse had validated my fear, which I was witnessing for.

I was sent to another doctor’s office for more tests. This time I had decided to witness for love instead.

When I walked into the office, the nurse I saw was the mother of a friend of mine. I didn’t even know her mother was a nurse. During my blood draw, I chatted with the nurse about my friend (her daughter).

The mother of my friend observed, “I don’t usually work on Monday’s, but was called in today. I arrived 30 minutes before you did.”

I was witnessing for love; the second nurse validated my love; and I’d had a completely different experience!

We’re grateful at Life Mastery Radio that Corinne shared her journey from anxiety to love. We will definitely keep the lessons.

You can read about her journey by purchasing, From Anxiety to Love – A radical new approach for letting go of fear and finding lasting peace

From the perspective of the ego, we are here to forget who we really are. From the perspective of our Inner Therapist, we are here to remember who we truly are.

Be sure to listen to Corinne Zupko’s complete interview on Life Mastery Radio podcast

Unleash the Artist Within

by | Mar 7, 2019

On our recent show, Eric Maisel taught us to “unleash the artist within”. More than a directive, it also happens to be the title of one of his more than 50 books.

Creativity is a broad subject, and one which Dr. Maisel has made his message for more than 30 years. It was then he noticed the lack of psychological help for performers, musicians, writers, artists, and the like. Artistic personalities have some particular issues with sadness, anxiety, and loneliness. Before Dr. Maisel began his work, there was little help (besides medication) for them.

We often use “narcissism” as a negative word describing individuals who seem self-centered and egotistical. However, Dr. Maisel suggests there is a good narcissist – the person who wants to make a difference in the world or life of others by using his/her particular “voice” – be it art or music, etc.

Creative personalities are often eccentric, leading to an area of study Dr. Maisel referred to as “anti-psychiatry”. He believes pharmaceutical companies are “bombarding the airwaves with a certain view” regarding behavior, and that “childhood has been diagnosed as a disorder”.

“Sadly, zero attention is paid to original personality. We all come into the world with our own sense of sadness, stubbornness, obsession, exuberance, etc.” and yet we are medicating kids because of who they are.

When relating the beginnings of his own childhood, Dr. Maisel described himself as “curious”, and was quick to comment “I’m still the same today”. He talked of family members, such as his parents who were a steady influence for him; but that, like most of us, he had a few relatives who were “batty.”

The conversation turned to the process which artists and creatives can take to “make meaning” in their purpose(s), rather than trying to “find meaning” in life. He cautioned that only a percentage of the work we do will be good, and we can me demoralized when our creations are not successful, or valued. Although this can be anxiety producing (especially when creativity is your livelihood) “YOU CAN’T SKIP THE STUFF THAT DOESN’T WORK”.

Dr. Maisel highly recommends a “morning creativity practice”. He gave reasons for this process, which he uses seven days a week. (Remember – he’s written more than 50 books!)

  1. Consistent practice provides a routine of productive thought.
  2. “Sleep thinking” happens in REM sleep, and your brain is providing you answers as you sleep. By spending your first awaking moments each morning on “output” rather than “input” you’ll have more clarity in your creativity.
  3. When you can “make meaning” first thing in the morning, then the rest of your day will change, knowing the real work has been done.

Brilliantly, Dr. Maisel used other phrases during his time with us:

  • Self-Talk – as long as it serves us
  • Affirm our abilities, and the belief that we matter
  • Don the mantle of “Meaning Maker”
  • Life has purpose(s) for us
  • Creating is lonely, but it’s noisy in there
  • Productive obsessions
  • Ceremonial bridge
  • Toxic criticism

You’ll benefit from hearing his interview with us, and you can listen at your convenience by clicking this link: Dr. Eric Maisel

Be sure to tune in to Life Mastery Radio with Todd Alan every Tuesday at 10:00 AM pst.