Deciding what we really want to accomplish is one of the happy tasks of the New Year and one that can readily be enhanced  by knowing how energy in your system works to help balance body, mind, and spirit.

Here’s an exercise you may wish to add to one of your meditative practices, especially when the weather constricts usual activities:

• List five interests you want to expand and find out more about this year.
• List five new activities you would like to  engage in this year .
• List three or more positive, hopeful thoughts you want to give yourself whenever there is an obstacle or challenge to initiating any of the items on your lists. Examples: “The Universe supports me in every new endeavor”…“The more I open to learning, the more joy I bring to my life”… “With each conscious breath I bring support and health to my body”…’ My intention now becomes an action.”
• Select one interest or action from your lists and commit to implementing it in some form each day for the next five days.
• After you’ve selected your idea or interest, bring an affirmation of your intention to each of the energy centers in your body starting at the base of the spine:
• Base chakra: “I affirm my aliveness and vitality in my goal to ________”
• Sacral chakra: “I feel my right to choose to engage in_______”
• Solar Plexus chakra: “My will is strong to meet the daily commitment of _______.”
• Health Charka: “ I love and accept myself fully even when part of me falters. I forgive myself and continue with _____.”
• Throat chakra: “My creativity shines with my selected action of ______”
• Brow chakra: “My intuition supports my intention to my goal of _____”
• Crown chakra: “My soul aligns with its true purpose as I hold to my  intention and repeat  that I have chosen____. I am in sync with my passion and joy.”
• To add vibrancy to your words hold each energy center and add a light spin toward the left (clockwise) to imbed your intention even more fully.

One of my friends started with the intention of writing her memoirs for her grandchildren. It’s wise to capture memorable events at any time of life, but especially in the second half of life, your adventures and how you managed difficulties become a gift to future generations. Of course, it’s easy to become discouraged all by oneself. Fortunately, there is a whole network, websites, and classes available. (see for example, National Association of Memoir Writers (NAMW),  customersupport@namw.org or call 1-877-e-memoir.

My friend initially set the goal of contacting other friends who had engaged in a similar project. Then, she signed up for the free website link and now receives lots of information about memoir writing. Next week she plans to learn about classes both local, by telephone conference, and online. In the meantime, she spends a half hour  three times a week writing about one incident that especially changed her life. Thus, you can follow how a single intention can gradually lead to a more serious commitment.

With each month in 2012, a portion of this precious year of your life has already elapsed. We have time to develop our ideas and creativity but this is your best time to set intentions, make them your goals, and accomplish something new.

Enjoy your being and the vast potentials of your creative, multi-faceted mind!

Dr. Dorothea Hover-Kramer, psychologist and educator is a leader in “re-firement” in the second half of life and author of Second Chance at Your Dream and Healing Touch: Essential energy medicine for yourself and others.

Somehow, Diane gets the sense that all she has done is not good enough and more is needed. But what? As we talk further, it appears that Diane has fallen into the ever-present seductions of the holiday season. We’re supposed to be incredibly happy at this time of year—after all, everyone on TV is ecstatic about lavish presents from jewelry to cars. Images all around us are of blissful children, glamorous scenes, and unbounded affluence.

Most people’s realities are quite different: traffic is actually worse, often shoppers are glum and harried, the weather is crummy, finances may be tight, and many feel emptier, not happier, than usual. Could it be that people have been seduced by some kind of Christmas ideal, an imagined fantasy world that does not exist? Could it be that we’ve lost the value of human connections and sharing that can make any day or holiday meaningful?

Asking ourselves important questions may open a path to self-discovery and overcoming the most pressing addictions to Christmas commercialism and hype. Here are some sample queries to consider:

• How am I really feeling?
• To what am I addicted, such as what am I demanding of myself ? what am I expecting of others?
• What really gives me joy?
• Whom can I contact to share a valuable connection?
• What activity can I seek out?
• How can I find more delight in the natural world around me?
• How can reach out or find new interests?

Approaches that work with the human energy system like the family of therapies called “energy psychology,” begin by acknowledging one’s internal emotional climate. Thus, we begin by facing the true feeling engendered by the holiday season which for many may range from “bah humbug!” to feeling out of sorts, empty, or dissatisfied. Gently addressing our own hearts begins to honor feelings and open the door to new personal possibilities.

Along with the nostalgia for better times  we also hold also the knowledge of who we really are if we are willing to look deeply enough. We are timeless energy beings having a temporary experience of socially or internally imposed demands –some of which are made visible in current holiday madness.

I encourage my friends to work with affirmations that acknowledge genuine feelings as well as their wishes for personal peace, tranquility, joy, and resilience. For example, here is the self-statement Diane developed, “Even though I feel a bit out of sorts right now, I deeply honor and accept myself, my many strengths, and am finding my path to wholeness.” After repeating this positive affirmation several times, Diane began listing the many talents she has and often neglects. She also became more aware of ways she holds herself back from expressing who she is. Holding back one’s gifts is a pattern many have learned in order to “fit in” and  please other people rather than being who we really are.

Diane recalled she loved cooking but since her daughter was doing all the holiday preparations, she was in effect without her usual nurturing role and feeling displaced.

“Who might appreciate your cooking in your community?” I asked.

“Lots of people at the local homeless shelter,” Diane mused thoughtfully and then added, “But that would be such a big step for me.”

“By all means,” I replied, “Don’t hold back this year. Try something new, not just to meet obligations but to experience the adventure of learning and sharing what you love to do. If cooking is your thing, then do it to the glory of the Highest Good.”

Whatever Diane chooses, she agrees does not need to be stuck in vague dissatisfaction with herself and feeling unneeded. Every one of us lives in a community where someone needs exactly the talent or interest we have, the very quality you’re likely holding back.

Let this holiday time become one of an adventure –exploring yourself, making time for looking within, and letting yourself reach out anew in creative, positive ways. The great Sufi poet Rumi invites us to this adventure: “Let yourself be silently drawn to the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.”

~~

Dr. Dorothea Hover-Kramer is a national leader in seeing retirement in new ways—“re-firement” for sharing yourself with others—and author of Second Chance at Your Dream.

Expressing appreciation shifts human perceptions and, with them, our energies, in positive ways. Every time I exchange my worries, criticisms, or complaints for gratitude, I find a sense of peace within and move to expanding joyfulness.

Here are some ways from energy psychology you can use to  transform your own internal landscape by engaging increased mindfulness for the good that surrounds you.

• Notice when you feel heavy, burdened, or irritated.
• Ask yourself to fully connect to the emotion and see it as a springboard for change. E-motion is energy in motion and therefore paves the way for new possibilities.
• Gently rub the heart center in the mid-chest or any part of the body where you most feel the charge.
• Add an affirmation that imbeds recognition and self-respect such as, “Even though I feel_(name the feeling or situation), I deeply and profoundly accept and love myself.” Repeat at least three times or until you strongly feel the self-respect despite the strong emotion.
• If needed, put the energy of the feeling in motion by safely hitting a pillow, making noises, writing your complaints or criticisms down, or venting to a reliable friend (pets make great listeners and continue to love us in spite of our stuff).
• Engage mindfulness by noticing what works well in your life which may include your ability to feel deeply and express yourself in creative rather than destructive ways. Note that you still have many choices even when external events or people won’t change.
• Develop a litany of thankfulness: “I’m grateful for my home; I’m grateful for warmth in stormy weather; I’m grateful for the loved ones in my life; I’m grateful for the support of my body; I’m grateful for the birds that just flew by, the beauty and rhythms of nature,” etc.
• This may seem artificial first, but remember the best way to change a negative feeling is to create different thoughts and actions. By just moving the body, we can change our sense of internal heaviness. By just expressing a new thought of kindness, we can move the mind to a more functional pattern.
• Affirm to yourself, “Each worry or complaint I feel is an opportunity for gratitude in some form”…. “ In mending the mind by expressing thanks, I now automatically shift and transform my being.”

I see such internal shifts in personal attitude as a miracle. The power to transform ourselves lies within each of us. The important thing is to notice the miracles that are all around us every day. The great physicist and philosopher Albert Einstein observed, “There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.”

Every detail of our lives can transform itself to a brighter, higher frequency when we add the dimension of gratitude to our awareness. Make every day an occasion for thanksgiving!

Dr. Dorothea Hover-Kramer is author of Second Chance at Your Dream and 8 other books and  a leader in “re-firement” practices.

There is no question that we in the Northern hemisphere now have shorter days, longer nights, and cooler weather. For some of us this means staying in bed a bit longer, hiking in the brisk air, or seeking out friends indoors. But for many people, autumn is a time of an accentuated sense of loss, difficulty with personal motivation, and the onset of depression. Whether you’ve been diagnosed with “seasonal affective disorder” (SAD—what an acronym!) or not, these symptoms, even if mild, are indications that all is not optimal in your beautiful energy field.

A friend of mine talked about the “dying of the trees” with the coming of fall. As she repeated that thought in her mind, she began to see the world as dying and cried often. When I suggested, “The trees are really not dying: they are resting so they can come forth even more vigorously in the spring,” she perked up a bit. It was a new thought for her—a shift in the lens of perception. I asked her to fill her home with reminders of the life cycle of trees, pictures of all the seasons, and index card reminders with the messages that helped her the most, “I feel my vitality even as the trees rest for a time to regenerate their energies. My own healing energy is as close as the next breath and the next thought.”

Energy psychology has multiple exercises and self-awareness resources to help us through the changing seasons and to optimize our human potentials in spite of upcoming winter.  Chronological aging can also add to the sense of decline we feel when the leaves turn and winds blow. Our inner wisdom and self-care need to be “on alert” so we don’t slip into negative thinking or patterns of isolation.

Here are a few ideas you may wish to use for yourself:

• Track every negative thought and replace it immediately with a positive opposite. Even though this may seem a mechanical gesture, remember the mind is a powerful tool—thoughts can pull us down or lift us up.
• Treat any negative thought as quickly as possible with a gentle rub to the heart center (or any other place on the body  that needs a caring touch) and the reminder phrase, “Even though I get discouraged with …cold wind…rain…a gray day, I deeply and completely love and accept myself and choose to kindle my inner lights and energies.”
• Surround yourself with reminders of your intention to live fully in the season, to enjoy the most out of what is given in the way of external weather. Photographs of great times and natural beauty should be all around your home.
• Make a list of positive self-affirmations that you can readily access whenever needed such as, “ I can increase my sense of joy with each breath,” “I generate warmth by moving vigorously,” “ I empower myself one step at a time.”
• Be aware of your body posture and how you can create a sense of inner strength just by standing and sitting upright as often as possible. Move the body by stepping forwards and backwards, side to side, moving the arms quickly & vigorously, every thirty minutes—think of it as your own energy dance.
• Contact loved ones more frequently so you feel the bonds of friendship that extend beyond the climate of your area.
• Connect with your inner being, your little child part, by cuddling up with a book, your pet, or a cup of warm tea and affirm, “I take good care of myself in this time of change. I am effectively able to nurture myself and celebrate each day.” ”

There are endless resources for positive self-care all around each one of us if we will but look. Your willingness and resourcefulness can be activated with your breath, your body, your mind. Once a positive action is in place it can lead to other action—and you will feel better.

The secret of Dodge Morgan, the solo sailor who went around the world in 149 days several years ago, was to overcome every mood or discouragement by moving, doing something active that allowed him to change his gloomy, isolated perspectives. Although most of us thankfully don’t need to sail around the world in solitude to learn this principle,  his strategy is still the most basic recipe for overcoming the doldrums of life and steering your ship on a steady course.

And finally, please recall there are only two months left until the winter solstice when the days get longer again!

Dr. Dorothea Hover-Kramer is a national leader in “re-firement” consciousness and generating fullness in the second half of life with her book Second Chance at Your Dream.

Just the thought of the screen facing them with “You have xxx# of  emails” made several of the attendees turn pale, become agitated, and  experience sinking feelings in their gut. Their distress ratings ran from 5-8 on a scale of 0-10, with ten as the worst, life-threatening situation they’ve ever faced. Some want to erase all messages, put themselves on computer-deleting vacations, or jus t go back to telephone conversations with friends. Our population is at risk of a new form of dis-ease–computer-linked burnout. Burnout has been identified as a mental/emotional state marked initially by indifference, tuning out, or apathy but it can progress to exhaustion, feelings of  being overwhelmed, helpless, despairing, and even the presence of physical symptoms.

The blessings of the Internet—quick communication, access to worldwide information, and ever-expanding social networks—seem to have turned into a veritable nightmare for many. Offices are so flooded with email floods that business can hardly progress; students spend more time texting and keeping up with incoming messages that comes in from peers than they do on learning projects; ordinary people spend disproportionate percentages of their precious lives on unordinary, tedious requests for their time, energy, participation, or money.

Since all of this has been created by the presence of personal computers and electronic communication media, thinking people need to find ways to set realistic boundaries. Whatever you or I have created in the way of unrealistic expectations of ourselves regarding the media can also be un-created by giving extra thought to our priorities, intentions, and realities.

Here are some suggestions to get started.

• Make a list of the people who matter most to you; in a similar vein make a list of the topics you most care about; and decide how much time you want to donate to the indirect, relatively “cold” communications of the Internet.
• Once you have a clear boundary in mind such as, “I plan to spend one hour a day visiting with friends and noting any environmental causes I want to learn about,” stick with your resolve. Delete anything that does not fit the target you’ve chosen.
• Treat yourself with positive self-affirmations while gently touching the mid-chest area and repeating a phrase such as, “Even if I may have missed something of importance, I deeply and profoundly accept myself and honor my personal boundaries.” Repeat as often as needed.
• Trust that there will be more reminders in this information–filled world about the things that are of truly vital significance.
• Seek out your friends in more personal ways by telephone, regular mail, shared meals, or outings. Value the physical presence of someone who cares about you. Actively build friendships rather than hoping someone “likes” you or wants to “be friends” on Facebook or Twitter.
• If you’re writing something of value on your computer, resist the urge to “pick up” when an email or Skype message pops up. Instead tap lightly on some meridian acupoints: where the eyebrow meets the nose; at the crease of the outer eye; under the eye on the cheekbone; under the lip; on the collarbones; and the side of the hand. Take some deep breaths, hum a tune, count to ten by two’s, and hum some more. Repeat as often as needed.
• Remember emails, like dishes in the sink and messages on your answering machine, can wait. You are the author, director and producer of the great movie called “Your Life.”
• Give genuine quality time to nourishing your body with food, exercise and rest and nurturing your soul with uplifting music, meditations, and personal journaling. Realistically assess how much of your time is wasted in relatively meaningless endeavors as opposed to the experiences that give you a feeling of joy.

While writing this for the last hours, seventeen emails came in and three faces popped up on Skype. All distractions—nothing urgent. I find the most important messages usually come early in the morning so maybe that’s where I should put my efforts. But then, my greatest creativity is also in the morning, and by the time I answer emails the first flush of enthusiasm for the day has fallen flat. And if I don’t exercise in the morning I will probably never do it. AAUURGH!

I cheerfully strengthened my resolve by envisioning you, dear reader.  I affirmed, “This article is getting written no matter what.” May you hopefully think before you leap into your next emails and overcome your anxieties by being kind and gentle with yourself!

Dr. Dorothea Hover-Kramer is a champion for healthy aging in an overloaded world, a leader for “re-firement” planning,  and author of Second Chance at Your Dream.

by Dorothea Hover-Kramer, Ed.D., RN, D.CEP

www.SecondChanceDream.com

The physical body is undoubtedly our best vehicle for bringing ideas to reality and getting things done. If the body is in pain, or carrying too much bulk, it’s difficult, sometimes impossible, to live fully and bring our best talents to fruition.

Amazingly, the body really does not need much to maintain itself once we’ve made peace with the concept that a daily practice and willing watchfulness are important. Some maintenance is indeed required especially as we mature. Getting at least thirty minutes of daily exercise is good maintenance for my body because when I do it I get rewarded with a good night’s sleep. If I miss taking the time for physical support, insomnia rules. Otherwise, the body still runs very well and I often ask myself, “How many mechanical engines could continue to run with such minor maintenance for well over seventy years?”

Every body has a different rhythm—your task is to find what works best for you. I’ve found energy psychology tools, many of which I describe in my book, really helpful for personal learning about the best and closest friend– the body in which you live. Here are some sample ideas to jump start your thinking and actions:

• Take a moment to notice all the tasks your body accomplishes as you are sitting still. For example, cells are hard at work sorting out which nutritional molecules to absorb and which ones to release, blood is sending the top 20% of the needed nutrients to your brain without needing a reminder or requiring accounting, and over seventy trillion cells work in harmony without conflict or even conscious direction from your mind.
• Send a message of gratitude to each body organ, especially in the areas where you may sometimes hold tension or have discomfort. Gently rub or hold the area with your hands.
• Bring a message of conscious awareness to each area that  you notice and let it know you will give it your caring attention if it sends you a signal. (Usually, the body gives subtle signals at first when something is amiss but then the  feedback gets stronger and eventually a serious organic condition may follow.)
• While gently touching or moving the hands over the heart area, affirm for yourself, “Even though I notice this part of the body because of discomfort, I deeply and completely honor and accept myself an choose to take an active next step.”
• The active next step may be to change a current activity in a variety of ways: to change from stillness to movement or vice versa; to take several deep breaths and exhale fully; to drink water to facilitate bodily functions and accelerate cognitions; to rub the two endpoints of the collarbones vigorously to stimulate memory, etc.
• I’ve found thumping on the thymus gland area in the upper mid-chest and affirming my intention for myself very helpful. Examples: “I create the energy for joy and health today… I want to establish conscious eating today… I value and respect my body and its many gifts for me.”

Increasing consciousness toward the body not only enhances your sense of well-being—it also creates inner beauty. It has been said that beauty in youth is a gift from nature but that beauty after age forty is a gift from the owner. It stands to reason that everything we touch with a sense of caring intention begins to shine with its own light.

The Buddha said, “As you walk eat and travel, be where you are. Otherwise you will miss most of your life.” Feeling the body, breathing fully, and noting the intricate function of the body’s many tasks grounds us into the beauty of the present moment. Let caring for your body as your friend guide you to increased awareness and higher consciousness!

Dr. Dorothea Hover-Kramer, author of Second Chance at Your Dream, is a national leader in “re-firement” and building a creative second half of life.

by Dorothea Hover-Kramer, Ed.D., RN, DCEP

www.secondchancedream.com

While Americans greatly cherish their independence from foreign tyranny on the nation’s birthday, few realize how much our nation is imprisoned by real and imagined fears. The manipulation of a people by fear is a well-known tactic of tyrannies and is frequently evidenced in American history even as we proclaim our independences. Think for example of the fears slave owners proclaimed that the nation would go broke if slavery no longer existed. More recently, fears that the nation cannot afford to help its poor or elderly fan the blazes of the media and political wrangling while more Americans are actually wealthy than ever before.

Somehow, we must find ways to break out of fear-based thinking and return to the human values that have made this nation great. As always, let’s begin at home, within ourselves. With the help of self-care, appropriately based in learning from our own energy systems and inner wisdom, we can address fears directly and move to an enhanced vision of the possible.

• Start by taking stock of your many assets, the riches of family and friends, the creativity of thinking that is your birthright.
• Ask yourself what is holding you back from speaking about your values to people who seem to be emotionally bound to their fears.
• Examine your own fears about being fully yourself or entering into the democratic process of discussing issues and finding solutions to present national issues.
• Treat yourself by gently rubbing the tender place on the upper mid-chest (the neurolymphatic treatment point) and stating a phrase that is relevant to you. Examples: “Even though I fear my opinion will not make a difference…Even though others may not agree with me…Even though some people may reject me if I speak up…Even though I believe I don’t have the energy to speak for the poor or elderly…” etc.
• Follow your statement of self-assessment with a life- affirming positive phrase, such as, “I deeply and profoundly honor and appreciate who I am…I trust my inner knowing… I appreciate my gifts and abilities.” Repeat this pattern of the two phrases together several times, until they capture the essence of your inner knowing and strength.
• Add an action statement such as, “I choose to write a letter to the local news editor…I choose to attend a community meeting…I choose to write my congressional representative…I choose to live in courage, to stand for the ideals of  the nation’s founders.”

Living with independence from fear-based thinking can lead us to new solutions. Seeking emotional freedom for yourself is greatly needed as the nation struggles to find new ways of honoring the independence we so value. Democracy is an ongoing process of helping each community, neighborhood, your family and friends to find ways to move forward with courage and hope.

~~

Dr. Dorothea Hover-Kramer is a leader in creative “re-firement” for people in the second half of life and the author of Second Chance at Your Dream.

While practices from energy psychology (EP) are not put forth to directly affect health, they can indeed bring about resolutions in often surprising ways. The human energy system appears to be wired for moving into positive directions for optimal functioning. If the physical body cannot heal completely, the emotional, mental, or spiritual dimensions can improve with new insights , deeper self-understanding, and increased compassion. The effect of deepening levels of self-efficacy and trusting one’s inner wisdom frequently includes better responsiveness to medical treatments, relaxation, and an improved sense of well-being.

This week I was honored to be invited to present at the local “lung group.” Over forty people attended the monthly lunch meeting. Most were on oxygen and have received terminal medical diagnoses. Nonetheless, they supported each other, offered to help, and chatted about what had and had not worked for them. It was a climate of mutual caring in the face of life-threatening adversity.

Here are the three EP basic recipes I shared with them:

• Exhale as fully as possible whenever you feel the slightest tinge of fear or worry. (People with severe lung disease do not respond well to being asked to breathe fully as this can increase feelings of anxiety or stress.) Purse-lip exhaling, as if blowing out a candle, is an excellent way to practice releasing emotional tension and simultaneously encourage deeper breathing.
• Treat anxious feelings with a pattern that activates some of the essential meridian acupoints. Using  your fingers in alternating fashion to stimulate both sides of the brain, tap on or hold each of the following points for about thirty seconds: where the eyebrow meets the nose (bladder meridian), under the eye (stomach meridian), at the collarbone “bumps”(kidney meridian), at the ribcage below the breasts (liver meridian), and at the side of the hand’s karate chop point (small intestine meridian). Be sure to exhale fully with purse-lip breathing  after working with each point so you can feel the release of tension.
• Reach out to another person in your group, a friend, or partner by touching lightly at the back of their heart center, between the “angel wings” of the shoulder blade. Hold the intention of sending caring to the partner without any expectations as to outcome. Then, allow the partner to extend the same gesture and intention to you while you allow yourself to receive fully. (If a partner is unavailable, this may work for you by simply imagining a caring person’s hand on your back or by placing a pillow there.)

You may, of course, choose to do one suggestion at a time or all three together. The important point is to be generous with self-care and positive intention. Adding self-affirmations enhances the benefits and helps to focus the mind. Examples are: “I now bring light and caring to my whole body…”Each negative thought is automatically replaced with a positive such as, ‘I deeply and profoundly love and accept myself…I bring hope and joy to each cell in my body…I have permission to live fully.’”
The effect of the three energy-based suggestions on the “lung group” was a beautiful sense of calm in the room. People parted with warm hugs and expressions of mutual appreciation. The sunshine outdoors reflected the joyous flavor of the meeting as each person returned to the ongoing task of breathing for life.

If you do not have a lung disorder, allow these exercises to help you to release fears, worry, tensions, and to connect to loved ones and yourself. Give thanks for the precious breath of life that supports your being!

Dorothea Hover-Kramer is the author of Second Chance at Your Dream and a leader in “re-firement” as the nation matures chronologically.

Science tells us that the physical heart is the most electrically and magnetically active part of the body. Since cardiologists measure heart functions regularly with the well-known electrocardiogram and sometimes the more subtle tool of the magnetocardiogram, we can be assured that we are indeed energetic beings who emanate a constant flow of subtle electromagnetic fields. Heart electrical rhythms are not only life-sustaining, they also generate most of the biofield that surrounds the human body and interacts with the fields of people around us.

Mental health practitioners tell us the emotional heart is the center of our humanness. Heart-felt feelings motivate our interactions as social beings. It is in expressing love for others that we grow emotionally as individuals. In turn, we must receive love from others to feel nurtured in order to better handle life’s many challenges.

The new fields of energy psychology and energy medicine give us many resources for nourishing the both physical and psychological heart. In bringing their practices into daily life, we can strengthen the sense of joy in our lives and support physical heart health. Here is one exercise you may wish to try:

• Think of a recent time you felt discouraged or sad, and notice where in your body you most feel the sensation.
• Gently touch the area on your body where you feel an emptiness. For many people, there is an automatic wish to touch the mid-chest heart area.  Of course, other areas are fine as well, and often it feels good to touch two areas along the front of the body, such as the solar plexus and heart area which correspond to two of the major energy centers that have been known throughout human history.
• As the hands gently touch the body on one or two of the areas, gently rub and add an affirmation such as, “Even though I feel discouraged (or overwhelmed, sad, or upset), I deeply and profoundly love and accept myself.”
• If relevant, add, “ And I forgive myself.”
• Once you feel lighter you may want to think of a loved one you could help in a similar way. Since Valentine’s Day is central this month, think especially of your significant other.
• Is there anything that needs to be resolved in your primary relationship? If so, make sure you have let go of your negative emotions enough to be objective before attempting to reach out to your partner.
• Then, together, you may explore if there is something you both have worry, discouragement, or sadness about. It may be difficult news, a loss, or a physical problem.
• Reach out to touch each other’s heart area with a gentle touch and a joint affirmation. Example, “Even though we have this diagnosis or news, we deeply love and accept each other.”
• And, if appropriate add, “I forgive you for_________.”
• Allow the dust to settle, take quiet time to really see each other, and enjoy the energy of the heart-to heart connection. Let your relationship be “re-fired” by this easy act of heart health maintenance.

In a very tangible sense, every day is heart day since we would not be alive without the trusty efforts of the physical heart. When we add the energy of the emotional heart to our lives we become enriched at deeper, more personal levels. Reaching out to a loved one with caring is not only emotionally rewarding but it is also one of the quickest ways to allow the heart muscle to relax and continue to do its life-sustaining work. Studies show that people who help others with altruism and engage in ongoing relationship maintenance activities live longer, in better health, and much more joyously.

This month, re-fire your life and give support to your physical heart by loving yourself and others more fully!

Psychotherapist Dr. Dorothea Hover-Kramer is author of Second Chance at Your Dream and a leader of “re-firement” consciousness.

Dorothea will be presenting the one-day certification workshop June 2 for non-mental health professionals and the full 3-day workshop that is required for both mental health and non-mental health professionals. Assisting her will be Lynn Karjala, Ph.D., Board member for ACEP and chair of the certification committee. This “dynamic duo” will guide participants from around the globe at this well-developed workshop.

Dorothea  is a personal demonstration of the ways  energy psychology methods can help to meet the challenges of aging by bringing increased vitality, creativity, and health with her own lifestyle and enthusiasm. Having overcome any thoughts of retirement she is  putting lots of aliveness into her life with “re-firement.”