Phil's Christmas tips!

Use this advice and dû a very Happy Christmas!

Festive stress
For most people Christmas stresses fall into one of two groups:
Other people
Overwhelmed

Other people
The stress around this can be enormous at Christmas time. One of the easiest things to deal with differently is those people who you find can easily upset or annoy you.
If someone is difficult to deal with (it’s not always the mother-in-law!) try these tips:
1) Stay calm. Take a deep breath in and remind yourself of something deeply relaxing - a beach holiday, a walk in the forest etc. The chances are they don’t really mean to upset you; so let it go. If they do mean to be mean, then they’re probably not having a great Christmas, so you can just feel sorry for them, and remember: is their opinion that important?
2) Funny fish head: Imagine every time they say something that usually upsets you, you imagine they have a large fish sitting on their head, and it’s just flapping around as they talk. Notice how that changes how seriously you take what they say.

Overwhelmed
This can take many forms, worrying about catering, shopping, present buying, Christmas cards, entertaining and so on. Often these take over so much that there's no fun to be had, no time to relax or to enjoy your friends and family. This can of course then lead to resentful arguments about how nobody helped.
There are some simple solutions:
1) Ask. If you want help ask for it. Now, it won’t always be given but so often people don’t even ask - expecting it will ‘be obvious’ to everyone that they should lend a hand. Make it easier this year by requesting some help.
2) Bite size pieces: If you yourself saying phrases like “there's TOO/SO much to do” then pause for a moment and do what the expert planners do. Ask "what’s the first tiny step?"
Planning the whole five course banquet, presents, and housekeeping for twelve people is likely to make your head spin, but discovering the first tiny step is ‘creating a good shopping list’ makes you feel you are working on the bigger project and that it is actually possible.

Above all realise that worrying about things rarely helps to make things better, so make sure you make the right things important this year, focus on having fun, kicking off your shoes and dancing with life this Christmas!

Phil Parker

Choose Calm Today

Paul Wilson in his “Calm for Life” book says:

“When it comes to being calm, and feeling good about your work, your relationships and your life in general, you have choices. It may be difficult to accept this while you feel trapped in any particular work or health issue, but these choices do exist. It’s not always easy to see this, but you have the power to be happy or unhappy, to be tense or relaxed, to be contented or depressed, to be rich or poor, to be well.”

We believe you are more influential in your life and in your health here at LP Head Office and we are here to show you how to do it.

Why choose Calm?

Because from a state of calm and relaxation solutions and clarity can be found. From these states of mind positive outcomes are soon to follow! Taking time to relax is the key to your health, happiness and productivity.

Here is a quick way of choosing calm instead of stress right now:

• Stop what your doing
• Become aware of heart rate, breathing rate, fast movements
• Calm everything down by slowing down your movements and your breathing
• Relax your muscles
• Focus on something in the present moment; what do you see or hear? What’s the temperature like?
• Think about a person, place or memory that reminds you of calm
• Then go about your task feeling refreshed and ready

Let me know how much more relaxed you feel after doing this exercise.

Do you struggle with stress on a daily basis? You want to feel calm and relaxed, but you just don't know how to do it or make it last? We can help. Contact us here: http://www.lightningprocess.com/Contact-Us/

Claire Brooker

Lightning Process Team Talk

We are holding a free, informal talk at our Head Office in London on the Lightning Process tomorrow (21st November) at 5.30pm.  If you would like to come along and find out more about the Lightning Process, how this approach could help you and to meet the team, contact us on: 020 7374 0233 or email: info@philparker.org to book your place.
Helen Harding

Science Demonstrates Mind, Body Connection

Amy Cuddy recently shared her research at a TED talk on body language and how we can not only change peoples perceptions of us but also the changes we can make to our own chemistry, directly effecting our feelings -  http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are.html 
This amazing research will be familiar to all the Lightning Process graduates who have grown to understand the importance of posture during their training.  Fascinating viewing!
Helen Harding

Lightning Process research from Harvard

Lightning Process research
Last week saw the publication of a Harvard and King's College, London study into the Lightning Process for CFSME.

Experiences of young people who have undergone the Lightning Process to treat chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis – a qualitative study
Silje Endresen Reme, Nicola Archer,Trudie Chalder
British Journal of Health Psychology

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.2044-8287.2012.02093.x/abstract

It's groundbreaking as it is the very first research ever published in a peer-reviewed journal about the Lightning Process.

Results
Of the participants 'seven reported that they were very satisfied with the treatment and that they were either much or very much better' and 'two participants reported being dissatisfied with the treatment and did not experience any improvement in their CFS'

Fine details
Young people between 14 and 26 were recruited from an advert displayed on the AYME website (this is not normally a good place to find successful Lightning Process graduates, who tend to move on from being involved in ME related associations once they are well, so we are particularly pleased with the results) in 2007.
The research team talked to 9 young people and three parents of those under 18.

New Lightning Process Book

This week sees the launch of the latest edition of Phil's book - An Introduction to the Lightning Process.  Check out an interview with Phil and the new book here: http://www.lightningprocess.com/LP-book/

Helen Harding

Lightning Process Graduate Update

I got this great email from a client who did the LP with me a year ago:

Wow, I can't believe its been a year!  I am 100% healthy, had the best year travelling in Australia and Africa. I'm off to Durham University in October, where I'll hopefully get back into all my sports again.

Thank you so much

Louisa 

Helen Harding

Lightning Process Iron Man

Peter McManus took the LP last year for his CFS with Heather Thomas.  He did a great job in transforming his health and is now doing an ironman swim for charity with donations going to Action for ME.  Please visit Peter's page to read his story and support him in this amazing challenge - http://www.justgiving.com/Peter-McManus

Wishing Peter every success with his swim from everyone at Lightning Process Head Office

Helen Harding

Building Your Future Seminar

Claire Brooker is running a Building Your Future seminar this Saturday in London starting at midday.  It is a brilliant way to reinforce what graduates of the Lightning Process learnt at their original training and also to have any questions answered or get support with any challenges they are facing.  If you would like to attend, contact the office by email - info@philparker.org or phone - 020 7374 0233 for details.
Helen Harding

Lightning Process - A Client's Perspective

Congratulations to my fantastic client last week who recorded an amazing video to explain her experience of the Lightning Process: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQYFCf0jlSk&list=UU3pHE3HYUqy3UGkKFwpI_1w&index=2&feature=plpp_video

Helen Harding

Positive Outlook on Life can Reduce Serious Health Risks

A fascinating article in the Telegraph last week that explains how keeping a healthy and positive attitude to life can reduce the chances of suffering heart attacks and strokes from a major review of research: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9209084/Positive-outlook-on-life-linked-to-lower-risk-of-heart-attacks-research.html
Helen Harding

The Lightning Process: Taking Charge

An important concept that people learn on the Lightning Process Seminar is differentiating between the things that we can and can’t influence. Jack Canfield, co-editor of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books, talks about the equation E+R=O.

E stands for the Event, R for our Response and O stands for Outcome. So for instance, if we are stuck in a traffic jam, E is the event; the traffic jam. Lets say the traffic jam is something that we are not able to influence, i.e. we can’t get off the road. I suspect that many people would start to get stressed, i.e. their response is to generate stress. They would not consider that they have a choice as to how they respond to the situation. However the reality is that how we respond is up to us, and the more we maintain awareness that we are in charge of our response, the more we are influencing the outcome; for instance feeling calm.

If you have responded to being stuck in traffic 100 times by getting stressed, then guess what your likely response is going to be. That's right, it is probable that you are going to respond the same way and just get stressed again.

What makes the Lightning Process unique is the way it teaches clients how to:

• Break these conditioned responses and how to break these patterns of behaviour,
• Choose how they respond, how to take charge of our brain; our thoughts and reactions, rather than just repeat learned responses
• Practice more useful responses to situations so that they become automatic. 

One client loved this idea so much that she made a bracelet with the equation on it!

Simon Pimenta

Vitality Show and the Lightning Process

The team and I are back in the office following a weekend at the Vitality Show and what a weekend it was.  We had a great time meeting lots of new people and telling them all about the Lightning Process.  Even better was the amount of Lightning Process graduates that came and said hello and shared their amazing stories of what they had achieved since they took their training.  A great start to spring!
Helen Harding

Lightning Process at Vitality Show

The Head Office Team are going to be at the Vitality Show from 22 - 25 March at Earls Court on Phil Parker's stand (W246, One Life section).  Phil will also be speaking in the One Life Theatre called 'Mind Your Vitality' and running a workshop providing you with the opportunity to experience working with one of today's leading personal development experts.  See you there.

Helen Harding

Phil Parker at Mind Body Spirit, Dublin, Sunday 18th March 2012

There is a fantastic opportunity to meet Phil Parker when he runs a workshop at Mind Body Spirit in Dublin. the title is 'Healing Tools from the Lightning Process' where you will get some practical information on how elements of the Lightning Process can assist you in living a healthy, happy life.  Local practitioner Niamh Connolly will also be available to discuss the Lightning Process and your individual requirements at her stand.  The workshop is from 1.45pm to 3.15pm in Dodder Room C.

Helen Harding

Lightning Process Graduate News

I started my day with a baby photo sent from a lovely client who trained with me a couple of years ago and a note saying:  Here is a picture of baby no. 2.  Would have never, ever had a second child if I had not done the Lightning Process. Feel so relieved ( that I can't describe) that I did ! 

Congratulations to her and her family and what a brilliant way to start the day!

Helen Harding

Phil Parker and the origins of the Lightning Process

When Phil Parker was 19, he had an accident, which resulted in him severing the ulnar nerve in his left arm. The ulnar nerve is also known as the Musicians nerve, as it connects the brain to fine movement in the fingers. As a trainee Osteopath and aspiring Rock God guitarist, being able to use his left hand was vital. Doctors told him that he would not be able to move his fingers again, and would have a ‘claw hand’.

However Phil kept asking experts of their prognosis. The response he got was the same negative prognosis. He kept asking until he found a physiotherapist who said that he had a good chance of full recovery, which is exactly what happened.

This tenacity and questioning mind influenced Phil’s approach to questions of health and recovery, so that when he was told that people couldn’t recover from ME/CFS, he didn’t accept this way of thinking, and started exploring ways in which these people could be helped. Consequently he developed the Lightning Process, which has thousands of people report has helped them regain their health!

Simon Pimenta

Is ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome real?

I came across a comment about someone who had written to Action for ME claiming that ME/CFS was not a real condition.

This flies in the face of the facts: the World Health Organisation recognises ME/CFS as a real physical condition.

I don’t know what motivates this person to make these sort of comments. It could be that:

They like to make controversial statements.

They genuinely believe that their opinion (lets be clear it is an opinion, and a misinformed one at that) to be true.

They simply cannot grasp the idea that someone could have this kind of condition, so that they choose to dismiss it.

The question that I am interested in is how do you deal with someone who makes these sorts of comments? For someone who is experiencing this condition, these comments can be hurtful and offensive. I would suggest you consider the following:

How would you respond to someone who told you that your hair is green? Unless it is actually green, you would laugh, or perhaps think they were a bit strange. You hopefully wouldn’t wasted any breath trying to persuade them that your hair wasn’t green because there is no doubt in your mind that your hair isn’t green. 

Consider that this is the appropriate response to someone who makes such statements. Trying to convince them that they are wrong is probably going to be a waste of time, so it is better to accept that you have a different point of view, and focus your energy on the task of getting well.

Simon

Lightning Process for Kenya Red Cross Healthcare Workers

Congratulations to Lightning Process Practitioners Anne Kleppenes Verne and Janet Wiberg who ran a pilot project in the summer of 2011 in cooperation with the City of Mombasa.  The Red Cross becamse aware of their work and concluded the LP could greatly benefit their workers.  Read more about this fantactic project and how you can support it: http://www.lightningprocess.com/data/uploads/The%20Phil%20Parker%20Lightning%20Process%20in%20Mombassa%20-%20final.pdf
Kind regards
Helen

New Year, New Start

I hope you enjoyed a fantastic Christmas and are looking forward to a bright and healthy 2012.  At Head Office we have taken phone calls from lots of people who have decided that they are going to make 2012 the best year ever, and are signing up to do the Lightning Process with their local practitioner.  There is a free Team Talk here in London next Wednesday if you would like to find out more about the Lightning Process and how you can influence your health and life.  Contact the office on: 020 7374 0233 or email: info@philparker.org for more details.
Wishing you a very Happy New Year
Helen