All of us can use ways to find calm, right? Well here are just a few ideas that can help you experience peace and relaxation.

1. Calm your mind with meditation or breath awareness. When you wake up or just before you go to sleep for the night try one of these techniques:

a) Follow the movement of your abdomen as you breathe calmly. Just observe without feeling the need to control your breath. Whenever your mind drifts and you become aware that you’re no longer observing your breath, just gently come back to focusing on your breathing and the rise and fall of the abdomen. Start with 5 minutes and increase by one minute each successive day. Use a timer if you desire or just do it for as long as you want. With practice, you can get to 20 minutes each day. You will find that this practice will become a part of your active, waking day as well, bringing you tremendous calming benefits.

b) Practice visualization for five minutes a day. Create pictures in your imagination that reflect your life as you desire it to be. Feel the feelings of already having the life you desire as you imagine your mental movie in great detail. You can build details into your imaginary film every day. Try this for 21 days in a row and observe any changes you experience in your ability to think about things in your life as you desire them to be (even when you’re moving through your day). Also, remember Einstein’s great quote:

“Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions.”

c) Observe your thoughts without judgment. Pretend that your mind is the sky and that thoughts are like passing clouds. There’s no need to label thoughts as good or bad, just allow the thoughts to come into your awareness and pass through without you getting attached to them. When you resist the thoughts you don’t want, you give them power to stay around and become stuck in your field of consciousness. When an unwanted thought comes about, just observe it with a “there it is,” unattached approach. This practice is really great for helping you to develop greater clarity of focus. Try it for 5 minutes a day.

2. Fully engage yourself in a creative activity. Whether it’s practicing piano, learning a language, developing a business plan or playing with your kids, engage in these activities on a regular basis with your full attention. Turn off your cellphone and put away your electronic devices (unless your creativity is taking place on the computer) to help put you in a dedicated mental space. Plan time for this activity every day for 21 days so that it becomes an effortless habit.

3. Take a walk outside in nature. Few activities calm the mind more effectively than the act of communing with nature. You become connected to something larger than yourself when you open your focus to the variety and connectedness of the outdoors.

4. Listen to relaxing music or watch videos that make you feel tranquil. If you’re in the middle of a hectic day, music can be that “take it anywhere” elixir to help soothe your stress. As readers of the Studio Blog already know, we make videos specifically for that purpose called, “Water Films.” “GCMusic” is also a good resource for relaxing music.

We hope you find these techniques helpful as you journey toward greater peace in your everyday life. All of these ideas give you greater benefit with regular practice because you’ll find what works best for you. I find that something as simple as looking at a picture of a flower (like the one below) can immediately raise my vibration. Enjoy!

For more hibiscus photos, check out our Hawai’i Hibiscus album on our Facebook page. Click here.

While we were vacationing in Florida at the end of 2009, we witnessed some amazing sunrises and sunsets. This Water Film features some really cool shots from the beach on Sanibel Island.

The video is accompanied by a new composition, “Sanibel Sun.”

You can watch the new movie, also called “Sanibel Sun,” here:

Watch it in HD on the full screen on YouTube!

Or you can go to our Water Films website to watch this movie or any of the other relaxing Water Films.

If you like the music from this video you can download “Sanibel Sun,” you can download it here.

Watching films like this can put you in a place of calm focus (an upcoming blog topic — stay tuned).

I’ve gotten a lot of questions about exercise, so I thought I would write about what has worked for me. Here’s some food for thought when it comes to either starting or varying your exercise routine.

I found an interesting quote from Carol Welch about movement (which I translated into exercise) today:

“Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person’s physical, emotional and mental states.”

Exercise is different for everyone, so there is no “catch-all” prescription for a successful routine. Choose what’s right for you.

Here’s what I do to keep it fresh since I exercise 5 to 6 days a week for 50 to 51 weeks out of the year (I take off a full week to let my body just BE).

Ten Tips To A Better Exercise Routine in 2010

1. As you do indoor cardiovascular training (i.e., running, elliptical training, rowing, etc.), become aware of sensations in your body and just observe them. Also, observe your breath at different times during the workout. This meditation in motion keeps your mind from focusing on how much longer you have to go.

2. Try doing cardio activities outside in an inspiring setting. It’s so much easier to enjoy the workout when you’re surrounded by beauty. In the winter, try cross country skiing.

3. When lifting weights or doing resistance training, focus on the muscle group that you are training as you lift. Feel that muscle as you perform the movement. Visualize that area receiving benefit from your work.

4. Find a training program online or in a magazine that gives you a fresh new approach while guiding you through a time period that is long enough to effortlessly form a new habit.

5. Find an exercise friend. This could be someone you exercise with or it could be a friend that you report your exercise activity to in a short e-mail. It’s fun to exercise with someone else or to embark on a new program with someone else. That accountability also helps you form a habit.

6. Write out some fitness goals. You could specify weight loss goals or you could write out your routine before you start. You can keep track of your reps and sets in a notebook with weightlifting, but you could also project some targets for the next week, month or three months. Check in with these goals once per week and revise whatever is necessary.

7. Try different forms of exercise. My fitness routine includes weight lifting, mountain biking, indoor cardio, Qigong, yoga, walking around the neighborhood, hiking in nature, cross country skiing, riding my bike to errands and whatever else helps me to stay in shape and have fun.

8. If you’re trying to get started, start by setting a time each day that you will begin to associate with movement. Writing down your plans will further solidify your intention. You could start by saying, “I will walk for 20 minutes after dinner,” or “I will walk up and down the steps a few times before breakfast.” As soon as you associate a certain time of day with planned exercise of some form, you end that struggle to get your routine started.

9. Do some form of stretching in the morning. This doesn’t have to be a formal practice, but I really benefit from yoga after I awaken and meditate. A morning stretching routine eases you into the day and energizes your body. It also makes it easier to exercise later in the day because the intention for good health is there and your increased flexibility makes exercise more effective.

10. Start today! The longer you wait, the more likely it is that you won’t start. If you’ve already started, congratulations! I hope some of the ideas above will help you to be more creative in your approach.

Let’s end today’s post with two more inspiring images from Sanibel Island, Florida at sunrise.

If you haven’t heard, it’s 2010!

The beginning of the year is a traditional time in which people set goals and see how well they can stick to their intentions.

Even though I haven’t done the good old “New Year’s Resolution” in a while, I do re-calibrate my priorities at the beginning of each year (and throughout the year).

One of the most significant things we can examine and improve is how we relate to other people.

Here are some things that Candice and I do regarding relationships. You might find these techniques helpful as you renew important relationships in your life.

Relationship Renewal Techniques

1. If you wish to improve your relationship with anyone, from your significant other to your boss or your mother, try writing down a list of things that you appreciate about that person. Write it on a piece of paper as you think about this individual. Observe what happens to the relationship after you do this — it’s pretty cool.

2. If you are at an impasse with someone, try writing them a letter (one that you won’t actually send to them), expressing your feelings in great detail. You’ll be amazed at how much better you feel when you express your feelings about a challenging relationship. People tend to repress their feelings when they’re upset with someone. As you may know, the anger can build to a point in which you cannot see the situation with clear vision. The idea here is to keep the letter in a confidential place after your write it. Some people even burn letters like this after they write them. I’ve done this when a relationship reaches a low point and it’s amazing what happens after the letter is written. At the very least, you’ll feel better.

3. Give something to someone that you want for yourself. You don’t even have to give it to the person from whom you want something. Maybe you’re looking for approval from your boss. Try giving someone a compliment when you’re moved to do so. Maybe you want to be accepted by your father. Try accepting someone in your life that has different ideas than you about living day to day. You get the point. You can create a new cycle of ease with this process.

In the next few weeks, the topics will include exercise, organization and calm focus. We hope these tools contribute to you having a fantastic week!

Enjoy these sunset photos from Sanibel Island, Florida.

If you’d like to take a break from the holiday bustle and feel peaceful, check out these images from the Cuyahoga River Valley in fall. Here’s the newest relaxing Water Film, “Autumn River.”

Flowing water images are accompanied by a new composition entitled, “Autumn River.” This tranquil piece blends strings, piano and light chimes.

You can watch the new movie here:

Watch it in HD on the full screen on YouTube!

Or you can go to our Water Films website to watch this movie or any of the other relaxing Water Films.

If you like the music, “Autumn River,” you can download it here.

Take some time for yourself to recharge and relax.

Here’s another new MP3 from GCMusic called “Dusk.” The Studio Blog is the only place to hear the complete track.

Just press play and enjoy this new, mysterious and cinematic track . . .

If you want to own your own copy for your iPod, click here to purchase it.

Also, for those of you who wish to hear my radio interview on Cleveland’s WHK 1420 AM on December 5, here’s the recording of the full interview with Nick Phillips, “The Advocate.” We discussed my musical background and the launch of our new GC Creative Studio product called the Creative Mentor. This exciting 21-day video program was developed for those who wish to find more time for creativity in their busy lives. Enjoy!

A very nice quote appeared in my e-mail box this morning. Perfect timing, because I was just about to blog about this very topic. Check it out . . .

“Don’t let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use.”

This quote comes from Earl Nightingale, a well-known motivational author and speaker who started the Nightingale-Conant Corporation of personal improvement products.

Last night, a student came into his lesson and admitted that he lost motivation to learn his new piece for one reason: he looked at all the pages he had to learn.

Have you had this happen? It’s not uncommon.

If you’ve ever made a “to-do” list with great excitement (or with good intentions), you’ve probably noticed that the excitement wears off quickly when that list becomes overwhelming. Suddenly procrastination, excuses and stress replace your well-meaning intention to get things done.

The reason the list can overwhelm you is because you couldn’t completely foresee the details of your day as you made the list. If you write down 5 things to do, it seems quite manageable. But, the day begins to unfold with unexpected phone calls, work events that demand your attention, childcare, meals, etc.

You get the point.

What can you do?

Focus on the first item on the list and completely engage in it! That’s right, forget about the remaining items on the list until you complete the one right in front of you. Maybe it’s the task that is most important, maybe it’s the one to do first in the day because it needs to be done before you can do anything else. Whatever the reason, you can certainly decide which activity is worthy of your full attention at any moment.

The problem comes along when you start to look over your list and imagine how you won’t be able to do it all. Then you get fearful and stressed. In fact, you spend more time worrying about the ways in which you can’t complete the tasks then actually getting something accomplished.

With our students, we have them practice just 1 or 2 measures at a time with full care and attention, even if it’s a 75 page piece with 800 measures of music.

Why?

Because if you do a good job on those 2 measures the first time, you won’t need to keep coming back to them to repair unfinished business. In fact, if you gloss over those first two measures and miss details, you will later have to unlearn the details that don’t even belong in the music.

I don’t think I need to spell out the life metaphor here.

Just focus on what is in front of you with full care and attention because the success in this moment will lead to success in each subsequent moment. You may even finish all the items on the list because your focus level is high. You’re unencumbered by fear and procrastination when you adopt this principle.

I’m thankful to Earl and my student from last night because I need this reminder on a regular basis!

The last two weeks of October have been incredibly beautiful with the trees showing off their colors. Inspired by images of fall, I present to you a new relaxing Water Film, “Autumn Spirit.”

This short film features images from right outside my front door to the Metroparks around Cleveland to the Cuyahoga River Valley. The visual treat is accompanied by my brand new recording of Debussy’s piano Prelude, “Danseuses de Delphes.”

You can watch this new movie here:

Watch it in HD on the full screen on Youtube!

Or you can go to our Water Films website.

If you like the brand new recording of Debussy’s piano music, “Danseuses de Delphes,” you can download it here.

Kick back and relax!

So, my hard drive on my 2 year-old MacBook was acting up. Since July, there were signs that it wasn’t functioning properly.

I took about 2,500 photos this summer and thought to myself, “I really need to back these up soon.” For some reason I kept putting it off.

The laptop was starting to function slowly when we were making audio recordings, so we decided to buy a new computer with more capacity and speed. In addition, we could finally do that much heralded backup.

Now you’re caught up.

Last weekend, we bought the new MacBook Pro with a 17” screen. Sweet specimen indeed. The first order of business when I returned home was to transfer the data from the old computer to the new laptop. Sounds good, right?

Well, I was eagerly anticipating the use of my new toy. So, I went through the process of migrating data from one computer to the other and all seemed to go well. But, when I began searching for documents, I found none on my new computer.

In my concern, I attempted to turn on my old computer. No luck. I tried every troubleshooting trick in the book. That hard drive was not going to mount for me.

Do you know that feeling? It’s not fun.

But, here’s the key.

I took a deep breath and left the room to collect my thoughts as I gently pondered the thought of not having the data from my old computer…all 80GB of data! I actually managed to stay detached.

I went back to the new computer to search for my pictures and music and found them on the new hard drive. What a relief! But I couldn’t access them at the moment because of permission details.

Went to the Apple Store the next day and the Genius Bar dude shook my hand like we were at a funeral as he pronounced our hard drive to be deceased. I remained calm in my response and pictured that another solution was possible.

To make a long week short, we have not yet recovered our documents. Yet, because all of our photos and music are with us, we feel tremendously grateful!

We are currently going through the process of having Disc Savers recover our information. The prognosis is pretty good. We are optimistic but not attached to the outcome as we have already begun the process of retrieving hard copies of many important documents through our students.

But, here’s the deal…

If you ever wish to find out what’s important in life, this kind of experience can take you there quickly. My experience is that loss of data is more of an inconvenience than a disaster. It’s not fun and an organized way of life quickly turns into chaos when you realize that you have no schedule, no business telephone numbers, no current financial records, etc.

At earlier times in my life, I would have totally freaked out about this and it would have ruined much more than one week. My new approach is more about getting still and letting solutions come to me. Letting go of the need to control made this experience much more pleasant as I connected with a lot of great people who helped us in the process. This experience taught me many valuable lessons.

Did you know that hard drives normally work well for about three years? I wasn’t aware of that until this experience.

If anything, I shared this story for all of you who have valuable info stored on your computer that you don’t back up. There is definitely peace of mind to be experienced with regular data backup.

The new Macs have something called Time Machine which automatically backs up all info on your computer — I hooked it up to my big and burly external hard drive.

We’ll be back next week with new music and a new Water film. Enjoy one of the rescued photos below. I was pleased when I captured this split second opportunity which presented a lizard hanging out next to a colorful flower.

Here’s another new relaxing Water Film to share with you called, “High Lake.” There is this stunning lake, nestled in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, high above the infamous Lake Louise. It is named Lake Agnes. The spot is so peaceful and magical that one is instantly transformed in its presence. There is a lovely tea house that overlooks the lake which sits at around 6,500 feet. The aerobic 75 minute uphill hike is quickly forgotten when you rest on the shore of this pristine lake.

We recommend turning on your external computer speakers or putting on some nice headphones to get the full effect of the deep, resonant tones mixed with the natural sounds.

You can watch this new movie here:

Watch it in HD on the full screen on Youtube!

Or you can go to our Water Films website.

If you like the brand new relaxation music, “High Lake,” you can download it here.

Enjoy!