I picked this book up because it was by the same author as Anticancer: A New Way of Life, a book recommended by a friend with breast cancer. He discusses some interesting concepts so I will summarize them here. The website that accompanies the book is Instinct to Heal and has updates on resources.

1. Practice Heart Coherence – control our emotional well-being. Coherence refers to your heart rhythm. Practice this for 10 to 15 minutes at the end of the day. Also use this whenever stress is coming on or overwhelming.

• First, turn your attention inward, set aside personal concerns and worries
• Take two deep, slow breaths – this will stimulate the parasympathetic system
• Your attention must stay focused on your breath right up until you have finished exhaling and then let your breathing ause for a few seconds before the next in-breath begins of its own accord.
• Center your attention on the region of your heard 10 to 15 seconds after your breathing stabilizes.
• At this second stage imagine you are breathing through your heart
• Continue breathing slowly and deeply (but effortlessly) and visualize each inhalation and exhalation as passing through that key part of your body.
• The third stage is becomming aware of the sensation of warmth or expansiveness that is developing your chest

2. Address painful memories – he suggests using eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) because it has proven helpful in bringing up the traumatic memories and working through the emotions to achieve a healthy sense of being.

3. Manage conflict

4. Enrich relationships

• He provides two methods to become an effective emotional communicator.
• As opposed to passive agressive or agressive behavior, we should strive for nonviolent assertive communication. Instead of criticism, contempt, counterattack, and stonewalling, we should find better ways to deal with conflict. He recommends STABEN
• S for Source – only discuss it with the source of the conflict, no whining to others since it won’t solve the problem
• T for Time and Place – carefully choose the right time and place for the discussion
• A for Amicable Approach – use their name and start on a positive note so the person will be open and listen
• B for Objective Behavior – explain the behavior that motivates your grievance while confining your description to what happened (without the slightest allusion to a moral judgment)
• E for Emotion – describe how that behavior makes you feel (not anger which is directed at someone else) such as hurt or humiliated
• N for Need – you can then conclude with a description of your need that has not been recognized. “I need security at work”
• Then he talks about better listening and uses BATHE
• B for Background – ask them “what happened to you”. Only allow 2 minutes but do allow a full 2 minutes. Don’t need all the details.
• A for Affect – ask them “how does that make you feel”. 
• T for Trouble – ask “what troubles you the most now”. This allows them to pull thoughts together around what hurts the most, instead of remaining fragmented and overwhelmed
• H for Handling – “and what helps you the most to handle this”. This turns their attention to their resources to help them cope and take charge. 
• E for Empathy – sincerely express the feelings you experienced as you listened to the other person, give them the confidence that someone else cares.

5. Maximize Omega-3s

• Reduce unhealthy fats, increase fish content and consider supplements.  Start with 1 gram EPA per day

6. Get high on exercise

• At least 20 minutes for 3 times a week.

7. Wake up to the sun

• Replace the alarm clock with a dawn simulator. Schedule the light to turn on 30 to 40 minutes before your appointed wake-up time

8. Tap into your meridians - Acupuncture 

9. Seek a larger connection

• Find a way to contribute to the community.

A quick review of what I read since the last Nightstand entry. I read Antsy Does Time and Everlost by Neal Shusterman, see my reviews here for Antsy and here for Everlost. I assigned Antsy as required reading to my nephew last week. He balked until he realized I had said it was the only thing he had to do that day. As soon as he picked it up I heard him start talking and laughing (he’s a verbal reader, likes to talk back to the book). He stayed up a bit late to finish it that day. From his reaction I would say it was a hit!

I also read Anticancer by David Servan-Schreiber.  This is an interesting book because it talks about how so much of the prevention that is touted for cancer is really early-detection. It follows this doctor’s research into studies and options for true prevention actions after he was diagnosed with cancer. The food and environment information is not all new, but it is a good argument for making those changes that seem inconvenient.

I also picked up The Instinct to Heal by the same author. It is an interesting book about ways to work with our brokenness outside of the normal psychiatric methods and medications. He mentions some techniques like eye movement desensitization and reprocessing for distinct trauma wounds, and then things like waking to light, acupuncture, Omega-3 fatty acids, and the “high” from exercise. It is an good resource if you are looking for way to handle stress, panic attacks, or other issues.

While picking up Antsy and Everlost at the library I spotted two others that looked interesting.

I read The Place to Be by Roger Mudd about his time at CBS as a TV correspondent. This was fairly interesting. Some interesting things happened between 1961 – 1980. He has a good perspective on the beginnings of tv news and coverage of Congress as well as some of the behind-the-scenes struggles to get that news onto the air. His tone is respectful but he still shares some interesting facts about people and events.

The other book I picked up is The Truth Commissioner by David Park. It’s still on the nightstand and I have a few more weeks to read it.

Adding to my nightstand this month I have Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis, thanks to the Reading Through the Classics plans over at Challies.com

I just heard about Little Britches by Ralph Moody. I picked it up at the library and hope to read it over Thanksgiving.

And I picked up Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day at the library after reading about it at Blue Yonder. Anthony made some good bread on Saturday and we have dough in the fridge to do a few more loaves this week.

After school is over on 12/12 (hurray!) and I have time to myself again, I will also be picking up a copy of Home to Holly Springs by Jan Karon. This is the first book that our new book club at church will be discussing on January 18, 2009. I am so excited about the book club. I’m also very excited to be finishing school.

I’m also glad I know how to get the Amazon links for the book titles too. Thanks to my wonderful husband and all his techie knowledge.