Find The Positives in a Negative World

Feeling stressed? So was Dr. John Kahn, a clinical professor of medicine widely known for his lectures on cardiac benefits of vegan nutrition and mind body practices. Next time you're not feeling at peace with the world around you, follow the 12 steps Dr. Kahn gave to Mind.Body.Green. and feel the calming effects.

Control the amount of negative news in my life: While I want to stay up on the events occurring in the world, sometimes a headline is sufficient to grasp new developments. I limit the time I spend with TV, radio and Internet, selecting only a few stories to read in full.

Control the number of negative people in your life: I spend most of my days talking to patients about their problems, and some days are filled with more uplifting reports than others. However, I can select how much time I spend with relatives and friends that dwell on the negative. As painful as it may be at times, my calendar may not open to those who consistently drag me down.

Listen to music: I find positive music playing in the car, my home and at work to be a great source of uplifting spirit. One of the most positive collections of music is what I have found in Kundalini yoga. I can feel bountiful, beautiful and blissful with just a few clicks of my phone.

>> Looking for more great tunes? Check out our playlists!

Meditate: I choose to practice a Kirtan Kriya as taught by Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa, since it takes 12 minutes with a mantra and mudras that are simple. I often do this in the sauna, something I call saunitation, as it seems to clean out the junk in my brain. Click here for some tips on meditating for beginners.

Live consciously: Awareness of my breath, the origin and nutrition of my food while eating, a blue sky, a purple flower, a bird's song all can draw me into a feeling of gratitude for the moment that overcomes forces that can drag me down.

Practice gratitude: Appreciating people for anything they may do to help during my day is always my goal, some days more successfully practiced than others. Helping others, holding a door, buying a surprise coffee for someone behind me in line (I call it random acts of caffeine), or letting someone merge into an intersection can be uplifting.

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