If you buy every self help book that you see on Amazon and always look to others for ways of solving your problems, it's time to take a deep breath...and learn how to listen to your own instinct!

Increase Intuition - trusting your gut

Intuition

1. direct perception of truth, fact, etc., independent of any reasoning process; immediate apprehension?
2. a fact, truth, etc., perceived in this way
3. a keen and quick insight
4. the quality or ability of having such direct perception or quick insight. Increasing you increase your awareness of your intuition ensures you will be balanced and successful

Source dictionary.com

If you tune into your intuition it will give you advantages in all areas of your life. We have a natural inbuilt radar system and trusting your inner awareness is a habit that you can practise so it becomes automatic.

We all respond differently to stimulus. A good example of this is bungee jumping: one person?s pleasure ? another?s hell.

If you are in a situation or meeting someone new it might be that you have a voice in your head advising you on good and bad or perhaps butterflies that somersault in your tummy. Others might describe as  'just knowing.'

The first thing to do is get to know yourself.

Think about the following and notice what occurs (if anything) in your mind and body. Spend a few moments thinking about each point.

1. You have just awoken on the day you are meeting someone important to you for the first time
2. On the way to the meeting you notice a car driving very erratically
3. When you arrive you are told that the other person has cancelled
4. Just as you turn to leave they call you back saying it was a mistake and the meeting will go ahead
5. The person enters and it is the driver of the car you saw earlier.

• What happened when you thought of those scenarios? Did your feelings alter?
• How do you know if you are excited, nervous, worried, cross, confused?
• Which sense works the best, do you use all or a combination?
• What does the sweet smell of success mean to you?
• Have you felt a lump in your throat through word swallowing or as a result of grief?

When you recognise your own responses you will notice the rhythm of your inner patterning. Whatever you are doing take a couple of grounding breaths and tune in to the situation and then your thoughts or feelings.

Your subconscious mind is carrying out an amazing array of actions all the time. It knows everything that is going on around you and detects the slightest happenings and changes.

Examples of this are wakening moments before a baby shouts for a feed, getting up to answer the phone before it rings or thinking of someone you haven?t seen or spoken to in ages only for them to call or email.

All of these actions are a combination of circumstances coupled with your abilities to trust your reactions before you even have time to think.

By noticing your responses you will be aware of subtle shifts in your awareness and know when you are on the right path for your success.

Barbara Ford Hammond

Barbara Ford-Hammond is an Author & Muse. Her book ?Past Life Tourism - Gateway to Bridging your Past and Future?  is published by Mirage and available on Amazon. The book is described as a self-help how-to style book featuring past life regressions and future life progressions with scripts for you to carry out your own and if you choose research your findings.

Barbara is currently writing her second book, Psychic Salon. This is about how to develop your psychic abilities without the weird, whacky and woo woo.

Barbara has produced self-help cds and is soon to have her own show on My Spirit Radio.
Please visit http://www.barbaraford-hammond.com for more information including details of day courses and weekend retreats.

Feel good every day!

Since qualifying Lindsay has enthusiastically increased her knowledge and practise of Pilates through continued education, study and research around the world. Lindsay’s passion for, and enjoyment of, Pilates is clearly evident in her teaching style, enabling her to bring the benefits and thrill of Pilates to her clients.

Everyday Pilates Moves...

With today’s busy lifestyles it can be difficult to exercise as often as we would like. Long periods of sitting at a computer, standing at work or driving lead to muscle imbalance, resulting in joint and back pain. Pilates is an excellent form of exercise to address these imbalances, by stretching and strengthening the muscles.

Many of the exercises here can be done anywhere without specialist equipment.

You can incorporate these simple exercises into your daily life to tone your body and relieve your aches and pains. They can easily be done every day, almost anywhere.

If you have longer why not log onto My Exercise Studio for an online Pilates class.

Standing with the correct posture can relieve a surprising number of complaints from lower back pain to sore hips or shoulders. Bring your body into this position whenever you are standing for a few minutes, the supermarket checkout, putting petrol in the car etc, and it will soon become your normal posture.

Stand with your feet hip width apart and parallel with your weight even. Knees straight, but not locked. Pull your tummy in and hold this position by tightening the lowest muscles in the buttocks. Take your shoulders a little back and relax them, sliding blades down the back. Lengthen up through the crown of the head, keeping the chin slightly tucked in. Image a small ball held under there. The position should feel relaxed, but lengthened.

This exercise will stretch the chest and shoulder, improve upper body posture and relieve shoulder pain.
Lie on your back with knees bent. Rest your fingertips on the front of the shoulder joints with your elbows pointing to the ceiling. Inhale and open the elbows wide to the side, and exhale to point them to the ceiling again. Repeat 8 times and then reverse direction and the breath pattern.

Create strong abdominals to improve posture and reduce the risk of lower back pain with this curl up.
Use an exercise mat or large, folded towel to lie on. Lie on your back with your knees bent, arms at the side, making sure your tailbone is resting on the mat. Exhale to pull your tummy in and curl your head and shoulders off the floor, lifting your arms to hip height. Hold that position for an in breath and roll back to the floor. As you lift keep your chin slightly tucked in, as if holding a small imaginary ball, and lift until your shoulder blades are just off the floor. Be careful not to lift your tailbone from the mat. If your neck feels strained place one hand behind the head. Repeat 8/10 times.

Today’s sedentary lifestyles can lead to a weak lower back and the consequent pain. Try this shoulder bridge to strengthen the gluts, hamstrings and lower back. Use an exercise mat or large, folded towel to lie on.

Lie on your back with knees bent up, arms at the side. Exhale to pull your tummy in and without tilting your pelvis, lift your hips up and squeeze your buttock muscles together. Hold for a count of 5. Slowly lower again, releasing the buttocks. Keep your torso long and open. To strengthen the upper arms press the arms into the mat as you lift and lower the hips. Repeat 8/10 times.

Strengthen the legs and stretch tight calves with this leg exercise.
Stand in stocking feet and hold onto the back of a chair with both hands. Bring yourself to correct posture. Breathe in and as you breathe out pull you tummy in, squeeze your buttocks and relax the shoulders. Breathe in and bend your knees, making sure they line up over the toes. Breathe out and straighten the legs lifting onto your toes. Breathe in to return to the start position. Repeat 10 times.

If you have trouble standing on one leg to put your socks on try this exercise.
Standing in correct posture, breathe in and as you breathe out take your weight on one leg, in the centre of the foot, pressing the big toe into the floor. Keeping your hips level lift the other knee, resting you hand on your thigh. Feel your leg stretch. Swap legs. Repeat 8/10 times with each leg.

Relieve a stiff back and increase flexibility with this cat stretch.
Get onto all fours, with your shoulders and hips in a straight line. Breathe in and as you exhale pull your tummy button in and curve your back to the ceiling. Allow your head to fall forwards. Breathe in and as you exhale gently drop your back into an arch, keeping the tummy pulled in. Keep your arms straight, your shoulders relaxed and your neck long. Repeat 10 times. Finish by sitting back on the heels and rest your forehead on the floor, arms stretched out in front. Hold for up to 3 minutes, breathing deeply.

Relieve headaches and neck stiffness with this massage using a beach or similar ball. Lie on the floor and place the ball under your head and neck. Let your head sink into the ball and gently turn it from side to side a few times. Now make a figure of eight with your nose. Imagine you are drawing on the ceiling with your nose. Repeat 10 times, alternating.