I’LL GIVE IT TO YOU STRAIGHT
YOUR HABITS ARE
MAKE-OR-BREAK
If they aren’t helping you thrive today,
they’re probably helping you suffer tomorrow.
It’d be so simple if living a charmed and fruitful life was just a matter of slogging it out relentlessly until all the things are done.
We’re excellent at that.
We’d nail it.
But the things are never done.
We want to hurry up and make the pitch, make the sale, make the dinner or make the masterpiece. And we want to be excellent at all of it.
Good for us. We can be excellent. But we need the right tools, and most of the ones we’re sold add up to a bigger problem.
Coffee to wake us up, and exercise to rev us up. Then we get in our morning dose of judgement.
A little insidious self-criticism.
Something sweet to wake us up again.
Someone to blame, to rev us up. Again.
Some excessive control, to feel more secure.
Then we try food, booze or screens to finally settle us down for the day.
But we’re not settled.
We’re numb.
But I like that stuff
It’s not so bad, is it?
Modern life is awe inspiring. It brings us some remarkable gifts. I wouldn’t be without New Zealand made chocolate and the internet for anything. It’s fun, bustling, magical. Most of the time we wouldn’t have it any other way. But there’s a cost.
Human physiology simply can’t adapt fast enough to keep up with technological progress. So we develop maladaptive coping mechanisms because intuition tells us the intensity out there isn’t going to change.
We want to be creative, passionate, patient, insightful, tenacious, exceptional and contented. We want to be at our best for our kids, our mates and our colleagues. But all of these noble aspirations fall prey to our unrelenting stress chemistry, and instead, we meet the three musketeers of overwhelm.
Frustration. Anxiety. Inertia.
A.K.A
the fight-flight-freeze response
Ready to trade all that for
perspective, energy and fortitude?
With meditation you teach those stress hormones a thing or two about overwhelm, and coax them into submission by flooding your system with your new best friends, the bliss chemicals.
That’s oxytocin,
dopamine, and serotonin
This nervous system overhaul tames the fight-flight-freeze response and drops you into stay-and-play mode.
When your system feels that threats are managed, your most potent perspective and creativity emerge. That’s when you get to experience your truest self — the you that’s in there without the clutter of conditioning.
Working from this place is how you live up to the expectations that you have for yourself. It’s also how you unleash the unique gifts that make you the most resilient and revolutionary contributor in every area of your life. Because this is the version of you with the vision.
If you can imagine what you might do with more of all that, let’s get you started. You’ll grab some longevity and contentment while you’re at it.
Sounds useful, right?
“What I experienced under Anna’s guidance can only be described as bliss. I didn’t know I had the capacity to find that level of stillness and I left knowing I now have a powerful tool to help me manage in my daily life.”
Tess Keenan
the facts
Welcome to the abundant, compelling evidence.
Here is just a taste ...
A more efficient brain
Studies show increased EEG (brainwave) coherence in meditators, especially in the prefrontal cortex. That means a significant improvement in the ability to evaluate choices and make good decisions. It's also key for managing impulses and emotions.
Improved Stress Response
Feeling full to the brim can be overwhelming and destructive. When we talk about stress, we actually mean an overactive response to perceived threats. Meditation tames that response, helping you react more appropriately and recover faster from life's humps.
Better Health
The science is in. Meditation has been proven to reduce anxiety, addiction, depression, behavioural challenges, pain responses, insulin sensitivity, blood pressure, circulation of stress hormones, and the biological risk factors for heart attack and stroke.
More magic
Regular meditation puts a happy little leak in your stress tank, so you drain more out than you load in. Reducing that tax on your nervous system eases you out of protect mode and into prosper mode. The real you comes out to play, problem-solve, and inspire those around you. And you begin to find joy without looking for it.
You want that stuff. We all do.
I hear you say, “But…”
Hooray!
You made it this far.
But here’s the part where your old habits and false assumptions might start to get the better of you.
So let’s give those a little tough love.
Welcome to the section also known as “Bogus reasons not to do it.”
Bogus Thought #1
Running is my meditation
No, it’s not.
Exertion excites your system. It’s vital for you in numerous and profound ways, and is irreplaceable in a healthy lifestyle. But the benefits of meditation come precisely from de-exciting the system. In very relevant ways, physical exercise is the opposite of meditation. The greatest in the world are hitting the gym AND the chair for a reason.
Bogus Thought #2
I’m not sure I need it yet, I’m doing ok
But you’re planning to do great, and feel great.
How’s your sleep? Patience? Boundaries? How’s your sizzle? Your soul? Your relationships? Do you want to reach your full potential for love, resilience and excellence in what matters most to you? Let’s make sure you don’t wait until you’re in hyperventilation-mode (again) before you take steps to achieve that. Start now.
Bogus Thought #3
My mind is too busy for meditation
No, it’s not.
Your mind is the same as everyone else’s - full of weird, whimsical and thoroughly mundane thoughts. I guarantee you’ll learn how to accept and transcend them for a little while each day, and be wildly better off for it. If you’ve struggled to meditate before, this is the technique for you.
Bogus thought #4
I’m not a meditation person
Yes, you are.
We all are. Meditation isn’t an identity or an ideology, it’s a biological experience that upgrades every area of your life. Athletes, business executives, world leaders and household leaders are all meditation people. No religious affiliation. No barriers practising this wherever life takes you. No brainer.
I’m challenging you for a reason.
I want you to know this meditation business is serious business, for serious people who want seriously impressive things for themselves.
(And I reckon if you’ve read this far, you’re one of those people.)
“Honestly Anna is such a gem - she really connects with her students on a human level and you can tell she really cares about the work she does. I’m a big fan and am grateful to Anna for all her thoughtful wisdom and support in my meditation journey.”
Emma Haycock
When you’re ready to …
Operate with more composure
Ditch that sense of never-enoughness
Deploy the right influence in any situation
Contribute with more potency
Set boundaries and break barriers
Sustain your energy throughout the day
Act on your needs
Meet hiccups with perspective and power
Meet your family and friends with enthusiasm
Contribute more
Reconnect with the real you
Do what it takes to reach your potential
It’s time to get yourself that secret weapon.
You’ll soon wonder how anyone survives without it.
Victories, big and small
Still here?
You’ve read this far because you know there’s something in this for you. You have nothing to lose, and a lifetime of fulfilment, to gain.
