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WEEK 2
WEEK 3
WEEK 4

OHALE MEDITATION COURSE

WEEK 1

This course is my life’s work. All of what I will teach you, has been years study, guidance and A LOT of experimentation. Don’t become disheartened if you don’t master a peaceful mind straight away, it’s hard to integrate new habits into our lives. ESPECIALLY the ones that make monumental leaps in self-awareness. So just bear in mind that every day you commit to the process, is another small step towards a better version of yourself. Have patience, be diligent with your practice & you will access an internal world you never knew existed. 

I have designed the course in small bite size pieces of wisdom, so that you can easily digest & apply into daily life. This way it shouldn’t be too overwhelming.

Watch the Lone Wolf Vision 25 minute documentary below and take a look a look at my journey. Maybe you can relate to some of it?

YOU OWE THIS TO YOURSELF

We make time for what’s important in life or at least what we feel is most important. Most of us fall into a robotic way of living, losing our sense of authenticity and purpose in the world that we live. We are going through the motions and our rate of self-expansion has slowed down so dramatically that it comes to a complete halt. We don’t feel ourselves because ultimately we have lost ourselves in day to day living. The encouraging part is that it doesn’t have to stay like this. You just have to admit to yourself that something has to change. NOW. Then take the required action.

Do you value your own self-development? By making the decision to jump into this course you will not only make positive change in your own life, but those around you as well. The good old saying from Ghandi, ‘Be the Change that you want to see’. You can’t help but become a more emotionally intelligent, grounded, creative, balanced individual when you access the hidden power within you. It’s there, underneath the surface, waiting to be unleashed! Well done for taking the biggest step towards the best version of yourself!

Oh, I nearly forgot. I am here at any point if you need any extra guidance – just drop me an email on info@lonewolfvision.com

COURSE OUTLINE

Week 1 – Creating Space & Harnessing the Breath
Week 2 – Gratitude & Perception
Week 3 – Affirmations & Mind Altering
Week 4 – Visualisation & Manifestation

DON’T RUSH AHEAD. HAVE PATIENCE. TRUST THE DAY TO DAY PROCESS.

‘IT’S ABOUT THE JOURNEY, NOT THE DESTINATION’

THE START OF YOUR JOURNEY – DAY 1

JOURNAL IT – DAY 1

AN AMAZING TOOL

If you haven’t got a journal then make sure get hold of one ASAP, as it will play a huge part over the next 4 weeks. Journaling is an incredible tool that can act as a gateway into your own mind. When everything in your life is moving quickly it’s hard to notice the thoughts that are flying through your mind. It may even feel like you have 10 tabs open at the same time. How are you supposed to work with this? That’s where the journal comes in! When you sit down and put your thoughts down onto paper it will help you do the following:

  1. Bring conscious awareness to the thoughts that you are having.
  2. Give yourself time to listen to the deeper parts of yourself. Yes we all talk to ourselves!
  3. Take an observers view of your own thoughts so that you can look at things logically.

Therefore, journaling can help to observe, process and rationalise your thoughts & feelings. If you want to commit to change then journaling should really become a daily habit.

HOW TO USE THE JOURNAL

BACK – I would use the back of the journal to write down snippets of information that resonate with you throughout the course.

FRONT – Perform the tasks that I suggest throughout the course in this area. Try to stick to one page at a time and don’t forget to write the date in the top corner so you can look back on how much you have progressed. You might not recognise yourself. In a good way.

ACCOUNTABILITY – DAY 1

It’s important before we embark on this journey of self-discovery, that you know your reason WHY. Having a clear reason WHY you are doing this will ensure that when motivation dips or self-limiting beliefs try to derail you that you have a message from your higher self to pull you back in line. And believe me… This will happen. Before we find your reason why, if you are someone that jumps from one thing to the next and bails when the going gets tough, then take a look below…

WHY WILL MY MOTIVATION DROP?

This bits pretty interesting! And will help you to understand the reasoning behind why you feel motivated one second and self-defeating the next…

Do you know much about the brain? There are two very important areas of the brain when it comes to mindfulness.

The limbic brain and the prefrontal cortex. The limbic brain is the lower functioning brain that was developed when we were cavemen/cavewomen.  During those times there were many dangers to look out for. So we were always on high alert! The limbic brain has a responsibility to keep you safe, which is an important function when in immediate danger, ie your fight or flight response. However, it’s tendency to look towards keeping you safe and comfortable means it gets worried when you leave the safe confines of your current model of living. It likes to be in control, is emotionally charged and scared of change! Even the slightest of changes can kick it into gear. How much you relate to this part of your brain, will depend on how much power it has over you. Sometimes it can hinder you from becoming a better version of yourself, as it starts to see you step past your perceived ‘normal’ boundaries of control.

The other wolf that you can decide to feed is the PreFrontal Cortex and is very different to its counterpart. It likes rational and logic. And is known as the higher functioning part of the brain. Strengthening the connection with this part of the brain will allow you to counter/make sense of irrational thoughts and feelings that can be produced by the limbic brain. The good news is that meditation has been scientifically shown to improve connection to the pre-frontal & desensitise your sympathetic nervous system which is closely linked with the limbic brain.

At this point you may not be able to distinguish which part of your brain is driving your thoughts, feelings & perception of the world, but as you start to re-connect with yourself, things will start to become clear.

Now let’s start your journey to becoming an…

‘AWARE WOLF’

__________________________________

THERE’S A REASON YOU’RE HERE

JOURNALING TASK

Answering these questions now could pull you through the hard times:

1. What am I trying to change in myself by starting this journey?

2. Apart from my own, who’s life will this effect, in a positive way & how?

3. What characteristics do I need to stay consistent?

4. What potential hurdles may I face throughout the course?

5. What are my usual excuses when the going gets tough?

Write your answers down in the front of your journal. Be honest and open with yourself. This is only for you to see!

ACCOUNTABILITY

To experience the many benefits of meditation/mindfulness it’s important to have consistency. To start, you might find it tough, but through repetition and daily practice you will start to notice small breakthroughs, that turn into huge leaps in self-growth. However, this will only happen, if you stay consistent! Grow the muscle of self-discipline.

SEND THAT MESSAGE

Make yourself accountable or even better be accountable to some else. Tell a friend/partner that you are starting this course, ask for their full support and for them to check in on your progress, so that you stick with it. Have a think of who that person could be, now send the message or better tell the person face to face.

POTENTIAL BENEFITS

Increased Sense of Happiness

Improved Focus & Concentration

Improved Creativity

Reduced Pain Levels

Reduced Anxiety

Regulate Emotions

Become Calmer

Improve Sleep

Improved Immune System

Which two jump out at you the most? 

Keep these in your mind for a minute…

JOURNALING TASK – CONTRACT

This is another great way to hold yourself accountable. Make yourself a contract, including these two benefits that jump out at you and maybe some of the answers to the previous questions you asked yourself…

Here’s an example –

I (name) have committed wholeheartedly to this course and nothing will stop me from becoming the person I know I can be. I owe this to my family, but more importantly myself. I have the discipline to become a happier person and melt away stress. Come on stick with it. You can do this!

Be creative! Use words that will resonate with your future self. Words that surge you towards action and not procrastination.

Go to the front of your journal, write your statement, then underneath print and sign your name to seal the deal.

Now it’s there whenever you start to feel self-doubt creeping. Use it to remind yourself why you are doing this, then get back on it!

WHAT IS MEDITATION? – DAY 1

What comes into your mind when you hear the word meditation?

Relaxation… Monks?

When I think of the word meditation it pulls 3 words to the forefront of my mind:

FOCUS
SPACE
OBSERVATION

CONCENTRATION – In essence it is the art of being present, rooted in the the here and now. Our mind has a tendency to run down every rabbit hole and in the day and age of stimulus overload we find it hard to just be. As a result of this inability to retain focus and concentration we spend the majority of our lives living in the past or the future. If you were to compare the mind with a muscle. The past & future are the exercise (stimulus) and the present is our recovery. If you were to go to the gym and train the same muscle over and over again, day in day out it would end with injury or exhaustion. Your mind is the same. We can think obsessively, forgetting that the present is the only reality that exists and it is here that your relief from thinking lies.

SPACE – Through this refined focus and concentration, you start to slow everything down and SPACE starts to appear between your thoughts. This space allows the perfect opportunity to observe your thoughts making you consciously aware of what you are actually thinking, rather than being on autopilot the whole time.

OBSERVATION – As you start to create more space in your mind you build a greater awareness of your own thought patterns. You can then observe and choose which thoughts to connect to and which to let pass by.

WHAT ISN’T MEDITATION?

Meditation is not about clearing the mind, which to be honest is pretty hard to do. It’s about releasing your connection (letting go) to thoughts and anchoring yourself into the present moment.

This can act as a release from unconscious thinking and can also serve to give us clarity in many areas of our life.

ENVIRONMENT – DAY 2

CHOOSING THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT

As a beginner setting the right environment for meditation is essential. You don’t want the family dog running in and licking your face, whilst your trying to find your Zen. To start, the least amount of distraction the better! I always say, ‘Let your external environment be a reflection of your internal environment’.

MAIN TIPS

Best Time – Choose a time of the day when you will be totally free of distraction. That means no kids, partners, dogs, phones and any other stimulus that may draw your attention away.

BUT, I haven’t got any time? 

You create the time for the things most important to you and trust me, the knock on effect to the rest of your day/life will definitely be worthwhile! This is the time for self-growth. I think the best time of the day to meditate is in the morning. When there is a sense of stillness & peace in the air. It’s also an amazing way to start your day, putting you into a really good headspace from the get go.

How do you usually feel when you wake up?

Saying you aren’t a morning person is an excuse that your mind will make to stop you moving towards self-development. This is the lower functioning brain talking! Like anything new you need to grit your teeth at first, repeat to create the habit and then let the good times roll. Set that intention for tomorrow! You’re going to get up 30 minutes early to set the ball rolling.

SET YOUR ALARM NOW – 30 MINUTES EARLIER

Choosing your room – Choose your room wisely! Don’t choose a room that you know may have a chance that people will come in and out of. Get your feng shui on by clearing all of the clutter from the room. Again, let the external be a reflection of what you want to achieve with the internal.

Drop the phone – Mobile devices are our biggest form of distraction in the modern world. How many times do you reach for it on a daily basis! Guess what you are building the habit of distraction, rather than the habit of focus & concentration. Put it on aeroplane mode, so you don’t get any notifications/messages etc, but have it close by as there is a cool tool on there that you can use to aid you in your journey. It may even have subtle effect on you by switching all electrical appliances off, to remove the constant buzzing sound in the background… Just an option…

Temperature – Have the room at a comfortable temperature. I go by feel with this one. However, it has been said that 15-19 degrees celsius is a great temperature. It’s not too hot so you feel all sleepy and not too cold so it distracts you.

Lighting – Preferably remove white light, have softer colours light blue or green. Have it dimmed and not shining straight in your face. You could even go for an even calmer feel with candles being your main source of light. Bright lighting and energetic colours cause distraction.

Equipment – There isn’t much equipment needed. Depending on how you decide to set up your meditation posture in one of the following videos will dictate, what you require (chair, pillows).  You will also need your journal and a pen or pencil nearby for some journaling tasks. practice is being used to enhance your life so show it the respect it deserves.

Same spot – Use the same place every time that you meditate. So that you know when you enter this space, it signifies a time to step back and go to work on yourself. Our brains like familiarity and associate certain areas with certain states. When you step into your bedroom, your brain usually feels like it’s time to relax and go to sleep. When you enter your meditation environment you will build a relationship with it over time, feeling instantly calm as you step in there

TASK

*Using the tips above setup your area, ready for meditation*

BAD BREATH – DAY 2

THE GATEWAY

The breath is a key fundamental of meditation and part of the 4 stage model that I have created to build your desired future self. Breath transformation will be practiced throughout the programme. In the outlay of the plan, I mentioned STILLNESS. The breath is your gateway towards stillness of the mind. Being able to still the mind may feel a million miles away at the minute? And I won’t lie to you, it’s not going to be easy to start! However, if you move towards it on a daily basis you will return to a place of peace and tranquility that your whole being will remember before your mind got so busy! Your liberation lies in something that has always been there…

BREATHING DYSFUNCTION

Breathing is a natural physiological function of the autonomic nervous system. However, over time as life speeds up, the mind speeds up and as a result of this we start to breathe erratically or even hold our breath without being consciously aware of it. We create a breathing dysfunction that can wreak havoc on our lives. Poor sleep, breathlessness, lack of energy, restricted blood flow, inflammation…

*TAKE A LOOK AT A COUPLE OF THE COMMON BREATHING DYSFUNTIONS IN THE FOLLOWING VIDEO*

DAILY TASKS – DAY 2

Everyday of the course you will be given a task to carry out. This can range from a journaling task to a breathing meditation. It’s time to commit to positive change!

LET’S DO THIS!

SETTING UP POSTURE – DAY 3

POSTURE IS KEY

Our body is designed to function more efficiently, in every way, when we adopt the correct posture. Even when you are sitting in meditation, your spine should be aligned. When you slump in meditation you close down space for air to rush into the lungs, restrict blood flow and pinch areas where nerve pathways run. By increasing mindful awareness of your posture you will become more conscious during everyday life and as a result your body will function more efficiently!

What is good posture? How’s your posture? Do you catch yourself slouching?

Well now it’s time to become aware!

SETTING UP

When you think of meditation, you may think of a person in a cross legged position. That is my favourite option to be honest. However, we are all different, so it’s important to find what works for… YOU. There are a number of options to choose from. Here are a few:

1. Seated on a chair
2. Seated on a bean bag
3. Seated on a pillow
4. Lying down (most risk of falling asleep)
5. Seated on the floor

Basically pick a position that you are able to maintain a neutral spine and you feel most comfortable… Not too comfortable though, otherwise you may…. zzzzz… Fall asleep.

HOW TO SET UP YOUR POSTURE

HIPS

No matter your position I think the hips have the largest role in promoting good posture. If you tilt your hips forwards, as if you a pushing your bum up into the sky it will have a knock on effect up the whole body.

SHOULDERS

Draw the shoulders back and down slightly. Not squeezing the shoulder blades together as hard as you can. Just a gentle contraction. This will create a great position. Be sure not to pull the shoulders upwards as this can create unneeded tension in the neck.

HEAD

Try to lengthen up through the top of the head towards the sky. This doesn’t mean tilting your head back. So, make sure you keep your chin parallel to the ground.

HANDS

Find a comfortable position for the hands. Maybe overlapped, on your lap or palms facing upwards on your knees.

And there you go!

*CHECK OUT THE VIDEO AND FIND WHAT WORKS FOR YOU*

LEARN WAVE BREATHING MECHANICS – DAY 3

DAILY MEDITATION

From this point onwards you will be given a daily meditation (part of your daily tasks). This may be one or a combination of breathing/mindfulness techniques. It will slowly increase in time as the plan moves forwards.

Our 1st breathing technique is called wave breathing and focuses upon breathing mechanics. When we become trapped in our own minds, we tend to favour a shallow inefficient breath, in turn forgetting about our connection to the body and as I mentioned earlier, creating a breathing dysfunction. So we basically have to strip it all back and learn how to breath again! Sounds crazy, right?!

When you are learning a new skill there needs to be repetition. Think of one of the skills you pride yourself upon… Did that just come naturally to you? Or did you have to work for it? Well there you go, it’s the same when trying to install the habit of efficient breathing. You will thank me for it in the near future…

At the same time don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day. Accept that you have strayed from the path and then jump straight back on it!

BREATHING MECHANICS

– Adopt your preferred position for meditation, as shown in the posture video.

– It might be a weird sensation breathing into your stomach (the bottom of your lungs), especially if you have shallow breathing that comes from your chest. It’s important to use your full lung capacity and that means using both your stomach and your chest.

– Place one hand on your stomach and one on your chest.

– Breathe into your stomach filling it like a balloon so that you can feel your bottom hand rise. You are using your diaphragm an important respiratory muscle, which is linked to your parasympathetic nervous system. The rest and digest part of the central nervous system (check out the video below)

– Then send the breath to your chest with the stomach full of air. You will feel the chest rise as well.

– Now exhale from the chest, followed by the stomach.

– Repeat the process until you have completed the stated amount of breaths.

It might be tricky to start, but you will get plenty of practice over the coming weeks.

*START YOUR JOURNEY WITH THE BREATH IN THE NEXT VIDEO*

TRACKING PROGRESSION – DAY 3

On the 1st day I talked a little about the potential benefits of meditation/mindfulness. I’m guessing you would like to develop one or even a few of these areas, to sky rocket your quality of life? Like anything it’s really easy to lose sight of where you came from and not give yourself credit for where you are now. So we need to find a way to track our progression, to notice improvement, boost confidence & keep us surging forwards on the path of self-development.

JOURNALING TASK

So, using the list below, I want you to choose two areas that you would like to improve the most (or choose another?):

Sense of happiness
Lower Anxiety
Reduce Depressive feelings
Improve Sleep
Improve Stress Levels
Improve Focus
Improve Memory
Improve Pain levels
Improve Creativity

You may find that meditation improves most of these areas, but for the time being we will concentrate on the two you have chosen. Here’s a little task for you… Each morning this week after you have performed your meditation, I want you to score these two areas of focus from 0-10. It’s even beneficial to implement this exercise in the evening if you have time..?

0 – being, the furthest from your most desirable outcome
10 – being, this area is great and I have no issues

So for example let’s just say I chose Anxiety:

If I am really anxious I would choose a score of 0, if I am super calm I would pick 10

*TRY TO KEEP SCORE EVERY DAY, IT WILL BE AWESOME TO LOOK BACK UPON*

HYDRATE – DAY 4

TASK FOR EVERYDAY

I always go to bed with a glass of water on my bedside table. I don’t usually drink it during the night, I usually sink it first thing in the morning. Your body is over 60% water, so it’s important to give the body what it needs! Every cell in your body requires hydration. Your brain functions better when you are hydrated.

You will feel your energy levels rise rapidly and the morning fog clear from your mind. From this positive start you are in a great place to start meditation!

HYDRATE THROUGHOUT THE DAY!

Carry a water bottle around to stay hydrated.

A good tell tale sign you are hydrated is when your urine to is a light straw colour. If it’s like treacle then that is an indication that you are dehydrated!

FAIL TO PREPARE..

Put a glass of water on your bedside table the night before ready… Fail to prepare…Prepare to fail!

*Do this every day*

DAILY MEDITATION – DAY 4

TODAY’S MEDITATION TASK

Guided meditations are a great way to retain focus and concentration especially when you are learning a new breathing technique, as you are. Use this guided meditation to work on the wave breathing technique. If you feel ready to go it alone, then go for it, but ensure you are focusing on the correct mechanics.

DAILY MEDITATION – DAY 5

WAVE BREATHING

Watch the video on wave breathing attached for instructions of how to perform this powerful breathing technique.

TODAY’S MEDITATION

We will be using wave breathing, the technique taught on the video attached.

28 Breaths in and out.

DOWNLOAD THE ‘OHALE’ APP

You will need the OHALE Meditation app more and more, the further you move into the course. To help with focus maybe you would like some background ambient noise? Download, set the timer to 5-10 mins (as shown below) & choose a sound of your choice. You can even forget about counting the amount of breaths you have done and let the timer do the work for you. This should help to focus your mind & move inwards. If you are unsure of how to use the app then watch the instructional video below:

OHALE INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO

SLEEP WIND DOWN ROUTINE – DAY 5

HOW MUCH SLEEP DO YOU HAVE A NIGHT?

You should be having 7-9 hours!

Sleep is the realm that we experience deep physiological and psychological recovery. But how do we create the right environment to promote sleep?

WHAT’S YOUR WIND DOWN ROUTINE LIKE?

Creating the right environment both internally and externally is essential if you want to have a restful night’s sleep.

Is the last thing you look at before putting your head down on your pillow your phone…?

Do you lie there with the day’s events racing through your mind? Or even worrying about the next day?

In order to fall into a state of relaxation it might be useful for you to create a wind down routine.

WIND DOWN ROUTINE TIPS

Here are a couple of suggestions to wind down and have a restful night’s sleep:

  1. Have a hot shower or a bath to induce a state of muscular relaxation.
  2. Remove stimulus! Put your phone downstairs if you have an old school alarm clock, great! If you use your phone as an alarm, then put it on aeroplane mode and tell yourself it is out of bounds until the morning routine is over. Also watching TV just before bed stimulates your mind, it doesn’t switch it off. So cut that out. TV in your room? Maybe it’s time to remove another distraction..?
  3. Dim the lights – Have warm, dim lighting to help you create a calm tranquil environment. Even better light some candles, just remember to blow them out before you go to sleep…!
  4. Cool it down – We sleep better in a cool environment. Find a temperature that you feel comfortable in and not too toasty.
  5. Read – Choose a positive book that will put you into a good state of mind before you nod off. Try to stay away from books that will get your heart racing!
  6. Lavender has amazing properties to help you fall asleep. Find an essential oil spray that you can use on your pillow.
  7. Play the guided meditation below, on low volume or with earphones in!

If you don’t sleep well, try them out…. What have you got to lose?

DAILY MEDITATION – DAY 6

WAVE BREATHING

Watch the video on wave breathing attached for instructions of how to perform this powerful breathing technique.

TODAY’S MEDITATION

We will be using wave breathing, the technique taught on the video attached.

30 Breaths in and out.

DOWNLOAD THE ‘OHALE’ APP

You will need the OHALE Meditation app more and more, the further you move into the course. To help with focus maybe you would like some background ambient noise? Download, set the timer to 5-10 mins (as shown below) & choose a sound of your choice. You can even forget about counting the amount of breaths you have done and let the timer do the work for you. This should help to focus your mind & move inwards. If you are unsure of how to use the app then watch the instructional video below:

OHALE INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO

PROGRESSIVE MUSCLE RELAXATION – DAY 6

Here is a progressive muscle relaxation meditation. It only takes around 10 minutes, but can have huge benefits, especially if you are struggling to go to sleep!

Why should you do it?

Well our body and mind are sometimes seen as separate entities, but in truth, they work in unison, with one another. When we disconnect from the body we are in turn disconnecting from the mind. This meditation acts as a solid way to link back into your body and trains your body tension awareness…

You know when you think of a fearful situation you’re body tenses up…? This is proof that your mind can create physical tension. Most of the time every fearful thought has a corresponding physical reaction as you stimulate the sympathetic nervous system. If you become more in tune with your body it can become a guide for noticing tension within the mind. This believe is a great skill to acquire, as you will be able to bring awareness to non productive thought patterns or mental projections. Then you can talk yourself down from the perceived fear, to the breathe and create balance back in the body & mind.

We build up a lot of mental tension within our bodies without realising it. Now it’s time to release this tension…

Find a comfortable quiet place, relax and enjoy 🙂

DAILY MEDITATION – DAY 7

WAVE BREATHING

Watch the video on wave breathing attached for instructions of how to perform this powerful breathing technique.

TODAY’S MEDITATION

We will be using wave breathing, the technique taught on the video attached.

32 Breaths in and out.

DOWNLOAD THE ‘OHALE’ APP

You will need the OHALE Meditation app more and more, the further you move into the course. To help with focus maybe you would like some background ambient noise? Download, set the timer to 5-10 mins (as shown below) & choose a sound of your choice. This should help to focus your mind & move inwards. If you are unsure of how to use the app then watch the instructional video below:

OHALE INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO
WEEK 2 – MOVE FORWARDS