Twice the results in half the time

Are you challenged to find the time to exercise? Who isn't these days! But if a strong, lean, healthy body is valuable to you, then exercise is a must. Most days I don't have much more than 30 to 40 minutes that I can spare for my exercise, sometimes less, and I want the time I spend to bring results. The secret to twice the results in half the time is grounded intention.

When I had a private personal training practice, I would first focus my attention was on my client's feet, then the legs, hips and lower abdominal region. I could tell instantly whether or not the person was present in their physical body and I'd get a bonus "read" on my client's personality and approach to life. My first priority before any planks or biceps curls could be effective, was to teach the client how to ground their energy field through their feet.

Exercise may be on the surface a physical endeavor but the physical body always follows the energetic body so intentionally using simple energy techniques will exponentially increase your results.

1) Work from the feet up - if you can exercise barefoot all the better, but shoes or no shoes, begin your exercise session by connecting to your feet. Spread the toes and balance your weight evenly into the triangle created by the toe mounds and the heal. An important energy center or vortice exists inside this triangle that draws energy from the earth up and into your physical body, nourishing and supporting the muscles and bones. Imagine roots growing out the bottoms of the feet and deep into the ground. Now you are "grounded" and energetically ready for results.

2) Expand this energy throughout the body moving it up the legs, into the center belly or tan tien (center of gravity) and dispersing it to the rest of your body. Make sure your knees remain soft. Locked knees block the upward flow of energy. Give yourself a few moments here to get a strong sense of the flow of this energy. This takes some practice, so if you are not sure just use your imagination and keep at it.

3) Utilize your awareness of the flow of earth energy up and into your body and your ability to consciously shift the energy flow to intensify your focus and your results. If you are doing a simple exercise like biceps curls for example, allow the conscious flow of energy to move through the feet, up the legs and then to be dispersed to the biceps muscles on each arm - then execute your curls. Keep the flow going and notice the integrity of the legs and torso muscles as you work. Does this feel different than squeezing in a few reps while distracting yourself with Oprah?

Use this energy awareness and focus technique with all of your fitness activities. Resist the tempation to zone out with I-pods, TV or even a chatty friend and challenge yourself to remain fully connected to the sensory experience of your exercise. Imagine and feel fat burning, imagine and feel your leg muscles becoming long, strong and lean, imagine the defininition of your arms and shoulders. Feel it to be it.