Lightning Process Team Podcasts

Claire and I have been busy creating more podcasts in our series and there are now 5 available for you to download free from iTunes: : https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/solutions-for-health-happiness/id647213675.

We have had so much fun creating them and so far feedback has been positive; so if you are a Lightning Process graduate and you want another tool to help you keep engaged with the Process - this is for you.  We also feel it is really useful for anyone that wants to find out more about the Lightning Process or just wants some personal development tips to improve their life.  We'd love you to leave us some feedback on iTunes so we can include any topics you would like covered in future episodes.

We also give anyone who has questions about the Lightning Process the opportunity to contact us and we'll be happy to talk them through them - this is available for you too by contacting us by email: team@philparker.org.

Have a great week
Helen Harding

A Clients Journey Through the Lightning Process

I was thrilled to be sent a link to this brilliant story by a recent Head Office client titled: The Lightning Process: How it Revolutionised my Life".  Read their inspirational journey through the Process and their experience of the training as well as some of the amazing things they are planning to do now: http://lillywildsweeklywhimsy.wordpress.com/2013/06/01/the-lightening-process-how-it-revolutionised-my-life/

To my client - Congratulations!  You are an absolute star and it was a pleasure to meet you and have the opportunity to work with you.  I look forwards to hearing about all your new adventures in the future.

Keep up the great work and have fun!
Helen Harding

Lightning Process Team Podcast

Claire and I have had fun over the last couple of weeks creating our very first podcasts 'Solutions for Health & Happiness'.  They provide some interesting insights into the concepts behind the Lightning Process as well as getting you thinking about the way you operate in the world and provide some tips to put into action to help you achieve a life you love.  The podcast will also be interesting if you are looking into taking the training or if you have already taken the training and want to keep engaged with it.  Podcast 1 is now available on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/solutions-for-health-happiness/id647213675

Have a listen and leave us a comment - we'd love to hear from you.  Transcriptions of the podcasts will also be available by signing up to our newsletter on our website: www.lightningprocess.co.uk

Have a fantastic week
Helen Harding and Claire Brooker

Lightning Process Forum

A forum has been created for graduates of the Lightning Process to share their experiences with their peers.  It is a great place to visit to read others' stories and get inspiration to keep you engaged with the Process as well as providing a supportive network where you can ask questions and find solutions.  Visit: www.lightningprocesshelpedme.com and enjoy the amazing achievements of so many LP clients.

Helen Harding

Lightning Process Client from 2005

We started the week with a lovely email to the office which we thought we would share with you:

I just felt compelled to email to say thank you!  I learnt the lightning process back in 2005.

I was running along the banks of the Thames this afternoon and had a sudden thought how amazing it was that I was running and enjoying pounding the pavements when life used to be so different. I don't think about it much, and whilst that period of illness will always be part of my life's journey actually it's a fairly dull, un-noteworthy part. The following chapters are much more exciting!

I'm living a full, exciting dynamic life that I love and is full of anticipation for the future. And that's all down to Phil teaching me the Lightning process to kick start the more exciting chapters of my journey!

Thank you again Phil!

Someone once told Phil Parker...

A brilliant project by Mario who takes photos of people holding a note featuring what 'someone once told them' and then includes their personal story; is featuring our very own Phil Parker on the home page today: http://www.someoneoncetoldme.com/
What a fantastic idea and some great inspirational stories!
Helen Harding

Dû a Happy New Year!

It's great to have a choice over how you feel and you can start this by looking at how you can use language in a very clever way with the use of the new verb 'dû'.  Phil has created a website explaining how you can apply this clever little word to start providing you with new options in your life: http://duing.org/Home.html

On behalf of the Lightning Process Head Office team, we would like to wish everyone a very Happy and Healthy New Year.
Phil, Claire and Helen

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